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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - TSP - 2020.01.091 TRAFFIC, SAFETY AND PARKING COMMISSION Unapproved Minutes Regular Meeting of Thursday, January 9, 2020 1. CALL TO ORDER 7:04 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 3. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Bush, Londer, Martos, Wettan MEMBERS ABSENT: Israelit 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) December 12, 2019 Meeting Minutes The approval of meeting minutes was postponed to the February Traffic, Safety and Parking Commission (TSPC) meeting due to the lack of quorum. (Commissioner Londer and Commissioner Martos were not present for the December 2019 meeting.) 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – NON-AGENDA No public comment. 6. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS a) Community B/PAC Update (Informational Only) Chair Beatty stated the B/PAC spent time discussing general feedback to the initial Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan with one major area of focus on pedestrians as they felt the plan did not adequately address it. She said they did not review the areas surrounding schools as the Burlingame School District will be working directly with Alta Planning + Design on those proposed improvements. Chair Beatty recommended standards for the downtown areas, Burlingame Plaza, and hospital vicinity in an effort to make those areas more walkable. Additionally, she indicated B/PAC specifically discussed pedestrian related projects and stated that El Camino Real crossings were at the top of the list for pedestrian safety. 2 In a subsequent meeting, Chair Beatty stated the B/PAC discussion was geared around the bike network and east/west connectors, specifically Carmelita and Oak Grove Avenues. She mentioned that the B/PAC would prefer protected bike lanes on those streets but recognized the difficulty with removing parking. Chair Beatty indicated their second preference would be heavy traffic calming and sharrows. In addition, she said B/PAC desired better bike safety along Oak Grove Avenue between Paloma Avenue and Carolan Avenue. Vice-Chair Wettan reminded everyone that the call for comments on the walkbikeburlingame.com site is still open. Commissioner Martos confirmed that the Bay Trail was not discussed at length by B/PAC as part of the overall master planning efforts. For the bike boulevards, Chair Beatty stated the B/PAC felt there should be four-way stops along all those major intersections. However, she stated B/PAC was still working to identify the bike boulevards as they did not have complete consensus among the group yet. Chair Beatty shared that the group did agree that Paloma Avenue and a combination of Laguna and Chula Vista Avenues should be classified as bike boulevards. Vice-Chair Wettan stated he prefers two-way stop signs in the east/west directions so bicyclists do not have to stop when biking in the north/south directions. Commissioner Bush stated bike boulevards typically have stop signs for the cross traffic, but as a result you need to find a way to prohibit cars from using those roads as a short cut. b) Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan Update Senior Engineer Andrew Wong stated the goal of tonight’s discussion is to go over the B/PAC’s comments regarding the Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan and to generate additional input from the Commission. Transportation Engineer Michael Tsai stated he did not have much to add regarding the B/PAC’s comments as Chair Beatty provided a thorough summary during the B/PAC update. He reiterated Mr. Wong’s comments, stating the goal is to continue the discussion now that B/PAC has had a chance to weigh in. Mr. Tsai indicated the B/PAC spent a lot of time discussing east/west connectors. He said the City does not have very many options but identified Murchison Drive, Trousdale Drive, Broadway, Carmelita Avenue, Oak Grove Avenue, and Peninsula Avenue as connector roads. He stated the City will need to identify which streets they would like to see bicycle facilities on. Mr. Tsai explained that Oak Grove and Carmelita Avenues were identified as an existing route, with accessible paths, in close proximity to schools. He further explained that those streets vary in width but are roughly 30 feet wide, with parking on both sides (with restrictions on Carmelita Avenue). Mr. Tsai said the top preference from the B/PAC 3 is to remove parking or implement a time restriction, and install a dedicated bike lane. If that is not possible, he said a Class III facility was desired as proposed on the draft plan. Vice-Chair Wettan stated he liked the route identified via Oak Grove Avenue and Carmelita Avenue with the controlled light at California Drive as there is nothing once you cross California to get from Carmelita Avenue/California Drive to the railroad crossing. In regards to California Drive, Mr. Tsai stated there is a proposed Class II bicycle facility. Mr. Wong indicated there would be tradeoffs to make that happen (i.e. removing parking/road diet). Commissioner Londer confirmed that the City would review a possible road diet on California Drive as part of the master planning process. Commissioner Martos clarified the solid color lines on the map presented represent existing routes (green = Class I, yellow = Class II, teal = Class IIB, red = Class III). Commissioner Bush felt the main emphasis should be on the north/south connections and have east/west connectors to make things accessible. He stated he likes the proposed Class II facility on California Drive but his aspiration would be for a Class I. Although it might not be practical, Commissioner Bush said he would like to list it as a desired goal. Commissioner Bush stated there is a lot of Class III infrastructure proposed, which is easier to put in and warranted on lower traveled roads, but felt if we are aiming to get those that are too scared to ride bikes on the road, the City needs something more robust, especially for the heavily traversed areas. He also stated he was supportive of the proposed bike lanes on Carmelita and Oak Grove Avenues as he thought it would help connect the feeder infrastructure. Mr. Tsai added that B/PAC conveyed concerns with vehicular speeds on Oak Grove Avenue and Carmelita Avenue. Commissioner Bush felt that was another reason to implement something more than a Class III facility in those areas. Commissioner Bush said he liked that the Howard Avenue bike lane is proposed to extend into the downtown area to connect with additional infrastructure. He questioned the proposed Class II facility on Hillside Drive because it is a steep road and he felt in order to bike it you have to be a serious cyclist. Commissioner Bush stated that Trousdale Drive is steep as well, but he could see more justification there for a Class II facility because there is a connection to Skyline. Vice-Chair Wettan pointed out there is no sidewalk between Skyline Boulevard and Hunt Drive on Trousdale Drive. He said he agreed with Commissioner Bush regarding Hillside Drive and felt it may not be the best investment for the City. Vice-Chair Wettan stated he would prioritize a sidewalk west of Hunt Drive on Trousdale Drive. Vice-Chair Wettan stated the “swerve” intersection between Bernal Avenue and Quesada Way is extremely dangerous and he would never want his kids to bike through there. He said Davis Drive and Clarice Lane are at least straight and wider and appear to be a safer route for kids to bike to school. Vice-Chair Wettan suggested having a path to bike through 4 Ray Park as it would encourage kids to ride along Davis Drive or Clarice Lane. Mr. Tsai indicated that removing facilities is not off the table as part of the master plan efforts. He stated there are no facilities on California Drive south of Broadway so there has been a lot of desire and focus on neighborhood bike boulevards. If there is a way to implement a Class II facility or better on California Drive, Mr. Tsai said that would alleviate the pressure to focus on the neighborhood options. Commissioner Bush inquired why we are not proposing a protected facility on Quesada Way given its close proximity to schools. Vice-Chair Wettan stated Quesada Way does not have adequate parking as it stands now and felt traffic calming and sharrows on Davis Drive and possibly Balboa Avenue would better serve the population of middle schoolers biking to BIS. Mr. Tsai stated staff would take another look at that particular area. Mr. Tsai asked the Commission to review the idea of how we treat neighborhood bike boulevards. He stated the B/PAC desired all-way stops at all the major intersections for bike boulevards. He said typically most bike boulevards have two-way stops on the side streets. Mr. Tsai explained the City’s proposed bike boulevards would be going across existing two-way stops and the intent is to control the different turning movements at various intersections. Although all-way stops would be better than what we have now, Vice-Chair Wettan favored 2-way stops to encourage the bike boulevards. Commission Bush said that it was desirable to have no stop and block off cars so they can’t access certain parts of the road, but he understands it’s not as feasible. If a four-way stop is what is preferred, he felt from an enforcement standpoint that we should be more open to the “Idaho stop.” Commissioner Martos inquired about the criteria that was used to determine which type of facility to place where. Mr. Tsai stated traffic volumes were considered when determining the placement of facilities as well as the least path of resistance. Commissioner Martos requested a copy of the previous presentation from Alta Planning + Design – specifically the level of stress map. Vice-Chair Wettan stated, although difficult, it would be a good goal to upgrade the proposed Class III to a Class II on Carmelita Avenue as B/PAC suggested. He felt the current proposal there was under ambitious. Mr. Tsai explained that Carmelita Avenue and Oak Grove Avenue are similar in size and in order to implement a Class II facility, there would be some sort of parking removal and pointed out there is already a parking restriction on Carmelita Avenue. Vice-Chair Wettan felt it was important to focus on areas we can connect important dots, such as a cut through in Ray Park or a facility through the medical campus to get people between Trousdale Drive and Albemarle Way. Commissioner Bush favored a road diet and protected bike lanes on El Camino Real and 5 asked to include it in the Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan even though we don’t have jurisdiction. He felt traffic volumes should make it feasible for a road diet. Vice-Chair Wettan stated Caltrans has a plan for El Camino Real and the master plan is not the ideal avenue to make that happen. Commissioner Bush also wanted to ensure a bike facility with the grade separation efforts at Broadway and indicated his dream is for a Class I facility on California Drive that includes a grade separated bike overpass of Broadway parallel to the tracks. Mr. Wong indicated that was explored on a preliminary level but between right-of-way concerns and construction, it’s tens of millions more to add that type of facility to the project scope. Mr. Tsai indicated staff would return again with additional updates. c) 2020 TSPC Priority List The Commissioners went through an iterative process to prioritize their efforts for 2020 and yielded the following results. Rank Topic 1 Downtown Parking and Access 2 Bike\Ped Plan Update: Forward to B/PAC 3 School Traffic and Safety Issues 4 Neighborhood Traffic Calming 5 Broadway Parking 6 Citywide Transportation Alternatives 7 Bay Trail Improvements 8 Electric Vehicles 9 Bike Share Feedback 10 Parking and Traffic Considerations w/ Planning 11 Joint Meeting with City Council 7. INFORMATION ITEMS a) Engineering Division Reports • Broadway Grade Separation – The environmental clearance documents are being prepared for submittal. The JPB will be procuring a designer for the project. • Lots F and N Construction Update – Less than half of the valet-assist parking spaces are being utilized. Staff will collect additional usage data now that the holidays have passed as parking usage was inconsistent during that period. There is no date identified when Lot F will go offline. • Citywide Transportation Alternatives – Staff to submit previous application for the San Mateo County Shuttle Program Call for Projects for FY 2021 and FY 2022. Staff 6 will be resubmitting the application for an east/west shuttle with the TSPC’s comments. • Dynamic Wayfinding Signage for Parking Availability Pilot Project – City staff to include previously identified Lots Y and C, along with K-1, into the program. Staff provided the draft agreement to Streetline for review. • TSPC Priority List (revised January 2020): TSPC Led Effort 1 Downtown Parking and Access 12/12/19: Item 7a 2 Bike\Ped Plan Update: fwd to BPAC 1/9/20: Item 6c 3 School Traffic and Safety Issues 12/12/19: Item 7a 4 Neighborhood Traffic Calming 10/10/19: Item 7a 5 Broadway Parking 6 Citywide Transportation Alternatives 7 Bay Trail Improvements 8 Electric Vehicles 12/12/19: Item 6b 9 Bike Share Feedback 12/12/19: Item 6b Staff Update via Report 1 Caltrans’ ECR Corridor 2 Hoover School Update 12/12/19: Item 7a 3 Downtown Parking Strategies 12/12/19: Item 7a 4 City Hall Traffic Calming/Floribunda 4/11/19: Item 6b 5 California Roundabout 5/9/19: Item 7a 6 Oak Grove/Carolan Traffic Signal 10/10/19: Item 7a 7 Bike\Ped Plan Update: Forward to B/PAC 1/9/20: Item 6c 8 Rec Center Parking 9 Old Bayshore Corridor Study 12/12/19: Item 7a 10 Grant Opportunities 11/14/19: Item 7a 11 Broadway Grade Separation 12 San Mateo's Peninsula Ave OC 13 School Speed Limit Updates 6/13/19, Item 7a 14 School Safety Improvements 5/9/19: Item 6c 15 Lyon-Hoag Neighborhood Traffic Calming 10/10/19: Item 7a 16 300 Burlingame Point Traffic Impacts 8/8/19: Item 7a 17 Broadway/California Update b) Police Department Reports Sergeant Perna distributed the accident reports and noted there were 20 accidents this reporting period. He stated 6 of the accidents were minor injuries and 4 were DUI related 7 collisions. He highlighted a vehicle and pedestrian accident at the intersection California Drive and Howard Avenue and stated it was due to driver error. Vice Chair Wettan requested collision hot spot data from the last two to four years. Commissioner Martos requested the data table be sorted by street and include the time of each accident. c) Farmer’s Market Commissioner Londer stated there has not been a TSPC presence at the Farmer’s Market. He said there are no plans for participation in January and agreed to discuss February’s participation at next month’s meeting. d) TSPC Chair/Commissioner’s Communications Commissioner Londer stated the El Camino Real Rehabilitation Project will have its first community meeting on Tuesday January 28 from 6-8 pm at the Recreation Center Auditorium. He shared that the proposed project is to rehabilitate the entire length of El Camino Real and will include improvements to drainage, sidewalk, trees, and the roadway. Commission Wettan stated that Caltrans’ proposal should include cutting down the majority of the trees on El Camino Real and replacing them with smaller trees. Commissioner Londer indicated the cost for the stretch of improvements within Burlingame is estimated to cost approximately $100M. Vice-Chair Wettan said he read a news item that EVGo is going to fix their chargers to be compatible with Tesla’s. He was hopeful that based on that information, the chargers in Lot Y would see more use. 8. COMMISSION & SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS a) Downtown Parking (Martos & Wettan) No update but Commissioners Martos and Wettan are looking forward to receiving the updated parking data. b) Broadway Parking (Bush & Israelit) No update. c) School Traffic (Israelit & Londer) No update. d) Citywide Transportation Alternatives (Londer & Wettan) No update. 8 9. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Hoover School sidewalk improvements • Goodwill/Rhinette concerns (after Planning revises conditions of approval) • Sanchez Avenue traffic calming (pending results of neighborhood petition) • Bike share programs (RFP stage) • Parking impacts associated with the upcoming Community Center construction 10. ADJOURNMENT 9:17 pm