Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Thursday, July 15, 2021 6:30 PM Telepresence Meeting: City Web Stream CALL TO ORDER Pursuant to Section 3 of Executive Order N-29-20 (March 17, 2020) and Section 42 of Executive Order N-08-21 (June 11, 2021) issued by Governor Newsom, the meeting was conducted telephonically. Chair Mehlinger called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. via teleconference. ROLL CALL Present 5 - Chair Richard Mehlinger Vice Chair Leia Mehlman Commissioner Dan Hafeman Commissioner Timothy Oey Commissioner Mihir Paradkar Absent 1 - Commissioner Arwen Davé Dennis Ng, Transportation and Traffic Manager, Lillian Tsang, Principal Transportation Engineer and Nabilah Deen, Transportation Engineer attended via teleconference. Commissioner Davé attended via teleconference at 7:17 p.m. Council Liaison Klein (present). PRESENTATION A 21-0745 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update Lillian Tsang, Principal Transportation Engineer, gave a presentation on the Vision Zero Plan Progress Update. Highlighting the following: - Vision Zero Plan Background City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission - What is Vision Zero - Vision Zero Goal Statement - Vision Zero Plan Priority Project Locations- - Collision Trends - Collision Trends - Fatal and Serious Injury - Accomplishments and Achievements - Complete Projects - Class I Multi-Use Trail on Moffett Park Drive - Department of Public Safety Achievements - In Progress and Future Projects - Caltrain Grade Separation - Mary Avenue at Evelyn Avenue - Measure B Education and Encouragement Program - Future Stevens Creek Trail - Land Use Development Improvements - Outreach Plan for Vision Zero Campaign Copy of the final report can be found at www.sunnyvale.ca.gov by searching "Transportation and Traffic Safety". Chair Mehlinger asked about the following: - Advanced Dilemma Zone Detection Phase II - Numbers on serious injuries and fatalities for current calendar year Commissioner Oey asked about the following: - Advanced Dilemma Zone Detection Phase II Commissioner Hafeman asked about the following: - Will drivers get used to the Advanced Dilemma Zone Detection and get more aggressive - Will the Advanced Dilemma Zone detect a bicycle to get a little longer yellow signal Vice Chair Mehlman asked about the following: - Is the Advanced Dilemma Zone Detection device in favor of the pedestrian Commissioner Oey asked about the following: - Advanced Dilemma Zone Detection is focused on the motor vehicle not the pedestrian - Is there a name for the pedestrian sensors - Is the device adaptive for bicyclists crossing the road City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission - Sensors picking up pedestrians waiting without pushing a button Commissioner Hafeman asked about the following: - 2020 data biased by Coronavirus situation Commissioner Paradkar asked about the following: - Insight on why fatalities stayed constant in 2020 while incidents went down Chair Mehlinger asked about the following: - Tighter turning radius to force drivers to slow down when making right turns at Willow Avenue and Reed Avenue - When will the City begin to add Class IV bike lanes - What steps residents can take to have safe roads on their streets Vice Chair Mehlman asked about the following: - A map that shows what streets are collectors for residents to look up Commissioner Oey asked about the following: - Can tracking, petitions and suggestions for improvements be mapped out on a collections basis Dennis Ng, Transportation and Traffic Manager and Lillian Tsang, Principal Transportation Engineer addressed the questions. Chair Mehlinger opened for Public Comment. Mary Seldauski, member of the public commented on the following: - Advanced Dilemma Zone Detection Phase II - Concerned drivers could abuse the device - Concerned more drivers are going through red lights Chair Mehlinger closed for Public Comment. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Chair Mehlinger stated that the Board and Commission recruitment is underway with the following openings: - Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission - 1 opening - Heritage Preservation Commission - 1 opening - Personnel Board - 1 opening City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. Monday, August 9, 2021 in order to be scheduled for an interview with City Council on August 17, 2021. For more information visit www.sunnyvale.ca.gov search "Boards and Commissions" or call the City Clerk office at 408-730-7483. Chair Mehlinger opened for Public Comment. Bob Walsh, member of the public, commented on the following: - Bringing shared electric scooters to City of Sunnyvale - They are a great way to reduce private car trips, support local businesses & reduce carbon footprint - They are affordable, enjoyable and equitable Chair Mehlinger closed for Public Comment. Commissioner Oey stated that the Virtual Silicon Valley Bicycle Summit is on August 12 & 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. More information at bikesiliconvalley.org/summit CONSENT CALENDAR 1.A 21-0752 Approve the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2021. Chair Mehlinger opened for Public Comment. Chair Mehlinger closed for Public Comment. Approve the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission Meeting Minutes of June 17, 2021 as submitted. Commissioner Oey moved and Commissioner Hafeman seconded to approve item 1.A. The motion carried the following vote: Yes 4 - Vice Chair Mehlman Commissioner Davé Commissioner Hafeman Commissioner Oey City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission No 0 Abstain 2 - Chair Mehlinger Commissioner Paradkar PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 2 21-0746 Selection of Chair and Vice Chair for FY21/22 Nabilah Deen, Transportation Engineer, explained the roles of the Chair and Vice Chair for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, FY 2021/2022. Chair Mehlinger opened for Public Comment. Chair Mehlinger closed for Public Comment. Chair Mehlinger opened the floor for nominations. Commissioner Oey nominated Chair Mehlinger as Chair. Chair Mehlinger accepts the nomination. There was no other nominations for the Chair position. The motion carried the following vote: Yes 6 - Chair Mehlinger Vice Chair Mehlman Commissioner Davé Commissioner Hafeman Commissioner Oey Commissioner Paradkar No 0 Commissioner Davé nominated Vice Chair Mehlman as Vice Chair. Chair Mehlman accepts the nomination. There was no other nominations for the Vice Chair position. The motion carried the following vote: City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission Yes 6 - Chair Mehlinger Vice Chair Mehlman Commissioner Davé Commissioner Hafeman Commissioner Oey Commissioner Paradkar No 0 3 21-0658 Recommend to City Council to Remove On-Street Parking for the Northbound Direction on Willow Avenue between Reed Avenue and Aster Avenue and to Install Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides of the Street Per the Active Transportation Plan Chair Mehlinger called for a recess at 7:34 p.m. Chair Mehlinger reconvened the meeting at 7:40 p.m. Alternative 1: Recommend to City Council to Remove On-Street Parking for the Northbound Direction on Willow Avenue between Reed Avenue and Aster Avenue and to Install Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides of the Street Per the Active Transportation Plan Lillian Tsang, Principal Transportation Planner and Richard Chen, Project Design Manager gave a presentation on the Willow Avenue Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements. Highlighting the following: - Project Limits: Willow Avenue between Reed Avenue and Aster Avenue - Lawrence Station Area Plan (LSAP) - Adopted by City Council on December 6, 2016 - Key access route for pedestrians and bicyclists to access Lawrence Caltrain Station - Design Goal - Improve sidewalk gaps - Proposed Class II Bicycle Lane - Sunnyvale Active Transportation Plan which includes Bicycle Plan, Pedestrian Plan and Safe Routes to School Plan - Caltrain Business Plan - Willow Avenue - Pedestrian Improvements - Reduce curb radius at the NW and NE corners - Install ADA accessible, directional curb ramp for crossing Willow Avenue City of Sunnyvale Page 6 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission - Install a crosswalk on Willow Avenue - Willow Avenue - Bicycle Improvements - Draft Lawrence Station Area Sense of Place Plan - Willow Avenue and French Street Plan -Willow Avenue On-Street Parking Study Area (Resident vs. Non-Resident Parking) - Auto Repair Shops is currently using Willow Avenue as storage - Enough on-street parking capacity on the left side of Willow Avenue to accommodate parking demand from the residents within the neighborhood - Recommend to remove on-street parking on right side of Willow Avenue - Install Class II/IIB Buffered Bicycle Lanes - Improve Bicycle Access to the Train Station - Provide people additional options beyond driving a vehicle - Support the City's Climate Action Plan Goal to Reduce Vehicle Emission - Willow Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Timeline Recommendation to City Council Considerations: - Alternative 1: Recommend to City Council to Remove On-Street Parking for the Northbound Direction on Willow Avenue between Reed Avenue and Aster Avenue and to Install Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides of the Street Per the Active Transportation Plan - Alternative 2: Recommend to City Council to Maintain On-Street Parking for the Northbound Direction on Willow Avenue between Reed Avenue and Aster Avenue and Not to Install Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides of Willow Avenue Recommendation to City Council Staff Recommendation: - Alternative 1: Recommend to City Council to remove on-street parking for the northbound direction on Willow Avenue between Reed Avenue and Aster Avenue and to install bicycle lanes on both sides of the Street per the Active Transportation Plan Chair Mehlinger opened for Public Comment. Chair Mehlinger closed for Public Comment. Commissioner Oey commented and asked about the following: - What trucks or businesses are on French Street? Ms. Tsang stated some of the businesses include the supermarket in Santa Clara. - What is the total traffic volume on French Street? Ms. Tsang stated they do not City of Sunnyvale Page 7 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission have any daily volumes for this location. - Would like to see a left turn bike lane for turning into Lawrence Station - What are Santa Clara's plans for their side on French Street? Ms. Tsang stated City of Santa Clara plans on leaving it as Class III with Sharrows because they do not plan on removing any on-street parking on their side. - Is it an option to make it a bicycle boulevard treatment instead of a bike lane? Ms. Tsang stated having a buffered bicycle lane would be more helpful in guiding bicyclists as well as drivers to stay within the lane. - Is it possible to put a door zone space? Ms. Tsang stated that this location has limited roadway width so there is no additional width for a wider parking lane. - Concerned with bicyclists riding in the gutter - Would like to see 10 foot or 11 foot wide lanes Vice Chair Mehlman commented and asked about the following: - Presuming there isn't a proposed Class IV bike lane in this area because of maintenance issues? Ms. Tsang stated Class IV Bike Lanes were proposed in longer corridors. - Can there be a Buffered Bike Lane with a physical bump to alert vehicles rather than just paint? Mr. Ng stated staff would not recommend putting in any vertical elements along the buffered section. - Can a HAWK Beacon be installed on Willow Avenue and Reed Avenue? Ms. Tsang stated HAWK Beacons are typically used at busier intersections. - Doesn't feel it's safe enough for pedestrians coming from Reed Avenue onto Willow Avenue - How does a cyclist make the turn into the Caltrain Station? Ms. Tsang stated that as a cyclist on a Class III with sharrow they are supposed to take the full lane. - Concerned about the following: paint only and not having a physical barrier, cyclist egressing and ingressing into the Caltrain Station trying to make the left turn coming in/out, vehicles not yielding to pedestrians at Willow/Aster Avenue Commissioner Davé commented and asked about the following: - Is it a binary choice to have bike lanes on both sides or no bike lanes on either side? Ms. Tsang stated bicycles facilities cannot be provided on one side only. They must be provided on both sides of the street. - Entrance to train station from Willow Avenue - Will there be green paint on the roadway with the sharrows? Ms. Tsang stated the City does not combine green paint and sharrow markings together. - Blind curve on Willow Avenue/French Street - need an indicator to alert vehicles that there are bicycles ahead City of Sunnyvale Page 8 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission Commissioner Hafeman commented and asked about the following: - Recommends north section to have a 5 foot bike lane with a 1 foot buffer or have a 10 1/2 foot travel lane and 5 1/2 foot bike lane with a 1 foot buffer. - Blind corner at Caltrain Station - Recommends not putting bumps in the buffer, could be bad for the cyclists Chair Mehlinger commented and asked about the following: - Has the City considered removing the sidewalk on the east side of Willow Avenue? Mr. Ng stated that the sidewalk is part of Lawrence Expressway's structural embankment. - Would the City consider moving the crosswalk on Reed Avenue 10 feet north? Mr. Ng stated there are trade offs moving the crosswalk or keeping it at its current state. If it is moved it creates a shorter crosswalk but increases the likelihood of vehicles not seeing the pedestrian when turning onto Willow Avenue. - No need for crosswalk improvement on Aster Avenue - Would the City consider a crosswalk on Aster Avenue/Buttercup Terrace? Mr. Ng stated that the intersection was not brought up at any of the outreach meetings. - Suggest "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" signs not "Share the Road" signs in the sharrows - Suggest "No Stopping at Anytime" signs instead of "No Parking" along the bike lanes - Suggest Class IIIB the whole way - Was there a consideration for parking protection for the bike lane for Willow Avenue? Mr. Ng stated that when the City starts implementing protected bike lane facilities, parking protected bike lane facilities is something that will be considered. Mr. Ng would not recommend them for this location. - Would like to know if there is a way to prohibit nearby businesses from storing or working on vehicles on-street, or to prohibit the storage of RVs Commissioner Oey commented and asked about the following: - Suggest a shorter and more aligned crosswalk crossing Willow Avenue from the sidewalks so pedestrians don't have to turn to enter the crosswalk - Challenges with protected bike lane facilities Commissioner Hafeman commented on the following: - Concerned with the curbs - Concerned with the suggestion to implement parking protection for the bike lane City of Sunnyvale Page 9 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission Commissioner Davé commented on the following: - A huge sign accompanying sharrows that say "Share the Lane" helps a lot Chair Mehlinger moved and Commissioner Oey seconded Alternative 1: Recommend to City Council to Remove On-Street Parking for the Northbound Direction on Willow Avenue between Reed Avenue and Aster Avenue and to Install Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides of the Street Per the Active Transportation Plan. Adding to study to reduce the turning radius at the Reed Avenue/Willow Avenue crosswalk. Chair Mehlinger stated he feels this is the best alternative considering the constraints of the project timeline, the existing street configuration, and restrictions relating to local and state laws and this is the correct approach moving forward which will be an improvement for residents, cyclists and the community. Commissioner Oey stated this alternative is better than the current situation. The motion carried the following vote: Yes 6 - Chair Mehlinger Vice Chair Mehlman Commissioner Davé Commissioner Hafeman Commissioner Oey Commissioner Paradkar No 0 4 21-0747 Report and Discussion of Recent Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Meeting Commissioner Oey, VTA BPAC Sunnyvale Representative, gave the meeting summary report regarding the following topics: - VTA is working on updates to Chapter 10 Bike Parking in its VTA Bicycle Technical Guidelines - VTA received two Caltrans Sustainable Communities Planning grants to: 1) Study improving access (especially bicycle and pedestrian) to six transit stations - four (4) park-and-ride lots at VTA light rail stations, and two (2) future BART stations City of Sunnyvale Page 10 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission 2) Improve VTA business practices to reduce and adapt to climate change - MTC is updating the Regional Active Transportation Plan and evaluating the effectiveness of its Complete Street Policy - The Caltrans District 4 Pedestrian Plan is now complete - VTA BPAC will review and recommend to Board Tasman Complete Streets Study at its August meeting - Silicon Valley Bike Summit - Aug 12 & 13 - Viva Calle SJ - Sept 19 - Silicon Valley Bikes (Fundraiser for the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition) - Sept 19 - Group bike ride from Santa Clara Caltrain Station to Sunnyvale Caltrain Station via El Camino Real on Saturday, July 31 to demonstrate that El Camino Real needs to be made bike friendly STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES 5 21-0748 BPAC 2022 Proposed Study Issues Lillian Tsang, Principal Transportation Engineer, stated they are currently no study issue papers submitted for the Commission to consider. Chair Mehlinger opened for Public Comment. Chair Mehlinger closed for Public Comment. Chair Mehlinger asked what is the best way to communicate a very small change that is too small for a study issue. Ms. Tsang stated Access Sunnyvale would be the best option. Commissioner Davé asked how much detail should you include when submitting a study issue. Chair Mehlinger stated that you get 1,000 characters. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Commissioner Oey commented on the following: - Would like a list of bicycle and pedestrian improvements list similar to the ADA ramp list - Bike lane treatment on Borregas Avenue between 101/237 is problematic. Switch to a boulevard Chair Mehlinger asked if there could be a small improvements wish list. Mr. Ng City of Sunnyvale Page 11 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final July 15, 2021 Commission stated they will look into it. Commissioner Hafeman commented on the following: - Concerned Homestead Bike Lane Study was taken off calendar Chair Mehlinger asked about the following: - Anything planned for Lincoln Avenue around Fair Oaks Avenue - Does the City of Sunnyvale do rolled curbs - Delivery trucks parked in the bike lane on the westbound Evelyn Avenue bike lane Mr. Ng addressed the questions. -Staff Comments Lillian Tsang, Principal Transportation Engineer, commented on the following: - Sustainability Commission and the BPAC will be presenting at the Neighborhood Association Meeting on August 9, 2021at 7:00 p.m. - Virtual community meeting to be held on the proposed Sunnyvale Avenue Class IIB Buffered Bicycle Lane project on July 29, 2021 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held through Zoom by entering the webinar ID 93925596553 - Survey is being conducted on how resident's and the public are using Sunnyvale Avenue. Survey will close on Monday, August 2, 2021. Survey can be found at https://www.opentownhall.com/10904 - August 10, 2021 will seek City Council's direction on how future City Council and Boards and Commissions meetings will be hosted after the current executive order expires on September 30, 2021 - State of the City will be October 9, 2021. Recognizing board members who have left in 2020 & 2021. Invitation only - City Hall will be re-opening to the public on August 2, 2021 and staff will be returning to the office on August 2, 2021 INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS 21-0749 BPAC 2021 Annual Work Plan 21-0750 Active Items List July 2021 21-0751 2021 Deferred Study Issues ADJOURNMENT Chair Mehlinger adjourned the meeting at 9:44 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 12