Complete Streets Advisory Board

SARATOGA SPRINGS COMPLETE STREETS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES MARCH 9TH 2023 5:00 P.M. ATTENDEES: CHAIR KEN GREY, SUZANNE JAGODA, JEN NATYZAK, TED OROSZ STAFF: JEN DUNN, MICHAEL DUTRE ABSENT: JAMES KELLEY, MIKE KING, ERIN MACIEL MEETING MINUTES ARE NOT A WORD-FOR-WORD TRANSCRIPT. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. PUBLIC HEARING: Kerry Mayo was complementary of the Complete Streets Advisory board outreach regarding the Union Avenue proposal. From his perspective, the road diet is the primary mechanism to slow traffic and should not affect residents dramatically throughout the year, including racing season. The proposed changes should not negatively impact downtown businesses. APPROVAL OF JANUARY MINUTES: The minutes were approved by Complete Streets (CS). OTHER COMMUNITIES: Chair Grey brought up that the Albany Engineering Department is testing out speed humps. There is no need to reinvent the wheel and we should look at what other communities are doing to calm traffic. UNION AVENUE AND JMT RECOMMENDATIONS: Chair Grey updated CS that we are waiting on JMT’s recommendations which are expected for later this month. Ted Orosz explained that the process is: JMT submits their work to the City and CS for review. City staff and CSAB members will review and comment, then consolidated comments will be sent back to JMT. Then when everything is satisfactory it will be published for the public. CHAMPLAIN HUDSON POWER EXPRESS (CHPE): Chair Grey asked Jen Dunn on the status of a letter sent by Mayor Kim on surface rights along railroad lines. Jen Dunn informed the group that the letter was sent out and they have not heard a response. They Mayor’s office has sent out additional communication to follow up on the matter. Because of the recent tragedies involving the railroad industry, it is the CS’s hope that they will be sensitive to the wishes and needs of the city. On a similar note, the County is replacing the sewer line that runs under Railroad Run and multiple paths in the State Park. We are hopeful that the trails will be resurfaced upon completion of this infrastructure project. 1 25MPH SPEED LIMITS: Chair Grey has spoken to the mayor and commissioners about reducing speed throughout the city to calm traffic and increase safety. He has seen interest in this initiative and recent legislation has made it much easier for municipalities to lower speed limits. Further, the city could choose which streets to reduce and it wouldn’t necessarily be city-wide. Ted Orosz added that it would likely apply only in the inner core, at least initially. REGIONAL SAFE STREETS FUNDING GRANT UPDATE: Michael Dutre reported that he has been attending the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) learning modules and discovered last year they did not receive enough applicants and there was ‘money on the table.’ This year, the grantor is involved in the training and is making the process as easy as possible with coaching sessions and instructions on crafting narrative as well as budget elements. The City was awarded an Action Plan Grant in a joint application with other municipalities in the capital region. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has emphasized they are interested in supporting safety and equity-focused projects. GLENN MITCHELL TRAIL PROPOSAL: Jen Natyzak crafted a letter in support of the Glen Mitchell project and community connectivity. Skidmore’s Dean, Campus Safety Director and Facilities Director are also in agreement of the proposal. Skidmore may be able to seek donor funding and offer support for grant applications to assist further. Jen Dunn brought up that the city may be pursuing congressional ‘earmark’ funds and Glenn Mitchell would be a strong funding option. People expressed concerns that must be a substantial fence on the east of the trail, and that if it were paved, perhaps users would go very fast on the downgrades. YMCA CROSSING: Suzanne Jagoda outlined that she spoke to Joe O’Neill of Public Works and that the steps are: The County realigns the crossing, DPW finishes that element then DPS introduces signage and installs a crossing light. The current pathway is narrow, dark and dangerous. Solar lights and a wider path would be safer and offer more connectivity. She has looked at lumens, pricing and shipping on different light models for the project. COMPLETE STREETS 2023 GOALS: Chair Grey said he would like to invite Commissioner Golub to a future meeting to go over the paving schedule and opportunities to collaborate with Complete Streets. Since pipes are being realigned and updated throughout the city it could be the perfect time to extend bike lanes on Lake Ave and Crescent Ave which are ‘shovel ready.’ Ted Orosz supplied a contact at Creighton Manning that may be able to confirm what the next steps need to be on Crescent Avenue since they were the initial contractor in 2019. Suzanne Jagoda stressed it is important that CS maintains a high level of transparency and engagement with the public on their endeavors. Jen Dunn provided a brief from Delta Development grant consultants which outlined the city and Infrastructure Task Force goals. The contractors touched on funding related to CS plans. Michael Dutre is researching a County Trails Grant award of $10,000 that is due in June which could be used to supplement the costs on a CS project such as the lighting near the YMCA. ADJOURN 2 NEXT MEETING: 5:00 P.M. THURSDAY, APRIL 13TH 3