{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 1, "text": "Transportation Commission Special Meeting Minutes\nWednesday September 28, 2016\nCommissioner Michele Bellows called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:00 p.m.\n1.\nRoll Call\nRoll was called and the following was recorded:\nMembers Present:\nMichele Bellows (Chair)\nEric Schatmeier (Vice Chair)\nMichael Hans\nGregory Morgado\nThomas G. Bertken\nSamantha Soules\nChristopher Miley\nMembers Absent:\nJesus Vargas\nStaff Present:\nJennifer Ott, Base Reuse and Transportation Planning Director\nShahram Aghamir, City Engineer\nGail Payne, Transportation Coordinator\nRochelle Wheeler, Transportation Planner\n2.\nAgenda Changes\nNone.\n3.\nAnnouncements. / Public Comments\nJim Strehlow, Alameda resident, stated that he attended the Pleasanton Transportation\nCommission meeting and they have 70 miles of bicycle lanes and more in progress that is being\ndiscussed and he gave them three suggestions on three different corridors. So, he's not just\ngiving Alameda TC suggestions. He noticed frequently that pedestrians and walking dogs when\nthey are coming to corners, they are not stopping and looking at intersections he wondered what\nkind of education campaign that is needed. He is seeing this almost daily and he is wondering if\nthat is creating angst amongst everyone like motorists and bicyclists alike.\nCommissioner Bellows asked Jim Strehlow is talking about uncontrolled intersections.\nPage 1 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 2, "text": "Jim Strehlow replied ones that where there are stop signs and pedestrians are supposed to stop\nand look at both ways. Even at controlled intersections, they have to look at both ways.\n3.A. Commissioner Schatmeier Appreciation of Service Resolution\nCommissioner Bellows stated Commissioner Schatmeier was a wonderful asset to the\ntransportation Commission. She read the appreciation of service resolution.\nCommissioner Miley replied that he feels it will be a lost to the Commission and he hopes the TC\nhears from him especially about issues that he is passionate about.\n3.B. Samantha Soules - New Commissioner Introduction\nCommissioner Soules stated that she is excited to serve on the Transportation Commission\nresident of 4 years in Alameda and 12 years professional experience in transportation field\nexperience consultant called Atkins based in San Francisco and she has worked with a number of\nDepartment of Transportation agencies across the United States including transportation mobility\nand civil infrastructure.\n3.C. Shahram Aghamir - New City Engineer Introduction\nShahram Aghamir, Alameda City Engineer, stated that he has been here for 5 months now and\nit's an honor to be here for a debut presence at the TC and he has 30 years of experience in civil\nengineering and used to work for Caltrans, City and County of San Francisco and Oakland and\nmain background is the public sector. He looks forward to working on the challenges facing the\ncity.\n3.D. Walk and Roll to School Day: Wednesday, October 5\n3.E. Transit/TDM Plan Community Workshop: Wednesday, October 19, 6:30 pm, Mastick\nSenior Center\n3.F. Transportation Commission Meeting: Wednesday November 16, 7 pm\n4.\nConsent Calendar\n4.A. Approve Revised Meeting Minutes - March 23, 2016\n4.B. Approve Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2016\nCommissioner Miley moved to approve the revised March 23, 2016 and May 25, 2016 minutes.\nCommissioner Bertken seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0.\nPage 2 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 3, "text": "5.\nNew Business\n5.A. Election of Vice Chair\nCommissioner Bertkens moved to vote for Commissioner Miley as Vice Chair. Commissioner\nHans seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0.\n5.B. Review Formation of Citywide Transportation Planning Division\nJennifer Ott, Director of Base Reuse and Transportation Planning, presented the report.\nCommissioner Bellows stated that it was a linear thinking move to her and it makes sense.\nCommissioner Bertken asked about the staff transportation vision\nJennifer Ott stated that she will be the director of transportation planning and there will be an\nadministrative assistant, Ashley Ziba, Gail Payne full-time employee as a Transportation\nCoordinator and Rochelle Wheeler who is a part-time employee and consultants. As we move\ninto the 2-year budget cycle there will be more discussion on what our work load entails and how\nthat coordinates with the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) with Public Works and that will be\na very public and open discussion.\nCommissioner Bellows replied it is great to see the list of projects they are working on.\nCommissioner Miley replied that is a great move for the City staff in terms of coordination and\nlarger cities they link land use and transportation planning. He wants to see the collaboration\nwith the other departments and when the 2 year CIP overview comes up we have both planning\nand implementation side come in.\n5.C. Approve the Draft Project List for the Alameda County Transportation Commission Call\nfor Projects\nStaff Payne presented the report.\nJennifer Ott replied that there has been correspondence about the bicycle and pedestrian bridge\nand they have been working with Bike Walk Alameda.\nCommissioner Bellows replied in her professional opinion, it is an egregious waste of money to\nthink about a bridge crossing amongst a major ship channel.\nCommissioner Miley stated that the grant application that is being submitted would fund projects\nthat are ready to go or are advancing along.\nJennifer Ott replied it is not to add this project as a construction project to the grant application,\nbut add the project as a feasibility study and that does not mean they are recommending that to\nPage 3 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 4, "text": "Commissioner Bellows replied this is in the CIP.\nStaff Payne replied it's in Exhibit 1.\nCommissioner Bellows replied it's in the CIP in it's raw form.\nPage 4 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 5, "text": "Staff Payne replied yes we not at the design staff so we will have a comprehensive outreach\nprocess.\nCommissioner Miley stated that going over the Miller Sweeney Bridge during peak hours. The\nconstraint is on Oakland's side we go to four lanes on the bridge to two lanes because of the turn\nlane and there's all of that right of way because of the rail corridor. Are we looking at that piece\nas well. If we're going to make improvements, it should be looked at more broadly.\nStaff Payne replied we are not looking at the Oakland side.\nLucy Gigli, President of Bike Walk Alameda, item 5.C. was to approve of the draft project list\nand they are speaking that the estuary crossing bridge is as important if not as important as the\nlisted projects and it's pertinent to the discussion. As you know from the communication last\nweek and the communication this week we have been working closely with Alameda staff about\npreferred long term solutions for the pedestrian bike plan. This is the most feasible out of many\nthings that were studied. After many years there hasn't been any progress. Throwing up our\nhands because there were too many obstacles in our way, but now is the time to seek funding.\nShe asked the Commission direct city staff to direct to formally ask Caltrans to submit a formal\napplication and act as the lead as part of this funding cycle due to the extreme time sensitivity,\nwhich is October 31. Work in consultation with Bike Walk Alameda to create clear steps that\nwill guide measurable efforts for a bike pedestrian bridge and find and locate resources for staff\ntime and dollars to advance the preferred solution and work with stakeholders.\nCommissioner Bellows asked if Measure BB effectively number 9 as a named project or is it\nindependent.\nStaff Payne replied the main project is not being ranked and it is independent. So, 1-8 is what we\nare talking about.\nCommissioner Miley asked about the Bus Rapid Transit project-funding gap.\nStaff Payne replied that Measure BB it's the transit expenditure plan and the Alameda Point BRT\nproject is named for $9m in the TEP.\nCommissioner Bellows that is why they are calling it a separate name in the list.\nStaff Payne replied July 1 2017 that's when funds become available and they can start outreach\nand design and construction of the project.\nCommissioner Morgado stated that the estuary water shuttle should be moved up.\nCommissioner Soules stated the list has to compete with other projects for funding. So, that the\npriority was already considered to ensure that Alameda has competitive projects for funding and\nstaff has considered this.\nCommissioner Bellows replied that is correct.\nPage 5 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 6, "text": "Staff Payne replied we should be thinking about the fact that this list of projects is competing\nwith other projects countywide.\nCommissioner Bellows asked staff how much funding is available and how many jurisdictions.\nStaff Payne replied $161 million and 14 jurisdictions including the county as well as BART, AC\nTransit and LAFTA that would be submitting as well.\nCommissioner Bellows would like to see the Central Avenue project moved up because that has\nbeen reviewed.\nStaff Payne replied that at the end of October they would see if they get the active transportation\ngrant.\nCommissioner Bellows replied Caltrans supported the Central Avenue Complete Streets projects\nand if there are letters of commitment from others that creates a very strong argument. She\nexplained that she would also like to see Alameda Bay Point Trail is a huge thing with MTC to\nfinish the Bay Trail and that would be an attractive project and it's only $10 million with an ask\nfor $8 million. The new ferry terminal at Seaplane Lagoon is critical as well, but it should be\nreviewed one by one.\nCommissioner Miley stated that he was slightly uncomfortable with shifting things around\nwithout having a full picture of how staff prioritized the list.\nJennifer Ott replied given what they heard of interest of the bike pedestrian bridge and the\nEstuary Crossing staff feels comfortable at moving the Estuary Shuttle up and it's a small\namount and other considerations that were reviewed is whether they have matching funds\navailable one reason ferry terminal is there because there is a $10 m contribution from the\ndeveloper as well as the Bay trail have Measure WW from the park district and we can leverage.\nAlso spread this around geographically and look at other parts of the island. Also looking at the\ncrossing issues Clement Avenue and east extension. They are open to their suggestions and one\nreason central avenue is lower on list because of the other funding sources they could qualify for\nthey could have ATP funding that may come through but they will look to the TC for direction.\nCommission Bellows replied if in fact October 31 due when is their estimated timeline to make a\ndecision.\nJennifer Ott replied the ATP grant for Central Avenue is due in October 28, so Staff Payne has to\ndo the work no matter what.\nCommissioner Bellows replied so when are they going to make their decision.\nJennifer Ott replied they would make the decision October 28 right before this is due.\nCommissioner Bellows replied they are going to submit these grants in October, so when will\nACTC say you have the funds.\nPage 6 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 7, "text": "Jennifer Ott replied ACTC would probably make their decision sometime early next year since\nfunds will not be available for use until July 1, 2017.\nCommissioner Bellows replied if in fact you receive the grant from ATP it's only a small part of\nit so you would still need money.\nJennifer Ott replied that's correct and they are all great project and staff is open to the TC's\nsuggestions. Given the interest of the Estuary Crossing, they could leverage match funds from\ndevelopers along the northern waterfront for the shuttle so there could be other funds to leverage\nand open to moving that up.\nCommissioner Bellows replied she would like to open the discussion of to the Commissioners\nabout the list and prioritizing.\nCommissioner Bertken asked about the ferry terminal. Staff indicated there is a 50 percent match.\nCommissioner Bellows replied not for this one.\nCommissioner Bertken replied he thought initially there was a fixed amount as part of the\ndevelopment agreement.\nJennifer Ott replied it is $10 million and that's about 50 and they hope that it's more of a match\nand the overall expense is less.\nCommissioner Miley replied that his concern is getting a lifeline crossing for the city of alameda\nwhether it's a new tube or Fruitvale, which is probably more feasible. I know county of public\nworks included in the TEP what is the gap for the project.\nStaff Payne replied it is included in the TEP as a named project in a category under $75 million\nfor bridges and names several projects.\nCommissioner Bellows replied that it's in a pool for the bridges and the county runs the bridges.\nCommissioner Miley replied so that's their responsibility so they need the City partner and make\nthem prioritize this. He use to bike to Oakland City Hall and biking through the tube is not an\noption and being on the west end he would had to go across the Park Street Bridge or Fruitvale\nBridge and take Embarcadero and the Fruitvale Bridge is not bike friendly, but has the capacity\nto be so, so he would like to see this project advanced since we don't have a lifeline crossing\nespecially in the event of an earthquake. He saw that the Fruitvale Miller Sweeney Bridge\nLifeline City match was not even included in the red box and he doesn't know how competitive\nthat would be right now, but that should be made a priority and the last comment made is that\nappreciate Lucy Gigli comments for the City to request that Caltrans advance a feasibility study\nand he would go one further to not only look at the pedestrian bike bridge, but a tube\nreplacement. Caltrans was ready to spend tens of millions in Niles Canyon when people didn't\nwant to see improved. So our island doesn't have a lifeline crossing then the tube has outlived its\nlife and Caltrans should take responsibility to replace it. He would like to have this request\nPage 7 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 8, "text": "reaching out to Caltrans included in the motion.\nCommissioner Bellows replied the bridge option is way too much money for not enough benefits,\nbut the tube is the way to go.\nCommissioner Bertken said he agreed and he has been involved over the years in this type of\nwork and the crossings and bridges and the cost that comes about with bringing another crossing\nat this stage of the game there is too many impediments to really consider.\nCommissioner Hans replied he would take any way to get on and off the island, meaning\nimproved access. When talking about the Miller Sweeney Bridge lifeline, part of his training is\nin emergency management and if something does happen there is Doolittle, Webster, Park Street,\nHigh Street and you need heavy equipment to come through he would put that as first priority.\nTo have an emergency operation center and making thinking about disaster relief.\nCommissioner Soules said she would agree with the tube having worked with federal regulations\nand coast guard the amount of cost to handle regulations and even circumventing and time\ninvolved the budgets involved before breaking ground would be very high and would continue to\nclimb.\nCommissioner Bellows replied is there a motion to change the staff recommendation or do you\nwant to add. The water shuttle is #8 on the list, but that is for a ferry service that is not the\nfeasibility study requested. The feasibility study would build off the 2009 feasibility study that\nwould recommend working with the coast guard for the bridge.\nJennifer Ott replied that the planning project doesn't compete directly with the construction\nproject. So, if you want to move the water shuttle feasibility study up to second or third that\nwould not adversely affect staff's ability to keep priorities for their construction projects.\nCommissioner Bertken moved to move the estuary crossing shuttle up higher and approve the\nstaff recommendation.\nCommissioner Bellows asked about including the Miller Sweeny Bridge project. The project is a\ncounty project and the local match would have to come from the City not from Measure BB.\nStaff Payne replied these projects are the ones we are leading and we are in charge of, but staff\ncan get into what we can match with this project.\nCommissioner Bellows replied maybe staff needs to approach the county and explain this is\nimportant to us can we help you write the grant.\nJennifer Ott replied staff could write a letter to Alameda County expressing their interest and\nencourage similar to Caltrans.\nCommissioner Miley seonded Commissioner Bertken's motion with the amendment that staff\napproach or write a letter to Alameda County to express the need to prioritize improvements to\nMiller Sweeny Bridge and approach Caltrans about taking on the reasonability of an additional\nPage 8 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2016-09-28", "page": 9, "text": "tube on the west end that meets lifeline requirements and that meets multimodal transit access\nthrough that tube.\nCommissioner Bertken made a personal comment that explained that the tube was originally\ndesigned in 1967 as part of the southern crossing and it probably still exists somewhere in\nCaltrans 6 lane double boxed tube was part of the connection of alameda and what is currently\n980 which would have opened up Alameda.\nCommissioner Hans seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0.\n6.\nStaff Communications\n6.A. Quarterly Report September 2016\nJennifer Ott replied there isn't a report, staff was updating the TC of all of the projects and staff\nis happy to answer any questions. Staff will be updating this every meeting with the latest status.\n6.B. Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items\n1. Cross Alameda Trail - Atlantic Avenue Gap Closure\n2. I-880/Broadway/Jacksor Multimodal Transportation Project\n3. Preliminary Strategies of the Transit/TDM Plan\n4. Alameda Point Bus Rapid Transit Dedicated Bus Lanes Concept\n5. Paratransit Annual Review\n6. Transportation Management Association Annual Report\nCommissioner Bellows asked to see an update on the 23rd Street/I-880 since that is going very\nslowly.\n7.\nAnnouncements/Public Comments\nJim Strehlow asked about the Caltrans public outreach about the rail.\nthat direction directions and have a bike going over the rail and now it's higher. What is the\nprocess of that facility? He thanked the City for hiring Sharam.\nStaff Payne replied that the Posey Tube is a historic renovation and around 2013 or 2014 there is\na project page on the city site there is outreach noted on the project page. Staff did participate on\nthis effort and she was impressed with Caltrans and they bring all their statewide experts and\nthey tackle this altogether in one room. They added 4 inches to that path and the railing is the\nnew railing that is compliant with safety measures.\n8.\nAdjournment\n8:17 pm\nPage 9 of 9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2016-09-28.pdf"}