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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-12-20 YBPAC MinutesYakima Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee Minutes February 12th, 2020 10:00 - 11:30 AM 2nd Floor Conference Room Committee Members Staff Public Joseph Calhoun, Planning Manager Phil Mattoon, Vice Chair Trevor Martin, Associate Planner Ken Jones (3 y) Robert Desgrosellier, Chief Engineer Shirley Strader, Secretary Sean Davido, Community Relations Paul Cook (3 y) Will Hollingbery (2) CALL TO ODER: Phil Mattoon, Vice Chair at 10:00 There were no additions or changes to the agenda. 1. Approved minutes from January with correction of "approval of minutes from the January meeting should read December meeting". Moved and seconded. 2. Title 12 In past, the communication to City Council from Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee was done through the Neighborhood Building Committee. It was discussed that since the NBC disbanded our usual route of communication is no longer available with City Council; therefore, information which Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee wants City Council to have will now be presented during either the 1st or 3rd monthly meeting of City Council via their agenda or consent agendas respectively. The lead time for this is preferably 1 month and/or drop dead time line of 7 business days before its chosen date to present to City Council. With regards to Title 12, the documents language and diagrams need to be put into ordinance format, reviewed by legal, uploaded into NOVA system which assembles agenda and compiles documents and so forth, before BPC is ready to present to council. Title 12 was adopted well before the present 2040 Transportation Plan and the Complete Streets ordinance; therefore a "combing" of language and general overview needs to happen by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee as we would like to be sure language is consistent between respective documents. Phil M. assigned himself to review/compare Title 12 with Complete Streets and asked Paul C. to review/compare 2040 Transportation Plan, as well as other committee members to review as well. Bob D. brought link information for Development Standards Manuel, Private Development Resources and Title 12 relevant to Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee conversations. Deliverable: Review, compare and highlight discrepancies between 2040 Transportation Plan, Complete Streets Ordinance, Bicycle Master Plan with Title 12. 3. ADA Will be on City Councils' agenda for April 7th, 2020 Focus of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee is cleanup and bring current information to its document. This is advised because any violation or problems related to ADA go straight (do not pass go) to DOJ. In the past, due to the lack of staffing, it could not be prioritized. Phil M. made request to meet with Bob D. and/or Joseph C. to review and clarify minor changes needed to bring document up to date and be compliant. Deliverable: Report from meetup with regards to the City's ADA Self -Evaluation Plan and ADA Transitions Plan. 4. Pedestrian Master Plan Scope of Service, Trevor M. will send working draft to committee members after today's meeting. Once Scope of Service plan is tidied -up then it is forwarded to Purchasing, they will begin the interviewing process. The Purchasing Dept. using the MRSC roster (Municipal Resource Services Center, a roster of varied professional consultants) understands how best to choose available companies with best qualifications and thereby matching like variables the city is seeking. Then a request is sent out to chosen companies. Committee seeks to keep time line progressing. Deliverable: Finalize Scope of Services so plan can be forwarded to Purchasing. 5. Cowiche Canyon Bob D. set up meeting for February 24th at 11:00 with himself, Scott S., two representatives with Cowiche Canyon Conservancy (CCC), four representatives with Perteet, Phil M., and Neil M. Yakima Public Works director Scott S. is working to partner Cowiche Canyon Conservancy to design maintenance agreement. It is important to be good neighbors and build goodwill and rapport with residents along the path, as well as, all future community users. Phase 1 work to proceed this year, and Phase 2 is slated for 2021. Phil M and Neil M. met with CCC and William O'Douglas last week. Our discussion focused on questions to be asked, one of those questions regarded SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act), with regards to who requests and who processes the request and would the request include both Phase 1 and Phase 2. Another question for discussion is 'RIGHT OF WAY' legalities. Can that be research with city legal staff before February 24th meeting? This committee along with William O'Douglas and the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy would like to see the path along the railroad right of way rather than alongside the road. Bob D. clarifies that the intended pathway will be off road along the alignment of the railroad way; however, unforeseen issues can be raised. Phil M. indicates that at the February meeting discussion will focus on what kind of legal overview is needed, city legal or outside legal sources. Deliverable: Report relevant to February 24th meeting. 6. Call for Project List Call for Project Lists come through the state level and federal level such as TIB and Transportation Trust Fund. The Public Works Fund is a grant and a low percentage loan funding source. YVCOG does a ranking process through their Technical Advisory Committee or TAC, which their call for projects are sent out to cities and counties that are part of that membership which taps into federal money that requires a local rank through the Metropolitan Planning Organization. There are no specific time lines. Active Transportation funding is through director of Active Transportation. Safe Routes to School is through the TIB. Funded every other year; however, due to the 1- 976 bill, funding is on hold. Bob D. suggested that Engineering Dept. could draft a list that pertains to BPC as a deliverable. Phase 2 of North First Street project was affected by 1-976. Portion of this phase from 'N' Street south to 'J' Street is being funded by a bond and leftover moneys from TPD license tabs. These projects move forward by utilizing that $200,000.00 for a couple years until another bond for overlays from eight to ten years ago ends then those carryover funds (work for this year Phase 2/2020) replace the 1-976 money that went away. East/West corridor is looking for Federal grants. It is a huge regional project, state moneys have been spent on preliminary design, the roundabout on MLK/Lincoln, Bravo Co. Boulevard all tying into the Saw Mill project and integrate with the DOT and 1-82 schemes. The ongoing complexities of this multifaceted project include looking for available funds, utilizing existing funds, and getting cooperation from private ownership of the Saw Mill, as well as identifying environmental questions; then add in the County portion of this East/West nightmare. The Bicycle Pedestrian Committee's direct interest and overview of funding the East/West Corridor has to do with the design of cross sections of those streets tying into 'H' Street and the pathway that goes from 'H' Street to the Greenway. What is the design status? Bob D. responds and believes the design has been brought up to 7th and 9th streets respectively; however, there have been changes to pathway, incremental changes and so forth. Joan Davenport most likely has the inside track on changes along with the consultants who have been brought in. The committee's question is, who can BPC check in with to verify design as it pertains to pedestrians and bicyclist? Phil M. suggests deliverable for April 2020 meeting, to arrange that someone can meet with us and discuss pertinent design standards. The roundabouts at Fruitvale and River Roads are funded and will begin construction in 2021. There is still work to obtain right of way which is the stall forcing construction during the winter months. The quarterly TIP report will be present to council in February 18tH therefore the TIP will be within the Agenda Packet and members would have access to review. The Phase 2 on Spring Creek Road, a county project, there are some environmental issues of finding land to mitigate the wetlands. County is wanting to move forward this year but questions exist as to whether we can bid or construct. Deliverable: Members take a look at the Bicycle Master Plan for funding sources. 7. Good of the Order Phil M. clarifies and encourages committee because one of the tasks of an oversight committee is to keep a finger on what the city staff is doing. There are multiple projects going on and we can't know the individuals that contributing to those projects, different people/different projects. Our challenge as a committee is knowing at what point to jump in; however, the best time to jump in is before the project gets too far or past the time which our committee can address concerns of design. Future agenda item is the TIP and review of funding as it pertains to the Bicycle Master Plan. We need to look closer at Bicycle Boulevard concepts, bike racks, adding bicycle lanes. Shirley S. mentioned a letter to the editor regarding the criticism of the "green lifestyle" and that those attending a recent forum had indeed all arrived by car and therefore were hypocrites; however, it is difficult not to be a hypocrite when the city focuses strongly on one mode of mobility, that being the car. She believes that this is one important task this committee is doing, diversifying and giving people choice to choose how they move from one point in the city to another. Phil M. adds the main thing we are looking at is removing those obstacles for using other modes of transportation i.e., what are the obstacles to ride the bus or perhaps there are no sidewalks on a certain street to walk up to the store. The obstacles that keep people off the streets is the fear of one mode of transportation which is the vehicle. One of the things I've seen other cities do is put in red light cameras or speed cameras, which is a tough sell here; but observation tells us that speeds gradually inch up and never inch down, and drivers fudge red lights more and more. Enforcement is an interesting situation because you can't have police officers sitting watching red lights all the time when there is a limited capacity in a city our size. We ask police to be everywhere at the same time; therefore, at some point in time you start to talk about red light cameras and speed cameras, it's an option that should be looked at. Shirley S. shares, that is why design of the street is so important. It is the physical and organizational structures of a street that tell people how to be driving. That is what we are working on is design. The design directs people how to interact with each other on those streets. That's why you guys (Engineering and Planning) are important and that's why we thank you for all your energies towards this goal. Because it is a tough one, hard knocks of a car centric city, because, cars and their right to the street appears to be an entitlement. So how does one slow or stop this perception? It is in the structure of our streetscapes. As to committee moving forward, Phil M. lines up the following: ADA Plan Cowiche Canyon Pedestrian Master Plan Matching up Title 12 with the Comprehensive Plan Complete Streets Plan All these put a fair amount on our agenda, it behooves us to spread it out. Deliverable for March 5, 2020 meeting: 1. Review, compare and highlight discrepancies of Title 12 with the 2040 Transportation Plan, the Complete Street Ordinance, and the Bicycle Master Plan. 2. Report from meeting with Bob D. and/or Joseph C. regarding ADA plans. 3. Report from February 24th meeting/Cowiche Canyon 4. Set date with Joan Davenport for April Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee meeting. 5. Members to take a look at Bicycle Master Plan for funding sources/Call for Project List. Motion to adjourn and it was seconded.