Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Meeting

Meeting Minutes Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. Place: City Council Chambers, City of Urbana, 400 South Vine Street, Urbana, IL Members Present: Brandon Bowersox-Johnson, Karie Brown-Tess, Cynthia Hoyle, Nadine Schmitz Staff Present: Craig Shonkwiler, Kevin Garcia Members Absent: Stacey DeLorenzo, Michele Guerra, Audrey Ishii, Susan Jones 1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM Bowersox-Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. and roll call was taken verbally. There was a quorum present. 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Hoyle moved to approve the agenda; Shonkwiler seconded, and the agenda was approved. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING Schmitz moved to approve the minutes; Shonkwiler seconded, and the minutes were approved. 4. PUBLIC INPUT There was none. 5. OLD BUSINESS There was none. 6. NEW BUSINESS a) Discussion of Bylaws for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Hoyle suggested reviewing and voting on this item at the next meeting since many members were absent. This item was deferred to a later meeting. b) Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community Award – Kevin Garcia Garcia announced that Urbana had been awarded the Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community Awards by the League of American Bicyclists. He explained that Urbana is one of only 25 communities nationwide to be designated Gold Level or higher. He thanked the Regional Planning Commission for their assistance with completing the application. He also discussed the community scorecard, which outlined and scored Urbana’s accomplishments. He said that a more detailed report of Urbana’s accomplishments in regard to this award would be coming in January. Hoyle commented that she would like to see more support for businesses to apply for the Bicycle Friendly Business Award and that she would like to make downtown Urbana a Bicycle Friendly Business District. Hoyle inquired whether BPAC could see a presentation on the progress of the Kickapoo Trail project. Shonkwiler said that the Urbana Park District was looking into hiring a consultant to examine connecting the trail to Weaver Park. c) 2015 Public Works Transportation Projects – Craig Shonkwiler Craig Shonkwiler distributed maps which outlined 2014 and 2015 construction projects. He reported on the following 2014 projects: • Airport Road: Shonkwiler said this road had been completely reconstructed and four-foot asphalt shoulders had been installed for bicycle or pedestrian use. He said a five-foot sidewalk had been constructed between Landis Farm Road and Skyline Drive • Cunningham Avenue: Shonkwiler said that an eight-foot shared use path will be built between Perkins Road and Kenyon Road. This project will take place in 2015. • Route 130/High Cross Road: Shonkwiler said this road is being reconstructed, and that, as part of this project, Washington Street was reconstructed and bike lanes will be installed between Pfeffer and Rt. 130. Brown-Tess asked if there were plans to install lighting on Washington Street. Shonkwiler said there were currently no plans to install lighting due to fiscal constraints. Bowersox-Johnson asked whether anymore sidewalk development was planned for High Cross Road; Shonkwiler said that was contingent upon commercial/residential development. Shonkwiler also said the sidewalk at the southeast corner of Walmart would be extended, and that pedestrian signals would be installed. • Windsor Road: Shonkwiler said that the north lanes were nearly done being constructed; work on the south lanes will take place in 2015. He said that a change order was being sought to install thermal imaging detectors on the signals being erected at the intersections of Race Street and Windsor Road and Philo Road and Windsor Road. Hoyle commented that the design of the intersection here was not ideal for pedestrian traffic; she said there is a wide turn radius, allowing vehicles to turn the corner at higher speeds and reducing visibility for pedestrians. Shonkwiler said that radius did not change and that pedestrian improvements included two-  point ramps and traffic signals with accessible pedestrian signals. He also explained that rectangular rapid flashing beacons would be installed at the intersection of Vine Street and Windsor Road. • Florida Avenue/Philo Road: Shonkwiler explained that a new traffic signal system with thermal imaging had been installed. He said the corners had been reconstructed and bumpouts were installed. • Broadway Avenue/Race Street: Shonkwiler said Broadway Avenue had been resurfaced and sharrows and parking lines were installed. He said Race Street had been resurfaced and that bike lanes had been installed from the library to Lincoln Square • Coler Avenue/Busey Avenue/Iowa Street: Shonkwiler said these streets had been resurfaced and portions of them had been made bike routes. • Goodwin Avenue/Green Street: Shonkwiler said a signal system with pedestrian scramble was installed. • Bradley Avenue: Shonkwiler said that a major patching job was planned for this road, and that bike lanes would be installed from Lincoln Avenue to the City limits. Shonkwiler reported on the following 2015 projects: • Airport Road: Shonkwiler said an economic development program grant had been secured for the reconstruction of Airport Road near Frasca Airport. He said the oil and chip road would be replaced with concrete and that, at some point, the City would like to install a multi-use path along the south side of the road. • Rt. 130/Rt. 150: Shonkwiler said that both these projects would be completed in 2015 so that work on the Kickapoo Trail could begin. • Windsor Road: Shonkwiler said Windsor Road would be completed in 2015. • Broadway Avenue: Shonkwiler said the brick section of North Broadway Avenue near Crystal Lake Park is deteriorating, and that staff would be asking council to consider replacing that section with concrete. He said staff would also be working with the Urbana Park District to install an eight-foot sidewalk here. • Lincoln Avenue: Shonkwiler said this road would be resurfaced from the Harley Davidson store to its north end, in anticipation with its extension and connection with Olympian Drive. He said six-foot asphalt shoulders would be installed from north of Saline Drive to its connection with Olympian Drive. Hoyle asked if staff could consider installing sharrows on Race Street south to Washington. Shonkwiler said this was being examined and that the Bicycle Master Plan would provide guidance on issues like this. He said another issue being examined was the improvement and installation of wayfinding signage.  Shonkwiler discussed the Multimodal Corridor Enhancement (MCORE) project, which is a joint project of the cities of Champaign and Urbana, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, and the University of Illinois. He said this project will make portions of campus high-transit corridors. The Commission discussed the possible removal of parking along Green Street as a result of this project. Shonkwiler encouraged BPAC members to attend the public input meetings. Hoyle inquired about a sidewalk inventory being done by City staff; Shonkwiler said the inventory was still underway and that when results were available they would be presented to the Commission. d) Sidewalk Snow Removal – Cynthia Hoyle Hoyle presented information on sidewalk snow removal programs in other communities. She said she would like the Commission to make a motion to approach City Council to initiate a volunteer sidewalk snow removal program. After discussion, Hoyle made a motion for BPAC to approach the mayor’s office to have conversation about how to initiate a volunteer sidewalk snow removal program. The motion carried. Bowersox-Johnson said he would talk with staff about contacting the mayor’s office. 7. ANNOUNCEMENTS There were none. 8. FUTURE TOPICS The commission agreed to continue meeting on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. 9. ADJOURNMENT Bowersox-Johnson adjourned the meeting at 8:43 p.m. *** Femi Fletcher-Washington, Recording Secretary