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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - TSP - 2022.05.121 TRAFFIC, SAFETY AND PARKING COMMISSION Approved Minutes Regular Meeting of Thursday, May 12, 2022 1. CALL TO ORDER 7:04 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 3. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Israelit, Leigh, Martos, Ng, Rebelos MEMBERS ABSENT: None 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) April 14, 2022 Study Session Minutes Commissioner Leigh made a motion to accept the study session minutes; seconded by Vice-Chair Israelit. The motion passed by a roll call vote, 5-0. 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – NON-AGENDA Jackie Haggarty resides on Hoover Avenue and she indicated she wanted to raise grave concern about the traffic on Adeline Drive. She stated she has been a resident on this street since 2010 and has made observations through the pandemic. Ms. Haggarty stated the traffic on Adeline has a number of safety concerns, citing lack of any traffic mitigation near the Hoover and Adeline intersection, constant speeding, and high volume traffic during specific periods. She said she knows the City erected some equipment to measure traffic patterns at that intersection recently but was disappointed to see it was up during Mercy High School’s spring break and suggested an observation period that is more reflective of the traffic on that road. Ms. Haggarty also pointed out that other neighbors have expressed similar concerns with the City, stating a petition was recently submitted, but she was disappointed to see no action being taken. She said she wants to flag that for this Commission and requested the Commission add this to a future agenda for discussion as soon as possible. 2 Jay Kershner, a resident of Burlingame since 2006, stated he sent an email to the TSPC and did not receive a response from anyone. He said his issue is that he recently rode his bike over the pedestrian bridge at Broadway coming from Carolan down Cadillac Way and tried to connect to Old Bayshore, ultimately ending up near the hotels. Mr. Kershner said he noticed a lack of signage and bike lanes connecting the bike bridge to those roads. He indicated he also met with the B/PAC this evening and expressed his concerns to them. Mr. Kershner said he is here to advocate to improve the bike lanes, signage, and making it easier and safer for bicyclists to ride the pedestrian bridge. Chair Martos requested details from Mr. Kershner regarding the email that was sent and never responded to. The Commissioners stated they did not receive the email. Mr. Wong said staff would look into the issue. Manito Velasco encouraged the Commission to take immediate-term safety improvements around BIS. He stated there was another incident near the school and felt there should be action taken to mitigate the safety concerns there. Mr. Velasco indicated there were some small improvements made as a result of an audit, but it’s been radio silence since then. He also shared that the BIS principal recently issued a plea to parents to drive the speed limit of 15 MPH in front of the school, but he hopes the City will help normalize 15 MPH or lower in front of the school. Mr. Velasco said the problem also extends to the streets leading up to the school, such as Davis, Quesda, and Albemarle. He indicated there is one month left in the school year, which is also bike to work/school month, and hopes to see something done in the short term. Additionally, Mr. Velasco said it is still dangerous on California Drive between Village Park and the BART station. He said there are kids riding to Caltrain to get to DTech and suggested to redesign the area to be safer for the kids and commuters that bike to the transit hub. Ms. Huang stated last Thursday, May 5, she witnessed a traffic accident at Clarice and Quesada while taking her children to BIS. She explained that an SUV making a right turn on Clarice hit a family of three (one in a stroller). She said she was unable to stop but stated another parent called the police. Ms. Huang said she notices that parents do not always stop at that junction (Quesada and Clarice). She stated she believes people should stop there (even though there is no stop sign) and that the Commission should consider a stop sign at that location. Ms. Huang said she feels that with no improvement the situation will get out of control and is a bigger accident waiting to happen. Ms. Huang also pointed out on Davis Drive that people drive over 25 MPH and there is no priority for pedestrians. James Green was directed to reserve his comments concerning the bike boulevards for that specific agenda item. AJ inquired with the Commission regarding their thoughts pertaining to the additional housing going in near the Mercy campus. He stated the streets are pretty narrow in those neighborhoods with significant traffic and dangerous driving already. He also stated there are number of large vehicles that drive through the neighborhood to get to the Mercy campus and indicated it is already a 3 significant challenge to manage. AJ asked if as a result of the additional housing, if the City would be considering widening the streets to accommodate the additional vehicles or possibly install lights or other forms of entryway. He went on to ask if the additional traffic will have to squeeze through an already narrow roadway. Chair Martos stated the Commission cannot respond to that at this time but has taken note of the concerns and also pointed out there will be future traffic studies and traffic mitigation in the area in question. Mr. Wong clarified with Ms. Huang the date of the accident observed at Clarice and Quesada, to which she replied it was Thursday, May 5 at 8:06 am. 6. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS a) Community B/PAC Update (Informational Item Only) B/PAC Chair Lesley Beatty shared what was discussed at tonight’s B/PAC meeting. In regards to the upcoming bike and pedestrian priorities for future grant opportunities, she shared that B/PAC’s top three bike priorities include: 1) California Drive between Oak Grove and Howard; 2) California Drive between Peninsula and Howard; and 3) corridor between the Broadway Caltrain crossing and pedestrian bridge, inclusive of the jaunt through Carolan to Cadillac, across Rollins onto the pedestrian bridge. Ms. Beatty pointed out that B/PAC still has concerns surrounding the northbound bike lanes on California Drive north of Broadway. She stated the City is not going to go back and revisit those designs, but B/PAC wants to encourage anything that can be done within our control to make that area safer for bicyclists. Ms. Beatty offered the suggestion to consider reducing the speed limit from 35 to 30 MPH. For pedestrian related projects, Ms. Beatty shared the following priorities of B/PAC: 1) crossing at Quesada and Clarice; 2) crossing at Clarice and Sequoia; and 3) crossing at California and Trousdale. If a fourth priority was allowed, Ms. Beatty said they would like to discuss the crossing at Broadway and Laguna, which had a second pedestrian hit this month. Ms. Beatty said she would hold off on the additional B/PAC comments for the upcoming bike boulevards discussion. b) Capital Improvement Project Process Mr. Wong provided the Commission with a Capital Improvement Program project process work flow chart. To view the flow chart, please access the agenda packet on the City’s website. Mr. Wong stated this document was provided to clarify the Commissions role in capital improvement projects. He then went through the flow chart and opened it up to Commissioner questions. Commissioner Leigh used the Broadway Lighting project as an example for gathering TSPC feedback. She said it would be great if they (or the subcommittee) received the plans to review, but they were never provided. Commissioner Leigh stated the desire to see the conceptual plans 4 in an effort to make comments earlier in the process and that it would give TSPC more of a role in the design of items within their jurisdiction. She expressed the difficulty in obtaining the conceptual plans early on. Mr. Wong explained that TSPC does see the conceptual plans—as they are tonight for the bike boulevards. Mr. Wong stated the issue with the Broadway Lighting Project was a field adjustment and staff had to use engineering judgment on the placement of the light poles based on utility conflicts that were not discovered until the excavation process. Vice-Chair Israelit confirmed with Mr. Wong that projects need to have the ground work developed and public comment gathering before a solid preliminary plan goes to TSPC for consideration. Essentially, Vice-Chair Israelit confirmed projects should be “flushed out” before it goes before TSPC, otherwise the Commission would be looking at every single detail in the beginning stages of the project. Chair Martos summarized to say that the TSPC would have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on two occasions, just as the process allows for community feedback twice. No public comments were received for this discussion item. c) Burlingame Bicycle Boulevards Mr. Wong stated the hope of tonight’s presentation is to receive additional feedback on the bike boulevard designs. Consultant John Pulliam from Kimley-Horn provided an updated presentation regarding the bike boulevard design concepts on Capuchino, Carmelita, Grove, Mills, and Paloma. For presentation details, please review the presentation available in the agenda packet on the City’s website. Vice-Chair Israelit inquired about the triple four crosswalk (Grove/Laguna) and wondered if that is the standard for crosswalks going forward. She said she is trying to get a better understanding of the crosswalk as it seems like a heavy duty crosswalk that would fit better in more of an urban situation vs suburb situation. She went on to explain that she is trying to understand implementing them on our bicycle boulevards as opposed to what we have in the rest of the City. Mr. Pulliam stated there is a lot of variation of crosswalks between cities and said this design is somewhat of a new variation. He said they are seeing them in other cities (a lot in the South Bay) and are recommending them for two reasons: it’s more visible to drivers and it’s more accessible. Vice-Chair Israelit then asked about the striping on Carmelita Avenue between El Camino Real and California Drive and the consultant’s comment that it might be misinterpreted by cars. She was unsure by what he meant in the presentation and asked for clarification. Mr. Pulliam clarified he is concerned that the parking lane turns into a vehicle lane from 7 – 9 am and does not like the idea of cars getting confused by the parking stripe. He said they are open to discussing this further. Vice-Chair Israelit confirmed when there is no parking during rush hour, it’s only one lane of travel 5 and cars would not be traveling in the parking lane. Mr. Pulliam responded to say vehicles would be straddling the white parking line because there are only two 8-foot lanes. Mr. Wong interjected to say that situation occurs when there are no vehicles parked. He said if we were to maintain the existing parking restrictions, it would occur. Mr. Wong indicated the Commission could consider removing the parking restrictions, which would then make this section of road look like what is west of El Camino. Vice-Chair Israelit asked about the mini roundabouts and if they are being proposed at all the uncontrolled four-way intersections. Mr. Pulliam stated they are looking at incorporating them at every intersection on Carmelita Avenue that does not have a 4-way stop. He said considerations will take into account how large trucks would maneuver around them, including the potential turn restrictions. Commissioner Leigh stated bicycle boulevards are meant to prioritize biking, not make them equal with automobiles. Commissioner Leigh indicated that at the February TSPC meeting, B/PAC requested full time parking on Carmelita Avenue. She also felt full time parking at this location would make the residents happier. Commissioner Leigh said she felt dispersing the volume of traffic from Carmelita Avenue would be good as it’s being used as a cut through street. She said she is sad to see those B/PAC suggestions were not incorporated into this plan. She noted another B/PAC request that was overlooked is the request for a 4-way stop at Paloma Avenue and Carmelita Avenue. Overall Commissioner Leigh said she would like that intersection to be addressed by traffic controls, not traffic calming. Commissioner Leigh said she hoped their committee would reassess that and consider a 6 month trial as the City did at Sanchez Avenue. Commissioner Leigh then asked about speed humps and whether or not they would be on every single block as they are only seeing a one block segment. She said she was specifically interested in the intersection of Paloma Avenue and Oak Grove Avenue. Additionally, Commissioner Leigh communicated that B/PAC previously requested a bicycle crossing signal at the intersection of Paloma Avenue and Broadway. Mr. Pulliam responded to say the bicycle crossing signal is out of the scope of a quick-build project as it’s considered a signal modification. He went on to say this would not be the project to implement such an improvement as this effort is more “paint and plastic.” Mr. Pulliam also said that is the same for the request for a 4-way stop—it is not considered part of a quick-build effort. Mr. Wong stated a 4-way stop is something City staff can look into and consider at some of the intersections. In regards to the request to change the parking, Mr. Pulliam stated that is something they could consider and discuss including in this package moving forward if it is something this Commission feels strongly about. Commissioner Ng requested clarification that the project objective is not for a temporary fix, but to solve a problem and is permanent in nature. Mr. Wong stated the quick-build improvements get something on the ground and people used to it. If the improvements are well received and working as intended, he said at some point the City can make the improvements permanent. Commissioner Ng also stated the intersections in the scope of these quick builds feel like larger focus points for many of them and he is trying to understand if this puts a “Band-Aid fix” on it and the Commission moves on, or is this effort a more permanent solution that will help a broader focus. Commissioner Ng closed his comments by stating he would like to ensure the Commission 6 is using their time appropriately. Commissioner Rebelos said his questions pertain to the stretch of Carmelita Avenue. Starting with east of El Camino Real, he said he likes the crosswalks but is not happy with the traffic circles. He stated he walks this area all the time and watches pedestrians traversing the area as well. Commissioner Rebelos said everyone he sees seems to have a challenge crossing Carmelita Avenue at Capuchino and Paloma Avenues and said this stretch is worse in his opinion than Carmelita Avenue west of El Camino. He said he feels the intersections at Capuchino and Paloma Avenues should be 4-way stops. Commissioner Rebelos stated that although he knows people can blow through stop signs, he felt they are more likely to stop, especially at 4-way stops that are considered “blind streets”. He said that is also a problem – you have to block the crosswalk in order to see oncoming traffic to make safe turning movements or cross the intersection. He reiterated that he prefers the 4-way stops over the proposed traffic circles (Capuchino and Paloma Avenues). Commissioner Rebelos stated that everything else he is okay with and explained his comments are based on also having the installation of speed humps, in addition to the stop signs. On the other side of El Camino, Commissioner Rebelos said he also favors stop signs, but said he wants to know what the residents in the area think. He closed to say he is comfortable with a pilot effort west of El Camino but feels most strongly about the area east of El Camino. Chair Martos opened the public comment period. Gavin Johns, who lives west of El Camino near Bernal and Carmelita, stated he loves the initiative and appreciates the Commission’s efforts. He explained that hundreds of people walk down this specific corridor each day—specifically elementary school kids and that he can’t emphasize enough the importance to slow down traffic. Mr. Johns requested to confirm that traffic calming elements will be at each block of Carmelita. He also said he wants to understand the tradeoffs between permanent and quick-builds and wants to understand other options. He advocated to have traffic calming elements at each block. In regards to the quick builds, he inquired as to when there would be a follow up or more permanent infrastructure. Mr. Johns stated that without a timeline or knowing what they’d be giving up, it is hard to support quick build improvements. He also wondered if staff considered gateways, such as curb jet outs at the intersections (pinch points). Consultant John Pulliam explained the intent is to have the improvements at each block. He also stated they are focused on quick-builds and the intent of the project is to implement low-cost improvements that can be implemented quickly. Mr. Wong also stated the intent is to implement the improvements quickly and should the feedback for the quick-builds be positive, staff can then evaluate the idea of more permanent infrastructure down the road. Mr. Wong also explained that the current budget is also a factor. Lesley Beatty thanked the Commission for this presentation and then went into questions generated by the B/PAC. Ms. Beatty stated that on the outset, B/PAC was mostly worried about 7 the intersections (with the exception of Carmelita) for this network of bike friendly accommodations, so that the danger to cyclists is not in the roadway—it’s crossing intersections. She then inquired with the Commission what improvements have been made to make the intersections safer. Secondly, Ms. Beatty asked why we would recommend a single bike lane for Capuchino and Paloma and would like to understand the tradeoffs of a consistent approach. Ms. Beatty then inquired what the speed reduction would be for cars on Carmelita with all of these improvements based on a professional assessment. She stated she has concerns about the intersection controls at Paloma and Carmelita—especially for the bicyclists coming through Paloma and whether that traffic circle will allow cars to see and focus on cross traffic adequately or if a stop sign would be better there. In regards to the options at Grove, Ms. Beatty said she strongly prefers option A. She said she does not think the bike slots are a good idea on Grove particularly where parking would be removed for residents that abut California Drive. Ms. Beatty closed to reiterate the desire for stop signs at Paloma and Carmelita. Consultant John Pulliam stated that in regards to the intersections, the first thing that will improve safety is going to be the reduction in speeds that we will see with the speed cushions throughout most of the network. He said part of this effort will include an analysis that looks at proper spacing of speed cushions and working with the City to determine what we are looking at for speed reductions. Mr. Pulliam said that getting vehicle speeds down to 20 MPH with speed cushions is pretty typical. Additionally, Mr. Pulliam said based on support received, they will consider the use of mini circles at some intersections with two-way stop controls and went on to say he intends to check the feasibility. He stated that other streets are very narrow so that will also be taken into consideration. As to the single bike lane on one block, in his professional opinion, Mr. Pulliam said he is always for providing a separate bike facility if there is enough room for it. He stated they are trading consistency for a block of dedicated bike lane. He closed by saying he made note of B/PAC’s preference on Grove. Manito Velasco stated he lives on Capuchino and said the bike lane that was just discussed feels like a step backwards. He said he felt it would be unsafe for bike riders and vehicles to try to pass each other in such a narrow space. Mr. Velasco also stated there is a post office and trucks coming out of Broadway, and stated a bike lane there is a terrible idea and hopes the City will reconsider. With regards to the stop signs, he was confused as to why that is an afterthought and stated it should be a part of the value engineering process. He then cited the stop sign installation at Sanchez as an example. Mr. Velasco said he hopes the stop signs will be considered as part of the quick build improvements. In closing he stated the proposal is scary and he does not support the bike slots. Mr. Wong stated as part of this project, they will be looking at stop signs (no different than what occurred at Sanchez), which includes the consideration of the large vehicles coming from Broadway. He also stated that they are looking for additional input this evening in regards to the bike slots on Grove. Mr. Wong pointed out that bollards have also been included in the design for more protection at the corners—but ultimately they are looking for feedback tonight on those 8 features. Mr. & Mrs. Reilly live on the corner of Drake and Carmelita and said they appreciate the hard work that this Commission is doing and thanked Mr. Pulliam for the hard work he has put into these designs. Mr. Reilly said he understands the tradeoffs between temporary and permanent improvements. Having lived on the corner for the last twenty years, Mr. Reilly stated Carmelita is a very busy street—highly walked, biked, and driven. He also said the number of large construction trucks that traverse the area are very high as well. Mr. Reilly said speeding is a problem and he has observed cars going 60 MPH between stop signs, specifically on Cortez and Vancouver. He stated there is a lot of traffic in the area and felt as a result we should be sensitive to the controls put in place to avoid blockages and trucks not being able to move. Mr. Reilly said he is more in favor of traffic slowing measures, such as speed bumps, as they already have a lot of stop signs in the area. He said traffic circles could be problematic for large trucks. Chair Martos provided Gavin Johns another opportunity to provide public comments. Mr. Johns asked clarifying questions— what public support means for this project and what the next step will be to iterate these things (if this is essentially proof of concept). Mr. Wong explained that this meeting is part of the information gathering process—for the public and from the Commission, and staff would be taking the feedback received to refine the concepts. Mr. Wong stated staff will more than likely show the final project design via the TSPC to make sure staff has covered everything. Mr. Johns then asked how they will reach a decision regarding the refinements. Mr. Wong explained it is staff’s responsibility to refine and finalize the concept by using their engineering judgement and that staff will be working with the community to do additional “foot work” to ensure the best design. The Commission Secretary read the following emails received for public comment. Dear TPSC, I live on the 1200 block of Capuchino and am writing to express my support for designating Capuchino Ave. and the other identified streets part of a bicycle boulevard neighborhood. Aside from supporting bicycle transportation, the enhanced traffic calming features will make our narrow streets safer by encouraging drivers to reduce their speeds and potentially reducing traffic. Allow me to bring to your attention an ongoing traffic hazard on my block. The 1200 block of Capuchino is a one-way street, with traffic entering at Lincoln and letting out onto Broadway. Despite signage on the northwest and northeast corners of Broadway and Capuchino, drivers on Broadway continue make turns on the 1200 block of Capuchino, entering from the wrong direction and going the wrong way on our one-way street. On average, I believe this occurs 1-2 times per month. This will pose a hazard to bike riders as well and I encourage you to take additional action to address this issue. 9 Thank you for your consideration. Davina Drabkin To Members of the TSCP: The Bike Boulevard idea might be reasonable if Burlingame had wider streets, less congestion in the area and no One Way streets going opposite directions to confuse people. Parking is always at a premium on many of these blocks, especially the ones bordering Broadway. Two of those blocks (Capuchino and Paloma) have One Way streets going in opposite directions on the blocks just north of Broadway. Bikes traveling south on Paloma would hit a One Way street going north as they reached Lincoln. Bikes going south on Laguna would hit a One Way street going north just as they cross Broadway. It’s unreasonable to assume that bikers would ride east and west to reach the proper One Way street to continue to Carmelita. And why Is Carmelita the goal of this project rather than Broadway? Is it to facilitate transition to California Drive? Makes no sense. Carmelita is extremely narrow and two cars can’t pass now. Further impacting an already crowded area with bikes isn’t going to make anyone happy. Bikes are free to ride on these streets now. No laws or restrictions are needed for this to occur. The entire neighborhood area bordered by California Dr., Broadway or Carmelita, El Camino Real and Mills, is a very congested and slow moving area as it is. No real calming methods are needed because all of us who live here and use the streets all the time know how slow they are. The two faster streets in this area are Grove and Lincoln, and they are both wide streets. I have a challenge for every member of the TSCP: Please grab your family and your bikes and traverse this area in its entirety, One Way streets and all, and every one of the streets included in this plan to feel exactly how this idea would play out for the public. If you don’t have bikes, please take your cars through the entire area to see how illogical this plan is before voting to accept it. Many of my neighbors feel the same way I do on this issue. Thank you, - Barbara Nagata I live on Carmelita Avenue (2001 - corner of Bernal Avenue, 1 block east of Vancouver). What exactly are "Neighborhood Bicycle Boulevards"? Is this a fancy name for bike lanes which already exist in Burlingame? The fast-moving traffic on Carmelita (west of El Camino) is hazardous enough, even worse east of El Camino. Ronald Bulatoff 10 To Whom It May Concern: I live at 1213 Capuchino Av., cross street Broadway Avenue. Capuchino Avenue is too narrow to fit traffic, parked cars, and a bicycle lane. Installing a bike lane will increase the chances of damaged cars (parked and moving), and could injure bicyclists. Right now bicyclists use the whole lane on Capuchino, which works. Please reconsider and avoid bike lanes on Capuchino Avenue. Sincerley, Orlando Montes Hi, I got a public meeting notice regarding the meeting on the Bicycle Boulevard today at 7:00 pm. It said there was a zoom link on the City’s website. I could not find this meeting information anywhere on the website? I live on Paloma ave. between Mills and Oak Grove and will be directly affected by any Bicycle Boulevard and would like to understand more about it and how it will affect the street in front of our home. Thank you. Best, Elisa Lee Q: for Carmelita - bicycle improvement, which we are for, what is your plan for slowing traffic below 20 MPH? Example, more stop signs or speed bumps or other slowing technology? Will you be removing parking on the street? Erica and Christian Reilly I would just like to know with specific clarity what the next steps are for this project. Which month is it going in front of Council? When is the contract going to be advertised? When is the selected contractor anticipated to do the work? Is it 2022? 2023? I live on Capuchino. And what’s planned for my street will not work. I walk and bike on Capuchino every day. I drive it twice a week. If you put a bike lane as you plan to do there, it will be the 11 opposite of safety. You would be forcing bike riders to ride in a door zone bike lane. At the same time, you are forcing drivers to drive offset from the center of the street, closer to the parking lane on one side of the street, which then makes it difficult for residents who have driveways on that side of the street to get out. The issue with this project is that it’s portending to be improving conditions for bikes by basically doing painted bicycle stencils on the ground. The main problem as I’ve commented on in the past, and in the surveys, is at the intersections. That is where bicyclists are most vulnerable to getting hit. Yet there’s nothing material in these plans that improve intersections. We need a stop sign at Paloma and Carmelita the intersection of two bike boulevards. You did stop signs on the city’s first bike boulevard on Laguna. There is already precedent for this. I don’t know how many times I’ve commented that the ‘bike slots’ as being not feasible. But it keeps coming back in the designs. Those will not work. They take away parking at the corners. And you’re putting poles in people’s driveways at Grove and Laguna. Sorry to say that it’s hard to support any of these concepts as a resident and as a regular bicycle rider. None of the concepts are satisfying or effective. -Manito Velasco Chair Martos closed public comment. He stated that there is a lot of concern surrounding the proposed plan and it is his opinion that the consultant and staff should take all the comments received, digest it, and see what can be done to address bona fide concerns and make this a better plan. He requested to see the plan once more before the Commission makes any kind of decision. Commissioner Ng seconded Chair Martos’ suggestion above. He said there are a lot of holes in what was discussed tonight and the goal is to produce serious strides in providing streets that are more bike friendly, and this proposal is mostly road sharing with topics that have pressed a lot of buttons. Commissioner Ng said he felt the project needs a little more work before the TSPC can vote on it to move forward. Vice-Chair Israelit said she felt the consultant did a great job of providing options based on current road conditions and stated there are a lot of differing priorities and viewpoints between residents, the Commissioners, and bicyclists. Vice-Chair Israelit said she felt the project isn’t too far away from something they can get behind, they just have to hammer out the kinks so people can feel more comfortable, especially on Carmelita. She then stated she did not think they needed mini rotaries at every block on the west portion of Carmelita where there are no stop signs. Vice-Chair Israelit stated that three traffic circles in a row is overkill and suggested the middle intersection be a traffic circle or stop signs. Overall she felt these details need to be worked out more concretely before the TSPC decides what they want to do on Carmelita. In regards to the pull out lanes and verticals with bollards, she thought they are almost overkill for this particular plan based 12 on the tight streets and challenging angles. Lastly, Vice-Chair Israelit said she strongly feels they should have restricted parking on Carmelita between El Camino and California Drive despite the fact that B/PAC has stated they prefer it. Commissioner Leigh agreed with her fellow Commissioner’s in regards to refining the concepts based on the feedback received and providing another update to the TSPC. She then summarized some of the comments that have been received. Commissioner Leigh pointed out two people from the public requested no bike lane on Capuchino and she said she tended to agree. She stated speed bumps are warranted up Carmelita, west of El Camino, and there wasn’t much support for the traffic circles there or on Carmelita between California Drive and El Camino Real. Commissioner Leigh noted there is strong support for stop signs on Carmelita, particularly at Laguna. She stated the “devil is in the details” and said that the details are in the intersections, to which she would like to see specific plans for each intersection. Commissioner Leigh explained that parking on both sides of Carmelita would be a tremendous help to slow down the traffic in order to make it a safer corridor for children to ride their bikes and for pedestrians. Commissioner Rebelos stated he is concerned the Commission might be accidentally undermining the concept of a quick build—which is to do this quickly. He said it is also his understanding that a quick build project is intended to fix most of the issues, not a “fix all.” Commissioner Rebelos said he appreciated all the comments from the public and what he heard is that the traffic on Carmelita is moving too fast. He said he is grateful to staff and the consultants as this concept has evolved. Commissioner Rebelos stated that although it is not perfect, it is very good and a step in the right direction. He indicated he is also keeping in mind this is a quick build project. He said what he took from staff is that they are approaching this in good faith with an open mind, as is the consultant. Commissioner Rebelos pointed out the comments regarding the truck traffic on Carmelita and said he is concerned about the public comments pertaining to the bike lane and driveways on Capuchino. He stated again this is better than what we currently have and expressed concerns that they may unintentionally continue to push these improvements too far down the road. He stated for this project, he likes what he heard and the spirit he is hearing from staff and the consultants. In his closing comments he stated he is willing to support a motion to approve this project to move forward. No formal motion was made to move the current concepts forward. Chair Martos confirmed with Mr. Wong that the Commission would have another opportunity to receive a revised presentation from staff. d) TSPC Grant Priority List Chair Martos pointed out B/PAC’s priorities, which were shared in item 6.a. Mr. Wong went through each Commissioner’s grant priorities, which generated the following list 13 of top three bike and pedestrian locations for upcoming grant opportunities. Bike Priorities 1. California Drive - Oak Grove to Howard 2. California Drive – Howard to Peninsula 3. Cadillac Way – neighborhood bike route Pedestrian Priorities 1. Quesada/Clarice 2. Clarice/Sequoia 3. Marco Polo/Davis 7. INFORMATION ITEMS a) Engineering Division Reports Although there were no new active project updates at the time the agenda was published, Mr. Wong provided an update concerning the Broadway area. He stated that over the weekend Caltrain will be working on their Electrification Project. He said flaggers will be out and noted road closures at North Lane and Howard. Vice-Chair Israelit inquired about the Oak Grove/California Drive intersection and pointed out it was discussed a long time ago. She asked for a status update. Mr. Wong stated the Oak Grove and California Drive Traffic Signal Project is on hold in order to complete modifications and to ensure the improvements are consistent with the bike facility that comes in. b) Police Department Reports Sergeant Perna addressed the accident reported at Clarice and Quesada involving a family of three (which will be included in next month’s report). Sergeant Perna said he did not want to discount the situation or that it was possibly a close call, but the police were dispatched to the scene and no accident actually occurred. Sergeant Perna reported 16 documented collisions this reporting period. He pointed out a vehicle and bicycle accident involving a juvenile which occurred at Bernal and Hillside early in the morning. He stated the bicyclist was traveling northbound Bernal behind the car and when the vehicle went to make a turn onto eastbound Hillside, they struck the bicyclist. He indicated there were no injuries and police were notified about four hours after the incident. He stated the driver was at fault for an unsafe turning movement. In regards to the bicyclist and vehicle collision at Howard and Bloomfield, Sergeant Perna stated he responded to that call and indicated the bicyclist admitted they blew through the stop sign, 14 which resulted in the collision with the vehicle. He stated the bicyclist had minor injuries. Commissioner Leigh stated that the intersection of Howard and Bloomfield was on the Lyon Hoag neighborhood’s request for a four-way stop but it was not ever studied. She also pointed out B/PAC requested a four-way stop at the same location and requested that staff study that intersection. For the vehicle and pedestrian collision at Laguna and Broadway, Sergeant Perna explained the driver was traveling northbound on Laguna at a low rate of speed due to the sun in their eyes. The driver stated they stopped at the intersection and thought it was clear to turn onto westbound Broadway, but struck the pedestrian traveling at approximately 2 MPH. Sergeant Perna stated he sent the Commissioner’s the heat map to view and noted he did not think it could be sorted by month. He explained there is historical data for five years and what has occurred in 2022 that can be toggled on and off. Vice-Chair Israelit stated she missed the TSPC meeting right after the event occurred, which was loss of power during a big storm in February, and caused all the lights on El Camino Real to turn off. She stated she witnessed accidents at all the major intersections and was surprised she did not see any police out helping to direct traffic. She then inquired about emergency protocols when traffic lights are down. Sergeant Perna responded to say he would look into that further but stated that during big storm events, typically 911 and Public Works receive a heavy influx of calls. He also explained the intersections without working traffic lights become a four-way stop, but said he would bring her comments forward regarding protocols under similar circumstances for consideration. c) TSPC Chair/Commissioner’s Communications Vice-Chair Israelit shared that several people have asked her why the new parking garage is for three hours as they are happy to utilize it, but it does not make sense to pay for three hours of parking when running a 30 minute errand. She also stated the feedback received also included that the signage is not clear that you have to pay for three hours of parking until you’re already inside the garage. Vice-Chair Israelit said she explained to them the intent for long-term parking for nearby businesses in an effort to free up the street parking closer to retail and restaurants. She then suggested that if people are not using the garage as we hoped, they could reevaluate the parking and open one floor up for short-term parking. Chair Martos stated he had a discussion with Director Murtuza about utilization counts for the garage. He said Director Murtuza indicated parking utilization is going up on the first three floors and that staff is working on adding signage. Mr. Wong clarified the parking rate for the new garage is $3.00 for all day, not for three hours. He also confirmed with Chair Martos that staff is revising the circular parking signs that direct people 15 to the garage. Additionally, he said that effort includes a CMS board. Mr. Wong also indicated he is working on pulling parking data from the server room. Commissioner Rebelos stated he felt the $3.00 fee was very reasonable for all day parking and then inquired about Caltrain parking rates. Mr. Wong stated the Caltrain rates are higher—he thought either $5.00 or $8.00 per day. Commissioner Leigh stated she spoke with Chair Martos regarding the conceptual plans for the Burlingame Plaza in front of the train station on Burlingame Avenue, which were provided by the Parks Department. She stated they provided comments in order to improve the crosswalks, which was provided to the Parks Department. She indicated she met with Commissioner Rebelos to look at a segment on the south end of Airport Boulevard just before the City of San Mateo. She said they have come up with suggestions and photos for the block and a half that is scheduled for repaving and they will be providing those to staff. Commissioner Leigh also shared that she met with her new partner, Commissioner Ng regarding the Burlingame Avenue subcommittee and indicated they are going to talk with staff about what the crosswalk improvements are on the Avenue and discuss bike lockers in the new parking garage. In regards to AB 43 and new speed limits code, Commissioner Leigh said she and Commissioner Ng discussed the option of utilizing AB 43 to reduce the speed limit on Burlingame Avenue/Broadway/downtown pedestrian zones to 20 MPH. 8. COMMITTEE REPORTS a) Burlingame Avenue Safety and Access (Leigh & Ng) No update—addressed in item 7.c. b) Community Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (Leigh & Rebelos) No update. c) BIS Safety Audit (Israelit & Ng) Vice-Chair Israelit stated she and Commissioner Ng met with Amanda at the Burlingame School District who was very receptive and happy to hear about the safety audit. She stated they came up with two potential traffic patterns and sent it over to Mr. Wong for staff review. Vice-Chair Israelit indicated that once the traffic flow is ironed out, they can tack on the requests, such as a stop sign at Marco Polo and Davis. Commissioner Ng stated they are trying to address some of the broader concerns that we have heard today and historically. He also indicated that they have been thoughtful regarding unintended consequences. 16 d) Mercy School Traffic Calming (Israelit & Martos) Chair Martos indicated they have a draft of ideas of what can be done at this location and shared there is a meeting tomorrow with the subcommittee and Mr. Wong to discuss the upcoming meeting with Mercy School administrators. 9. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Proof of concept for BIS (requesting timeline, not necessarily next month). Chair Martos said he would like to see mitigation measures implemented before the end of the school year. • Conceptual plans for Burlingame Avenue and California Drive intersection—west side of the station (a top pedestrian priority) • Conceptual plans for changes to pavers on Burlingame Avenue • Traffic on Adeline and Hoover near Mercy • Broadway, Carolan, and Cadillac safety concerns and connections • Grant opportunities • Updated bike boulevards presentation 10. ADJOURNMENT 10:19 p.m.