CALL TO ORDER: 6:02pm

Commissioners Present: Mark Brouillard, Joe Graf, Corinne Vičville, Linda Peterson-Adams, Katharine Danner, Derrick Claypool-Barnes, Holly Christiansen

Commissioners Not Present: None

Council Liaison Present: Paula Hyatt

Staff Present: Scott Fleury, Elizabeth Beckerich, Steve MacLennan

Guests Present: Amy Gunter, Gary Shaff

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chair Peterson-Adams mentions the City Council approved the Intergovernmental Agreement with ODOT for installation of the crosswalks on North Main Street. The project is out to bid.

The Commission Coordination Group met and will meet again in January to discuss communication with Council and other Commissions. They will also develop a schedule for promoting particular commissions work. Peterson-Adams will specifically work toward promoting Vision Zero and the TSP.

The Transportation Commission welcomes Joseph Lessard, who will start as the new city manager on January 3rd, 2022.

CONSENT AGENDA
Peterson-Adams requested one correction to the last paragraph of the November Minutes. Requested it say “criteria should include any Capitol Improvement Programs”.
Danner motioned to approve the minutes. Claypool-Barnes seconded. All approved.

PUBLIC FORUM
Letters were submitted to the Commission and included in the packet for this month, but no members of the public present for this meeting. Peterson-Adams thanks everyone who writes into the Transportation Commission.

CRASH REPORT
Officer Steve MacLennan presented on crashes in the area. There was one pedestrian crash and one bicycle crash, as well as multiple vehicle crashes.
The pedestrian crash happened when a vehicle was pulling out of a shopping center and stopped on a pedestrian’s feet. The pedestrian sustained injuries to their feet.
The bicycle crash happened when a bicyclist didn’t stop or slow to cross the street on the bike path at Walker Avenue and they collided with a vehicle. The bicyclist sustained a broken femur.
Peterson-Adams stated that she would like to get the word out to citizens about reporting near-misses or traffic related incidents not otherwise reported to police either by calling the police department or any other department that would be able to take the calls/data. Discussion was had amongst commissioners about the near misses that they have been witnessing.

NEW BUSINESS
A. 110 Benson Way Type III Annexation
Amy Gunter with Rogue Planning presented a request to annex 1100 Benson Way that is currently zoned as rural residential in Jackson County to an industrial zoned property within city limits. The property would include a multi-phase industrial business complex, shared vehicular access from the legal easement, sidewalk and frontage improvements, and utility installations. Sidewalks would conform to city standards. A traffic study will be done after the holidays. The commission discussed the length of the sidewalks as well as possibility for electric vehicle parking at length. No commissioners objected to the annexation.

B.   Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking
Gary Shaff presented a letter that the Climate Policy Commission plans to submit to City Council that will then be submitted to the Land Conservation and Development Commission and the Oregon Transportation Commission. The letter requests an amendment to the Transportation Planning Rule (TPR) previously written in 1991 to be updated to include the realities of climate change and modify the draft rule to include the requirement for municipalities to plan for separated bike facilities on arterial and collector streets. Shaff requested the support of the Ashland Transportation Commission for this letter. The Council still needs to approve the letter before it will be sent to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development.

The Transportation Commission discussed the repercussions of the letter’s submittal with respect to actions defined in the TSP not fully implemented to date. The wording of the letter was also discussed as well as possibility of correcting the letter, which was deemed to be unfeasible due to time constraints and approvals from other commissions and the letter was already slated for Council approval on December 21st.

Danner motioned that the letter be submitted as is. The motion was not approved. The letter will be sent without the approval of the Transportation Commission.

OLD BUSINESS
A.   Traffic Calming Program
Graf motioned to accept the current draft of the Traffic Calming Program. Danner seconded. All ayes, motion passed.

Fleury will upload the Traffic Calming Program to the city website, and once city staff is 
available information will be sent in mailers, and letters will be sent to previous applicants 
asking them to resubmit plans.

B.   Parking Program
Fleury is working with the city Legal Department to clarify the language in Ashland Municipal Code (AMC) about parking downtown and in the historic district. As it stands the AMC does not detail the time restrictions for block face parking in order to re-park along the same block face. The goal is to get the AMC to reflect that with block face parking one cannot return to the parking area more than once within the same 24-hour period. The Commission discussed the time associated with changing out signs that reflect the change, and whether or not current signage was sufficient or if they should remove the signage all together. It was decided by the commission that the discussion would continue during the next Transportation Commission meeting.

FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS
2022 In-Person Meeting Discussion
Planning Department Presentation
Crosswalk Policy

ADJOURNMENT: @ 8:04pm

Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Beckerich, Office Assistant II
**Full Video Available by Request**