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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - TSP - 2022.06.091 TRAFFIC, SAFETY AND PARKING COMMISSION Approved Minutes Regular Meeting of Thursday, June 9, 2022 1. CALL TO ORDER 7:04 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 3. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Israelit, Leigh, Rebelos MEMBERS ABSENT: Martos, Ng 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Vice-Chair Israelit suggested they wait to approve the April and May meeting minutes to allow those that were absent the opportunity to provide feedback before the minutes are formalized. As a result, Commissioner Rebelos made a motion to postpone the meeting minutes, seconded by Commissioner Leigh. The motion passed with a 3-0 roll call vote. a) April 14, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes The approval of the April meeting minutes were postponed; they will be on the July agenda for approval. b) May 12, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes The approval of the May meeting minutes were postponed; they will be on the July agenda for approval. 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS – NON-AGENDA No public comments received. 2 6. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS a) Community B/PAC Update (Informational Item Only) The Commission Secretary read the following email from B/PAC Chair Lesley Beatty for the record. I am sorry to miss tonight's meeting. It's open house at BIS where my daughter is a sixth grader, and so I am attending that. Here is the update from the BPAC meeting: First, we'd like to request that the city adopt a target speed limit for streets designated as bike boulevards of 20 mph. We think this sets an appropriate and measurable goal that will help us understand whether we've made these streets safer. We ask TSPC to put this item for discussion on a future agenda. Secondly, we would love to hear a comprehensive update on the improvements that have been made for the kids biking and walking to and from BIS. It's been a year since the walk audits that called out safety improvements, and it would be great to check in on this project. Vice-Chair Israelit stated she made a note of the request to consider a reduced speed limit for the bike boulevards. She also explained the walk audit/school safety improvements is actively being worked on but it is not ready to be presented to the public yet. b) Broadway Grade Separation: Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements Mr. Wong stated the presentation will cover some of the project background and the improvements under design, which includes many of the comments provided by the subcommittee. He said the purpose of tonight’s meeting is to obtain TSPC feedback on the changes presented. He then introduced consultant Rob Himes with Mark Thomas, who is leading the design effort for the Broadway Grade Separation Project. Rob Himes indicated he has been working on this project for about a year and took over at 35% design. He said they are taking it to final construction documents and construction support, and stated the project now incorporates the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and California Drive Bike Facilities Project. Mr. Himes stated they provided an update to City Council in February which included the design changes approved by Caltrain, which City Council also approved. Since then, Mr. Himes said it has been full speed ahead as they are now ironing out how to handle bikes, pedestrians, bus stops, etc. He shared one big design change is they are no longer lowering the roadways by 6 feet. He said there is still time to incorporate comments and the goal is to submit 65% design plans in November of this year. Mr. Himes stated he will go over what facilities the City has out there now, what has been approved/incorporated to date, and what modifications were made to accommodate those 3 things. He used a map to show the following current and future bike facilities: • Buffered bike lanes exist on the lower end of California Drive. • North of Broadway is currently a combination of sharrows and Class III facilities. • South of Broadway on California, the California Drive Bike Facilities Project will add a two- way directional bike lane separated by parking, which will split into two Class I lanes at Carmelita, connecting to the north. • Carolan Avenue currently has buffered bike lanes from a previous project. • Cadillac Way is a bike boulevard that ties to the Class I structure that will take you over Highway 101. • Future plans include two Class II bike lanes – two on Broadway and two on Rollins Road. • Ultimate goal is to have a two-way bike path that runs from the Burlingame Station to the Millbrae Station on the rail side. • Also identified in the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan is a new Class I connection that links from California Drive to Carolan Avenue and down Carolan Avenue over to Cadillac Way. Mr. Himes went over the station access points at Broadway, across from Cadillac, and at Carmelita. He shared that the project includes a park and ride lot which will go between the embankment where the tracks are and Carolan Avenue. He explained the station platform will be 875 feet long with access from three different sets of stairs and two ADA ramps on each end of the platform—there will be no elevators or escalators. Outside of the station, Mr. Himes said they are relocating a bus stop closer to the Carmelita entrance and there will be another bus stop on the east side of Carolan Avenue. Additionally, he shared within the park and ride lot there will be space for two 40 foot buses that can drop off and pick up passengers. Mr. Himes pointed out there will be a “kiss and ride” on California Drive that can accommodate three to four cars. He said bike lockers and racks will be installed near the Cadillac Way entrance as that is a nice central location and connects to the Class I bike path. The bike pathways that Mr. Himes shared are outlined in red in the map below. As mentioned previously, Mr. Himes stated the Broadway Grade Separation Project will conform 4 to the bike facilities project on California Drive and the overall Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan, which includes an alternative design for the California Drive and Broadway intersection (new span for bikes and pedestrians as well), a future Class I bike facility on California Drive with a crossing at Lincoln Avenue, and a Class IV pathway on Carolan Avenue. To access the full presentation to see how this will be done, click here. Commissioner Leigh inquired about a bike lane on Broadway that connects with the Broadway overpass over Highway 101. Mr. Himes said there is a shoulder that can easily be designated for a bike lane but the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan does not identify that and he said he thought the intention was to get traffic off Broadway and onto Cadillac. Commissioner Leigh stated it would be nice to incorporate a bike path on Broadway as she sees bicyclists taking that route now, and pointed out the long bike and pedestrian overcrossing. Commissioner Leigh inquired about enhancements at the pedestrian crosswalk at Broadway and Rollins Road—she said it’s about 90 feet of crossing. Commissioner Leigh indicated she would like to see that added to the plan. She confirmed that there is a Class II bike lane south on Rollins Road and the lane on the map to the north on Rollins does not exist now but is included in the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan. Commissioner Leigh requested additional trees be placed in the area on Broadway from Carolan to Rollins Road to separate the sidewalk area from the roadway. Mr. Himes stated he would discuss that with Mr. Wong as there might be utility conflicts and or budget constraints. Commissioner Leigh also requested additional trees, plants, or bushes at the southeast corner of the train station as it appears to be all concrete. Mr. Himes said that they can add additional greenery. In the same landing zone where the crosswalk is, Commissioner Leigh requested an east-west only handicap ramp and to make the crosswalk perpendicular. In regards to the double right turn from California Drive to Broadway, Commissioner Leigh requested to stagger the first lane further back so the stop lines are staggered and pedestrians and vehicles can see each other. Commissioner Leigh also asked to make the crosswalk across California Drive perpendicular. Mr. Himes stated the design is as such to bring the pedestrians closer to the line of sight and the end return where they are better seen. Commissioner Leigh then requested the crossing across Broadway also be perpendicular and called for a center refuge island for the other crosswalk on Broadway near the station. Pertaining to lighting in general, Commissioner Leigh requested emphasis on lighting the pedestrians in the crosswalks (low level), not just illuminating the roadway. Lastly, she asked about the crossing at Lincoln and whether it would be a controlled intersection, to which Mr. Himes indicated they are going to evaluate what controls would be necessary. Commissioner Leigh stated she would like a controlled crossing there. Mr. Wong commented in regards to the request for a pedestrian refuge on Broadway and stated 5 they are using one of their fire engines as a design vehicle and said to also keep in mind, the smaller the island is, the more likely it won’t be seen and will get hit by vehicles. Commissioner Leigh stated she thought the minimum is 6 feet for a pedestrian refuge and conveyed her thoughts about cars hitting their tires on the refuge versus the peace of mind it provides to pedestrians. Vice-Chair Israelit said she was not aware of the change to keep the roadway at grade and inquired how that impacts the station overall. Mr. Himes stated they are using a different type of structure approved by Caltrain, but there will be a 2 foot increase in the rail but only at the station platform. Vice-Chair Israelit inquired about the existing businesses in the area and Mr. Himes stated they would have to be removed (Maverick Jack’s, Chevron, Car Wash). Vice-Chair Israelit said she liked the “kiss and ride” but asked how we keep cars from parking there as she was concerned it may not be functional. Mr. Himes said ideally they would use the park and ride to park and wait for someone. Vice-Chair Israelit asked about making it a drop-off only given the tight nature where it is located. Vice-Chair Israelit opened the public comment period. Drew stated he has been following this project for many years as a mid-Peninsula resident. He said the project has been vastly improved over the last year and it’s been impressive to see. Drew inquired about making the Cadillac undercrossing a little wider, and with the under crossings in general, he requested little “45 degree wings” although he acknowledged it adds structural work. He explained people cannot see at a 90 degree angle. At the Cadillac under crossing, he wondered why the stairs were only on one side. For the kiss and ride, he thought there should be something southbound on California Drive too. Overall, Drew conveyed his pleasure about the positive things this project will bring. Manito Velasco applauded the improvements in the design. He said he was happy to see the alignment of the entrance at Carmelita and the additional undercrossing at Cadillac. He said he liked that the pork chop island where bicyclists and pedestrians will meet has been eliminated. Mr. Velasco said he was interested to hear about the undercrossing at what is Morrell now, but hopes will be the new Toyon and Majilla crossing to connect those two neighborhoods. He said he hopes that is still a consideration and that on both sides (Carolan and California) to have some sort of flashing beacon or signal to get the neighborhood people from one side of the intersection to the other. In regards to the crossing at Lincoln, Mr. Velasco said he is interested to hear how bicyclists and pedestrians will cross there. Lastly, Mr. Velasco said he hopes these slides are made available to the public as there is a lot to digest. He also said there is potential for additional traffic improvements and noted the benefit of more neighborhood eyes on it and the opportunity to provide additional feedback. Mr. Wong confirmed the presentation would be made available online and via email request to DPW@burlingame.org. In regards to the undercrossing at what is now Morrell, Mr. Himes indicated (by memory) they are going to move the crossing to Majilla. Commissioner Leigh suggested the ramps at the south and north ends have a passing zone of 10 6 feet and thought it might bottleneck, to which Mr. Himes confirmed they are 10 feet. Commissioner Leigh stated not all bikers like to use ramps and suggested where the stairs are located, underneath the railing, to place a 3-inch wide flat ramp for the bikers to roll them up the stairs. Mr. Himes stated he would look into that request. She also said she assumed they would see wind and rain structures, and benches at some point. Overall, Commissioner Leigh said it is a good plan. Commissioner Rebelos stated he really likes the plan overall and is impressed by the overpass design and openness. He stated he travels through the Lincoln and California Drive intersection frequently and felt that there should be a unique and separate discussion for that improvement. He did not want to comment now on what he thinks should go there but hopes it comes back to the Commission for some advisory discussion. Commissioner Rebelos said he was very excited about the project. Vice-Chair Israelit said she did not have much to add and felt as though they did a great job of not making it an imposing structure as they were initially afraid of. She went on to say what a superb job the team is doing. Mr. Wong shared with the Commissioners and attendees that there will be an upcoming community meeting to go over the project aesthetics. Once a date has been identified, staff will notify the community and Commission. 7. INFORMATION ITEMS a) Engineering Division Reports • El Camino Real Water Main Improvements – The water main installation has been completed. The contractor is currently installing water service lines, fire service connections, and tie-ins on the northern portion of the project area from Palm Drive/El Camino Real to Sanchez Avenue/El Camino Real. Project completion is anticipated for July 2022. • 2022 Street Resurfacing Project – Construction is anticipated to begin mid to late June. The work consists of resurfacing and/or base failure repairs on various City streets. Staff will notify the affected residents regarding construction schedule and impacts, and coordinate with the contractor to minimize disruptions. • Burlingame Bicycle Boulevards – On May 20 staff was able to ride with members of the Community B/PAC to further obtain feedback on portions of the bike boulevard project. Based on TSPC and community feedback, design concepts are being revised and will be presented by staff at an upcoming meeting. 7 Commissioner Leigh stated B/PAC requested that the bike boulevards be designed with a reduced traffic speed of 20 MPH during their meeting tonight and she explained vehicle speed is an issue for bicyclists. Mr. Wong stated they are looking into the request for a reduced speed limit and noted the proposed speed cushions will also help mitigate vehicle speeds. Commissioner Rebelos echoed Commissioner Leigh’s comments and also shared B/PAC discussed the bike ride with staff along the bike boulevards to obtain additional feedback, to which Commissioner Rebelos communicated his delight about the joint effort. TSPC Priority List (revised June 2022): TSPC Led Effort 1 Broadway/Carmelita Bike/Ped TSPC Study 2/10/22: Item 6c 2 BIS School Safety Improvements 3 Pedestrian Safety at California/Burlingame Ave 4 Lorton Corridor TSPC Study (Roundabout to Howard) 5 SB California Lane Configuration (Bike Mobility) 6 Bike\Ped Plan Priorities 5/12/22: Item 6c 7 Parking Garage Usage 2/10/22: Item 7a 8 Downtown Parking and Access 9 Broadway Parking 10 School Transportation and Safety Issues Staff Updates 1 Caltrans’ ECR Corridor 2 Downtown Parking Strategies 3 City Hall Traffic Calming/Floribunda 4 Oak Grove/Carolan Traffic Signal 5 Bike\Ped Plan Implementation 3/10/22: Item 6c 6 Chapin Avenue Green Streets Project 7 Old Bayshore Corridor Study (n/o Broadway) 8 Grant Opportunities 3/10/22: Item 6b 9 Broadway Grade Separation 10 San Mateo's Peninsula Ave OC 11 School Speed Limit Updates 12 School Safety Improvements 13 Lyon-Hoag Neighborhood Traffic Calming 14 300 Burlingame Point Traffic Impacts 8 15 Broadway/California Update 2022 Agenda Item Action Status 1 Various Stop Signs Approved at the 4/4/22 CC mtg. b) Police Department Reports Sergeant Perna reported 12 documented collisions over the past month. He highlighted the vehicle and pedestrian collision that occurred at Primrose Road and Bellevue Avenue. Sergeant Perna explained a person skateboarding south on Primrose Road collided with a vehicle going eastbound on Bellevue at Primrose. He stated the driver of the vehicle was at fault and the collision resulted in a minor injury to the skateboarder. Commissioner Leigh inquired about past photos of the area where the collision occurred as she thought it might have historically been a roundabout. She said although there have been very few collisions at this location, she suggested they work on it. Sergeant Perna shared there were no hit-and-run collisions, but there was one DUI collision at Airport Boulevard and Lang Road during this reporting period. Commissioner Rebelos inquired about the collision at Trousdale Drive and Quesada Way. Sergeant Perna explained it was a rear-end collision eastbound on Trousdale at the stop sign at Quesada Way. Commissioner Leigh stated that this collision reinforces the fact that the 20 MPH zone should be expanded past the one block that the school is on. She felt the speed reduction should apply as people approach from all directions, including the block of the school. Vice-Chair Israelit inquired about the collision at El Camino Real and Grove Avenue—specifically if it was associated with school hours. Sergeant Perna explained the collision occurred on a Tuesday at 2:28 pm and involved a vehicle turning left onto Grove from El Camino that failed to yield to the vehicle with the right of way. Sergeant Perna stated this is one of the top collision factors in Burlingame along El Camino Real and California Drive. Vice-Chair Israelit inquired about her question from last month’s meeting pertaining to protocols at major intersections during a loss of power and traffic signals are down. She referred to the last storm as an example and indicated she anticipated to see a police presence and traffic assistance. Sergeant Perna said there is no specific plan for that and it is handled on a case-by-case basis. He went on to explain it would be dependent on the severity of the storm and indicated that temporary stop signs could be provided. Mr. Wong interjected to state that because El Camino Real is under the state’s jurisdiction, there is a liability of placing signage along that corridor. Mr. Wong stated that staff will notify Caltrans when their signals are down. Mr. Wong also indicated there are battery backups which should allow for flashing red lights. Sergeant Perna also said that if there is flooding, resources would be diverted there first and reiterated it would be a case-by- 9 case basis. c) TSPC Chair/Commissioner’s Communications Commissioner Leigh brought up a communication from Manito Velasco regarding his concerns surrounding the collisions on California Drive (south), to which she stated his email indicated the main factor being dangerous lane changes and side swiping. Commissioner Leigh also said his email mentioned narrow lanes on California Drive and that back in August 2021 B/PAC requested the consideration of a northbound pilot bike lane from Peninsula Avenue to Burlingame Avenue. Commissioner Rebelos, who also received the email from Mr. Velasco, clarified the request for the pilot bike lane was between Howard Avenue and Peninsula Avenue due to the narrowness in the Auto Row area. Vice-Chair Israelit confirmed with Mr. Wong that there are alternatives in the Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan to address the concerns above and connect the bike lane from San Mateo. Mr. Wong also stated staff is seeking grant funding and are currently doing their homework and talking with the TA (Transit Authority) to determine which projects are the best candidates. He also pointed out that the TPSC identified this location as number 2 on their priority list. In closing, Commissioner Rebelos clarified the communication was from a B/PAC email thread. Commissioner Leigh also communicated Manito Velasco’s request for speed data for the Lyon Hoag neighborhood to determine if the traffic calming elements installed in fact helped to slow down vehicular speeds on the various roads. Mr. Wong stated that Mr. Velasco has submitted a formal public records request for that information. Commissioner Leigh stated she would be interested to hear about it too as she felt it was something TSPC should discuss. 8. COMMITTEE REPORTS a) Burlingame Avenue Safety and Access (Leigh & Ng) No update. b) Community Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (Leigh & Rebelos) No update. c) BIS Safety Audit (Israelit & Ng) Vice-Chair Israelit stated they have come up with a couple options that they think may work— major changes—and met with Mr. Wong to go over those, but there is nothing complete yet as staff is currently looking into the feasibility. After that point, the concept will go to the School District and then will be shared with TSPC for feedback. 10 d) Mercy School Traffic Calming (Israelit & Martos) Vice-Chair Israelit indicated they met with the head of Mercy School and went over some of the options they have on the table, including a well thought out plan from City staff. She said Chair Martos wanted staff to consider investigating a one way traffic option but there were concerns with impacts to nearby streets that already have problems with traffic. Mr. Wong shared the next step is to work with Mercy School to arrange onsite meetings over the summer with the neighborhood to share the plan, obtain feedback, and then bring it to the TSPC for support. 9. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Bike boulevards • Mercy traffic calming • Upcoming grants • Parking garage 10. ADJOURNMENT 8:42 p.m.