Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Meeting

Meeting Minutes Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Approved January 28, 2016 Commission (BPAC) Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 Time: 7:00 p.m. Place: City Council Chambers, City of Urbana, 400 South Vine Street, Urbana, IL Members Present: Brandon Bowersox-Johnson, James Roedl (Stacey DeLorenzo), Cynthia Hoyle, Susan Jones, and Craig Shonkwiler Staff Present: Kevin Garcia Members Absent: Karie Brown-Tess, Michele Guerra, Elsie Hedgspeth, Audrey Ishii Others Present: None 1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM Brandon Bowersox-Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Roll call was taken and it was noted that a quorum of members was not present. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING Cynthia Hoyle noted that page 8, third paragraph, should read, “Cynthia Hoyle said that the City of Portland had reported an increase in accidents for four intersections located on downhill streets, but the city had reported decreases in eight other intersections.” Without a quorum present, a motion for approval was not made. 3. PUBLIC INPUT There was no public input. 4. OLD BUSINESS a) Bradley Avenue Bike Lanes Craig Shonkwiler discussed the Bradley Avenue project which consisted of street patching on Bradley Avenue between Lincoln Avenue and the western City limits. He said that the project was currently underway at a cost of almost one-third of a million dollars of work being done with concrete patching on Bradley Avenue, Goodwin Avenue adjacent to Bradley Avenue, and Beslin Street between Wright Street and Goodwin Avenue. He added that part of the project included the addition of bike lanes, which would be done in summer 2016. Mr. Shonkwiler asked for feedback from the BPAC members regarding the configuration of the bicycle lanes. He stated that the eastern limit of the project was the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Bradley Avenue. In the winter, he said that staff would be taking traffic counts at the intersection. He informed the members that there would be no separate bicycle facilities at the intersection. He mentioned that staff would be looking at pedestrian traffic in a separate study on Lincoln Avenue at Bradley Avenue and at One North and One South to determine what features might be used to provide safe crossings along that corridor. He noted that Goodwin Avenue teed into Bradley Avenue and that the Page | 1 western City limits ended at approximately Carver Drive. Mr. Shonkwiler indicated that bicycle lanes on Bradley Avenue followed the recommendations of the current bicycle master plan. Along the north side of Bradley Avenue, he mentioned that the road between the Mount Olive Baptist Church and Carver Drive was under the jurisdiction of the City of Champaign so the City of Urbana would not install bicycle lanes on the north side of the street in that area since the City of Champaign was not planning to upgrade the roadway at this time. He added that bicycle lanes would be added on the south side since that part of the street was within the jurisdiction of the City of Urbana. Mr. Shonkwiler stated that this project complies with City policy in that the City only adds bicycle lanes to pavements that have been upgraded. Mr. Shonkwiler expressed a desire to work with the City of Champaign in the future to determine the best way to deal with roadways falling within both jurisdictions. He reviewed the current configuration of Bradley Avenue as it changed from a four-lane roadway in Champaign to a wide, two twenty-foot lane roadway in Urbana. He explained that speed studies would be conducted on Bradley Avenue before and after the installation of bicycle lanes to determine the impact the bicycle lanes had on traffic speeds. He informed the commission that there had been accidents where cars were side-swiped by other vehicles passing on the right. He indicated that staff would conduct studies to determine if the volume of right turns would justify the addition of right-turn lanes on Bradley Avenue at Goodwin Avenue, Mathews Avenue, Carver Drive and Romine Street. Cynthia Hoyle asked if there would be a right-turn lane for southbound traffic at Bradley Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. Under the proposed plan, Mr. Shonkwiler said that there would be a right-turn lane on Bradley Avenue at Lincoln Avenue since there was currently a right-turn lane for eastbound traffic at that intersection. He explained different options for configuring the bicycle lanes and eleven-foot wide vehicle lanes. One option explained would provide two- foot wide gutter pans with four-foot bike lanes and five-foot buffer areas on each side. (In theory the bicycle lane would be six feet wide—adding the gutter pan and the bike lane widths.) He discussed another option for a road profile that included two-foot wide gutter pans with six-foot bike lanes and three-foot buffer areas on each side. Mr. Shonkwiler said that guidance from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) recommended six-foot bicycle lanes. He said that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recommended five-foot bicycle lanes. Susan Jones expressed concern about the transition between bicycle lanes and right-turn lanes. She felt that the smaller buffer and wider bicycle lane would help with the transition to no bicycle lane. Brandon Bowersox-Johnson asked how the speeds on Bradley Avenue compared to those on Washington Street. He asked if bicycle lanes could be kept close to the buffer area. Mr. Shonkwiler stated that speeds on Bradley Avenue appeared to be high and that a wide buffer area could serve to separate the vehicles from the bicyclists. He said that staff would study speeds on Bradley Avenue before the installation of bicycle lanes and then study speeds afterward to see if any reduction in vehicle speeds might have occurred. James Roedl asked if there was a way to slow traffic, such as the use of rumble strips. Mr. Shonkwiler said that the recommended lane narrowing was a way to slow traffic, but he explained that lane narrowing usually resulted in a reduction of speeds by one or two miles per hour. He added that the City did not have a traffic calming policy in place at Page | 2 present. He further explained that even if a traffic calming policy were to be implemented, it would not be used on an arterial street such as Bradley Avenue. He indicated that the buffer would be helpful in separating bicyclists from vehicular traffic. Cynthia Hoyle said that wide bicycle lanes would entice drivers to use the bicycle lane as a travel lane, so she recommended lanes that would be narrow enough to discourage vehicular traffic. She thought the sharrow and right turn lane at Lincoln Avenue would work well. She added that the wider buffer made bicyclists feel more comfortable since the plan was designed for intermediate cyclists. Ms. Hoyle asked if rectangular rapid flash beacons (RRFB) could be installed on Bradley Avenue at Goodwin Avenue for students to activate when crossing Goodwin Avenue. Craig Shonkwiler explained that RRFBs were intended for use at critical location so the City wanted to install them at selective locations to keep the novelty of the warning device. He stated that the only RRFB currently in operation was at the Grainger Library on Springfield Avenue. He explained that not many pedestrians crossed Bradley Avenue at Goodwin Avenue so that location would not be a preferred site for an RRFB. He mentioned that RRFBs were being considered on Vine Street and Fairlawn Drive by the Urbana Middle School and possibly at One North and One South (on Lincoln Avenue) under a separate study than this project would involve. He added that RRFBs were scheduled for installation on Windsor Road at Vine Street as part of the Windsor Road project. Cynthia Hoyle said that she agreed with the priority given to the other locations. She added that narrowing the width of the vehicle lanes on Bradley Avenue would improve safety for pedestrian crossings at Goodwin Avenue. Mr. Shonkwiler asked the commissioners’ opinions about the use of the gutter pan as part of the bicycle lane. He said that the gutter pans and drainage grates were repaired as part of this project to provide a safe bicycle facility. Susan Jones stated that the gutter pan was not a rideable surface, but that she would use it in an emergency. Mr. Shonkwiler asked if the BPAC Commissioners would prefer four-foot bike lanes with a two-foot gutter pans and five-foot buffer. The Commissioners did not formally vote, but they did agree with space assignments for Bradley Avenue. Craig Shonkwiler stated that the input from the Commissioners was helpful and that he would come back to BPAC with the preliminary plans for the bicycle lanes. He mentioned that staff was considering insetting the pavement markings to keep the paint from being removed by snowplows. He added that he would like to use a symbol with a green background along with the white bike symbol to provide better visibility—similar to what was planned for in the MCORE project. Brandon Bowersox-Johnson asked about the transition to show bicyclists where to go after they reached the end of the bicycle lane going east on Lincoln Avenue. He wanted to know if there would be any signage to move the bicyclists to Coler Avenue bicycle routes. Craig Shonkwiler stated that staff would be working on wayfinding signage installation as recommended in the new bicycle master plan to help bicyclists connect to the bike Page | 3 network. He agreed that it was important to keep in mind how to direct bicyclists through the network. Discussion followed regarding the placement of the bus stop for northbound traffic on Lincoln Avenue at Bradley Avenue. It was concluded that the bus stop was located at the current location so pedestrians would have access to a sidewalk. Craig Shonkwiler said that Engineering staff and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District have been discussing bus stops to try to resolve pedestrian crossing issues near student housing units. b) MCORE Project Update 1) Overall Project Update Craig Shonkwiler mentioned that the MCORE consultants received many comments about the MCORE Project and used those comments to develop an alternate plan for the Goodwin Avenue and Green Street intersection. The alternate plan would include an area where motorists could pull through the dashed lines of the bike lanes into the right turn lane and keep bicyclists from riding along the right side of the turning vehicles thereby reducing the chances of the bicyclists being hit by right-turning vehicles (known as the stale green, right- hook conflict). He continued by saying that Green Street would have crossing markings for bicyclists and two-stage turn boxes so bicyclists could pull into the box ahead of motorists and wait for the signal specifically allowing bicyclists the opportunity to turn before motorists moved into the intersection. He mentioned that with the exception of the two- stage turn boxes, the intersection would operate similar to other intersections in Urbana. Mr. Shonkwiler added that the plan had been endorsed by City staff. He showed a video of the two-stage turn box from a location in Salt Lake City, Utah. Susan Jones felt that the public would need to be educated about how to operate around the traffic control devices. Mr. Shonkwiler stated that the plans for the intersection of Green Street and Wright Street were not available at the time of the meeting. Brandon Bowersox-Johnson stated that the additional feature provided options for bicyclists by allowing more experienced bicyclists the ability to ride with traffic and allowing less experienced bicyclists the ability to operate using the bike boxes. James Roedl stated that he had seen the bike boxes in Chicago and he thought that the concept would be easy for people to understand. Susan Jones said that the bicyclist would be able to continue to maneuver through traffic as they normally would if they did not understand how to use the newer bicycle features. Cynthia Hoyle mentioned that Salt Lake City, Utah had wide travel lanes for bicyclists. She thought the wide lanes would work well at Goodwin Avenue and Green Street. She suggested a process to plot out conflict points at intersections to determine which features to use for future planning. She felt that the green lane markings through the intersections for bicyclists would give both motorists and bicyclists clues to predict movements and to know where bicyclists were going. She said that the current plans were not permanent features so if they did not work, the features could easily be removed. She added that many Page | 4 of the bicyclists who travel around the University campus were not experienced so they would need education to understand how the new features were intended to function. She added that she felt that the bicycle boxes would be the best solution for Green Street and Wright Street. Brandon Bowersox-Johnson asked how the two-stage green light and the pedestrian scramble at Green Street and Wright Street would work. He asked if the consultants looked at what would happen if the bicyclists entered the intersection during the pedestrian scramble phase of the cycle. Craig Shonkwiler said that the leading bike interval would help avoid conflict with the pedestrian scramble. He mentioned that the two-stage turn box would give bicyclists the opportunity to stop ahead of the motorists. He said that he would check with the consultants, but that the consultants said that the two features could work at that intersection. Cynthia Hoyle wanted bicyclists to be able to use the pedestrian scramble for crossing the intersection. Mr. Shonkwiler said that he would have more information about the intersection of Green Street and Wright Street at the next meeting. Mr. Bowersox-Johnson said that the red bicycle light would help signal when bicyclists should move into the intersection. 5. NEW BUSINESS a) Vice Chair Appointment 1) Initial Discussion Craig Shonkwiler reported that when reviewing the existing information about the composition of the Urbana Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, staff found that the bylaws for BPAC were included in the ordinance which authorized the formation of the commission. He added that under the current ordinance, any changes for the commission would require an amendment to the ordinance. He recommended that the ordinance be revised by separating the procedural items of the commission from the ordinance and placing those items in bylaws for the Commission. Mr. Shonkwiler said that he would contact the Legal Division to discuss the best way to create the bylaws so changes would not need City Council approval to amend the ordinance. The Recording Secretary mentioned that the chairs of some of the existing commission were appointed by the Mayor and the vice chairs were chosen by a majority of the commission members. She added that some commission appointed a chair from those in attendance at the specific meeting when the chair was absent. Brandon Bowersox-Johnson said that he preferred the selection of a vice chair by a majority of the commission members instead of choosing a vice chair at each meeting when the chair was absent. Page | 5 Mr. Shonkwiler said that he hoped to have the bylaws ready for the Commissioners’ review by the next meeting. 6. ANNOUNCEMENTS • Mini-session by Steve Clark from the League of Bicyclists and celebration of attaining gold-level status 10/26/15 • Mr. Clark will meet with staff and BPAC members 10/27/15 • Illinois Bicycle Summit 10/28/15 • National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Training 10/29/15 (Will include a presentation about new guidelines for bicycle facilities.) • League Cyclists Trained Certified Instructors Training (tentative) 6/10 – 12/2016 (Traffic Skills 101 would be a prerequisite for the training. A hybrid Traffic Skills 101 would be scheduled prior to the training.) 7. FUTURE TOPICS a) 2015 Bicycle Master Plan Update Mr. Shonkwiler mentioned that the Urbana Bicycle Master Plan had been reviewed by City staff and the plan would go to the Urbana Bicycle Steering Committee. He noted that after the Steering Committee’s review, the plan would go to BPAC for their input. Brandon Bowersox-Johnson indicated that the presentation may be at the December 15, 2015, meeting. Craig Shonkwiler said it might be worthwhile to have a joint meeting with the Urbana Plan Commission. It was recommended that an e-mail be sent to all members to determine their availability to attend the meeting when the Urbana Bicycle Master Plan will be reviewed. Mr. Shonkwiler mentioned that the Public Works Department had restriped the existing bicycle lanes in the City and that the department wanted to include the restriping as an annual task. He noted that some dashed lines were moved to more appropriately indicate where motorists would cross bike lanes if the vehicles would be making right turns. He asked the BPAC members and the community to contact the Public Works Department if there were concerns that needed to be addressed. b) Absentee Members Mr. Shonkwiler recommended that a notice by sent to members prior each of the meetings to determine if a quorum would be attending the meeting. Page | 6 The Recording Secretary was asked to contact those members who had not attended meetings recently to ask if they wish to continue as BPAC members. c) Other Future Items Cynthia Hoyle stated that she would contact representatives from various organizations to discuss a volunteer sidewalk snow removal program. She would report the results of the discussion to the Commission. 8. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. *** Respectfully submitted, Barbara Stiehl Recording Secretary Page | 7