ASHLAND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
January 20, 2022
CALL TO ORDER:
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
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Construction began on the evacuation onramp on I-5 last week. The project is being performed by the city and by ODOT.
Transit Equity Day is February 4 which is also Rosa Parks’ birthday. RVTD buses will have posters but otherwise no other events planned. Ashland Climate Action Project is working with the Social Equity and Racial Justice Commission to have an in person event next year.
Fleury has been working with Samuel Bogdanove, the Superintendent for the Ashland School District, to move forward in developing a Safe Routes to School Plan and to try to obtain a grant for the program. The Safe Routes To School Program allows for planning grants applications. The application for grants opens February 1st and all grant requests are due by March 18th. Fleury anticipates bringing a proposal regarding the grant application to the Transportation Commission next month and then bring before City Council. This process could also open opportunities to obtain capital grant funding for sidewalk improvements.
CONSENT AGENDA
Brouillard motions to approve the December 2021 minutes. Christiansen seconds. All approved.
PUBLIC FORUM
Amy Gunter was present to encourage the Transportation Commission to do whatever it takes to begin the updates to the Transportation Systems Plan. The current plan is from October 2012. Due to the projects proposed in the TSP, the Planning Department has been unable to approve projects for adjacent property owners. One such project in the TSP that’s causing issues is R9 which is for a roundabout at OR 66/ Oak Knoll Drive/ East Main Street, which is preventing property owners Doug and Becky Newman from completing a development on their property. Gunter reiterated that her intention for speaking at this meeting was to urge the Transportation Commission to update the TSP as soon as possible.
Peterson-Adams responded that the update was expected the last couple of years but was delayed due to COVID twice, however the Transportation Commission is now applying for funding through ODOT to complete more projects.
Gunter went on to state that the decision makers are bound by Council-adopted documents and it puts them in a position where they are stuck and unable to approve development proposals. Peterson-Adams responded that the Transportation Commission also would like to get the TSP updated and that their hands are tied as well. Graf stated that it is possible to amend the TSP.
CRASH REPORT
The commission discussed the crash report numbers. Brouillard noted that the City of Ashland’s reportable crash numbers did not match up with the State of Oregon’s numbers, and that the city had more than the state. Fleury stated that accidents outside of the right-of-way may not be reflected in state reports. Also, accidents reported in the city may not meet the state’s standard for minimum amount of damage for it to count toward the state total.
Officer MacLennan reported that there were 14 crashes in December 2021. Two involved pedestrians and one involved a bicyclist. The first one involving a pedestrian happened at the Siskiyou Boulevard and Ashland Street intersection and happened because a motorist went to turn right but didn’t see the pedestrian in the crosswalk and accidentally struck them. The second accident happened at the Clay Street overpass and happened because a car slid across the road due to ice and another motorist stopped to help them, but then another vehicle coming over the overpass didn’t see them and struck a car and a pedestrian. The third accident involved a bicyclist being hit by a drunk driver on Siskiyou Boulevard. All victims in these incidents are expected to be okay.
NEW BUSINESS
A. February 2022 Council Report
Peterson-Adams requested that commissioners send her ideas they may have to help explain the updating of the TSP. Peterson-Adams stated that their charge is to advise council to engage citizens to help make the city safe for all people, and to make transportation safe for all ages and abilities and all modes of travel.
Graf stated that the commission should have more discussion about CEAP before it’s presented to council. Graf also stated that the part about being people-centric and not auto-centric should be taken out.
Brouillard reminded Peterson-Adams that fire access is going to be a prevalent topic.
B. Subcommittee Formation for Bike and Pedestrian Safety Data
Christiansen stated that the purpose of the subcommittee would be to talk about unreported accidents and near-miss incidents, and what improvements could be made to prevent these types of accidents. This would also include updating and enhancing crash maps and making reporting those types of accidents easier for people. The subcommittee will also talk about outreach and how to get the word out about reporting.
Brouillard stated that the other idea of the subcommittee is to gather data to find problematic spots in town and to use that data to support other Transportation Commission projects.
Fleury stated that the city’s GIS specialist told him that there is a way to make that data more accessible for public consumption, and possibly a way to make a map that citizens can report on where they would state what happened at a specific location, and they could include some survey questions as well. This system could also tie into Ashland Police/Fire Departments’ systems. The commission will need to look into how to market this.
Vičville motioned to establish the subcommittee whose main charge will be to establish a system to collect bike and pedestrian safety data such as near misses. Danner seconded. Peterson-Adams moved to amend the motion to include that the members of the subcommittee will be Brouillard, Christiansen, and Vičville. Danner seconded the amendment. Amendment and motion approved.
The purpose and intention of the subcommittee was discussed at length.
OLD BUSINESS
A. Parking Program
Fleury stated there had been a multi-modal parking study done in 2013-2014 and various recommendations were made, but the Transportation Commission now needs to decide what will be prioritized and what the needs are.
Peterson-Adams states that one proposal to handle parking on First Street was to give residents of First Street a parking permit and change the signage. Graf stated that the situation should be left as is or the residents should be given permits, but he is not in favor of reserved parking spaces on the street.
Claypool Barnes motioned to remove two-hour parking from entire area. Danner seconded the motion for discussion.
The motion was discussed at length. Brouillard was in favor of the signs being removed in the residential areas but the not the business areas. Graf stated that he does not believe there is enough data to support either decision, but that signs at least need to be left up on First Street. Officer MacLennan pointed out that a lack of timed parking could cause transients with vehicles to park on those streets for extended periods of time.
Peterson-Adams requested a vote on removing all ‘2 Hour Parking’ signs on A Street and First Street. More nays than ayes. Motion did not pass.
Brouillard motioned to remove the two-hour signage on the east side of First Street between A Street and B Street. Danner seconded the motion. All commissioners except Graf agreed. Motion approved.
Graf stated his opposition was due to concern that residents or workers in the area will take up parking near businesses for 8 or more hours, leaving less spaces for shoppers.
The issue of collecting data during COVID and what merit that data would have was discussed, as well as how surveying the parking areas works and how definitions such as “parking stall” are decided. The commission also discussed what the goals in the area should be, and what level of community involvement there needs to be to make that decision.
Peterson-Adams asked the group if they want to put diagonal parking and a protected bike lane on B Street or not. Fleury stated that more surveying of the area and a new layout of what that would look like needs to be done first. Brouillard provided the commission with statistics on the amount of 15 minute parking spaces and loading zones in the downtown corridor. Graf stated that one-way street signage could be considered for A street and B Street. Fleury agreed that that could be discussed and put into the TSP.
Vičville raised the question of how many ADA spots there are and how that number is decided, and Fleury stated that it depends on the amount of non-ADA spaces and is typically enforced by the building code, but it could be different in a right-of-way.
B. Capital Improvement Program – Transportation Projects Updates
Peterson-Adams stated that the list provided by Fleury in the packet for this month’s meeting will be used in presentation to City Council.
Fleury informed the group that the street painting for bike projects will be done by this fall. The type of paint being used was discussed briefly.
Peterson-Adams brought up two large projects coming up that will impact the transportation projects – the Ashland Street project and the North Mountain project. The North Mountain project in particular is expected to impact the transportation systems in the area.
Vičville brought up the possibility of amending the TSP as mentioned earlier in the discussion with Amy Gunter. The group then further looked at the plans for the roundabout proposed for the intersection of OR 66/ Oak Knoll Drive/ East Main. Fleury stated that he believes the slope of that area will not allow for a roundabout. Peterson-Adams suggested a conditional use permit could be used to get development projects going, and that the group can work with the planning department so that further projects can move forward. Fleury stated that he thinks the realignment project on OR 66 and Oak Knoll Drive is still necessary, as well as a speed reduction treatment.
C. Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking
Hyatt thanked the Transportation Commission for their feedback at last month’s meeting regarding the letter that was proposed to be sent to the state regarding a request to amend the Transportation Planning Rule. Hyatt stated that the commissions feedback was heard, and Hyatt was able to work with the liaison for the other commissions involved to make some changes to the letter. The letter passed unanimously with City Council and will be sent to the state.
FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS
A. 2022 In-Person Meeting Discussion
B. Planning Department Presentation
C. Crosswalk Policy
ADJOURNMENT: @ 8:01pm
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Beckerich, Office Assistant II
**Full Video Available by Request**
