Title
Draft Minutes - Transportation Commission Meeting - Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Body
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Alameda City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, Council Chambers
The City allows members of the public to participate in person or remotely via Zoom. For information to assist with Zoom participation, please click: <https://www.alamedaca.gov/zoom>.
Zoom Attendees: 18
Legistar Link (Agenda and Video):
<https://alameda.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1104163&GUID=9FED04D9-8E1E-48AD-92D7-6D46A698E815&Options=info|&Search>=
1. Roll Call
Present: Chair Soules, Vice Chair Yuen and Commissioners Johnson, Kohlstrand, Nachtigall Suthanthira, and Weitze.
Absent: None
2. Agenda Changes
The new order for the regular Agenda Items would be 6A, 6C and then 6B.
A vote was taken and the new order was approved 7-0.
3. 2023-3229 - Staff Communications
Lisa Foster, Senior Transportation Coordinator, made several announcements (*1:19), which are available in detail at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6210589&GUID=5FD9886E-56D6-4E21-B215-AD414E5E422B&FullText=1>.
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator, gave an update on the Estuary Water Shuttle, saying that the summer 2023 pilot will not happen but the 2024-2026 grant-funded pilot will proceed as planned. (*5:30)
4. Announcements / Public Comments
David Niken, via Zoom, discussed (*11:27) a possible blind spot the Vision Zero Plan missed. The intersection of Webster and Buena Vista, he discussed recent accidents at that intersection.
Karen Miller, via Zoom, gave comment on the Grand St Flyers (*13:38). She was curious if all renters and folks in apartments had been notified.
5. Consent Calendar
5A. 2023-3121 - Update on Estuary Water Shuttle Program (Information)
Staff report and attachments can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6210582&GUID=EB462282-F9BC-4C86-A945-655BC6E4013A&FullText=1>
Chair Soules made a motion to approve and Commissioner Kohlstrand seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0,
5B. 2023-3122 - Approve Draft Minutes of the January 25, 2023, Transportation
Commission Meeting (Action)
Commissioner Nachtigall made a motion to approve the minutes and Chair Soules seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0 with Commissioner Kohlstrand abstaining due to her absence at the meeting.
5C. 2023-3123 - Approve Draft Minutes of the February 15, 2023, Transportation
Commission Meeting (Action)
Commissioner Kohlstrand made a motion to approve and Chair Soules seconded. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
5D. 2023 - 3124 - Approve Draft Minutes of the March 22, 2023, Transportation
Commission Meeting (Action)
Commissioner Suthanthira made a motion to approve and Chair Soules seconded. A vote was take and the motion passed 6-0 with Commissioner Nachtigall abstaining due to her absence at the meeting.
6. Regular Agenda Items
6A. 2023-3125 - Review and Endorse Draft Recommendations for Park Street and
Webster Street Commercial Corridor Restriping Plan (Action)
Robert Vance, Deputy Public Works Director, introduced this item and gave a presentation (*22:52). The staff report and attachments can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6210586&GUID=3C30CC6A-C4B1-4CDE-93AB-6360F8B496EA&FullText=1>.
Commissioner clarifying questions start at the 34:38 minute mark.
Public Comment for 6A
Kathy Weber, Executive Director Downtown Alameda, discussed how thankful she was for City Staff’s time. She was very supportive of maintaining the traffic calming design of two lanes (*1:09:04). She said the street felt safer and more pedestrian-friendly.
Karen Miller was opposed to this plan and wanted to return to the original design (*1:12:05).
Jay Garfinkle thought that the city had taken advantage of the pandemic and put into a plan they had been working on for years. He was against this plan. (*1:14:30).
Michael Deed believed that more traffic analysis was needed (*1:17:37), he discussed the issues he had experienced on Webster.
Carmen Reid was against this plan (*1:20:16) she thought it was poorly researched and designed. She was concerned for safety and said parklets that were underused.
Bennett Shatts discussed riding his bike on Webster and Park and how wild it was (*1:22:45). He was supportive of this plan because anything that addressed safety was good. He pointed out that there were many cyclists who used these corridors.
Jim Strehlow was against this plan (*1:23:54) and thought the staff was out of their mind. He said he would sue the city as soon as somebody got hurt. He was concerned about trucks unloading and double parking.
Cyndy Johnson from Bike Walk Alameda gave her full supportive of this plan (*1:25:28). She discussed the many benefits for the neighborhoods. She discussed ways to prevent the blocking of bike lanes.
Alex Spehr had questions about the design (*1:26:35), she gave the suggestion of rumble strips to protect bike lanes from cars and to make parking on Park more expensive. She also liked the idea of making Park St a pedestrian only street. She was supportive of this plan.
David Niken overall supported this plan, he did have some concerns about sections of Webster St (*1:28:55). He did have questions about what this meant long term.
Christy Cannon was in favor of the staff’s proposal (*1:30:45). She discussed her experiences as a pedestrian and a driver. She liked the idea of having a dedicated bike lane and have handicap only parking on Park St.
Action for 6A
Commissioner discussion started at the 1:32:25 minute mark of the video.
Chair Soules made a motion to endorse this proposal with the following conditions (*2:01:39). Staff will provide a plan around travel demand data and as well as public outreach related to the evaluation of these improvements. The final design will need to consider curb management with consideration of the businesses. Adding green thermal plastic paint at the intersections and to check if it’s reasonable to extend to the intersections at Ralph Appezzato Way for Webster. Commissioner Kohlstrand seconded the motion. No vote was taken on this motion.
Commissioner Weitze made a motion to endorse the Draft Recommendations for Park Street and
Webster Street Commercial Corridor Restriping Plan with these amendments: consider green thermal plastic paint in bike lanes and consider short term parking and ADA compliance. Commissioner Kohlstrand seconded the motion. Chair Soules made the amendment of staff providing an evaluation plan that included qualitative and quantitative data and public outreach, and then re-seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 7-0.
6C. 2023-3127 - Update on Bus Stop Bench Installations (Discussion)
Trey Hannula, City of Alameda Climate Fellow, introduced this item and gave a presentation (*2:24:43). The staff report and attachments can be found at
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6210588&GUID=465D223D-8D98-4FB6-BFEC-1DA656CB0B60&FullText=1.
Public Comment for 6C
There were no public speakers.
Action for 6C
Commissioner discussion started at 2:28:44.
This was a discussion item and no action was taken.
6B. 2023-3126 - Discuss Public Electric Vehicle Charging in City-Owned Parking Lots
(Discussion)
Danielle Mieler, Sustainability and Resilience Manager, introduced this item and gave a presentation (*2:37:33). The staff report and attachments can be found at:
<https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6210587&GUID=08FAD5BD-BE22-4155-B598-B7B03156536F&FullText=1>.
Public Comment for 6B
There were no public speakers.
Action for 6B
Commissioner discussion started at 2:47:46.
This was a discussion item and no action was taken.
7. Commission Communications
Commissioner Suthanthira discussed a recent fatal accident (*3:03:15) and said she wanted to hear follow-up from staff.
Commissioner Weitze discussed (*3:05:27) a trolley sponsored by Hangar 1 that took folks around Spirits Alley but now that Hangar 1 was no more, did the city want to do something similar?
Chair Soules discussed important dates for transportation and upcoming meeting dates *2:49:15
8. Adjournment
Chair Soules adjourned the meeting at 9:36 p.m.
*shows minute mark in video to hear comments in full.