Charlottesville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee January 4, 2018 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM NDS Conference Room, 2nd Floor City Hall Meeting Agenda 2017 Year in Review/Project Updates Amanda distributed a progress summary of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and 2017 Accomplishments (see attached). Carl Schwarz noted that the 9th Street NW proposed sidewalk could be considered as a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project. Peter Ohlms suggested adding the year completed to the status update column. It was also suggested that asterisks/notes be included when the facility type recommended in the plan could not be achieved. For example, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan calls for separated bike lanes along West Main Street, but through the planning and design process a fully separated bike lane was not politically feasible. Dairy Road Connection/Walker Safe Routes to School Schematic Design Feedback Amanda presented two alternatives for a multi-use connection from the newly installed pedestrian bridge over the 250 Bypass to the proposed 250 Bypass Trail. The first alternative is a multi-use trail that follows the existing road grade/existing sidewalk. The other installs a series of switchbacks to better meet ADA standards. The group agreed that the first alternative that follows the grade of the road was preferred. Concern was raised about the grade of the trail approaching the 250 Bypass – inexperienced bicyclists might not be able to stop before the bypass. A barrier to prevent access to 250 or some sort of “wiggle” along Meadowbrook Heights to slow people down was suggested. Most felt that people would ignore the switchback proposed in Option 2 to create a shorter path. If that option were selected, plantings should be installed to discourage people from not using the switchback. There was also concern about the accessibility of the 250 trail system as a whole since the roadway climbs from Hydraulic Road to Dairy Road and the path in the woods to the YMCA is also steep. The group requested that the grades of the approaches be determined. It was also noted that the ADA Advisory Committee be consulted on the design. The group also reviewed the proposed Walker Safe Routes to School conceptual design that was conceived as part of a VDOT grant funded walkabout in 2013. There was concern about the lack of bicycle facilities that were included as part of the design. And most felt that the proposed pork chop at the entrance to the 250 Bypass on-ramp was still unsafe for pedestrians. The one way through pattern onto the on-ramp seemed confusing and still prioritized vehicular traffic over pedestrian crossing needs. Many felt that having vehicles enter the on-ramp with a turn movement was preferred over a straight through movement. One member asked about traffic volumes in the area and another suggested that the re-design would be unnecessary if Walker is closed to students. Downtown/Corner Bike Racks Update/Feedback Amanda presented bicycle parking schemes for both Downtown and the Corner. The proposal for the Corner seeks primarily to upgrade existing bike racks to the city standard U rack and provide bicycle parking in locations that are underserved (for example near CVS). In the downtown area, the staff is proposing bike corrals on Market Street at 5th, 4th and 7th in an effort to reduce the number of bikes locked to parking signage/blocking the sidewalk. It also adds post and ring racks to the Water St. frontage of the parking garage. It was noted that the racks on 2nd Street (near the Trolley stop) and 1st Street (near the Old Metropolitan) are frequently over parked. There was also discussion about shifting the existing corral on 4th Street closer to the Water St. intersection, but most agreed that the better solution was to allow two way bicycle traffic on 4th Street via “One Way Except Bikes” signage. The group was also briefed on plans to add bicycle lockers to the Market Street Garage. The Parking Department will be purchasing 5 double-sided lockers to secure 10 bicycles. Old Business Vote on Meeting Rules/Charter Changes The group voted on the proposed meeting rules. Carl moved to vote. Lena seconded. All were in favor except Stephen Bach, who felt there was no need for the additional detail. He felt a one sentence guideline such as “we will be respectful and courteous” would suffice. An effort was made to add his suggestion as an introductory statement, but he was not in favor of that suggestion and did not feel like any consensus statement was needed. He was comfortable simply voting NO. Frank noted that he does not like how people have shown up to meetings and added an agenda item and requested a vote with no prior notice. Additional detail with regard to meeting rules can help manage these types of situations. There was some confusion with regard to who would update the charter. Changes will be made and voted on at the next meeting. Vote on PLACE committee reps The group voted on the BPAC representative PLACE. Peter removed his name from consideration and Lena expressed concern over having a staff member be a representative. Lena was selected as the representative by a vote of 3-2. CIP Budget questions Based on a question that was raised over email by Frank Deviney as to whether or not enough money has been dedicated in the CIP for projects in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, Amanda provided a breakdown of the costs incurred by the Bicycle Program in FY 17 and proposed expenditures for FY18. A large portion of the budget is currently dedicated to VDOT grant matches and there was considerable discussion about the staffing needed to implement federally funded projects (grant management, engineering, construction). Amanda manages curb ramp and bike projects and engineers manage sidewalk projects. Implementing currently funded projects with current staffing levels is feasible, but if funding is increased (or if all pending grants are received), more engineering project managers and/or a shift in responsibilities could be needed. Consulting a recent staff efficiency study could be useful. It was decided that BPAC would try to learn a little bit more about current staffing before making any recommendations about future funding. JPA Corridor Study Questions/Comments (Amanda) This item was not discussed. Facebook Page/Logo Discussion This item was not discussed. Upcoming Events January 9: Council/PC Joint Public Hearing on Budget, 5:30PM, Council Chambers January 17: 5th/Ridge Street Corridor Public Meeting, 5-7PM City Space January 24: BAR Worksession, RRFB’s and Design Guidelines, 12-2PM, NDS Conf Rm February 1: BPAC Meeting, NDS Conference Room, 5-7PM March 1: BPAC Meeting, NDS Conference Room, 5-7PM April 5: BPAC Meeting, NDS Conference Room, 5-7PM May 3: BPAC Meeting, NDS Conference Room, 5-7PM June 7: BPAC Meeting, NDS Conference Room, 5-7PM Persons with Disabilities may request reasonable accommodations by contacting ada@charlottesville.org or (434)970-3182 Project Updates – Please send any updates via email • Belmont Bridge o Design Public Hearing - Spring 2018 • West Main Street o Gearing up for stakeholder meetings, BAR, etc. in Feb/March. Exact dates TBD. • TJPDC Regional Bike/Ped Plan o Jan. 17 Technical Advisory Committee Meeting o Any interest in a regular informal get together? • Standards and Design Manual o Staff is expecting to receive a draft SADM this month. Once it is reviewed, stakeholder meetings will be scheduled. • Code Audit Update o No update since Dec. - The PC approved a temporary height definition based upon an average grade plane. They also modified some language so that buildings on water street still need to provide lower street walls on their other facades and to exempt non-conforming structures under BAR review from being forced to conform to massing regulations if altered (few buildings on the Mall conform and would have to be added onto or demolished significantly if altered under the previous ordinance). These still need to be approved by Council. The list of other items that need help is still extensive. The current hot topic is the definition of mixed use. • SIA/Form Based Code o This project is on hold until a Housing Needs Assessment is completed and a a facilitator is hired to engage all of the public housing developments that are contained within the SIA. • PLACE o Meeting on Jan. 11. Agenda not yet posted. • BAR o Work session from 12-2 on January 24th on RRFBs and the Public Improvements chapter of the Architectural Design Control guidelines. This is to get ahead of the Standards and Design Manual update. The meeting will be in the NDS conference room.