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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - TSP - 2020.05.141 TRAFFIC, SAFETY AND PARKING COMMISSION Approved Minutes Regular Meeting of Thursday, May 14, 2020 1. CALL TO ORDER 7:05 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 3. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Bush, Israelit, Londer, Martos, Wettan MEMBERS ABSENT: 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) December 19, 2020 Meeting Minutes Motion: To accept the December 19, 2019 Meeting Minutes subject to the proposed changes and verification. M/S/C; Bush/Wettan, 3/0/2 b) January 19, 2020 Meeting Minutes Motion: To accept the January 19, 2020 Meeting Minutes subject to the proposed changes and verification. M/S/C; Londer/Bush, 4/0/1 c) February 13, 2020 Meeting Minutes Motion: To accept the February 13, 2020 Meeting Minutes as written. M/S/C; Bush/Wettan, 5/0/0 2 d) March 12, 2020 Meeting Minutes Motion: To accept the March 12, 2020 Meeting Minutes subject to the proposed changes and verification. M/S/C; Bush/Martos, 4/0/1 e) April 9, 2020 Meeting Minutes The April 9, 2020 Meeting was cancelled due to San Mateo County Shelter-In-Place orders. 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – NON-AGENDA No public comment. 6. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS a) Community B/PAC Update (Informational Only) Ms. Beatty informed the TSPC that the B/PAC would reserve their comments for items 6.b and 6c. b) Removal of P.M. Peak Period On-Street Parking Restrictions Along the 1700 Block of California Drive (Trousdale Drive to Dufferin Avenue) Mr. Wong provided a presentation to the TSPC which included project background and previous discussion points. He indicated the purpose of this item is to obtain additional feedback and determine next steps. Mr. Wong explained that the parking restriction was a short-term change implemented in 2016 when there was only a Class III bicycle facility (sharrows) and the point of the restriction was to increase bicycle safety. Notably, Mr. Wong indicated the evening parking restriction has impacted resident parking in the area. He continued to say that in 2018, the California Drive Complete Streets Project was completed, which included the construction of a Class II bicycle facility which is why the parking restriction removal is being considered. Mr. Wong also indicated that this topic was discussed at the March TSPC meeting but the Commissioner’s requested feedback from the B/PAC prior to making any formal recommendations. Chair Israelit opened public comment. Manito Velasco felt removing the parking restriction would be a step backwards for bicycle safety and traffic as a whole. He stated he has been biking, jogging, and driving the corridor since 2010 and said the parking restriction greatly improved the safety of those using the corridor. Mr. Velasco said that three feet of the bike lane is in a door zone and drivers tend to drive over the bike lane and bicyclist get pinched between parked cars and drivers. He felt the benefit for having the restriction for two hours a day could not be 3 overstated and requested that the Commission reconsider removing the restriction. Mr. Velasco closed by asking that the City favor safety over parking. Warren Goodrich commended staff for pursuing the slow streets program but in terms of this item, he stated it fails in meeting the moment. He said traffic today is neither what it was or what it will be in the future and now is not the time to make changes to the greatest bike project the City has done by making it less safe for bicyclists. Mr. Goodrich highly encouraged the TSPC not to remove the parking restriction. He stated that prior to the pandemic, he rode through the area daily during the restriction window and visibility is a concern. Mr. Goodrich said that employees leaving work and pulling out into traffic during the 5 – 7 p.m. window are a concern. Additionally, he stated there is a curve in the road and bicyclist are not as visible to the drivers pulling out of the various driveways along California Drive. Mr. Goodrich closed by requesting that TSPC meet the moment and not make a change. Ms. Beatty requested that all comments be read as she thought there were comments emailed to publiccomment@burlingame.org. She offered the B/PAC’s unanimous opposition to remove the parking restriction. Ms. Beatty echoed Mr. Goodrich’s comments and stated that those using California Drive are not “commuter warriors” and has observed families and little children biking on California Drive. She felt the usage of the streets has changed and the City should design them for the safety of less secured bicyclists. Ms. Beatty closed by stating she was hopeful the TSPC would consider the changing nature of our streets when making a decision to remove the parking restriction. Chair Israelit closed public comment. Commissioner Londer stated that he originally was in favor of removing the parking restriction given the new Class II bicycle facility. However, after hearing the B/PAC’s concerns, witnessing some scary situations himself, and with the additional riders now frequenting the area, he said it would be dangerous to allow cars to park along that stretch of California Drive. Commissioner Londer said he no longer supports the removal of the parking restriction but he would be open to revisiting this again at a later date once the circumstances return to normal. Commissioner Martos concurred with Commissioner Londer as he was previously in favor of removing the parking restriction until he heard comments and observed photos from bicyclists. Additionally, hearing new information from Mr. Goodrich regarding employees leaving their places of work, Commissioner Martos said he is of the opinion now to leave the parking restriction in place between 5 – 7 p.m. He stated he would love to see a buffered bike lane near the curb but acknowledged there are issues with the width of the road. Commissioner Bush stated having ridden the area of California Drive in question, he said there is a distinct pinch point where the road curves that makes bicyclists feel exposed. He pointed out Mr. Velasco’s comment about being able to hug the inside of the line without fear of being “doored” is a compelling argument particularly where the pinch point 4 is. Commissioner Bush also agreed with Mr. Goodrich’s comment regarding the concerns related to traffic coming out of the driveways and is an important rationale to keep the parking restriction. He stated it is helpful to feel like there is a place for riders to escape an unsafe situation. Additionally, Commissioner Bush said the clarifications received tonight are compelling arguments to keep things as is. He closed by stating there should be a reevaluation going forward to see if there are any incremental changes that can be made to make the area feel more safe. Vice-Chair Wettan said he was a strong advocate for implementing the restriction in 2016 and understands how challenging riding in the area can be. He stated he was glad they made sure to hear both side of the argument as it has shed a new light on things. Vice- Chair Wettan also confirmed that the impacted homeowners were noticed for this meeting. He stated safety is very important and the arguments are compelling. Vice-Chair Wettan said he is cognizant of the impacts to the homeowners but noted that it is difficult to make intelligent decisions about how to balance these things given things have changed dramatically over the last few months. Given that we do not know what the new steady state will be, he said he tended to agree that this is not a great time to make any changes without knowing how the traffic patterns will adapt. Chair Israelit stated she has never biked the stretch of California Drive and was not involved in the California Complete Streets Projects. Therefore, she said she did not feel qualified to comment regarding the safety concerns but trusted her fellow Commissioner’s comments and experiences. Chair Israelit explained that she felt sympathetic to the renters and homeowners but feels safety should be prioritized over convenience and has changed how she feels about removing the parking restriction. Ms. Brewer received a public comment via email from Madeline Frechette during the Commissioner’s discussion and read the following for the record. “I am extremely concerned that this Commission and City staff are at all considering adding a door zone hazard to the California Drive southbound bicycle facility in order to accommodate more convenience for a handful of community members. Are you really about to choose convenience over people's safety? Please choose to help keep people alive and injury free.” Based on the above, Commissioner Martos made the following motion. Motion: Move to retain the parking restriction on California Drive between Trousdale and Dufferin during the hours of 5 – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. M/S/C; Martos/Bush, 5/0/0 c) Street Closures Related to San Mateo County Shelter-In-Place Order Mr. Wong provided a few reference slides and indicated it is an informational item regarding a pilot program to prioritize streets for neighborhood pedestrian and bicycle 5 activities during the Shelter-In-Place order. He stated on April 13, 2020, the Community B/PAC submitted a request to the City Council to consider closing off certain streets to through traffic and prioritizing them for pedestrian and bicycle activities during the Shelter- In-Place order as a result of COVID-19. Mr. Wong said the intent of the request is to support safe physical activity for residents by creating additional space for physical distancing. He shared that the cities of San Mateo and Redwood City approved a similar program and Foster City closed one lane of a stretch of northbound Beach Park Boulevard adjacent to the levee for the same purpose. Mr. Wong explained that staff has reviewed B/PAC’s request and consulted with staff from other cities that have implemented street closure programs. After much deliberation at the May 4, 2020 City Council meeting, Mr. Wong said the City Council supported starting the pilot program with the closure of Carolan Avenue between Oak Grove Avenue and North Lane. He indicated staff has implemented the closure and worked with the School District to do so. As a result, Mr. Wong stated the closure limits were revised to Oak Grove Avenue to Mangini Way (south access). Additionally, Mr. Wong said more details and guidelines of the pilot program can be found in the staff report from the May 4, 2020 City Council meeting (Item 10b). Lastly, Mr. Wong indicated that staff would monitor the closure with passing checks. Chair Israelit opened public comment. Ms. Beatty provided context behind the B/PAC’s original request and what prompted it. She stated the usage of the streets have change as residents are trying to comply with the Shelter-In-Place orders. Ms. Beatty explained that sidewalks don’t allow for 6 feet of physical distancing which has led to more walking and biking in the middle of the street, which poses a safety concern. While traffic has gone down in Burlingame, she said cars are traveling at a higher rate of speed. Additionally, Ms. Beatty indicated that other cities have implemented similar slow streets programs in an effort to limit traffic and give residents a safe place to socially distance, including San Mateo, Redwood City, and Foster City. Ms. Beatty stated that the comments received at the Council meeting were mostly in favor of the proposal but she felt City Council was worried about resident reactions. As a result, Carolan Avenue, a non-residential street, was the only street closed as part of the program. Ms. Beatty said they are happy with closure of Carolan Avenue as it is being utilized, but BPAC would like to see more. If the Shelter-In-Place continues, she said B/PAC would like to see this item revisited with the possibility of adding additional locations. Chair Israelit closed public comment. Commissioner Londer stated he felt this was a good start but there are a few things that can be improved upon. He stated cars can go through the barricades on Carolan Avenue, which he has witnessed, and the two 15-MPH speed limit signs in the middle of the street would confuse him as a driver. Commissioner Londer said the street was being utilized a 6 lot on the first day and wanted to make sure that the street is open to emergency vehicles only. Also, before it was closed, he noticed a lot of people using the streets and the grassy area in front of the High School. Commissioner Londer said he would like the closure to cars to be very clear. Additionally, he said he noticed there is no warning that the right turn is prohibited from Oak Grove Avenue and suggested some sort of advanced warning. Commissioner Londer also suggested moving the barricades north of the crosswalk (near Oak Grove Avenue) as it would be more visible to drivers and give pedestrians more of a protected walkway as the crosswalk would be inside the closure. He closed by stating he is happy we have something in place but would like to see additional refinements. Commissioner Martos confirmed the duration of the pilot program is determined by the Shelter-In-Place orders. He also confirmed with Mr. Wong that the proposal was to close five streets in Burlingame but City Council only agreed to one. Mr. Wong explained if there is positive feedback regarding the pilot program on Carolan Avenue, they can bring the item back to City Council for the consideration of additional streets. Commissioner Martos stated he would like to see the program expand but also understands City Council’s concerns. He said he appreciates Council’s willingness to try the pilot program on Carolan Avenue. Commissioner Martos then inquired about additional non-residential streets that B/PAC might like to see closed. Ms. Beatty stated that City Council said that if the majority of residents were in favor of closing their street, City Council would be okay with it. Ms. Beatty said she polled everyone on her street and is confident that they could close her street with 100% support. For streets without residents, she said she doesn’t feel there are great candidates. Ms. Beatty also said other places to be considered were high density areas such as downtown. Commissioner Martos closed by stating he appreciated B/PAC bringing this forward and felt it is good for our community. He encouraged the program to continue. Commissioner Bush stated he has been an enthusiastic supporter of the pilot program and is happy the B/PAC has been successful in bringing it forward. To Commissioner Martos’ point, Commissioner Bush felt we need a framework to expand to additional areas to ensure that neighborhoods that find this important can implement it. With just one closure, it becomes a magnet, and he felt it would be better dispersed around the various neighborhoods. Commissioner Bush indicated he walks and bikes in the Lyon Hoag neighborhood with his family and the sidewalks are very crowded which causes people to spill into the street in order to maintain social distancing requirements. A couple of ideas he had werr to propose conventions as to how people should use the sidewalk (i.e. walking north/south) and implementing a set of criteria that streets can meet to be added to the pilot program similar to the Residential Permit Parking Program. He confirmed with Mr. Wong that the Residential Parking Permit Program requires 2/3 approval from the residents which he felt was a fair parallel. He inquired with Mr. Wong if staff has a process in mind to which he responded to say the process would be similar to the Block Party permit process. Mr. Wong stated the reason it was not applied in the case of the pilot program was due to the Shelter-In-Place order and having to circulate a petition. Additionally, Mr. Wong said they did not want to slow down the process with a petition. Commissioner Bush stated they could petition residents electronically during the Shelter- In-Place in an effort to use the Block Party process to add additional streets to the program 7 in the future. Mr. Wong said staff would look into that. Commissioner Bush stated he appreciated the quick process to implement the pilot program and continued to ask a number of clarifying questions. In closing, Commissioner Bush concurred with Commissioner Londer’s suggestions to improve the current closure at Carolan Avenue. Mr. Wong shared that next week Wednesday through Friday the road will be reopened so Burlingame High School students can pick up their diplomas. Vice-Chair Wettan stated he did not have a ton to add but did indicate when he walked the area prior to the closure, one observation he had was without the presence of a lot of traffic, there are “hot-rodders” speeding up and down the corridor. Vice-Chair Wettan also noted part of the idea was to have slow streets as opposed to closed streets. He felt it was worthwhile for a future agenda item to think of something broader and not necessarily closing streets because there is administrative overlay. Vice-Chair Wettan stated people are walking more and deviating into the street to observe good social distancing but is not the safest pedestrian movement. He said it is important to think about traffic calming and slower streets throughout residential neighborhoods and we should focus our efforts as we could spend a lot of time trying to close a street instead of slowing traffic in broader parts of the City. Vice-Chair Wettan stated he was interested in the details of other city programs as he felt slower streets would positively impact everyone in Burlingame during quarantine. Chair Israelit pointed out that the suggested 15-MPH speed limit for slow streets is not enforceable. She said she is on a different page than her fellow Commissioners. Chair Israelit said she originally read about the slow streets concept in the NY Times and felt it was a good idea but she has concerns. She said she is worried about creating a place where people from outside the area are going to flood the walking paths. Chair Israelit said the goal is to keep people dispersed and not concentrated. She stated she has no problems with the pilot program on Carolan Avenue as it doesn’t abut neighborhoods and is an extension of the park. Additionally, she stated she knows neighbors that are concerned with additional people on their street and are uncomfortable with exposure they would not otherwise have. With the increase in deliveries, she sees that as a concern as well as there still will be traffic on the residential roads. Chair Israelit stated other towns that have implemented this kind of program are larger urban cities. In regards to the commercial areas—Burlingame Avenue and Broadway, she felt it would be detrimental to businesses that are already hanging on by a thread. She indicated she likes the slow streets concept but feels due to the practicality of it, she is against expanding the program to other streets. d) Additional Public Notice for Relocation of Crosswalk on Peninsula Avenue at Arundel Mr. Wong provided a brief presentation to the TSPC regarding the enhancement of three uncontrolled marked crosswalks along Peninsula Avenue between Anita and Humboldt Roads. Mr. Wong stated that Peninsula Avenue between Anita Road and Humboldt Road is shared between the City of Burlingame and the City of San Mateo. He said staff from both cities have coordinated on an effort to improve the uncontrolled crosswalks in this 8 area. Mr. Wong indicated there are currently three marked crosswalks along Peninsula Avenue at Stanley Road, Clarendon Road, and Arundel Road. He said all three crosswalks are currently enhanced with ladder markings with crosswalk signs and are proposed to be improved with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). Mr. Wong explained that the marked crosswalk at Arundel is proposed to be relocated from the east leg to the west leg to provide improved visibility of the proposed RRFBs and that per the California Vehicle Code (CVC), an existing marked crosswalk may not be removed or in this case relocated, unless notice is provided at least 30 days in advance of the scheduled removal. Mr. Wong shared that public notices were posted at the site for more than 30 days and residents were given the opportunity to provide input. In closing, he indicated that the primary purpose of this item is to serve as an additional opportunity for residents to provide input and to go over next steps. No public comments were received. Commissioner Londer confirmed the crosswalk on Stanley will be on the east side of the road. He also confirmed the purpose of moving the crosswalk at Arundel is due to visibility concerns. Commissioner Londer said it was a good idea to implement the RRFBs as Peninsula Avenue is very wide road with cars traveling at high rates of speed. Commissioner Martos confirmed the crosswalk at Stanley provides access to CVS, the crossing at Clarendon provides access to a number of restaurants, and at Arundel there is access to the Shell Station and additional restaurants. He stated he whole-heartedly agrees with the proposed improvements to the three crossings on Peninsula Avenue. Commissioner Bush concurred with Commissioner Martos’ comments. He said he feels unsafe crossing Peninsula Avenue at night and the additional beacons will be helpful. Commissioner Bush also mentioned that the crossing at Humboldt and Peninsula is challenging for pedestrians and bicyclists and it would be helpful to keep in mind there should be additional support to get to Coyote Point. Mr. Wong noted the additional suggestion. Vice-Chair Wettan deferred to the comments of his fellow Commissioners that were more familiar with the area. Chair Israelit also did not have anything to add. As a result, Commissioner Martos made the following motion. Motion: Move that we accept staff’s recommendation to install three Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at the intersections of Peninsula and Stanley, Peninsula and Clarendon, and Peninsula and Arundel. M/S/C; Martos/Bush, 5/0/0 9 7. INFORMATION ITEMS a) Engineering Division Reports • Broadway Grade Separation – The Joint Powers Board (JPB) issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the final design on May 5, 2020. All proposals are due at 12:00 PM on May 29, 2020. • Lots F and N Construction Update – To begin work on the residential housing project, the contractor closed Lot F on April 1. Due to the Shelter-in-Place Order (SIP) impacts on parking, staff suspended the valet assist program on March 19. • Paloma/Sanchez Traffic Calming – The petition process has been completed. The neighborhood did not reach the level of support to continue with the implementation of Level 1 traffic calming devices. This item will be brought back to the TSPC at a future meeting. • Hoover Elementary School – Staff currently working on designing and procuring funds to repair sections of the path along Easton Drive. • Lyon Hoag Traffic Calming – A draft report can be found at www.lyonhoagtrafficcalming.com. Using the link, the community can download the report and provide feedback. The draft report will also be presented to the City Council on May 18 for approval. • Oak Grove Avenue/Carolan Avenue Traffic Signal – Signal design underway. This item will be brought back to the TSPC at a future meeting. • TSPC Priority List (revised May 2020): TSPC Led Effort 1 Downtown Parking and Access 5/14/20: Item 7a 2 Bike\Ped Plan Update: fwd to BPAC 1/9/20: Item 6c 3 School Traffic and Safety Issues 3/12/20: Item 7a 4 Neighborhood Traffic Calming 5/14/20: Item 7a 5 Broadway Parking 3/12/20: Item 7a 6 Citywide Transportation Alternatives 2/13/20: Item 6c 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 2/13/20: Item 7a 10 2 Hoover School Update 5/14/20: Item 7a 3 Downtown Parking Strategies 3/12/20: 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: fwd to BPAC 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 5/14/20: Item 7a 12 San Mateo's Peninsula Ave OC 13 School Speed Limit Updates 6/13/19, Item 7a 14 School Safety Improvements 3/12/20: Item 7a 15 Lyon-Hoag Neighborhood Traffic Calming 5/14/19: Item 7a 16 300 Burlingame Point Traffic Impacts 8/8/19: Item 7a 17 Broadway/California Update 2020 Agenda Item Action Status 1 Council Direction Regarding Improving Short-Term Parking in the Burlingame Avenue Downtown Area Lot W to be converted to SMART meters Commissioner Martos inquired about the Community Center construction/demolition. Chair Israelit stated the Fire Department is currently using the empty facility for drills and will be coming down shortly. Mr. Wong stated Parks and Recreation staff are now working in conference rooms and in trailers. b) Police Department Reports The collision report was distributed prior to the meeting as part of the agenda packet. Sergeant Perna stated for March and April, accidents are down with a total of 12 reported collisions. He stated of the 12 accidents, three were injury accidents, none involved bicyclists, and there was one DUI crash. Sergeant Perna said there have been reports of additional speeding but none of the accidents were attributed to speed, as the primary collision factor for the majority of the accidents were unsafe turn movements. He stated the Police Department is conducting additional traffic enforcement in areas people are complaining about and mentioned there is a perception of increased speeding lately with less traffic on the road. Commissioner Martos noticed an officer has been in the Apple store lately. Sergeant Perna stated Apple is paying for an officer to be there outside of normal City working hours. 11 c) Farmer’s Market Commissioner Londer stated he has not checked in regarding the Farmer’s Market due to the social distancing orders and given an informational booth is not essential at this time. d) TSPC Chair/Commissioner’s Communications No communications reported. 8. COMMISSION & SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS a) Downtown Parking (Martos & Wettan) No update. b) Broadway Parking (Bush & Israelit) No update. c) School Traffic (Israelit & Londer) No update. d) Citywide Transportation Alternatives (Londer & Wettan) No update. 9. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Traffic calming in light of changing conditions, highlighting the increase in pedestrian activity due to social distancing. • Revisiting Broadway parking given the changing conditions and possible long-term changes in habits (possible sub-committee discussion first). • Traffic calming at Sanchez and Paloma. • Proposed alternatives for the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan. 10. ADJOURNMENT 9:16 p.m.