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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - TSP - 2014.03.131. CALL TO ORDER March 13, 2014 7.00 p.m. — Council Chambers 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —February 13, 2014 6. PUBLIC COMMENTS Persons in the audience may speak on any item on the agenda or any other matter within the jurisdiction of the Commission. The Ralph M. Brown Act (the State -Local Agency Open Meeting Law) prohibits the Commission from acting on any matter that is not on the agenda. Speakers are requested but not required to fill out a "Request To Speak" card located on the table by the door and hand it to staff. The Commission Chairperson may limit speakers to three minutes each. 7. CURRENT BUSINESS 7.1 Burlingame Downtown Parking Structure Discussion 8. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION ITEMS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF 8.1 Engineering Division Reports —Reports and/or updates on Public Works projects and activities 8.1.1 Requests/comments/responses to public traffic concerns (stop signs, crosswalks, speed control, parking) • Non-standard stop signs along Trousdale Drive • Floribunda Traffic Calming review • EI Camino Real parking south of Mills/Peninsula Hospital • No Parking Signs on Newlands Avenue • Highland/Howard Avenues request for stop signs • EI Camino Real/Cypress Avenue pedestrian signal timing Construction and Design projects • Burlingame Avenue Streetscape Project • Linden/Larkspur Intersection Temporary Traffic Circle • US101/Broadway Interchange Project 8.1.3 School Traffic Issues 8.2 Police Department Reports — Reports and/or updates on Police Department programs and activities 8.2.1 General/Selective Traffic Enforcement Report 8.3 Commissioners' Comments and Concerns 9. COMMUNICATIONS Report by Staff or Commissioners of citizen concerns or complaints regarding traffic, safety and parking issues that are within the Commission's jurisdiction. 10. COMMISSION &COMMITTEE REPORTS 10.1 Burlingame Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (B/PAC) Committee meets 5:30PM in Conference Room B before each TSPC meeting. 11. NEW FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Dates for discussion to be determined later by Staff or Commissioners. 11.1 Howard Avenue Long-term and Short-term Parking (1400 block) 11.2 TSPC Areas of Emphasis for 2014 11.3 Electric Charging Stations 11.4 Downtown Parking Strategies 12. ADJOURNMENT Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Traffic, Safety and Parking Commission regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at the Engineering Counter at City Hall located at 501 Primrose Road during normal business hours. MINUTES -ITEM 5 The City of Burlingame CALIFORNIA 94010-3997 www.burlingame.org TRAFFIC, SAFETY AND PARKING COMMISSION Meeting Minutes - Unapproved Thursday, February 13, 2014 Commissioners Present: Commissioners Absent: Nicklas Akers, Chair Jeff Londer John Martos Mark Noworolski Howard Wettan Staff Present: Augustine Chou, Engineering Programs Manager, Andrew Wong, Transportation Engineer Sergeant Jay Kiely, Police Department Joanne Louie, Administrative Secretary Art Morimoto, Assistant Director of Public Works Visitors (Who Signed -in) Chris Bush Leslie Austere Steve Lamont Elizabeth Moore Drew Dora -Abrams Robert Bachrach 1. CALL TO ORDER. 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. 3. ROLL CALL. 4 of 5 Commissioners present. Commissioner Wettan absent. 4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Public Works Chair Akers acknowledged the presence of Councilmember Ann Keighran in the audience. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Motion: To accept the minutes of January 9, 2014 with corrections to the spelling of some last names and titles. 1 M/S/C: Londer/Martos; 3/0/1 (Commissioner Noworolski abstained) 6. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. 7. CURRENT BUSINESS 7.1 Burlingame Downtown Parking Structure Discussion Chair Akers stated that this was the second of three meetings on the Downtown Parking Structure discussion. He presented parts of the adopted Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan pertaining to parking; and, suggested that staff prepare to discuss the following downtown parking strategy issues in the April meeting: - Parking measures that have been implemented Parking measures that are nearly completed or implemented Concrete timeline for implementation Indication of what resources or other needs necessary to move towards implementation Chair Akers reiterated that the Commission has been asked to provide Council with thoughts and consolidate public comments and provide information and input for consideration. He noted that since there currently is no funding for a parking structure, it was not appropriate for the Commission to provide a rank order list or a definitive answer regarding a specific location or structure type. Chair Akers clarified that he believed the Commission was to provide Council with a list of factors to consider and some thoughts on whether a parking structure was appropriate and where it might be located. Chair Akers proposed to his colleagues to defer asking staff for further reports at this time but instead, take public comment and hold questions to staff for next month. He also proposed that the Commission assemble two Commissioners to draft a discussion document for the next meeting. Chair Akers opened the floor for public comment. Steve Lamont expressed the desire fora "Town Square" setup to improve walkability, reduce traffic flow, and push cars to the periphery to make it a safer place for pedestrians. Robert Bachrach said his proposals are along the lines of the prior speaker. Mr. Bachrach said he has had informal discussions with mayors and Trust for Public Lands concerning the future development of the current Post Office parcel, which could be a Central Park and underground parking facility. Mr. Bachrach felt the parking lots farther down Park Road would be better sites for the Grosvenor project, which could also encompass parking. He said the combination of these approaches would give a better 2 community. Mr. Bachrach stated the need to maintain the vitality of the downtown shopping area by solving the parking issues. David Jackson asked for consideration regarding a shuttle to Caltrain, as opposed to a multiple story structure and suggested this be implemented as a test. Pat Giorni said the parking impacts in the downtown were spilling into residential neighborhoods. Ms. Giorni suggested that the ordinance that restricted parking from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am be possibly reinstated so that residents would use their driveways for parking. Chris Bush said the City needed additional parking; and, felt tl consideration he suggested was pedestrian experience. to consider the congestion impacts created by adding need to better utilize existing parking. Another esthetic appeal and how a structure might impact the There was concurrence amongst the Commissioners to assemble a team to develop a discussion document. John Martos and Chair Akers volunteered, and stated that they would have some material to present to the rest of the Commission for final discussion at the next month's meeting. 8. Information/Discussion Items from Commission and Staff 8.1 Engineering Division Reports —Reports and/or updates on Public Works project and activities 8.1.1 Requests/comments/responses to public traffic concerns (stop signs, crosswalks, speed control, parking) - Non-standard stop signs along Trousdale Drive Mr. Wong reported that the stops signs warrant studies are nearly complete; and, that it appeared like all the stops would become standardized installations. He added that a final report on the outcome would be present at the next meeting. - Adeline Drive/Cortez Avenue pedestrian crosswalk Mr. Chou reported that pedestrian studies were done and marked crosswalks will be scheduled for installation at a later date. He said that work orders would be submitted and the work would be done when the weather was warmer and dryer. Chair Akers opened the floor for public comment. Steve Lamont stated that the vehicles were travelling at a high rate of speed on Adeline, and he felt the crosswalks may give an illusion of safety. Mr. Lamont requested extra patrols. Another resident/business owner (name was not given) reported that she saw a lot of pedestrians waiting at all four corners of EI Camino Real and Cypress Avenue; and, that this was due to the traffic signal timing being too short. She also mentioned that there was a need for a stop sign at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Howard Avenue. - Floribunda Traffic Calming review Mr. Wong stated that he has been in contact with Mr. Eugene Zauber and has plans to setup a walking tour to meet with the residents and discuss what might be feasible on Floribunda. 8.1.2 Construction and Design projects - Burlingame Avenue Streetscape Project Mr. Wong reported that there were some delays on the 1400 block due to rain. - Bike Route Improvement Project Mr. Wong reported that this project has been completed. 8.1.3 School Traffic Issues - Walking Audit: Lincoln Elementary Mr. Wong reported that staff participated in a walking audit and met with the School District and their consultant. He stated that staff would be working with them to implement short-term and long-term measures. Chair Akers had some additional information from Caltrans regarding traffic signal timing at Ray Drive and EI Camino Real, which he would try to provide to staff before the next meeting. Mr. Wong said the walking audit also determined that the turning restriction times on Devereux Drive need minor adjustments, such as extending the restriction times from 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Ms. Giorni spoke in support of extending the extra 30 minutes for this restriction. 8.2 Police Department Reports —Reports and/or updates on Police Depart ment program and activities 9. 8.2.1 General/Selective Traffic Enforcement Report Sergeant Kiely gave an update on the current OTS grant, which has allowed the Police Department to obtain a DUI/EOC trailer. Sergeant Kiely also reported that another grant application was submitted to outfit the trailer with all the required and necessary radio equipment. He said the trailer was primarily funded by the OTS grant, along with assistance from Central County Fire and Public Works, Sergeant Kiely reported that another application was submitted to renew their current grant to participate in the Countywide Allied Agency, with additional Burlingame specific traffic details. 8.3 Commissioners' Comments and Concerns None. COMMUNICATIONS 9.1 Stephen Holtman —Speeding on Florbunda Avenue 9.2 Syed Murtuza —Catch basin construction work on California Drive 9.3 Kevin Nelson — EI Camino Real parking south of Mills/Peninsula Hospital 9.4 Ward Supplee — No Parking Signs on Newlands Avenue 9.5 Other Communications Chair Akers asked that on future Communications items a one sentence summary be included on a test case basis. 10. COMMISSION &COMMITTEE REPORTS 10.1 Burlingame Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory committee (B/PAC) Mr. Wong reported B/PAC discussed potential locations for new bik parks, City Hall, the Rec Center, and the libraries. Funding for these obtained through a Congestion Relief Alliance grant. He stated that report back next month with specific locations at these facilities. e racks at city new racks was B/F was was to Or. Wong reported that there was a brief discussion on best practices versus the highway design manual for the City's bicycle facilities; as well as a brief discussion on Burlingame's Complete Streets policy. Or. Wong said that there was a lengthy discussion about Ray Drive/EI Camino 5 Real/Rosedale Avenue. Ms. Giorni and Commissioner Londer had completed pedestrian counts last month indicating that twice as many pedestrians were using the Adeline crossing than at Ray Drive, possibly because of the presence of a crossing guard. He said that staff would follow up to see about the possibility of a crossing guard at Ray Drive/EI Camino Real/Rosedale Avenue for the next school year. 11. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 11.1 Howard Avenue Long-term and Short-term Parking (1400 block) 11.2 TSPC Areas of Emphasis for 2014 —March meeting 11.3 Electric Charging Stations 11.4 Downtown Parking Strategies —April meeting 12. Elections —Chair and Vice -Chair Elections for 2014 Commissioner Louder nominated Commissioner Wettan for Chair. No other nominations were offered. 4/0/0 Commissioner Londer nominated Commissioner Noworolski for Vice -chair. No other nominations were offered. 3/0/1 —Commissioner Louder abstained. 13.ADJOURNMENT 7:47 p.m. D CURRENT BUSINESS -ITEM 7.1 [DRAFT] REPORT OF THE TRAFFIC, SAFETY & PARKING COMMISSION REGARDING A POTENTIAL PARKING STRUCTURE This report summarizes the Traffic Safety and Parking Commission's recommendations regarding a potential downtown parking structure. These recommendations follow discussion and public comment at a series of Commission meetings in 2013 and 2014. 1. General Considerations As a preliminary matter, the decision to use land for parking — whether a structure, a lot, or street parking — is not simply a decision about parking. It reflects a decision to forego other potential public or private uses of that land, including sidewalks, parks, plazas and other public common spaces. The City should be mindful of these trade-offs as it decides where to utilize land for parking. In addition, the Downtown Specific Planl (the Plan) approved in 2010 made two critical observations about parking in downtown. First, the plan noted that: In order to make best use of existing facilities to serve current and near-term demand, strategies can include adjusting parking pricing and time restrictions, implementing valet/attended parking operations, modifying parking enforcement strategies, implementing parking permits for residents/employees, introducing a carshare arrangement, and improving wayfinding and signage for parking facilities. Many of these measures have been implemented in the past with success, and could continue to be adjusted for further optimization of existing resources. (Plan at Para. 7.5.2.) We believe that this remains true. Accordingly, we have asked staff to report back to the Commission regarding measures — including improved wayfinding — that could be undertaken to improve the parking situation in downtown, the date by which those measures can be implemented, and any impediments — including staff or funding issues — to implementing those recommendations. Second, while the Plan identified Lots A and A3, as well as Lot J, as potential sites for a parking structure, it also observed that nal decisions [regarding a parking lot] should be made when funding is available," which would permit the decision to be "based on development patterns and projections at that time." (Plan at Para. 7.5.3.) This again remains true today. Funding for a parking structure is not currently available, and it would therefore be premature for the Commission to make a recommendation regarding whether or where the City should build a parking structure in downtown. 2. Potential Sites Subject to the foregoing, we offer the following recommendations, which we hope will be of use to the Council: ' http://www.burlingame.org/index.aspx?page=971 1 91 InkfA All ka • Potential sites for one or more parking structures include the north side of downtown (current structure A, and lots A3, C, and/or D), the center of downtown (current lots J and/or W), or the southern part of downtown (current lots G, F and/or N.) • The northern part of downtown is currently home to structure A, which is the City's only public parking structure. An expanded structure could be located on the land currently occupied by Structure A, Lots Al and/or C, and/or the current Donnelley Ave. Alternatively, a structure separate from Structure Al could be located on lots C and/or D, or the neighboring privately held parcels. These sites could provide a large supply of parking that would be both close to Burlingame Avenue and hidden from direct view from the Avenue. If either of these sites are chosen the City should give consideration to creating one or more pedestrian cut- throughs along the 1200-1300 block of Burlingame Avenue. Additionally, if these sites are chosen, the City should give consideration to improving vehicular access from California, along Lorton, from El Camino Real, along Chapin and Primrose, and from Howard, along Primrose. Current efforts to realign the Lorton/Califomia intersection may facilitate this process. • The central part of downtown is currently home to Lots J and W, which could, potentially in combination with adjacent privately held land, be used for the construction of a parking structure. On the one hand, such a structure would be convenient for motorists, who could readily find ample parking in the midst of downtown. On the other hand, placing a structure at this location would bring additional traffic congestion to the center of downtown, along with associated conflicts between pedestrians and motorists as vehicles travel to and from the lot. This, along with the loss of land that could be used for other uses, could result in a less pedestrian -friendly downtown. Finally, placing parking at the center of downtown could make it more difficult to close neighboring streets, including Park, for the fresh market or for other public events. • The southern portion of downtown is currently home to lots G, F and N. These lots are further from Burlingame Avenue. However, they may provide a viable option for a parking structure, either in combination or individually, if Howard Avenue continues to develop as a commercial corridor, of if the City's desire is to develop a parking structure to serve employee parking needs, as well as visitors and residents who are willing and able to walk a block or two to their destination. Finally, these sites benefit from easy vehicular access to both El Camino and California via Howard and Peninsula. • If the City does chose to locate additional parking to the nort h or south of downtown, we should also provide adequate street parking and parking in surface lots to serve the needs 2 7 6JORI&Oyr 7 �1i7:7_1 1 of elders, persons with disabilities, and others who have a bona fide need to park near destinations at the center of downtown. • Additional studies regarding the need for a parking structure may eventually become necessary. However, it would be premature to commission such a study until the City has identified the $10420 million dollars necessary to build such a structure. 3. Conclusion The Commission hopes that these comments are of use. We would welcome the opportunity to revisit these issues in the future if desired by the Council. In the interim, we will continue to explore other options to improve the parking situation in downtown. 3 TRAFFIC ENGINEER'S REPORT -ITEM 8. 1.1 kqr7y ®r 6 0 ENGINEER'S REPORT -ITEM 8.1.2