Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, May 8, 2017 5:30 – 7 p.m. 777 E. Waterman, Building 200 Wichita Transit Van Maintenance Facility Conference Room Meeting Notes Members Present: Maxine Bostic, Barry Carroll, Russell Fox, Jerry Jones, Tom Lasater, Christopher Parisho, Tyler Stutzman, George Theoharis Members Absent: Jack Brown City Staff: Scott Wadle, Senior Planner, Paul Gunzelman, Public Works, Troy Houtman, Director of Parks & Recreation Guests: Barbara Coats, Chloe Parisho, Vincent Hancock, Lonnie Wright Item Description 1. Call to Order: Jack Brown, chairperson, welcomed guests and called the meeting to order at 5:34pm 2. Approve Previous Meeting Notes: The board agreed to approve the April 2017 meeting notes at the next meeting. 3. Public Comments: Vincent Hancock, 406 S. Vine, Wichita, KS 67213, reported that he was detained by a Wichita Police Officer for riding on the sidewalk at Douglas & Seneca. He was not, however, issued a citation. Mr. Hancock asked that the board recommend the appeal of City Ordinance 11.48-60/Section C. According to Mr. Hancock, the ordinance that addresses ‘riding on the sidewalk’ is not clearly demarcated and the ‘Central Business District’ is defined differently in various legal documents. After a brief discussion, the board made no formal recommendation. With the new ‘bike share’ program, the members suggested that riding on the sidewalk is an issue that is likely to become more commonplace. The members suggested staff from the City’s Legal Department should attend a future meeting. 4. 17th Street – Broadway to I-135: Paul Gunzelman, Public Works, stated that 17th Street from Broadway to I-135 would likely have bike lanes. Paul noted that, at a future meeting, he would bring three options for review. The proposed bike lanes on 17th Street would be connected to McAdams Park, according to Paul. Jerry Jones stated that he often rides 17th Street and asked if the railroad crossings would be improved? Paul reported that improvements to the railroad crossings would be part of the project. Paul informed the board that a request for proposal will soon be issued for the rail corridor between McLean and South Seneca. In addition, a concept plan will be developed on possibly extending this corridor further westward to Hoover [and ultimately to the Prairie Sunset Trail]. Paul briefly reported on the following projects as well: a) Redbud Path [K-96 to 159th]; b) Central & Bitting intersection; c) sidewalks on Ridge Road northward towards K-96; d) 9th & McLean crossing; and e) construction this summer near the Tyler Middle School. The board thanked Paul for his informative comments. 1 5. WAMPO Planning Walkable Paces Program: Kristen Zimmerman, Senior Planner, WAMPO, briefly described WAMPO’s role in awarding approximately $12M in federal funds for bike/ped projects in the region. Kristen then explained the proposed ‘Planning Walkable Places’ program. If approved by the WAMPO Board, grants could be issued for projects that promote walkability and ‘gathering places’ in the region. According to Kristen, the Request for Proposals [RFP] will likely be presented in early 2018. The board thanked Kristen for her attendance and information. 6. Bike Share Permitting Process Update: Scott Wadle provided a brief overview of the Bike Share Permitting Process. According to Scott, the permitting process is ongoing and 19 bike rack locations are being proposed; currently there are three bike racks, with bikes, in place [two along Douglas and one near Market and Third Street]. In closing, Scott reported that there have been over 120 ‘Bike Share’ rides within a week of opening! The board was appreciative of the Bike Share update. 7. Open Streets: Troy Houtman, Director of Parks & Recreation, explained that the inaugural ‘Open Streets’ event would take place on Sunday, September 24, 2017. According to Troy, Douglas Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from Delano to College Hill; this is approximately 4.5 miles. The Open Streets event must be approved by the City Council sometime this summer, according to Troy. Following City Council approval, there will be a ‘kick off’ at the Kennedy Plaza in Downtown Wichita. There will be an official website for the event where organizations can register to have a table/booth during the event, according to Troy. The board members were pleased to receive an update on this exciting event. 8. Wichita Bicycle Master Plan – 2017 Annual Implementation Work Plan: This item was tabled and will be on the June agenda. 9. Board Member Project Reports: Barry Carroll provided members with a copy of projects to track and encouraged members to provide updates at future meetings. 10. Announcements:  Pawnee Prairie Park Update: Jerry Jones provided a brief update to the board. According to Jerry, a six-member task force is reviewing the proposed master park plan and providing input to the Director of Parks and Recreation.  Two Vacant Board Positions: Scott noted that the vacancies are being posted according to the City’s guidelines. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm. The next meeting of the board will be held on Monday, June 12, 2017 @5:30 pm. Respectfully submitted,  Barry Carroll, WBPAB Secretary 2