Complete Streets Advisory Board

City of Saratoga Springs JACLYN HAKES, CHAIR LOU SCHNEIDER, VICE CHAIR SHARED ACCESS ADVISORY BOARD MARK BENAQUISTA 474 Broadway THERESA CAPOZZOLA Saratoga Springs, New York 12866 KEN GREY _____________________ STEPHAN GODLEWSKI Telephone 518-587-3550 Fax 518-587-1688 CHARLIE SAMUELS Shared Access Advisory Board (SAAB) Meeting Minutes December 6, 2012 3rd Floor Music Hall at City Hall 5:00 pm Attendees Board Members: Theresa Capozzola, Lou Schneider, Jackie Hakes, Mark Benaquista, Steve Godlewski, Ken Grey, Charlie Samuels Staff and others: Kate Maynard, Stephanie Seidmon, Shauna Sutton, Tony Izzo City Attorney 1. Public Comment • Jim Zack (Sustainable Saratoga; lives in Wilton) o 5% of people walk and bike to work in Saratoga Springs; we need to accommodate them with the new Ballston Ave project • Geoffrey Wood (26 Lincoln) o The board should seek out official public comments before finalizing a recommendation for Ballston Ave • Dan Lynch (co-president of Bike-a-toga) o As Ballston Ave is rebuilt, cyclists must be considered.  A lot of people ride bikes because they can’t afford a car  We don’t want to deter Tourists  We need to do what’s best for Complete Streets • George Hodges (224 Grand Avenue) o There are a lot of competing interests, and the Ballston Ave project should recognize all of them o There are different ways to accommodate space and many different kinds of bike infrastructure o Bike infrastructure should connect to the State Park • Maureen Roberts (member of Bike-a-Toga) o The Ballston Ave project is the first opportunity to honor the principles of the Complete Streets Policy  A new trail will be built along Geyser Crest which connects that neighborhood to downtown. Ballston Ave provides access for that area.  This route should be safe for both pedestrians and cyclists • Joanna Garrison (48 Bromley Street; Teacher) o When is this project supposed to begin?  Spring 2014  o Biking isn’t safe, and it needs to be. o We need to accommodate for cyclists, and we must start somewhere.  People who live near Jefferson Ave walk and bike on Ballston Ave to the big Price Chopper; we shouldn’t forget about them 2. Meeting Minutes Approval • Will be reviewed and adopted at the January meeting 3. Rules and Regulations Discussion and Vote • Additional comments from the board about establishing how this group functions o Voting requirement  4 members for quorum o Separate email address for the group  Kate looked into IT; so far no reply.  Change to “may be made available” o Lou motions to pass the draft Rules and Regulations  Ken seconds the motion.  Everyone in favor; no opposed. 4. Finalize Ballston Ave Comment Letter • The board met with the City Engineer and Consultant last week for an impromptu meeting. • Steve Godlewski to read the recommendation letter the board wrote o We will address this to the city council, but CC city engineer Tim Wales • Changes o Change the language to “the proposed alternative as currently designed does not provide bicycle accommodations” o Mention influx of bikes with new Zim Smith trail? o “We are advisory in nature, as such, we cannot approve or disapprove of this project.” This sentence to appear in the opening of the letter o Moving item 2 so that the sentence “it is suggested…and 4ft shoulder” is the second sentence o Add a 6th item to assess linkages for ongoing and future trail projects • Charlie wants to submit a letter of his own opinion o Wants to submit his own comments with his own recommendation letter o The precedent for dissenting opinions is in the public record via statements at meetings and voting o The current letter doesn’t make it clear that the Ballston Ave project is not a complete street • Vote to approve the letter o Lou motions to approve letter with changes that were made  No second. o Lou motions again to approve the letter  Charlie seconds. • Discussion o Theresa: Will still vote yes, but the new language is confusing. 2  o Amendment to the motion: “These are our concerns as they relate to the Complete Streets Policy.” o Discussion closes  Theresa seconds the amendment • Everyone says “I” • Charlie says “no” • Mark abstains • Motion carries 5-1-1 • Name of the Board o Still officially called the Shared Access Advisory Board  Requesting a name-change for this committee 5. Discussion and Draft Checklist • Checklist moved to our January meeting 6. Next Steps and Announcements a. Brief Update: • Lou and Jackie went to planning board; they want to see our draft of the checklist b. Reminder: Complete Streets Workshop 12/11 • 7:30 am with Mark Fenton with funding from the Adirondack Rural Health Network. c. January Meeting • January 3rd at 5:00 in city hall • Organizational meeting for 2013 • Presentation of Sharrows mapping project 7. Public Comment • Dan Lynch (Bike-a-toga) o When is the next meeting for Ballston Avenue?  Nothing scheduled so far • Jim Zack (Sustainable Saratoga; lives in Wilton) o The minutes should be posted online or in the public library • Ginnie D’Ambrossio (Seward St.) o She would like the board to recommend that more provisions be made for pedestrians and cyclists, as it would be good for the environment and good for public health 3