Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, January 9, 2017 5:30 – 7 p.m. 777 E. Waterman, Building 200 Wichita Transit Van Maintenance Facility Conference Room Meeting Notes Members Present: Jack Brown, Barry Carroll, Russell Fox, Jerry Jones, Tom Lasater, George Theoharis, Tyler Stutzman, Wendy Tan Members Absent: Melany Barnes, Maxine Bostic, James Crowder City Staff: Scott Wadle, MAPD, Jason O’Brien, Tricia Thomas, WAMPO, Paul Gunzelman, Gary Janzen, Public Works Guests: Jason Hauz, Hadassah Posser, Holger Meyer, Alan Kailer, Dave & Sharon Hewitt, Ron Becker Item Description 1. Call to Order: Jack Brown, Chairperson, welcomed City staff and guests. 2. Approve Previous Meeting Notes: There was a consensus to approve the December 12, 2016 meeting notes. 3. Public Comment: 1) Hadassah Posser reported that the signal at Pawnee and Hydraulic was malfunctioning. 2) Ron Becker stated that a sidewalk is needed south of the entrance to Chapin Park. Paul Gunzelman stated that he City has plans to construct a sidewalk at this location. 3) Hadassah Posser reported that the signal at Douglas and Hillside was malfunctioning, and also indicated that she has experienced multiple close calls as a pedestrian with cars turning right off of Douglas to proceed southbound on Hillside. Paul Gunzelman noted that he would ask staff to check out the intersections in question. 4. Bikeways Funding & Construction Update: Gary Janzen, City Engineer and Paul Gunzelman, Assistant City Engineer, provided an update on the status of funding for and the development of new bikeways. The City Council recently approved $1.6M in funding for new bikeway projects. The following projects will be prioritized for 2017: 1) East Bank Ark River Path from Gander Mountain southward to the Lincoln Street Dam. The Park Department has submitted a $250K grant for this proposed path. If funded, grant monies will be used to defray construction costs; 2) Redbud Path from the K-96 Path eastward to 159th will be designed; 3) Hoover Path from 29th Street southward to 21st Street. Following considerable discussion, Jack Brown suggested that, in the future, specific bikeway projects should be listed as line items in the Capital Improvement Plan [CIP]. The board thanked Gary and Paul for their informative presentation. 5. Discussion of WAMPO 2016 Bike/Ped Count Results: Tricia Thomas, WAMPO, reported that the count was taken over a two-day period in September. Ms. Thomas reported the following: 1) there were 35 sites; 2) there were 40 volunteers; 3) there were 2,579 individuals tracked; 4) there was an 11% increase from 2015 to 2016; and 5) there has been a 64% increase in bike/ped activities 1  since 2012! The board thanked Ms. Thomas for her efforts on behalf of the bike/ped community. 6. WAMPO Transportation Improvement Program: Jason O’Brien, WAMPO, provided an overview of WAMPO’s role in the community. Jason gave the board a handout that explained the processes relating to the Transportation Improvement Program [TIP] and the Metropolitan Transportation Plan [MTP]. According to Jason, WAMPO received approximately $2M in federal funds. WAMPO staff does not propose capital projects but facilitates a process for the selection of yearly TIP. In 2016, there were 32 eligible projects, 16 were discussed and 11 selected for funding. In the most recent TIP, about 5.5% of funding went to bike-ped projects. Jason suggested that the best method for public involvement is to stay continuously involved and become familiar with the processes. Following a brief discussion, the board members thanked Jason for his informative presentation. Bicycle Prioritization Methodology: At the board’s direction, Scott Wadle drafted criteria to assist with future bikeway prioritization processes, and distributed a handout of the draft form. It included the following factors: a) access to jobs; b) safety; c) connectivity [existing bikeways]; d) population; e) connectivity [transit[; f) connectivity [higher education]; g) connectivity [schools]; h) access to public parks; and i) connections [proposed bikeways]. Board members were pleased to have these criteria to help guide future deliberations. 8. Board Priority Bikeway Recommendations: Due to time constraints, this item was tabled until the next board meeting in February 2016. 9. Board Members Project Reports:  Project Tracking Form: Barry Carroll provided members with assigned projects to track. Members are encouraged to contact the various project directors in advance of monthly meetings and provide brief reports. 10. Announcements:  CIP: The City Council will likely approve the CIP in March/April of 2017.  Operating Budget: Jack Brown suggested the board will need to make recommendations regarding the City’s Operating Budget in the near future.  Absence: Barry Carroll announced that he will be out-of-town and will miss the February 2017 meeting. Russell Fox has agreed to record the meeting notes. 11. Closing Thoughts:  There were no comments. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Monday, February 13, 2017. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:25 pm. 2 Respectfully submitted,  Barry Carroll, WBPAB Secretary 3