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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - TSP - 2017.12.141 TRAFFIC, SAFETY AND PARKING COMMISSION Approved Minutes Regular Meeting of Thursday, December 14, 2017 1. CALL TO ORDER 7:01 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 3. ROLL CALL MEMBER PRESENT: Bush, Londer, Martos, Wettan MEMBERS ABSENT: Akers 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion: To accept the minutes of November 9, 2017 as submitted. M/S/C: Londer/Martos; 4/0/0 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – NON-AGENDA No public comment. 6. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS a) B/PAC Report This is a standing agenda item. The Commission moved directly into item 6b. No B/PAC report was provided. b) San Mateo County Measure Grant Application Mr. Wong made a presentation on the SMCTA Measure A Grant Application opportunities which provided background on funding, allocations, and the schedule for bicycle and pedestrian related projects. Mr. Wong explained that the call for projects is limited to three projects and cannot exceed a cumulative total of $1,000,000. He indicated the City will be submitting two applications. Mr. Wong said the City is requesting $500,000 for design and 2 installation of bulb outs, curb ramps, and additional signage and striping for the School Area Pedestrian Improvements Project. He said the City is also requesting $500,000 for Phase II of the California Drive Complete Streets Project which would cover public outreach, design, resurfacing and restriping. Chair Wettan acknowledged Assistant Superintendent Gaby Hellier in the audience and then opened public comment. Leslie Beatty said the B/PAC has submitted letters of support for both projects but indicated B/PAC is very enthusiastic about the Safe Routes to School Project. She said establishing safe routes to school is a top priority of the B/PAC and indicated the project is shovel ready—audits have already been completed to determine what can and should be done around the elementary schools. Leslie Beatty went on to say that the work identified in the audits by the Burlingame School District could have taken up one grant totaling one-million dollars which was the B/PAC’s recommendation. She did recognize there are other priorities within the City and was happy to support the project on California Drive but expressed concern that the grant application did not specifically mention pedestrian upgrades and that it was important to add as California Drive should be drivable, walkable and bikeable. Manito Velasco stated he was not speaking as a member of the B/PAC, but as a parent. He indicated he strongly supports a bulb out in front of Burlingame Intermediate School at the intersection of Quesada and Clarice. He also was in favor of a bulb out on El Camino Real near McKinley Elementary due to the sharp angle at Fairfield Road. Manito Velasco also said he was concerned with Concept A for the California Drive Complete Streets Project—notably the bike lane positioned between a narrow parking lane and a narrow traffic lane. While the other two options eliminate parking, he encouraged the Commission to remove Concept A for safety reasons. Chair Wettan sought input from the Commissioners. Commissioner Londer asked about other possible sources of funding for the local match requirements. With respect to parking , he inquired about the loss of spaces due to the installation of bulb outs. Commissioner Londer also mentioned past discussions regarding a road diet on California between Oak Grove and Broadway to which Mr. Wong said it is a potential option. Commissioner Martos inquired about the application deadline and then sought clarification regarding the project budgets and the parameters used to determine which projects to include in the grant application(s). Commissioner Martos stated he liked Commissioner Londer’s comment regarding the option of a road diet on California Drive as road diets on California Drive are mentioned in the General Plan. Vice-Chair Bush inquired about the California Drive Roundabout Project as it relates to 3 queuing and road diets. He indicated he is also in favor of the idea of a road diet as mentioned by his fellow Commissioners because it would increase pedestrian safety. Vice-Chair Bush also stated he is a large proponent of increasing the bikeability of the California Drive corridor as it links to a lot of key places in Burlingame. He closed by saying he is in favor of the bulb outs, especially at all four corners near Washington Elementary. Chair Wettan confirmed the City received feedback and audit information from the School District. Chair Wettan pointed out that many requested items did not make it into the grant application for the School Area Pedestrian Improvements Project. He inquired as to why we are only asking for $500,000 and including a second application for improvements to California Drive since the recommendation from B/PAC was to focus on safe routes to school and there is no bicycle and pedestrian master plan to synch the bikes routes currently. Commissioner Londer inquired about San Mateo Drive possibly undergoing a road diet in the future. Mr. Wong confirmed the City of San Mateo has been looking into a road diet for that thoroughfare. Mr. Wong indicated that Burlingame and San Mateo staff have been supporting each other’s efforts to work together with the goal to have a Class II bicycle facility. Chair Wettan then requested a breakdown on how the money will be spent for California Drive—how much will be spent on consultants for design and outreach versus construction costs. Mr. Wong stated the bulk of the funds would go towards construction, approximately one million dollars, with about two-hundred thousand to be allocated for design and public outreach. The Commission made separate motions for each of the proposed applications. Motion: To support the Measure A application for the School Improvements. M/S/C: Londer/Martos; 4/0/0 Motion: To approve the support of the Measure A application for Phase II of California Drive Complete Streets. M/S/C: Bush/Londer; 2/0/2; Motion Failed The Commission continued to discuss the second application. Chair Wettan reiterated the desire to invest more money into school related improvements and pointed out that it is written in the Measure I literature and was recommended by the B/PAC. He indicated that although the improvements to California Drive may be necessary, without a bicycle and pedestrian master plan, he felt the money could be better spent on safe routes to school and was displeased with the results of the grant applications. 4 Commissioner Martos stated he is not against the work on California Drive but felt we should prioritize the school improvements given the amount of safety concerns at locations such as Hoover Elementary and given the new bike facility going in on Carolan Avenue. He said that is why he is not in favor of the California Drive funding application. Chair Wettan added that they have received multiple complaints regarding the stop sign across Hillside at Hillside Circle and it was omitted from the grant application. Commissioner Londer agreed that safe routes to school is a very important issue and asked if Measure I funds could be used to cover the identified school improvements that did not make it into the grant application. He also inquired about a number of development projects that should generate additional funds the City could apply towards safe routes to school. Chair Wettan then asked Mr. Wong if there was a plan in place to meet the gaps that were identified this evening through other funds. Mr. Wong indicated that although there is no additional money allocated for the improvements that did not make it in the grant application, they could potentially use other funds for the remaining improvements. Vice-Chair Bush inquired about the grant application strategy—specifically if there are better odds when submitting two projects versus one “mega” project. Vice-Chair Bush confirmed with Mr. Wong that some of the elements in the proposed school pedestrian improvements were not shovel-ready (such as right-of-way concerns on El Camino Real) or required additional studies and therefore were not included in the grant application. He went on to say that the California Drive Complete Streets Project is meritorious as well, and although there is no bicycle and pedestrian master plan, any master plan for Burlingame would run down California Drive as its main bike arterial. The Commissioners continued an interactive discussion regarding the shovel-ready improvements that were requested by the Burlingame School District which were omitted from the grant application. The Commission acknowledged that it is too late to make any changes to the grant applications given the deadline for submission but proposed the following takeaways: • Commissioner Martos suggested that the next Chair can try to call a special meeting to discuss the next grant application opportunity to allow for additional vetting. • Commissioner Londer indicated the City Council has their goal setting meeting on Saturday January 27, 2018 in the Lane Room at the Library. The Commissioners agreed it was important for their efforts to align with the priorities of the City Council. • Chair Wettan requested that Mr. Wong elaborate on the City’s plan to initiate an overall Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Mr. Wong explained that staff has plans to meet with the B/PAC in January to get the ball rolling. Manito Velasco requested to speak once more and emphasized the B/PAC did a lot of 5 front work prior to this meeting and was disheartened that they are now just finding out what made it in the application and what was omitted. He also shared the school audit was completed in 2014. He closed by mentioning an upcoming Air Quality grant application opportunity and stated project readiness should be applied equally to all of the projects. Motion: To support the City’s application for the Measure A Grant regarding the California Drive Bicycle Facility Improvements. M/S/C: Bush/Londer; 4/0/0 Chair Wettan requested that the record reflect that the vote was much closer than the numbers indicate Chair Wettan also noted the internal grant process could be better and said he also looks forward to seeing a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for Burlingame. c) 2018 TSPC Chair and Vice-Chair Nominations Vice-Chair Bush indicated that he would be willing to serve as Chair if there was nobody else willing and able to serve as Chair. He indicated he is cautious as his schedule would not allow him to dedicate the time he would like to as Chair. Commissioner Martos acknowledged the time commitment but also expressed his desire for the Chair and Vice-Chair to work together to build the monthly agendas. He then indicated he would be happy to be the Chair of the Commission. Separate motions were made for the Chair and Vice-Chair. Motion: Move to appoint Commissioner Martos as the new Chair. M/S/C: Londer/Wettan; 4/0/0 Motion: Move to reappoint Vice-Chair Bush for another term. M/S/C: Londer/Wettan; 4/0/0 7. INFORMATION ITEMS a) Engineering Division Reports Mr. Wong provided updates on various Public Works – Engineering projects and activities: • US101/Broadway Interchange Project – Project completed. • Carolan Avenue Complete Streets – The bulb outs, rain gardens, and roadway resurfacing have been completed. 6 • South Rollins Utility Improvement Project – Work on sewer and water mainline improvements are still in progress. Project completion is anticipated for the end of February 2018. The project area will continue with single lane traffic control during construction activities. • Easton Addition, Ray Park, and Neighborhood Sewer Rehab Project: Phase 2 – Construction in the vicinity of Benito and Montero is 90% complete. The remaining portion of the project is anticipated to be completed by the end of the year. • ECR/Floribunda – The 18-month trial period has ended. The City has provided Caltrans with the most recent collision reports. • US 101 Managed Lane Project – Caltrans/SMCTA and C/CAG have released the Draft EIR for this project. The goals associated with continuous managed lanes include, reducing congestion and improving travel time reliability along the corridor, encouraging commuters to carpool and using transit to increase person throughput. • Lime Bike and EVGo – City Council unanimously approved agreements with both vendors at the December 4th meeting. Possible soft launch for Lime Bike to occur before the end of the year. • TSPC Email Communications – No new communications. • TSPC Priority List (Updated December 2017): TSPC Led Effort 1 Downtown Modal Access 2 School Traffic Issues 10/12/17: Item 7a 3 California Complete Streets 7/13/17: Item 7a 4 B/PAC setup 12/14/17: Item 6a 5 Neighborhood Traffic Calming 6 SR2S Review 7 Broadway Parking 8 Public Shuttles/Transit 9 Grant Strategies 7/13/17: Item 6a 10 ECR Corridor (ECR Task Force) 9/14/17: Item 8e 11 San Mateo's Peninsula Ave OC 7/13/17: Item 7a 12 Parking and traffic considerations w/ Planning 13 Bay Trail 14 Intro to Paving Staff Update via Report 1 Caltrans’ ECR/Floribunda 12/14/17: Item 7a 2 Hoover School Update 10/12/17: Item 7a 3 Downtown Parking Strategies 9/14/17: Item 6b 7 4 City Hall Traffic Calming/Floribunda 10/12/17: Item 7a 5 California Roundabout 6 General Plan – Circulation Element 9/14/17: Item 8d 7 Bike\Ped Plan Update: fwd to BPAC 11/9/17: Item 7a 8 Rec Center Parking 9 Carolan Complete Streets Update 12/14/17: Item 7a 10 Grant Opportunities 12/14/17: Item 6b 11 Grade Separation 5/11/17: Item 7a 12 San Mateo's Peninsula Ave OC 4/13/17: Item 7a 13 School Speed Limit Updates 9/14/17: Item 7a 14 Burlingame Point - Bay Trail 15 School Safety Improvements 9/14/17: Item 7a 16 California Complete Streets 11/9/17: Item 6b 17 California Drive parking restrictions Completed 18 Traffic Brochure Completed b) Police Department Reports Sergeant Shepley provided an update to the Commission and indicated that complaints have gone down but collisions are up for this month. He said there were 34 collisions in this reporting period and that was the highest since he has been reporting to the Commission. There have been 6 collisions this month alone along the ECR corridor. In contrast, Sergeant Shepley shared that of the 34 collisions, there were no major injuries. c) Farmers Market Commissioner Londer shared that there will be a Farmer’s Market this Sunday. He said there will be a break over the holidays and indicated the Farmer’s Market will resume at the end of January. Commissioner Londer said he would participate this Sunday pending Chair Wettan’s availability. d) TSPC Chair/Commissioner’s Communications Vice-Chair Bush shared that while he was driving down Broadway to California Drive, a vehicle merged into the left-turn lane in front of him, which then trapped the vehicle behind him on train tracks. This was concerning to him and he inquired if there was another way to enforce the barrier to minimize the danger of vehicles becoming stuck on the train tracks. Chair Wettan suggested this be added to the future agenda items. Commissioner Londer shared that City Council will have a decision regarding the newest member of the TSPC at the next City Council meeting. Mr. Wong clarified that City Council will not have a decision until the first meeting in January and they will be appointing two TSP commissioners. Chair Wettan recognized Commissioner Akers’ exemplary service to the TSPC and said he will be missed. 8 8. COMMISSION & COMMITTEE REPORTS a) Downtown Parking (Martos & Wettan) Commissioner Martos indicated he met with Mr. Wong briefly but the one point they did not discuss is when this item goes back to the Commission to examine the parking lot alternatives, he requested that Mr. Wong to do some research regarding the history behind the assigned lot hours so they can think about who may be impacted with any potential changes. He stated he would like to know the history and receive public input before making any decisions. Chair Wettan stated they have an impending issue with lots F and N. b) Broadway Parking (Bush & Wettan) Chair Wettan stated the crisis of vacancies has abated. Mr. Wong shared he has worked with John Kevranian to get signage up for the loading zones along Broadway. c) School Speed Limits (Akers & Londer) No update per Commissioner Londer. Commissioner Martos confirmed with Mr. Wong that the 15 MPH signs were installed on Cabrillo and Quesada. d) Envision Burlingame (Londer & Martos) Commissioner Londer indicated they had their final meeting already and the document is available online. The Commissioners agreed that this item can now be removed from the agenda and Chair Wettan thanked Commissioners Londer and Martos for their efforts. e) El Camino Real Task Force (Londer & Wettan) Commissioner Londer indicated there will be three more meetings with the next meeting on January 18, 2018. 9. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Items that did not make it into the Measure A Grant Application from the School District • Revisit plan for California Drive north of Broadway • Concerns with vehicles being stuck on the train tracks on Broadway • Municipal code revisions related to bicyclist – staff report in January • Downtown parking • TSPC priorities 10. ADJOURNMENT 9:26 p.m. 9 Prior to adjournment Commissioner Londer thanked Chair Wettan and Vice-Chair Bush for their service and said he is looking forward to next year. Chair Wettan closed by saying it’s been a good year and acknowledged his fellow Commissioners, Mr. Wong, Ms. Brewer, and Mr. Thompson.