TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
Council Chambers,
Minutes
Attendees: Tom Burnham, Eric Heesacker (Chair), Steve Ryan, Julia Sommer,
Colin Swales, Brent Thompson, David Young
Absent: Steve Hauck, Matt Warshawsky
Ex Officio Members: David Chapman, David Wolske
Staff Present: Mike Faught, Jim Olson, Nancy Slocum
I. CALL TO ORDER: 6:02 PM by Chair Eric Heesacker.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Minutes of June 17, 2010 were approved as corrected.
III. PUBLIC FORUM:
No one spoke.
IV. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA:
Item V.B. was amended to read “Discussion on the Need for a 5 E’s Subcommittee.” Sommer noted that “Planning Commission Update” was absent from the agenda. She reported that she had received the agenda and had nothing to report for this month.
Faught asked for questions. Sommer wondered what the TSP’s Technical Review Committee (TRC) was and who was on it. Faught explained that the TRC consisted mainly of internal staff tasked with making any needed technical corrections to the draft TSP chapters received from the consultant (Kittelson and Associates). Heesacker from the Commission and Michael Dawkin from the Planning Commission were appointed as liaisons to the committee. Aside from commission liaisons, the TRC would consist of representatives from City Planning and Public Works Departments, Jackson County, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), the local Metropolitan Policy Organization,
Faught reported that Kittelson expected the update process to be complete by January, 2012. Near term project deliverables consisted of a system inventory, baseline, future conditions, sustainability policies and Chapter 7 tasks.
Staff proposed saving money on the project by eliminating the Commission-only meetings and instead holding joint Transportation and Planning Commission meetings as the means for Commission input. Money could also be saved by removing the requirement to mail citizen surveys to every home in
Motion
Thompson moved to support staff’s money saving proposals including the removal of eight separate Transportation Commission meetings. Ryan seconded the motion.
Discussion
Swales thought a joint meeting could be held with the consultants and a separate meeting held with only staff in attendance. Sommer thought it might be difficult to facilitate eighteen commissioners.
Burnham was confused as to the role of the TRC. Faught explained that the TRC members would be a technical committee versus an advisory or policy group. The TRC would ensure the consultants’ ideas would meet all the different agency regulations. The Commission would then sift through only feasible options. The TRC would not set policy.
Swales noted that Heesacker may have a possible conflict of interest as liaison to the Commission, RVMPO representative and RVCOG representative. Sommer said the Commission liaison should be local while RVCOG and the MPO have regional concerns. Faught noted that Heesacker was appointed by the Commission. Faught saw the roles and points of view similar enough as to not cause a conflict. Heesacker said that both RVCOG and the MPO must be represented and he lived in
Vote
The vote was six to zero with one abstention.
Thompson asked if some policies (eg: sharrows, railroad crossings) be implemented before January, 2012. Faught did not recommend it unless consultant deemed it appropriate. Additionally, funding was not in place.
Young noted that the existing subcommittee could consider the 5 E’s (Engineering; Education; Encouragement; Enforcement; Evaluation) and thought a separate subcommittee unnecessary. The goal was to maintain a balance.
Motion
Swales moved to request staff specifically address the 5 E’s in each their recommendations as stated in staff reports. Burnham seconded the motion.
Young thought addressing the 5 E’s on individual projects was unnecessary, he thought applying them was more of a bigger picture idea.
Vote
Vote was three yes and three no with one abstention. The motion failed to pass.
Sommer thought the motion put an undue strain on staff and was premature. She suggested the Subcommittee take up the subject and present something to the Commission.
Ryan obtained the road closure permit. The event was set for Wednesday, September 22nd. Scheduled events included a street repair event and the Commuter Challenge (renamed to the Change to Transportation Challenge). To date vendors are restricted to agencies. He has asked staff to look into the possibility of businesses selling related items like maps, etc. Ryan asked Commissioners to collect T-Shirts and recruit businesses for the Commuter Challenge. He would email Commissioners details.
Burnham volunteered to organize a mass ride on
Staff presented a list of two year goals the Commission brainstormed at the goal setting retreat, the June 17th Commission meeting and as sent to staff separately over the last few months. The goals and the scores are listed from the highest score to the lowest. The top seven or eight, if feasible, would ultimately be adopted.
Score Goal
74 1. Research options to assist the blind by installing audible signals and standardizing the location of pedestrian crossing buttons at traffic signals;
64 2. Add Central Ashland Bike Path elements to Highway 66 overpass;
60 3. Discuss pros and cons to relocating bike racks from sidewalk to street;
59 4. Research signal detector retrofits to accommodate bike detection;
58 5. Faith Avenue / Highway 66 Intersection improvements;
56 6. Make
56 7. Evaluate delivery vehicle patterns in the downtown core;
55 8. Crosswalk at
41 9. Possible adoption of a 3’ Bicycle/Pedestrian Protection Zone fashioned after
37 10.
36 11. Add railroad crossings for pedestrian access;
21 12. Lobby for DMV test questions regarding “vulnerable roadway users”;
17 13. Making a left from
3 14. Ban left hand turns on red lights onto a one-way road.
Staff was directed to evaluate the top two-year goals in detail for discussion at the August 19th Commission meeting. Prioritization of the first goal would be done in conjunction with the blind community.
Staff asked the Commission to support only one project (downtown audible signals) for the remaining $27,625 Community Development Block Grant funding. This recommendation would not need to go the City Council for approval as this project was one previously recommended.
Motion
Ryan moved to support staff’s recommendation of the downtown audible signal project for CDBG funding. Young seconded the motion.
Vote
The Commission voted six to one in favor of the motion. Motion passed.
Faught began the discussion by noting the definition of a “shared road.” According to Shared-Use Streets - An Application of “Shared Space” to an American Small Town (Gilman and Gilman, 2007) A “Shared-Use Street” or “Shared Road” was defined as a street type that mixed pedes- trians, cyclists and motorists in a low-speed environment and emphasized the community function of a street. Design standards included narrow paved roadways (18 feet); level grass shoulders, a creative gateway treatment, creative intersection treatments, street trees, pedestrian scale street lights, 125’ minimum sight distances, no on-street parking and 20 mph signage.
Young wondered whether the shared road policy could include rural streets wider than 18’. Olson noted that an important feature of a shared road was no on-street parking. Perhaps a wider street with parking on one side (e.g.
Faught asked Commission if the Commission was interested in having the consultant draft a policy. Swales noted examples where shared streets were also used in urban settings and volunteered to provide information to consultants.
Motion and Vote
Sommer moved to have staff direct the TSP consultants (Kittelson and Associates) to draft shared use street and bicycle sharrows policies. Ryan seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
VI. NON ACTION ITEMS
A. MPO Update
Chapman reported on current MPO projects:
· 2008-11 TIP Amendment for RVTD Purchase of Services was approved;
· North-South Travel Demand Study was being revised, record was still open;
· Cascade Sierra Solutions was awarded a CMAQ truck retrofit grant was on hold until completion of investigation.
B. Additional Bicycle Parking on
The Subcommittee met on July 1st and surveyed on and off sidewalk bike parking in a large section of the downtown core. Staff will complete the inventory and bring back recommendations for additional bike parking at a later date.
C. Regional Problem Solving (RPS) Update
Chapman reported that the City Council passed a resolution to the county asking they revise
Swales reminded Chapman that one of
D. Interchange Area Management Plan (IAMP)
ODOT’s IAMP was developed because there would be substantial modifications to the I5 Exit 14 interchange. The plan assessed exiting and potential land use and transportation conditions, opportunities and limitations, identified long-range needs, and identified recommended improvements to the Green Springs Interchange. It identified necessary improvements to the local street network in the vicinity including
VII. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS & COMMISSIONER COMMENTS:
Burnham asked for an update on the signal detector timing at Siskiyou and Sherman. He reported that there was not enough time for a bicycle to cross
VIII. ADJOURN: 8:30 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Slocum, Accounting Clerk I