City of Lawrence

Lawrence – Douglas County Bicycle Advisory Committee

April 20, 2015 Minutes

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Lisa Hallberg, Erin Paden, Bill Anderson, Jim MacMurray, Rod Hernandez, Justin Eddings, Jacki Becker, David Hamby

MEMBERS ABSENT:

Dan Ashley

STAFF PRESENT:

Stephen Mason, Carol Fittell, Todd Girdler, Rebecca Garza

PUBLIC PRESENT:

Tom Peters, Jenon Amin

 

1.   Call Meeting to Order and Introductions

The meeting was called to order at 5:03 p.m. A quorum was present and introductions were made.

 

2.   Action Item: Approval of the February 17th Minutes and the March 16th Meeting Notes

A motion to approve the February minutes as presented  was moved by Bill Anderson, seconded by Jim MacMurray  and passed unanimously. Since the March meeting did not have a quorum and no actions were taken the BAC did not approve those notes and accepted them without comment. Todd Girder corrected the typo found in Carlos’ name.   

 

3.   Discussion/Action Item: Safe Routes to School Proposed Routes

Rebecca Garza introduced herself as staff from the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department who was working with Jessica Mortinger and others to draft a SRTS Plan for Lawrence. She presented the first draft of the SRTS routes to the BAC for review and comment. She noted that staff has received comments from parents representing sixteen schools so far, and those include SRTS comments as well as some comments about traffic and traffic calming issues. Ms. Garza informed the BAC that this SRTS effort will go to Eudora in 2016 to draft a plan there too.

 

Bill Anderson voiced an opinion that if we plan SRTS well and make those happen so kids can bike and walk to schools then the BAC will get much of the bicycling improvements that they want in Lawrence. David Hamby explained that this SRTS map and the Bike Rideability Map and the Bikeway System Map will have some overlap, but they all serve different purposes so they will not be the same. Tom Peters asked about SRTS routings for getting kids to school bus stops and how kids riding the bus to school would benefit from this planning. Todd Girdler noted that the focus of SRTS planning is for kids to walk or bike the whole way to school, but we will look at bus stop locations too. The group asked about crossing guards and asked who paid for them. Bill Anderson and David Hamby noted that they are paid by the city and managed by the Police Department. Carol Fittell asked about walking school buses. Rebecca Garza noted that walking school buses and bike trains will both be a part of the SRTS plan. She also explained that some schools are doing more than others with SRTS and that he schools will be grouped into three ties based on how many SRTS things they do. Erin Paden agreed that if we do SRTS well it will be safer for everyone, and then she asked how the SRTS routes were drawn. Rebecca Garza explained that the routes were drafted based primarily on student density, school area boundaries, and parent comments. The group noted issues with arterial crossings for kids attending Shwegler Elementary and West Middle School. Rod Hernandez asked if there are children living at the Community Shelter and how do they get to school. Lisa Hallberg noted that they are bused to school form that location. Jacki Becker and Justin Eddings asked about the south end of the Haskell Trail and Haskell Avenue and how that will be used in the SRTS Plan, and asked if there was a way to get across the Haskell campus to improve east-west movement of children to South Middle School. Bill Anderson noted that the new President of Haskell University wants to integrate the campus into the community and may be receptive to some SRTS ideas. Lisa Hallberg noted that there is private property along the line between Prairie Park Elementary and South Middle School that will also need to be crossed for a direct route. Bill Anderson and Stephen Mason asked if we could get the bike cops involved with riding along with the SRTS bike trains. The group thought that was a good idea especially as the trains get organized and started. Stephen Mason noted that he went to Sunflower Elementary and he thought the routes drafted are good ones for that school. Todd Girdler told the BAC members to get their comments to Jessica Mortinger who will collect them and discuss them with the rest of the SRTS work team.

 

4.   Discussion/Action Item: Bob Billings Safety Group Report

Todd Girdler presented this item to the BAC for review and comment. He noted that there are issues with the land use pattern and roadway access to some of the residential subdivisions along this roadway. He noted that many of the issues are related to the fact that some of the subdivisions only have one point of access to the arterial road (Bob Billings Parkway) making those subdivisions functionally one large cul-de-sac. He also noted that Bob Billings Parkway was planned and built to be an arterial road carrying much more traffic than it does now, and it was planned with a future connection to K-10. David Hamby discussed several things that could be done to address the speeding problem raised by the Bob Billings Safety Group. He noted that new traffic signals and roundabouts could be installed, and noted that some improvements are scheduled for later this year. However, this arterial road will see large increases in traffic when it serves as a connection between K-10 and US-59/Iowa Street.

 

Chairperson Lisa Hallberg noted the correspondence from the Bob Billings Parkway Safety Group that was included in the agenda packet and asked BAC members if they had any comments on that list of concerns.

 

BAC members made several comments about the bike lanes on this roadway being interrupted-not continuous, not buffered with 50 mph car traffic next to them, and now in poor condition. The BAC members commented that the bikeways in this corridor need to be considered when all future road improvements are designed and built.

 

Bill Anderson asked about the crossings of this arterial and what could be done to improve those. Carol Fittell noted that the idea of a tunnel now used for water to be converted for a pathway undercrossing to DeVictor Park has been studied, but it is not a simple or inexpensive change and has several issues. Some median pedestrian refuge areas could possibly be designed and added to the corridor so the pedestrians could cross one side of the road at a time. Improving bike and pedestrian features along this roadway will be addressed as this corridor is improved and maintained.

 

Lisa Hallberg asked the members what they wanted to do with this report. Bill Anderson said that we should thank them for this thorough report and tell then we will use it in future planning work for this corridor. Jim MacMurray suggested that we mention the three summary items in the letter sent with the report in responding to the safety group and tell them we will consider how to address those items (active and passive measures to decrease vehicular speed, improved access at the numerous residential intersections, safe crossings and usage for pedestrians and bicyclists). The BAC members agreed to have the Chair, Lisa Hallberg, draft a response letter and bring it to next month’s meeting for review by the group.

 

5.   Other Business/ Updates

 

·         Earth Day- South Park - Follow-up

Lisa Hallberg noted that most BAC members were at this event and it was a great event where the BAC handed out many notes about the safety study being conducted by Carlos Patino. Jacki Becker noted that she had comments from international students that told her the Bike Rideability Map was helpful.

 

·         Lawrence Helmet & Bicycle Safety Fair - KU Parking Lot 91 east of Memorial Stadium - Saturday, April 25th -11:00 -1:00pm – Flyer Attached

Lisa Hallberg noted that the event will not be at its former location but at a new location this year near the KU Stadium. She noted that it will run from 10AM to 1PM and include a bike giveaway.

 

·         Baldwin City - Community Wellness Festival -Collins Gym, Baker Campus

Saturday, April 18th 9:00am-Noon

Todd Girdler informed the BAC that he staffed the events in Eudora on March 28th and the one in Baldwin City on April 18th. At both events only a few people took the pedestrian survey on paper but many people took cards so they could fill-out the survey online. Most of the people who talked to Todd were parents of grade school children, and they were very concerned with the condition and lack of sidewalks in their neighborhoods.

 

Bill Anderson noted that Lecompton had a bike event this year too with the Sunflower State Games-Team Time Trial Championship held there on April 11th.  The City was very helpful with this event and provided a building for the group to use. The Octoginta Time Trial is being scheduled for October in Lecompton.

 

·         Bike Month- Lisa Hallberg told the group that posters will be printed by Jessica Mortinger and distributed to BAC members soon. Rebecca Garza said that two schools, Pinckney and Langston Hughes will participate in bike to School Day.

 

Stephen Mason informed the group that all sixteen slots for the League of American Bicyclists Safe Cycling Course are filled now. He also told the group that he has completed the course and is now a League Certified – Safe Cycling Instructor.    

 

6.   Public Comments

Jenon Amin told the group that she is from Lebanon and noticed the sidewalks here in Lawrence are narrow. 

 

7.   Adjournment of Meeting and Announcement of Next Meeting

The meeting ended at 6:13 PM. The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for May 18th, 2015 at 5PM.