Title
Draft Meeting Minutes - December 3, 2018
Body
DRAFT MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
CITY OF ALAMEDA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018
Chair Miley convened the meeting at 7:00pm.
1. ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Miley, Commissioners Hans, Johnson, Palmer, Nachtigall, Soules.
Absent: Commissioner Nearn
2. AGENDA CHANGES
Staff Member Wikstrom asked to pull Item 5-B for the time being.
3. ANNOUNCEMENTS/PUBLIC COMMENT
Staff Member Payne read the announcements listed in the agenda. <https://alameda.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx>
Jim Strehlow said that he was recently travelling westbound on Buena Vista near Wood Middle School when an unattended seven year old darted in front of him and caused him to fall off his bicycle. He advocated for more education programs to prevent this behavior. He said there is not a good reason for the meeting to be held tonight instead of its traditional 4th Wednesday time slot.
Chair Miley said he was glad Mr. Strehlow and the seven year old were not hurt. He said scheduling conflicts led to the meeting date.
Commissioner Nachtigall reported on her participation in the recent Transportation Awareness Campaign Advisory committee. She said the meeting was well attended by stakeholders. She said their goal went beyond awareness and the goal is behavioral change. She said they figured out a scope, budget estimate, and work schedule.
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
4-A 2018-6219
Draft Meeting Minutes - September 26, 2018
Commissioner Soules made a motion to approve the minutes. Commissioner Palmer seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0-1 (Johnson abstained.)
5. NEW BUSINESS
5-A 2018-6271
Recommendation to Approve Interim Main Street Striping Plan
Staff Member Wikstrom gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3760863&GUID=29DE963A-62EC-4E90-B019-0B7972B1A813&FullText=1>
Commissioner Nachtigall asked how the changes would look at the Bay Ship entrance during shift change.
Staff Member Wikstrom said that if there was a queue of cars entering the Bay Ship property it could cause a small backup on the westbound lane.
Commissioner Soules asked how long the project would take to complete once started.
Staff Member Wikstrom said it would take less than two weeks to complete. He added that the project will cost less than $100,000 and can be completed with already allocated funds.
Commissioner Soules asked for more details about potential traffic impacts and analysis.
Staff Member Wikstrom said the level of service analysis showed that the change would be acceptable. He said the cars currently waiting behind left turning vehicles are already delayed. He said the highest 15 minute volumes are about 100 cars. He said the maximum traffic is about 300 cars per hour. He said a single lane intersection can handle 500 cars per hour without problem. He said the number of users of the Main St. terminal will likely decrease when the Seaplane Lagoon terminal opens.
Commissioner Soules asked that in the future the staff reports include details on where the problems get pushed to.
Chair Miley asked if lowering the 35 mile per hour speed limit was considered.
Staff Member Wikstrom said they did not plan to do that at this time. He said they may have more of a basis to reduce the speed limit after the changes are implemented.
Chair Miley asked what percentage of the collisions involved bikes or pedestrians.
Staff Member Wikstrom said that most of the data he looked at were vehicle to vehicle.
Commissioner Hans asked how this would impact the overflow parking near the nursery.
Staff Member Wikstrom said there would be no change to the parking conditions.
Commissioner Palmer said we are using 2017 data here and it seems like ridership is up with the larger boats. She asked what was meant by a “calming effect.”
Staff Member Wikstrom said he thinks of it as cars being in more defined spaces, more organized, with fewer lane changes. He said it also means slowing vehicles because they would not be passing each other.
Commissioner Palmer asked if upgrading path was looked at. She said she did not want to detract from anyone taking the ferry.
Staff Member Wikstrom said they have looked at that. He said there are ped/bike conflicts on the pathway. He said relying on a two way path would also make intersections much more complicated and costly.
Commissioner Palmer said that she is concerned that we are cutting 50% of the capacity for 82% of ferry riders.
Staff Member Wikstrom explained that because of friction from turning movements, the change in capacity is nowhere near 50% in a four to three road diet.
Commissioner Nachtigall reminded staff to consider the vehicles coming and going from Bay Ship when evaluating the traffic impacts, not just ferry riders. She said many of those vehicles turn left at Stargell.
Chair Miley opened the public hearing.
Pat Potter, Bike Walk Alameda and Community Action for Sustainable Alameda. She said she is a timid rider and would not currently ride to the ferry. She said once you provide a straight shot for bicyclists you will see more of them riding to the ferry and encourage the commission to support the plan.
Duane Bellinger said he bikes his daughter to preschoool everyday and then takes a bus to San Francisco where he bikes three miles to work. He said it is too dangerous for him to bike to the Alameda Ferry. He said prioritizing cars for a century has failed. He asked how two lanes help people get to a parking lot with only one turn lane.
Jim Devlin said his seven year old son is entering the cycling world and many of the streets in Alameda are unsafe. He encouraged removing all the free right turns in the corridor.
Brian McGuire, Bike Walk Alameda, thanked staff for a sensible, economical plan. He said it is consistent with already adopted policies. He said it provides great return on investment. He said this plan will make it safer for vehicles leaving Bay Ship. He asked that the Commission give direction to staff to proceed with closing the free right turn at W. Midway if a traffic engineer signs off. He said the choice is obvious.
Chair Miley closed the public hearing.
Chair Miley asked if a further detailed design could be brought back to their next meeting.
Staff Member Wikstrom said the detailed design would not change the response to the questions regarding the traffic analysis. He said he would just represent the EIR and already approved policies.
Chair Miley said he thinks addressing potholes along with the striping project.
Commissioner Palmer asked when Seaplane Lagoon terminal would open.
Staff Member Wikstrom said it is targeted for February 2020.
Commissioner Soules said she would be looking for a supplemental staff report more than a more detailed design. She said she did not want to reopen the master plan, but that the information helps the traveling public understand where things fit in the pipeline. She said there is no tangible data showing that people would make the mode shift. She asked for more information on the potential impacts of queueing. She said people do not understand what “level of service being adequate” means and that it could mean a missed ferry for people who were not engaged. She suggested a public awareness effort for the captive audience on the ferry.
Commissioner Nachtigall suggested reaching out to the ferry riders to inform them. She said there is value in the safety aspects of the project but most ferry riders were unaware of the potential changes.
Commissioner Palmer said the fact that there is an existing path is amazing and it seems like a win win if we value safety to invest in the pathway.
Staff Member Wheeler said the western path on Main St. was pretty deficient. She said she is looking into grant funding to bring the path up to standards in the Master Infrastructure Plan. She said the cost would be several million dollars over the same corridor. She said that the grant process will be a multiple year process.
Commissioner Johnson said this is an interim change and does not preclude action in the future.
Chair Miley said he is supportive of this project. He said the west end needs more bike facilities. He said he could use more info to understand potential unintended consequences.
Commissioner Soules said it was more of a transparency issue in gathering and distributing documents of the planning work that has already been done, not asking for additional staff time to do new analysis.
Staff Member Wikstrom said our traffic engineer has been on medical leave, which has hampered ability to put some of the requested information together. He said he would not be looking to do new analysis, and would gather information from the analysis done with the previously completed EIR. He said that work and decision making about making the road a three lane road has already been vetted and completed, which is part of why he did not include it in the presentation.
Commissioner Palmer said she would be willing to make a motion to bring the item back after getting more information on level of service impacts, outreach to ferry riders, and details on potential mode shift expectations. She said that given the short term nature of the project, and that it is the rainy season she said it might not have much impact to delay. She said she did not want to have a bunch of ferry riders miss their boat one day because nobody was aware of the changes.
Staff Member Wikstrom said they can and will provide information at WETA and to ferry riders before construction occurs. He said they could also add changeable message signs.
Chair Miley asked how quickly they would move to implementation if they approved the project tonight.
Staff Member Wikstrom said they would add it to their on call striping contract and look to complete it within three months.
Commissioner Johnson made a motion to approve the project with the addition to provide outreach to the ferry riders ahead of the work and adding pothole repair to the corridor in conjunction with the striping plan. Commissioner Hans seconded the motion. Commissioner Nachtigall asked that the motion include outreach to the Bay Ship staff. Commissioner Johnson accepted the amendment.
Commissioner Palmer asked what advanced notice all of the public had. She asked if the community has been properly notified about what was planned.
Commissioner Soules said the project is good and feasible, and her problem was just with the process. She said she thinks the safety concerns warrant moving the project forward.
Chair Miley asked to amend the motion to add direction to staff to evaluate the free right turns and bring that back to the commission when appropriate. Commissioner Johnson accepted the amendment. The motion passed 6-0.
5-B 2018-6272
Recommendation to Adopt Minor Revisions to the Street Sections in Alameda Point Master Infrastructure Plan and the Main Street Neighborhood Specific Plan
Chair Miley reminded everyone that the item has been postponed. He said he would call the public speaker who wished to speak on that item and opened the public hearing.
Jim Strehlow referred to Orion Street at Oriskany where Williams Sonoma is. He said he does not understand how the sidewalk with street trees would fit in with the loading work they do there. He said there are other businesses along Orion that park perpendicularly and would lose parking under the proposed designs.
Chair Miley closed the public hearing.
5-C 2018-6273
Recommendation to Accept an Update on the April 2, 2018 and May 1, 2018 Referrals from Council Member Matarrese to Consider Banning Motorized Vehicles, Including Robotic Commercial Vehicles, from Sidewalks and Commercial Drone Aircraft Used for Deliveries; and Electric Scooters. (Public Works 310)
Staff Member Wikstrom gave a presentation on robotic commercial vehicles and commercial drones used for deliveries. The staff report and attachment can be found at: <https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3760637&GUID=F59C01F8-AD77-4431-A792-90C2A8FD47A0&FullText=1>
Chair Miley asked if there had been any operation of sidewalk robotic delivery vehicles yet in Alameda.
Staff Member Wikstrom said there was one report which helped lead to the referral but nothing widespread.
Commissioner Soules asked if a ban was the only way to establish the requirement of a permit.
Staff Member Wikstrom said the challenge would be trying to establish a permit for something you do not yet understand. He continued his presentation.
Staff Member Wheeler gave a presentation on electric scooters.
Chair Miley asked if pilot programs in other cities require the companies to fund education for teen riders.
Staff Member Wheeler said she is unsure of that specific. She said in Oakland they were sure to charge fees that the city could use to address concerns.
Commissioner Palmer asked where scooters are supposed to operate.
Staff Member Wheeler said they are to operate in the road like bicycles.
Commissioner Hans asked if electric bicycles had been deployed in the city.
Staff Member Wheeler said they have not been deployed. She said staff are looking at that also.
Chair Miley opened the public hearing.
Marty Fatool, Bird, said they would like to work with the city on an interim operating agreement and not wait a year for a pilot program to be developed. He shared some emails from residents that were sent to the City Council. He said that adding scooters in Alameda would be extremely beneficial and looks forward to continuing to be a partner with Alameda.
Brian McGuire, Bike Walk Alameda, said we need to try new things because what we have been doing has not worked. He said everyone is looking for options and these take up no space compared to cars and are efficient.
Chair Miley closed the public hearing.
Commissioner Palmer asked if we have other cities that we can learn from for our pilot.
Staff Member Wheeler said that we would look to our neighbors for examples of what works best.
Commissioner Soules asked why these items were grouped together.
Staff Member Wheeler said that this is how the City Council referral was delivered to staff.
Chair Miley said scooters are a last mile solution. He said waiting a year for something is a long time. He said he does not support a ban on scooters. He said he supported the staff recommendation to take a wait and see approach on the drone questions.
Commissioner Johnson agreed that a year is a long time to wait. He said he mostly hears complaints about them being parked on the sidewalk and suggested finding ways to mitigate that problem.
Chair Miley made a motion to approve the staff recommendation on robotic delivery vehicles and drone aircraft. He moved that the recommendation on scooters be amended with direction to accelerate the permitting program in the next four months.
Commissioner Soules suggested adding the curb management tools available for finding places to park the scooters.
Chair Miley added Commissioner Soules’ direction to his motion. Commissioner Soules seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
6. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
6-A Quarterly Report on Activities Related to Transportation Policies and Plans
Staff Member Payne said this item would be folded into the January meeting item on the annual report. She said there may be a need to add a special meeting in February to handle some of the needed items.
6-B Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items
1. Transportation Choices Plan and Housing Element Update and Next Steps
2. Transportation Management Association Annual Reports
3. Alameda County Transportation Commission Capital Improvement Program Grant Submittals
4. West End Ferry Terminal Service and Access
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS/PUBLIC COMMENT
Jim Strehlow said he did not see the previous meeting’s minutes scheduled for approval. He said the minutes did not include his comments regarding the need to register his bike, the fact that Lime bikes do not have permits, and that the fire department is charging $5 for permits when the municipal code states permits cost $2. He reiterated his objection to the meeting not being held on the 4th Wednesday as scheduled. He said it is wrong to hold the meeting at other times.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Miley adjourned the meeting at 8:07pm.