Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Monday, December 10, 2018 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 711 W. 2nd Street, Boardroom Advanced Learning Library Wichita, KS 67203 Meeting Notes Members present: Elizabeth Ablah, Jack Brown, Jane Byrnes, Barry Carroll, Russell Fox, Tom Lasater, Christopher Parisho, Marcia Schroeder, Tyler Stutzman & George Theoharis Members Absent: None City Staff: Scott Wadle, Senior Management Analyst, Lee Carmichael, Public Works Guests: Clayton Pearson, Chole Parisho, John Parisho, Alan Kailer, Kelly Wenz, Vincent Hancock, Dave & Sharon Hewitt, Bob Lavell, Carey Hobart, Misty Bruckner, Item Description 1. Call to Order: Jack Brown, Board Chair, welcomed board members, guests and called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm. Chair, noted that this was the board’s annual retreat. 2. Approve Previous Meeting Notes: The board amended the November 26, 2018 meeting notes to reflect that the board did not take an official position on the new baseball stadium but that both bicycle and pedestrian facilities should be considered on all City projects. 3. Public Comments: Alan Kailer, president of Bike Walk Wichita, made the following comments:  Bike Walk Wichita will host a walk in College Hill on December 15th; and  A fund raiser for Bike Walk Wichita will be held at the Aero Plains Brewery on Sunday, January 6, 2019. 4. Project Wichita: Misty Bruckner, Wichita State University, presented an overview of Project Wichita. Project Wichita is a regional community engagement process to identify a regional vision for the future of our community and develop an action plan for the next 10 years on how that vison can be achieved. Misty emphasized that the results are focused on initiatives that are not currently being worked on. Following the presentation there was discussion from the board about the process and how bicycle and pedestrian issues could be a part of the projects planning efforts. The board thanked Ms. Bruckner for her informative presentative and indicated it would be interested in a follow-up presentation on the project as the action plan is developed. 5. Wichita Bicycle Master Plan Implementation Review: Scott Wadle, Senior Management Analyst, provided an overview and status of the implementation of the Wichita Bicycle Master Plan. It was noted that that since the approval of the plan there have been numerous bicycle projects completed, funding programed for pathway maintenance, traffic safety efforts and safety data collection. Overall progress in implementing the plan has been steady and moving forward. Scott indicated that the data is incomplete and that he would continue to bring updated information to the monthly WBPAB meetings, with the intent of having a completed report in the spring of 2019. 1  6. Wichita Pedestrian Master Plan Implementation Review: Scott Wadle, Senior Management Analyst, provided the following information; there appears to be an upward trend in pedestrian crashes and fatalities which is an issue that staff is working on to acquire more detailed data. The latest WAMPO data shows significant increases in pedestrian counts. Board member Stutzman referenced momentum being made in other cities regarding biking and walking. Board member Jane Byrnes commented that she would like to see the percentage of funds earmarked for bike/ped projects increased. Scott also indicated that the data is incomplete and that he would continue to bring updated information to the monthly WBPAB meetings, with the intent of having a completed report in the spring of 2019. 7. Board Self-Assessment: Jack Brown, Chair, asked for comments from the board regarding board activities and function in relation to the community and the city council. Board member Barry Carroll noted that attendance is excellent – even for special meetings beyond the regular monthly meetings and that the board has had a quorum for every meeting since the inception of the board. Clayton Pearson, a member of the public, stated that the board’s recommendations are important for both district advisory boards and City Council’s consideration. Alan Kailer, a member of the public, stated that board members were passionate and issues relating to biking and walking; and that the City Council values our balanced recommendations. Based on comments from both board membership and the public in attendance the overall sentiment was that the board was functioning well. 8. Board Visioning Process for 2019: Jack Brown, Chair asked that the board do a “visioning process” to make observations on what the future might be for the board’s work. The following comments were made:  Explore the feasibility of opening the Big Ditch to pedestrians and cyclists from the Zoo northward to the proposed Crystal Lake City Park;  Engage with existing bike/ped organizations in the city, county and region;  Continue to keep the City Council apprised of the board’s actions;  Create short-term subcommittees within the board for special projects;  Identify possible new bike/ped projects for consideration;  Use data from ‘best practices’ for compilation of crash data.  Reach out to the State’s KDOT Bicycle Coordinator [Scott Messina] and offer assistance;  Review and follow up on the City’s Legislative Agenda as appropriate;  Form an ‘Economic Subcommittee’ within the board and promote eco/devo;  Visit other cities in the region and learn from them;  Finalize the changes to the Board’s Bylaws and get clarity on officers’ terms; and  Be creative: Change the discussions and change the questions. 9. Announcements  Feral Cat Meeting: George Theoharis reported that there will be another public meeting at the Humane Society regarding feral cats. 10. Closing Thoughts:  2019 Board Calendar: There was consensus that a calendar should be developed for 2019; there is a conflict on Veteran’s Day [Monday, November 12, 2019] and the meeting will need to be rescheduled. All other activities [tours, retreats, etc.] will be added to the calendar as well. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:55pm. The next meeting of the board will be held on Monday, January 14, 2019 @5:30 pm. Respectfully submitted. Barry Carroll, Board Secretary 2