Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, November 17, 2014 5:30 – 8 P.M. Park Villa in North Riverside Park 1029 N. Bitting St. Wichita, KS 67203 Meeting Notes Members Present: Maxine Bostic, Jack Brown, Jane Byrnes, Barry Carroll, Jerry Jones, Tom Lasater, Tyler Stutzman, Melany Barnes, Amy Delamaide Members Absent: George Theoharis, James Crowder City Staff: Scott Wadle Guests: None 1. Welcome Jack Brown welcomed everyone to the Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (Board) retreat. He expressed his gratitude that the participants volunteered additional time to participate in the event. 2. Board Authority and Purpose Scott Wadle provided a brief review of the City ordinance that created the Board, including the responsibilities and authority of the Board. 3. Board Bylaws Review Scott Wadle highlighted elements of the Board’s by-laws. During the review and discussion, Board members indicated a desire to: 1) hold elections next August; and 2) request that the City Manager assign (in writing) a regular full-time city employee as the WBPAB Coordinator. 4. Board Accomplishments The Board received a quick presentation on the Board accomplishments for 2014. Scott Wadle distributed the handout Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board – Board Accomplishments for 2014. 5. Performance Measures 2014 The Board members reviewed a brief PowerPoint that showed the progress to date accomplishing the goals of the Wichita Bicycle Master Plan (WBMP). The Board also reviewed the performance measures in both the WBMP and the Wichita Pedestrian Master Plan (WPMP). Board members indicated a desire to make more progress in 2015. 6. Priorities for 2015 The Board members participated in a voting exercise to identify the top priority strategies from the WBMP and WPMP for implementation in 2015. A listing of the results from the exercise, organized by the number of votes, is available in Appendix A. 1 7. Board Assessment The Board members utilized this time as an opportunity to assess the strengths and opportunities related to the Board’s activities and performance in 2014. Below is a listing of the highlights from the discussion.  Working well  Shorter meetings  Seek more public input / attendance o Send the agenda to groups  Be more assertive and follow-up on projects  Get the school districts and students more involved o Girls on the Run o Mentoring o School clubs – link up with the established clubs o Education o Elementary and high schools o Bicycle fairs o Girl scouts o Boy scouts  Moving the public comments to earlier in the agenda was positive  Enhance communication with City staff  More meeting control is needed – look into acquiring a gavel  Summary for 2014 is important  Than you letters / emails are important o Amy volunteered  Thank you for project updates  Educated board  More interactive meetings with follow-up o New Park Director  The Board represents a variety of cyclists and walkers  Most impact with recommendations o Focus on the topics/items with the most impact  Promote what is already going on o Help get the news out  Get involved, more public involvement with DABs and others  Make sure to cover pedestrian issues 8. Pedestrian and Bicycle Design Guidance Scott Wadle provided a brief review of the design guidance available from the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, NACTO Urban Bikeway Guide, and Wichita Pedestrian Master Plan. 9. The retreat adjourned around 8:05 pm. 2  Appendix A: Board 2015 WBMP and WPMP Priority Strategies Board Priority Wichita Bicycle Master Plan Strategies for 2015 Board WBMP Strategy Member Votes 7 Prioritize funding to complete gaps (missing links) in the bikeway network 6 Promote bicycle education and encouragement in Wichita through partnership with community organizations and businesses 5 Install a signed bicycle route Wayfinding system 5 Prioritize and fund bicycle facility maintenance 5 First achieve League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community bronze and then silver designation 5 Provide bicycle facilities on designated streets and off-street bicycle facilities 2 Improve bicycle safety and access at arterial roadway crossings 2 Adopt policies to ensure that the City’s project planning and review processes account for bicycle facilities 1 Incorporate the facility recommendations from this plan into the WAMO Metropolitan Transportation Plan and related plans 1 Educate Wichita transportation system professionals and users about new bicycle facility types planning, design, and bicycle related issues that may arise 1 Work with school districts to develop collaborative partnerships to encourage children to bike to school 0 Improve bicycle access to transit 0 Coordinate increased participation in bicycling events 0 Increase enforcement of bicyclists and motorist behavior to reduce bicycle and motor vehicle crashes 0 Support efforts to obtain funding for bicycle education and enforcement programs 0 Update the Unified Zoning Code to provide incentives for both office and retail developments/redevelopments to provide secure and conveniently located bicycle parking 0 Increase the availability of bicycle parking throughout Wichita 0 Engage area businesses in using bicycles in their advertising and other promotions 0 Enlist opinion leaders in promoting bicycling (e.g. speakers bureau) 0 Publish an annual implementation work plan 0 Establish performance measures to monitor progress 0 Update the Bicycle Master Plan on a regular basis 0 Create a bicycle advisory board 0 Allocate staffing to implement this plan 0 Determine if a bike share program would be good for Wichita 0 Provide printed, online, and mobile device bicycling guides 0 Work with area businesses and colleges to engage them in the League of American Bicyclists recognition program 0 Create a policy for installing facilities that are isolated segments 0 Create a policy for reserving space for future facilities (e.g. space for bike lane that is added later) 0 Fund through the CIP, annual programs, and grants 3  Board Priority Wichita Pedestrian Master Plan Strategies for 2015 Board Wichita Pedestrian Master Plan Strategies Members Votes 7 Implement the design guidance included in Chapter 7 of this plan 7 Make maintenance of pedestrian infrastructure a priority 4 Provide sidewalks along arterial streets 3 Monitor and update the implementation of this plan 2 Focus pedestrian improvement resources on improving safety at intersections 2 Support efforts to encourage walking to school and safety education 0 Improve safety by improving pedestrian infrastructure near schools 0 Plant and maintain street trees 0 Improve pedestrian infrastructure near senior centers, housing, and destinations 0 Create a marked crosswalk policy 4