Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, October 12, 2015 5:30 – 7:30 P.M. 777 E. Waterman, Building 200 Wichita Transit Van Maintenance Facility Conference Room Wichita, Kansas 67202 Agenda Item Time Description 1. 5:30 pm Call to Order Jack Brown, Chairperson 2. 5:31 pm Approve Previous Meeting Notes Jack Brown, Chairperson 3. 5:35 pm Public Comments 4. 5:45 pm Recognize - Business Bicycle Advertising Amy Delamaide, Board Member 5. 6:00 pm Review –Light Distribution Scott Wadle, Senior Planner 6. 6:20 pm Update – Bicycle Wayfinding System Plan Scott Wadle, Senior Planner 7. 6:40 pm Update – Wichita Street Safety Education Initiative Scott Wadle, Senior Planner 8. 7:00 pm Discuss – Fall 2015 WBPAB Bikeways Tour Scott Wadle, Senior Planner 9. 7:20 pm Board Member Project Reports Jack Brown, Chairperson 10. 7:25 pm Announcements Jack Brown, Chairperson 11. 7:30 pm Closing Thoughts Jack Brown, Chairperson Notice – City Council Members may attend this meeting.  Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, September 14, 2015 5:30 – 7 p.m. 777 E. Waterman, Building 200 Wichita Transit Van Maintenance Facility Conference Room Meeting Notes Members Present: Maxine Bostic, Jack Brown, Barry Carroll, Amy Delamaide, Russell Fox, Jerry Jones, Tom Lasater, George Theoharis Members Absent: Melany Barnes, Tyler Stutzman, James Crowder City Staff: Scott Wadle, MAPD, Paul Gunzleman, Public Works & Utilities Director, Jennifer Magana, City Attorney and Director of Law Guests: Jane Byrnes, Nathan Yung, Andy Gough, Owners of the Fork & Fennell Item Description 1. Call to Order: Jack Brown, Chairperson, welcomed City staff and guests. Jack also welcomed Russell Fox, new board member from District V. 2. Approve Previous Meeting Notes: Jerry Jones moved [Amy Delamaide] to approve the August 10, 2015 meeting notes. Motion carried 9-0. 3. Public Comments: Jane Byrnes, former board member, presented information about ‘Walktober.’ This year’s theme is ‘Walk With Me.’ Jane provided calendars and ‘MD Prescription Walking Pads’ to members. Jane encouraged everyone to walk and promote ‘Walktober.’ The board thanked Jane for her work to promote community health. 4. Discussion of Bicycle Friendly Business Recognition: Amy Delamaide reported on the board initiative to recognize area businesses that are ‘bicycle friendly.’ Amy created ‘Certificates of Appreciation’ for the recognized business owners. The first business owner to be recognized was Nathan Yung, owner of Continental Cyclery. The second honoree was Andy Gough, owner of the Reverie Coffee Shop. The third honoree was Byron Fick, owner of Heartland Bicycles [who was not in attendance]. The fourth honorees were the two owners from the Fork & Fennel Restaurant. Each of these businesses promotes cycling in our community. All honorees were given and certificate of appreciation [along with a photograph]. The board thanked Amy for taking on this important task. 5. Discussion of Construction Detours: Paul Gunzleman, Public Works & Utilities, reported on various bike/ped path detours: 1) Ark River path –west side of river near First Street; 2) Ark River path –east side of river near First Street; 3) 13th Street [Tyler to 119th Street]. According to Mr. Gunzleman, there is an existing city policy regarding detours. City staff attempt to provide signage and alternate route signs wherever possible. In closing, Mr. Gunzleman asked the board to forward information about closures than need to be addressed. 6. Review of Proposed Wichita Bike Path Maintenance Program: Paul Gunzleman, Public Works & Utilities, reported that the City Council had approved an additional $150,000 for bike path maintenance in 2016. According to Paul, two additional Public Works staff may be hired to 1) inventory bike/ped facilities; 2) develop an action plan; and 3) address maintenance for twelve miles of bike/ped facilities. Jack Brown reiterated that maintenance for bike/ped infrastructure remains a high priority for the board. 7. Discussion of Bicycle Lights Regulations and Options: Jennifer Magana, City Attorney and Director of Law, reported that approximately 150 tickets for riding a bicycle without lights are written by the WPD each year. Ms. Magana stated that an ‘administrative change’ could be made to the current City Ordinance and could be similar to ‘fix it’ tickets for motorized vehicles. Following a brief discussion, Tom Lasater moved [Russell Fox] to recommend that the City Council direct staff to provide an option for bicycle equipment violations tickets to be treated as a fix-it ticket. Motion carried 9-0. 8. Discussion of Priority New Sidewalk Locations Input: Recently, the City solicited input from the public regarding suggestions for new sidewalks. Scott Wadle provided a ‘top ten’ listing of proposed sidewalk 1  projects. Jerry Jones commended City staff for asking for input from the public; Maxine Bostic concurred. Following a brief discussion, Jerry Jones moved [Tom Lasater] that the top three items on the priority list be combined and to move-up the 11th and 12th projects to be considered. Motion carried 9-0. 9. Update on Kansas Health Foundation Bike Share Grant Application: Scott Wadle reported that the City of Wichita is applying for a Kansas Health Foundation [KHF] grant that is due on September 15, 2015. This $25,000 grant, if awarded, will be used to complete a ‘feasibility study’ for a bike share project on the campus of Wichita State University. Amy Delamaide suggested that Old Town would be an excellent location for a bike share project as well. Following a brief discussion, Tom Lasater moved [Amy Delamaide] to recommend approval of the Kansas Health Foundation Bike Share Grant Application by the City Council. Motion carried 9-0. 10. Board Members Project Reports:  Redbud Trail –Phase I (Bostic): Mostly completed – artwork and landscaping still needs to be completed.  Redbud Trail – Phase II (Bostic): Completed!  Delano/River Vista Apartments (Barnes): There will now be a 10-foot multiuse path located adjacent to the apartments! Utility work of the project has begun  Douglas Design District (Amy): The City has received HSIP funds for the improvement of the Douglas and Hydraulic intersection!  1st & 2nd Bikeways: (Carroll): Striping currently underway!  Sycamore (Brown): Construction occurred in July; sharrows were painted on the bikeway.  Market & Topeka Bikeways (Carroll): Construction will begin after the 1at & 2nd bikeways are completed.  Armour Bikeway [Crowder]: Some work has been completed on arterial street crossings; Contractor has begun on side path work adjacent to Woodlawn [16th Street to 21st Street  Woodchuck: Open bids in October 2015  Chisholm Creek Park Multiuse Path: Construction will occur this fall. Path is closed with detour signs.  East Kellogg Expansion Project: Tom Lasater will track this project. Utility re-location work has started.  Prairie Sunset Trail (Stutzman): The trail is being extended eastward. The County Commissioner recently approved a MOU with the Prairie Travelers for a one-mile section of the trail.  WAMPO/TAC Meeting: Jack Brown routinely attends this meeting. 11. Announcements:  Adopt-A-Trail: Tom Lasater suggested that citizens should be encouraged to ‘adopt’ segments of multiuse paths across the city.  Ribbon Cutting: 1st & 2nd Street Bike Lanes: Thursday, September 24th @6 pm at the Old Town Plaza.  New Member Orientation: George Theoharis suggested that a ‘board orientation’ for incoming board members would be helpful. George noted that it would have been helpful for our new board member, Russell Fox, to have had an orientation session prior to his first meeting. The board concurred. Russell Fox, board member for District V, stated that he was pleased to have joined the board. 12. Closing Thoughts:  Walktober: Board members were asked to help promote Walktober. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Monday, October 12, 2015. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:33 pm. Respectfully submitted,  Barry Carroll, WBPAB Secretary 2 City of Wichita Bicycle Lights, Bells, and Reflectors Distribution 10/07/2015 Contents Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Purpose ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Crash Statistics .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Legal Requirements .................................................................................................................................. 2 Lighting and Reflectors ......................................................................................................................... 2 Audible Signal........................................................................................................................................ 2 Actions ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Police Department .................................................................................................................................... 3 Light the Night Event ................................................................................................................................ 3 Neighborhood City Halls ........................................................................................................................... 3 Homeless Outreach Team ......................................................................................................................... 4 Park Department....................................................................................................................................... 4 Walk Up ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Purpose This document provides an overview of the City of Wichita distribution method for the bicycle bells, lights, and reflectors purchased with safety funding from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Project Purpose The purpose of this project is to accomplish the following. 1. Reduce the number of crashes involving people bicycling and people driving by 20 percent 2. Reduce the number of crashes involving people walking and people bicycling to zero. Page 1 of 4 Background Crash Statistics In the four years from 2011 to 2014, there were 320 crashes involving motor vehicles and bicyclists. Between 2011 and 2014 there was one crash between a person bicycling and a person walking that resulted in hospitalization. Legal Requirements Lighting and Reflectors Both K.S.A. Article 15 Chapter 8-1508 and the City of Wichita Municipal Code Section 11.48.090 require that every bicycle in use at nighttime be equipped with the following:  a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet;  a red reflector approved by the Secretary of Transportation which shall be visible from 100 feet to 600 feet; and o a lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear MAY be used in addition to the red reflector. Audible Signal City of Wichita Municipal Code Section 11.48.160 requires that a person riding a bicycle shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian. Actions On February 5, 2013, the Wichita City Council endorsed the Wichita Bicycle Master Plan. The plan is a guide for how the City can make it easier, safer, and more convenient to get around the City on a bicycle through the provision of bicycle related infrastructure, policies, and programs. Plan Strategy 11 recommends that the City promote bicycle education and encouragement in Wichita through partnerships with community organizations and businesses. On May 1, 2015, the Wichita City Council approved the submission of a grant application to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) for competitive traffic safety funding for the purchase and distribution of bicycle lights, reflectors, and bells. On June 9, 2015, KDOT staff notified the City of Wichita that the grant application was successful and provided a grant agreement for City of Wichita signatures. Following completion of the contract, the City of Wichita purchased the following items.  500 bicycling smart guide booklets – English  100 bicycling smart guide booklets – Spanish  85 Wichita Street Smart brochures  1,200 bicycle lights – white LED  250 bicycle lights – red LED  66 bicycle reflector kits (1 red & 1 white)  400 bicycle bells Page 2 of 4 Distribution The City proposes to distribute the bicycle safety equipment and educational materials through a variety of distribution channels. Below is a table with the approximate amounts of materials distributed and brief description of the methods. Description White Lights Red Lights Reflector Sets Bells LAB Guide - English LAB Guide - Spanish Total 1,200 250 65 400 500 100 Police Department 600 50 20 100 100 60 Light the Night 200 150 20 100 100 9 Neighborhood City Halls 125 - - 50 100 - Open Door 150 - 15 50 100 - Park Department 25 - - - 50 - Walk Up 100 50 10 100 50 31 Sub Total ---> 1,200 250 65 400 500 100 Police Department The Wichita Police Department anticipates distributing the materials to the four Patrols and the Homelessness Outreach Team. Individual officers will have the option of carrying the equipment with them in the field and providing them directly to individuals. Light the Night Event This event will provide an opportunity for bicycle lights, other bicycle safety equipment and educational materials to be distributed people who need them. The purpose of the event is to improve safety and knowledge of bicycle lighting laws while providing an opportunity for positive interactions. Best practices are to: set up one or more stations at high volume bicycling locations – where individuals riding without lights can be easily encountered; to hold the event at dusk - when people are less likely to be in rush; and to time the event around the daylight savings time changes. The event could be staff with representatives of the Police Department and volunteers. Final plans have not be set for the event. However, the following locations have been identified as tentative locations for the event from 4: 30 pm to 6 pm.  Broadway and 1st Street  Red bridge on the Arkansas River Path near the intersection of Meridian and McLean  McLean and Pawnee  Keeper of the Plains  Arkansas River Path near the Hyatt  Wichita State University Neighborhood City Halls The Wichita Office of Community Service can provide the bicycle safety equipment and educational materials through the Neighborhood City Halls. These locations are frequented by Wichita residents for community meetings, free computer access, and for assistance with City related issues. The three neighborhood City Halls are located in neighborhoods where the majority of residents are low- to moderate-income. Page 3 of 4 Homeless Outreach Team The City of Wichita Homeless Outreach Team works in partnership with homeless service providers and businesses to refer homeless individuals to their resources and/or programs. The Homeless Outreach Team is responsible for responding to all 911 calls regarding homeless individuals or calls for service. H.O.T focuses on trying to keep homeless out of jail if possible and divert them to services or shelters. The H.O.T. staff are currently evaluating working with the Open Door Homeless Resource Center, a comprehensive daytime assistance center for homeless adults and families, to distribute the bicycle equipment and educational materials. A group of volunteers work at the Open Door site to fix and maintain bicycles. City of Wichita provided bicycle safety equipment could be used by the volunteers and the City Homelessness Outreach Team to help ensure that the bicycles comply with City ordinances. In addition, the bicycle safety educational materials can be used to help educate individuals about the required and recommended ways to operate bicycles on Wichita streets. Park Department The City Park and Recreation Department operates eight neighborhood recreation centers. The Park Department staff can distribute the bicycle safety equipment and educational materials through these centers, offering convenient locations for Wichita residents to pick them up. Walk Up Since the publication of a Wichita Eagle article about the bicycle lights distribution efforts, the Planning Department has provided a box in the lobby with bicycle safety equipment and educational materials for Wichita residents to pick up. The equipment and materials are available while supplies last and are offered on a first come first served basis. Page 4 of 4