Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Thursday, August 15, 2024 6:30 PM Online and Bay Conference Room, City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 CALL TO ORDER Chair Beagle called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Chair Beagle led the salute to the flag. ROLL CALL Present 7 - Chair Bryce Beagle Vice Chair Arwen Davé Commissioner Alex Bonne Commissioner Geeta Gollakota Commissioner Dan Hafeman Commissioner Leia Mehlman Commissioner Jonathan Wilson Council Liaison Klein (present) PRESENTATION A 24-0883 Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Improvements at Sunnyvale Caltrain Station Project Angela Wong, Transportation Engineer, gave a presentation on Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Access at Sunnyvale Caltrain Station Study. Highlighting the following: - Background: - Study Issue DPW 20-02 - Ranked by City Council - Grant Funded: City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission - Caltrans Sustainable Communities Planning Grant - Project Description: - Location - Sunnyvale Caltrain Station - Study Goal - Make recommendations to improve bicycle and pedestrian access - Project Limits - Study Process: - Existing Conditions - Analysis Round 1 - Analysis Round 2 and Prepare Recommendation - Alternative Selection Commissioner Mehlman asked about the following: - Why wasn't the mid-block crossing from Murphy Avenue to the Caltrain station included as part of the project? Lillian Tsang, Principal Transportation Engineer/Planner, addressed the question. Commissioner Bonne asked about the following: - Will there be a section on the website page for public comment? - Shouldn't there be a list of questions posted and answered on the webpage rather than asking the project manager directly? Ms. Wong and Ms. Tsang addressed the questions. Commissioner Hafeman commented and asked about the following: - Why wasn't there any mention of the Transit Center Bus System? - Are you considering a scramble at Frances Street and Evelyn Avenue? Ms. Wong addressed the questions. Chair Beagle asked about the following: - Is the study issue concerned with both access to the station and amenities at the station? Or is it more so about the access from the surrounding neighborhood? - Were leading pedestrian intervals recently installed at the station? - Has there been any safety issues at the station, i.e. collision with pedestrians or people on their way to the station? Can data be collected? - What is the history of why the pedestrian ramp and overcrossing exists on Mathilda Avenue as opposed to having pedestrians use the undercrossing? - Are residents even aware of the two pedestrian pathways? City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission - There are a lot of underutilized parking lots within the boundary. Is there any room for incorporating that space into this study issue and making it more pedestrian friendly? Ms. Wong,Commissioner Hafeman and Liaison Klein addressed the questions. Commissioner Mehlman commented and asked about the following: - Will this study issue incorporate the electrification process coming up? - Happy to see the bollards on Evelyn Avenue at the mid-block crossing Ms. Tsang addressed the question. Vice Chair Davé asked about the following: - Is it intentional on the Mathilda Avenue access that it should be mostly shunted to one side of Mathilda Avenue? Ms. Tsang addressed the question. Commissioner Hafeman asked about the following: - Would it be possible to reconsider including all the bus stops on Frances Avenue as part of the project? Ms. Tsang addressed the question. Chair Beagle asked about the following: - What is the timeline on redoing Plaza del Sol? - Would the construction on Plaza del Sol overlap with this project? Council Liaison Klein addressed the questions. Public comment opened at 7:05 p.m. No speakers. Public comment closed at 7:06 p.m. Commissioner Wilson commented and asked about the following: - Shouldn't the project be part of Plaza del Sol since it is right across the street from the Caltrain station? - Seems that the Sunnyvale crossing railroad crossing and the study is interlinked City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission Ms. Tsang addressed the question. Commissioner Gollakota asked about the following: - Do we need to walk our bikes when coming from south Sunnyvale Avenue on the Evelyn Avenue access? Ms. Tsang and Chair Beagle addressed the question. Chair Beagle commented on the following: - Should be accounting for traffic - Bus access is critical for bicycle and pedestrian users to the train station - Suggest getting rid of surface parking at the train station - Would like more ramps off the platform for bikes - Could there be a consideration of removing the driveway that exits the parking garage onto Evelyn Avenue and only use the main entrance Commissioner Gollakota commented and asked about the following: - When leaving the train station on Evelyn Avenue should the pedestrian crossing or the car lane be used? Ms. Tsang addressed the question. Vice Chair Davé commented and asked about the following: - Does not agree with closing the side entrance for cars because the other one dumps them right into where pedestrians cross into the main part of the station - Is the hedge on private property on south of Mathilda Avenue underneath the overpass to get to the train station? - Recommends a ramp for bicyclists and a non hedge area - A lady in wheelchair states when crossing to the train station, announcements are not accurate on when the train is arriving to time her way across the train tracks Ms. Tsang addressed the question. Commissioner Mehlman commented on the following: - Suggest the BPAC hold off on many suggestions as this is just a preliminary study at the moment B 24-0884 Active Transportation Plan Progress Update Angela Wong, Transportation Engineer, gave a presentation on the Sunnyvale City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission Active Transportation Plan Progress (ATP) Update. Highlighting the following: - Active Transportation Plan Background - Completed Bicycle Improvement Projects - In-Progress Bicycle Improvement Projects - Pending Bicycle Improvement Projects - Active Transportation Plan Bikeway Mileage - Completed Pedestrian Improvement Projects - In-Progress Pedestrian Improvement Projects - On-going Pedestrian Improvement Projects - Completed Safe Routes to School Improvement Projects (SRTS) - In-Progress Safe Routes to School Improvement Projects - Pending Safe Routes to School Improvement Projects - Next Steps: - Implement Bicycle, Pedestrian and SRTS Improvements - Look for grant funding opportunities - Continue to deliver funded bicycle and pedestrian projects Commissioner Mehlman commented and asked about the following: - Can there be more detail on the study issues and where they are at? Have you hired a consultant for Tasman? - Can we have percentages on the status of the in-progress projects? - Is there any signage for the Pedestrian Scramble intersection project? - Is it required for developers to implement changes to ADA compliant curb ramps if they are not in compliance? Ms. Tsang addressed the questions. Commissioner Gollakota asked about the following: - Do you check for visibility for existing homes with driveways when designing bike lanes? - Why doesn't the study include all school locations for pedestrian scrambles? Ms. Tsang addressed the questions. Chair Beagle asked about the following: - Will the presentation be on the City's webpage? - Are there any quick build projects that are ongoing or upcoming that are not part of the SRTS project or the ATP? City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission - In regards to Presentation B, slide 17, are these improvements part of a minimum design standard whenever work takes place at an intersection or are intersections intentionally sought out for improvements? - How does the City identify when to install a RRFB vs. a HAWK Beacon? Is it related to cost? Ms. Wong and Ms. Tsang addressed the questions. Commissioner Hafeman asked about the following: - Will there be a follow up meeting on the status of Class IIIB improvements? - Would it be possible to postpone implementation of Class IIIB improvements until the follow up meeting? Ms. Tsang addressed the questions. Public comment opened at 8:05 p.m. No speakers. Public comment closed at 8:05 p.m. Ms. Tsang and Ms. Wong present a map of the intersection at Fremont Avenue and Sydney Driveto demonstrate what a RRFB looks like and how it functions. They also present a map of the intersection of Helen Avenue and El Camino Real to demonstrate what a HAWK signal looks like and how it functions. Chair Beagle asked about the following: - Why not just use a normal traffic signal? Ms. Tsang and Ms. Wong addressed the question. Commissioner Wilson commented on the following: - It would be beneficial to have operational signage for a time dependent scramble on Fremont at the High School. C 24-0885 VTA Measure B Education and Encouragement Potential Projects Angela Wong, Transportation Engineer, gave a presentation on the VTA Measure B Bicycle and Pedestrian Education & Encouragement Program. Highlighting the following: City of Sunnyvale Page 6 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission -Background - Funds projects to promote, educate, or encourage safe walking or bicycling - Update on FY 23/24 projects - FY 24/25 proposed projects Commissioner Bonne asked about the following: - How often do you envision the mobile bike kiosk appearing at schools and what would the duration be? Ms. Wong addressed the question. Commissioner Hafeman asked about the following: - Is there public access to a Class IIIB instructional video yet? - In regards to presentation C slides 9-10, the bicycle counts appear to be trending down. Does staff have any idea why that is? Ms. Wong addressed the question. Commissioner Mehlman asked about the following: - Do we have Public Safety Officers on bicycles and can we plan to have more in the future? Ms. Tsang and Council Liaison Klein addressed the question. Commissioner Wilson commented on the following: - Commissioner Bonne's question about lower trending bicycle counts - Proposed the idea to use Measure B outreach funds to have the Safe Routes to School Coordinator or another individual visit grocery stores or Earth Day events to incorporate bicycling into their grocery activities Vice Chair Davé commented on the following: - The small amount of bikes and considerable amount of pedestrians at Fremont High School may have more to do with safety concerns Commissioner Gollakota asked and commented about the following: - In regards to Presentation C, slide 8, how were these locations chosen? - How are these counts taken? - Concerned that the bicycle and pedestrian measurements taken may not fully capture the people traveling from Mary Avenue all the way to Homestead Road. City of Sunnyvale Page 7 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission - How is the data collected used? - Are you looking at the affectivity of the education or the infrastructure? - Do the improvements cost more than the education? Ms. Tsang, Ms. Wong, and Council Liaison Klein addressed the questions. Commissioner Wilson commented on the following: - Suggests staff conduct an analysis 2 days a week for 3 weeks after the start of school to see who was biking and for how long Commissioner Gollakota commented about the following: - It is not easy to determine if effects are related to education or not Chair Beagle called for a recess at 8:50 p.m.and reconvened at 8:55 p.m. Public comment opened at 8:57 p.m. No speakers. Public comment closed at 8:57 p.m. Commissioner Wilson - Suggests staff establish a minimum number of outreaches to see a measurable impact. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Public Comment opened at 8:59 p.m. No speakers. Public Comment closed at 9:00 p.m. PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 1 24-0886 Report and Discussion of Recent Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Meeting Commissioner Mehlman, VTA BPAC Sunnyvale Representative, gave the meeting summary report regarding the following topics: - BPAC CEO General Manager's Report: - APTA (American Public Transit Association) awarded to Santa Clara County VTA for an outstanding public transit system City of Sunnyvale Page 8 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission - Fiscal year budget ending June 30th showed a 10-20 million dollar surplus - VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project - Project Benefits - More information call 408-321-2345, website vtabart.org, email vtabart@vtabsv.com - Better Bus Stops program update - 5-Year Capital Investment Goals (FY 2020-2025) - More information - vta.org/projects/better-bust-stops, call customer service at 408-321-2300 or VTA Bus Stop hotline at 408-321-5800 - Santa Clara County Draft Active Transportation Plan - Project Timeline - Vision and Goals - Project Prioritization - Next Steps - Ms. Tsang commented on the timeline for clarification Commissioner Bonne asked about the following: - Regarding the Bart extension slide - Were there questions or surprises raised about the exclusion of San Jose Airport on the Bart stop? Commissioner Mehlman and Council Liaison Klein addressed the question. Commissioner Hafeman asked about the following: - Has the thought of delaying the run from Diradon to Santa Clara been considered? Chair Beagle addressed the question. Chair Beagle stated that the bus pads are not for raising the height of the bus. They are for preventing the bus from distorting the asphalt when its constantly breaking on asphalt and sitting there. Public comment opened at 9:38 p.m. No speakers. Public comment closed at 9:39 p.m. Council Liaison asked about the following: - How come there was no mention of the bike highway and smart bus stops? Commissioner Mehlman addressed the question. City of Sunnyvale Page 9 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Meeting Minutes - Final August 15, 2024 Commission STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES None. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Commissioner Gollakota commented on the following: - Would like the City to visit the route on Mary Avenue since there are alot of stretches where either going towards Sunnyvale Middle School or towards Homestead Road where it is very dangerous for the children on bikes - Need more bike safety for the students Commissioner Mehlman commented on the following: - August 30 at 10:00 a.m. - Ribbon cutting ceremony at the 101 Delacruz Boulevard Trimble Road interchange improvement - Santa Clara Valley VTA is conducting as access study focused on identifying, recommendations and projects to improve how people get to and from the Gilroy transit center. More information at vta.org/gilroy.survey Chair Beagle commented on the following: - Caltrain is now running their new electric trains -Staff Comments INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS 24-0887 BPAC 2024 Annual Work Plan 24-0888 Active Items List August 2024 24-0889 2024 Deferred Study Issues 24-0890 2024 Proposed Study Issues 24-0891 2024 Proposed Budget Proposals ADJOURNMENT Chair Beagle adjourned the meeting at 9:47 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 10