Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

Regular Meeting

Wichita, KS · September 11, 2017

Minutes

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, September 11, 2017 5:30 – 7 p.m. 777 E. Waterman, Building 200 Wichita Transit Van Maintenance Facility Conference Room Meeting Notes Members Present: Elizabeth Ablah, Maxine Bostic, Jack Brown, Jane Byrnes, Russell Fox, Jerry Jones, Tom Lasater, Christopher Parisho, George Theoharis, Tyler Stutzman Members Absent: Barry Carroll City Staff: City Council Member [District V] Bryan Frye, Scott Wadle, Interim Transit Director, Paul Gunzelman, Assistant City Engineer, Public Works, Alan King, Director of Public Works & Utilities, Jan Jarman, Law Department Guests: Joey Denke, Vincent Hancock, Jason Havely, Alan Kailer, Dion Lefler, Hadassah Prosser Item Description 1. Call to Order: Jack Brown, Chairperson, welcomed guests and called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm 2. Approve Previous Meeting Notes: By consensus, the board approved the August 14, 2017 meeting notes. 3. Public Comments: Hadassah Prosser shared her recommendation that the City needs to keep the bike path by the river up at the top, this would improve the safety of the path by reducing significant changes in grade and significant gains in speed going downhill. Hadassah shared that this problem is especially evident at the path on the west side of the river where it dips at both Lewis and Douglas. 4. I-235 & Maple: Paul Gunzelman, Assistant City Engineer, provided an overview of the designs for the KDOT project. Paul shared that an earlier version of the plans included closing Elder at Maple due to safety concerns and that the cul-de-sac would include a path linkage to the sidewalk. Following discussions at the DAB IV, the plans were changed to not include closing Elder. Paul indicated that both the previous design concept and the proposed design would allow for implementation of the Wichita Bicycle Master Plan recommendation for a bicycle boulevard along Elder. There was discussion about whether the sidewalk along Maple under I-235 would change. Paul indicated that no changes to the configuration of the sidewalks were planned as part of the project. WBPAB members also discussed whether shared lane markings should be installed along Maple as part of the project, in order to improve conditions for people bicycling on Maple. Staff indicated that they did not recommend sharrows as part of the project because the Bicycle Master Plan did not recommend sharrows at that location and that it would be a short segment without connections to other bikeways. Paul also provided updates about the following projects. 1 Green Street Bikeway - Hawk signals being installed at the intersections of Stadium Drive and Hillside and at Central and Volutsia Woodlawn and Oliver - Paul will check on the status and report back to the WBPAB. 127th Street with bike lanes – scheduled for the bids to close on September 29th. 17th and 18th Streets Bikeway – under construction now, paint for one segment is dependent on a maintenance project. 2nd St and Tyler – a new traffic signal will be installed just south of Wilbur Middle School, in order to take the place of the crossing signal that will be removed with the widening of Tyler. As part of the discussions, members from the WBPAB indicated a desire to receive a presentation on the proposed improvements to Pawnee Prairie Park. 5. Process for Identifying & Prioritizing Pedestrian Maintenance Needs: Alan King, Director of Public Works and Utilities, provided information regarding the City’s process of identifying and prioritizing pedestrian maintenance needs. Mr. King discussed operating budget impacts from a decline in City revenues since 2009- 2010. As a result of the budget, approximately 1/3 of the Street Maintenance positions are unfilled and Public Works has reduced ability to address many pedestrian maintenance needs across the city. Mr. King stated that the current prioritizations puts street patching, pothole repair, street sweeping and traffic sign repair and replacement take priority. Mr. King gave an example of how cross walk painting is now lower on the priority list and that repainting on about 8% of the city’s crosswalks are completed annually. He also indicated that currently crosswalks are repainted based on a request basis and that the lion’s share of requests/reported issues are coming from USD 259.Board discussion ensued following Tom Lasater’s suggestion about the possibility of recruiting neighborhood associations or other volunteer groups to take care of routine matters like repainting in particular areas. Mr. King indicated that the idea may have some merit but he would need to check on potential liability issues associated with citizens performing this type of work. Mr. King closed stating that there were 5,000 miles of streets in Wichita, Public Works to give the board an idea of the size and scope of the department’s maintenance challenges. Hadassah Prosser asked if Alan could look into the light at the crossing at South Seneca right beside the Kellogg exit ramp; she said the light isn’t functioning, and he said he would check on that promptly. 6. Wichita Municipal Code Update – Bicycle Lights: Jan Jarman, Legal Department, presented proposed changes to the City Code to make it conform with newly adopted Kansas State law regarding bicycle lighting requirements. The board was in agreement with proposed changes to the city ordinance with the exception of the requirement for bicycle pedal reflectors. During the discussion many board members felt that this requirement was an unnecessary since there are many pedals in use that do not have reflectors. Tom Lasater moved [Tyler Stutzman]to approve the proposed city code amendments to match the state law with the 2 exception of Section C pertaining to bicycle pedal reflectors. The board approved the motion 9-1 with board member Elizabeth Ablah voting no. 7. Wichita Bicycling Municipal Code Updates Processes: Scott Wadle, Interim Transit Director, briefly reviewed the already endorsed survey of popular opinion regarding municipal code updates pertaining to riding bicycles on the sidewalk around Wichita and particularly in the downtown area; the aim was to have the survey made public on September 15th, an open house even to discuss these issues on October 5th, a report on the open house event to the board on October 13th, the survey being closed on October 15th, and the staff recommendations based on the survey being submitted to the board on November 13, 2017. 8. Wichita Street Safety Campaign: Scott Wadle, Interim Transit Director, presented information about the campaign materials being designed and the schedule for rolling them out: by September 13th, the print media will be completed; by September 19th, the social media will be finalized; by September 20th, the print materials will be delivered; and by September 30th, the campaign will be launched— the theme is “Safety Begins with You,” and will involve placing print media on billboards, on the backs of city busses, etc.—members of the board may be recruited to help photographers model some of the behavior being used in the campaign as promotional material, so check your e-mail for invites! 9. People First Neighborhood Project Update: Scott Wadle discussed the committee which identified the neighborhood, out of all of those which were proposed (the committee included Jack Brown, Maxine Bostic, and Barry Carroll)—the chosen neighborhood where the grant money could be used was the block of North Park Place between E. 15th and E. 16th, near Irving Elementary School; the Yellowbrick Street Team is involved in the brainstorming for ideas, along with members of the neighborhood community—ideas include temporarily reducing the street to a one- lane, one-way street, with buffers placed along the bike lane—the goal is to find inexpensive street decorations that can serve is obstacle to slow the speed of traffic along that block—this is a process which Elizabeth Ablah is heavily involved with studying. 10. Fall Bicycle Tour: There were two proposals were presented, the first involving traveling to south Wichita, the second heading more to the east—the first proposal was chosen after some suggestions were made for modifying the route—Scott Wadle will use Survey Monkey to find the most acceptable date for the ride. 11. Board Member Project Reports:  Maxine Bostic had an update on the construction along 21st St. from Hillside to Oliver, which will be reduced from four to three lanes.  George Theoharis wanted an update on what would be necessary to get a Hawk light installed at the location which had long been requested by former WBPAB member James Crowder?  Open Streets ICT: The inaugural Open Streets event will take place on Sunday, September 24th from noon to 4 pm. 11. Announcements: It was announced that ICT Open Streets event would take place on September 24. Board members were encouraged to volunteer or participate. 3 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:48 pm. The next meeting of the board will be held on Monday, October 9th, 2017 @5:30 pm. Respectfully submitted,  Russell Fox, WBPAB Board Member 4

Agenda

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, September 11, 2017 5:30 – 8:00 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, approval of the June 12th meeting notes. 3. 5:35 pm Public Comments 4. 5:45 pm I-235 and Maple Street Paul Gunzelman, Assistant City Engineer, will provide an overview of design options considered for the area and how the project will help with implementation of the bike and pedestrian plans. 5. 6:00 pm Process for Identifying and Prioritizing Pedestrian Maintenance Needs Alan King, Director of Public Works and Utilities, will provide information about how the City identifies and prioritizes pedestrian maintenance needs. 6. 6:20 pm Wichita Municipal Code Update – Bicycle Lights Jan Jarman, Assistant City Attorney will present a proposed changes for consistency with State Statues - allowing bicyclists to wear red lights and modify the time requirements when bicycle lights are required. 7. 6:40 pm Wichita Bicycling Municipal Code Updates Processes Scott Wadle, Interim Transit Director, will present an update on the process to collect public input for the update of Wichita Municipal Code. 8. 6:55 pm Wichita Street Safety Campaign Scott Wadle, Interim Transit Director, will present an update on the status of the development of the Wichita Street Safety Campaign. 9. 7:05 pm People First Neighborhood Project Update Scott Wadle, Interim Transit Director, will provide an update of the 1600 Block of North Park Place. 10. 7:15 pm Fall Bicycle Tour Jack Brown, Chairperson will facilitate a discussion to identify the key destinations / routes for the tour. 11. 7:20 pm Board Member Project Reports Jack Brown, Chairperson 12. 7:30 pm Announcements Jack Brown, Chairperson 13. 7:35 pm Closing Thoughts Jack Brown, Chairperson Notice – City Council Members may attend this meeting. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, August 14, 2017 5:30 – 7 p.m. 777 E. Waterman, Building 200 Wichita Transit Van Maintenance Facility Conference Room Meeting Notes Members Present: Jack Brown, Maxine Bostic, Russell Fox, Jerry Jones, Tom Lasater, Christopher Parisho, George Theoharis Members Absent: Jane Byrnes, Barry Carroll, Tyler Stutzman City Staff: Philip Zevenbergen, Associate Planner, City Planning staff; Troy Livingston, Deputy Chief, Wichita Police Department Guests: Dr. Elizabeth Ablah, Christina Calhoun, Emily Christensen, Chris Garcia, Vincent Hancock, Alan Kailer Item Description 1. Call to Order: Jack Brown, Chairperson, welcomed guests and called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm. 2. Approve Previous Meeting Notes: By consensus, the board approved the July 10, 2017 meeting notes. 3. Public Comments: Alan Kailer complimented the WBPAB for the work it involved itself in as a response to the accident crash reported by Christina Calhoun the previous month. He emphasized the importance of collecting and responding to such information; without responsible data-gathering about accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists, rumors and other “fake news” about transportation in Wichita will only proliferate (Alan pointed to some recent comments in the Wichita Eagle’s “Opinion Line” as examples).Alan also indicated that the safety of people bicycling and walking should be a priority of the WBPAB. 4. I-235 and Maple Street: This item was deferred by the WBPAB until the next WBPAB meeting. 5. Wichita Street Safety Enforcement: Deputy Chief Troy Livingston, was in place of Chief Gordon Ramsey, who was unable to attend. Deputy Chief Livingston gave the board an update on both the internal training efforts underway to help officers become more informed about maintaining street safety in light of increased bicycling and pedestrian traffic, and also the public outreach efforts to familiarize the people of Wichita about those same traffic rules. Deputy Chief Livingston said that the public education campaign was being developed by an outside vendor. He did not have with him information about either the name of the vendor or the deadlines which had been established for the campaign, but said he would supply the WBPAB with that information as soon as possible; he also said that the campaign would include both radio and video elements. Christina Calhoun asked Livingston about the most efficient way of cyclists to communicate problems or concerns to the WPD, and Livingston explained about a phone app which had been set up allowing citizens to quickly identify and contact the local neighborhood Community Policing Officer assigned to each area. 6. Wichita Bicycling Municipal Code Updates Process: Russell Fox presented the work done by the ad hoc committee organized to develop a survey to gather information about awareness of the city’s bicycling code in the Central Business District, and on that basis develop recommendations for changes—after presenting the survey which was worked out by Scott Wadle, Fox, Christopher Parisho, Christina Calhoun, Jennifer Rygg, and Arleigh McCormick, Fox asked for approval; before that vote was taken, though, Dr. Elizabeth Ablah suggested some additional refining of the language of question #1, so as to prevent any possible confusion about the intentions of the survey—in the discussion that followed, Christina Calhoun, Alan Kailer, Chris Carcia, and multiple members of the WBPAB further examined question #1, and to a limited extend question #3 as well—the final version of the survey questions, as approved by the consensus of the WBPAB, has question #1 reading:  “Under the current City code, bicycling on public sidewalks is prohibited within the Central Business District (downtown). Do you agree with this restriction?” and question #3 reading:  “Are there any areas where bicycling on public sidewalks should be prohibited?” The remaining questions in the survey remaining unchanged. 7. Wichita Pedestrian Master Plan—2017 Annual Implementation Work Plan: Philip Zevenbergen briefly detailed the elements of the Work Plan in progress, emphasizing the remarking of pedestrian crossings as a task with a great deal of support—in line with this, Russell Fox read a statement from absent WBPAB member Jane Byrnes, strongly defending the interests of pedestrians, particular in regards to keep sidewalks and crosswalks in good condition. 8. Bicycle Friendly Community Application: Philip Zevenbergen, in the absence of Scott Wadle, walked the WBPAB and guests through the city’s application to The League of American Bicyclists [LAB] to earn the designation “Bicycle Friendly City” in accordance with one of the aims laid out in the Bicycling Master Plan, and took questions—the only element of the application which elicited comment was the matter of effective lines of communication between police and city planners and the cyclists they serve, as specified in section F15 of the application; Christian Calhoun, in particular, wondered how valid the claims about such lines of communication described in the application really are—Troy Livingston discussed not only the aforementioned phone app which would allow cyclists confronting and issue to connect directly to a local Community Policing Officer, but also the ups and downs the WPD has experienced in making use of Facebook and other social media to respond to concerns and keep Wichitan informed about policy matter and events; according to Livingston, there are only two officers with the responsibility of keeping track of the thousands of followers WPD has—after further discussion of some additional fine-tuning of the application, it was approved by the consensus of the WBPAB board. 9. Board Officers Vote: Jack Brown facilitated a discussion about the positions. Tom Lasater moved to reelect the current officers, the motion was seconded by Maxine Bostic. The Board approved the motion unanimously. 10. Fall Bicycle Tour: After some discussion of different options, it was decided that the WBPAB should hold its now-annual Fall Bicycle Tour in late October or early November, with the recommendation that the Board should, this year, head south along the Canal Route, exploring along Armor Blvd. and other sites in the area— Scott Wadle will look for some possible dates and build up possible routes to be discussed in September or October. 11. Board Member Project Reports: Russell Fox discussed a concern about the removal of a crosswalk light along Tyler in front of Wilbur Middle School while that construction was taking place; both Paul Gunzelman and City Councilman Bryan Frye have been informed of this concern, and there is an effort underway to make certain that the planned road widening will not leave Tyler entirely without a crosswalk (including temporary replacements for such) for the duration of the construction—Christopher Parisho announced that the City Council had approved $1 million to be spent on projects in connection with the Delano trail, which opens up many good possibilities for bicycling in the area. 12. Announcements: Russell Fox reminded the WBPAB about the Open Streets ICT event taking place along Douglas, from Clifton Square to Seneca St., on Sunday, September 24th, from noon to 4 pm—Christina Calhoun informed the WBPAB about the upcoming PARK(ing) Day Wichita, all day on Friday, September 15th, also taking place along Douglas from the Arkansas River to Washington St., sponsored by Bike Walk Wichita. 13. Closing Thoughts: As there was no other business, Jack Brown closed the meeting at 6:51pm, a record! There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm. The next meeting of the board will be held on Monday, September 11, 2017 @5:30 pm. Respectfully submitted,  Russell Fox WBPAB Board Member Notice – City Council Members may attend this meeting. City of Wichita Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board September 7, 2017 To: Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Subject: Amendments to Sections 11.48.090 of the Code of the City of Wichita regarding bicycle lights. Initiated By: Parking and Mobility Division Agenda: New Business Recommendation: It is recommended that the Board recommend that the City Council place the ordinances on first reading and authorize all necessary signatures. Background: Section 11.48.090 of the Code of the City of Wichita pertains to lighting requirements for bicycles during nighttime hours. HB 2170 which was recently passed by the Kansas Legislature went into effect July 1. The bill made changes to bicycle lighting requirements. The amended ordinance will mirror state law. Analysis: The amendments authorize an operator to wear a device that emits a red or amber light from the same distance. The term “Nighttime” was replaced with “between sunset and sunrise”. The amendments will not alter the current prosecution policy of dismissing bicycle tickets in exchange for adding appropriate equipment to enhance safety and comply with the ordinance. Financial Consideration: There is no financial impact related to the amendments. Legal Consideration: The amendments have been prepared and approved as to form by the Law Department. Attachment: Ordinances First Published in The Wichita Eagle on ______________ OCA 0833 3 DELINEATED 8/15/17 ORDINANCE NO._________ AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 11.48.090 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF WICHITA, KANSAS, PERTAINING TO LAMPS, BRAKES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT ON BICYCLES AND REPEALING THE ORIGINAL OF SAID SECTION. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF WICHITA, KANSAS: SECTION 1: Section 11.48.090 of the Code of the City of Wichita is amended to read as follows: Sec. 11.48.090. - Lamps, brakes and other equipment on bicycles. (a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime between sunset and sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500) feet to the front and with either: (1) A red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the Secretary of Transportation which shall be visible from all distances from one hundred (100) feet to six hundred 600 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle; (2) a lamp on the rear emitting that shall emit a red light visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear the operator of may be used in addition to the red reflector. ; (3) the operator of such bicycle shall be wearing a device that emits a red or amber light that shall be visible from a distance of (500) feet to the rear. (b) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. (c) No person shall sell a pedal for use on a bicycle, unless such pedal is equipped with a reflector of a type approved by the Secretary of Transportation which is visible from the front and rear of the bicycle to which it is attached during darkness from a distance of two hundred (200) feet, and no person shall sell a new bicycle, unless it is equipped with pedals in accordance with the provisions of this Section. (Ord. No. 35-678 (part)) SECTION 2. The original of Section 11.48.090 of the Code of the City of Wichita, Kansas, is hereby repealed. SECTION 3. This ordinance shall be included in the Code of the City of Wichita, Kansas, and shall be effective upon its passage and publication once in the official city paper. PASSED by the governing body of the City of Wichita, Kansas, this ________ day of _________________, 2017. __________________________________________ Jeff Longwell, Mayor ATTEST: Approved as to Form: ______________________________ _________________________________ Karen Sublett, City Clerk Jennifer Magana, Director of Law and City Attorney The City of Wichita Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board is reviewing existing City laws and regulations related to bicycling. Your input is important to identify what changes, if any, are necessary. This short survey should only take a few minutes to complete and will be available online through September 2017. The information collected will be confidential and used solely for informing the ordinance update process. 1. Under current City code, bicycling on public sidewalks is allowed everywhere except within the prohibited within the Central Business District (downtown). Do you agree with this restriction requirement? (y/n) 2. Should bicycling on public sidewalks be allowed everywhere in Wichita? (y/n) 3. Are there other any areas where bicycling on public sidewalks should be prohibited? (y/n) 4. If yes, please describe the other area(s). a. 5. Under current City code, people bicycling on public sidewalks are required to yield to pedestrians. Do you agree with this requirement? (y/n) 6. Under current City code, people bicycling on public sidewalks are required to provide an audible signal before overtaking pedestrians. Do you agree with this requirement? (y/n) 7. What other changes do you think should be made to the City of Wichita bicycling related laws and regulations? 8. Have you bicycled in the City of Wichita in the last two years? (y/n) 9. If yes, how often do you ride a bicycle? a. Daily b. Weekly c. Monthly d. Rarely 10. Open house info… this section of the survey will be an opportunity to provide information about the open house event. Optional Questions 11. Age: 12. Gender 13. Zipcode: 14. 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