{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 1, "text": "Approved Minutes\nTransportation Commission Meeting\nWednesday, September 23, 2020\nTime:\n6:30 p.m.\nLocation:\nDue to Governor Executive Order N-29-20, Transportation Commissioners were\nable to attend the meeting via teleconference. The City allowed public participation via Zoom.\nCity Hall was NOT open to the public during the meeting.\nLegistar Link:\nhttps://alameda.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=760090&GUID=4152DF75-6717-443E-\n9689-38C92CB3CD4B&Options=info/&Search=\n1. Roll Call\nPresent: Chair Soules, and Commissioners Yuen, Kohlstrand, Hans, and Weitze.\nAbsent: Vice Chair Nachtigall and Commissioner Johnson.\n2. Agenda Changes\nNone.\n3. Staff Communications\n3-A Electric Vehicle 101 Webinar: Wed, Sept 30 at 6:30 p.m. - sponsored by Alameda Municipal\nPower - - https://www.alamedamp.com/349/Electric-Vehicles\n3-B Central Avenue and Encinal Avenue Project Joint Virtual Open House, October 1-20,\nwww.alamedaca.gov/Central\n3-C Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items\n1. Ten-Year Capital Improvement Program for Transportation Projects\n2. Central Avenue Final Design Approval / Encinal Avenue Project Update\n3. Traffic Signal Policy\n4. Oakland Alameda Access Project Update\n5. Active Transportation Plan Update\n3-D Future Meeting Dates for 2020 - Meetings start at 6:30 p.m.\n1. Wednesday, October 28 (special meeting)\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n1", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 2, "text": "2. Wednesday, November 18\n3-E Alameda Active Transportation Plan: Latest info at www.ActiveAlameda.org\n3-F Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools online resources, activities, and webinars during\ncoronavirus pandemic: :http://www.alamedacountysr2s.org/covid-19\n3-G Alameda Slow Streets program web page: http://www.slowstreetsalameda.org\n3-H Alameda Commercial Streets program web page: www.alamedaca.gov/commercialstreets\n3-I COVID 19 Get Around Safe Pledge: www.alamedaca.gov/AlamedaPledge\n3-J Vision Zero Program: www.alamedaca.gov/VisionZero\n3-K\nCommunity\nEmergency\nResponse\nTeam\n(CERT)\n2020\nTrainings:\nps://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Fire-Department/Alameda-CERT\n3-L Emergency Alerts for Alameda - Subscribe at AC Alert web page:\nhttps://www.acgov.org/emergencysite/\n3-M\nRegional\nEmergency\nTransportation\nAlerts\n-\nSubscribe:\nhttps://511.org/alerts/emergencies/511Alert\n3-N Clipper Card (adults) - order online or at Walgreens or set up Autoload to add value\nautomatically: https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/getTranslink.do\n3-0 Clipper Card Discounts for youth, seniors and people with disabilities\n-\nhttps://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/discounts/index.do\n3-P FasTrak or new toll tag for upcoming I-880 Express Lanes scheduled to open late summer\n2020: online or at Walgreens (except not Park Street location) and then register online:\nhttps://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/signup/signUp.shtml\n4. Announcements/ Public Comments\nNone\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n2", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 3, "text": "5. Consent Calendar\nGail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator, said due to an administration change there would\nbe a delay in minutes but they would be available at the next meeting for approval.\n6. Regular Agenda Items\n6-A 2020-8317 Status Report on Transportation and Recommendations for Commercial\nStreets and Slow Streets Programs. (Actions)\nStaff Member Payne introduced this item and gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments\ncan be found at\nhttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4643213&GUID=342A24A5-DA6E\nID3A-93BD-6D4800COF781&FullText=1.\nScott Wikstrom, City Engineer, also presented some of the new developments and the status of\nthose developments.\nRobert Vance, Senior Engineer, discussed resurfacing projects around the city and how they would\nbe giving notice to residents.\nLisa Foster, Transportation Planner, discussed the status of Vision Zero Implementation.\nRochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator, gave an update on the status of the Active\nTransportation Plan and Alameda's Slow Streets.\nCommissioner Clarifying Questions #6A. (Not related to the slow streets program)\nCommissioner Weitze asked about a gap on a bike trail, the gap between Pacific and West Atlantic,\nand if there were any plans to close that gap.\nStaff Member Wikstrom said there was no short-term plan to correct that gap but in the long-term\nplan that would be a component in the master infrastructure plan for Alameda Point, Site B, but\nthere was no time frame for that.\nCommissioner Weitze wanted to know if there were any plans to update the light at the intersection\nat Appezzato and West Atlantic to a modern light that could have traffic lights programmed based\non ferry times.\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n3", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 4, "text": "Staff Member Wikstrom said yes and that was part of Site A Phase 2. Site A was having some\nchallenges and they were not sure when Phase 2 would move forward. He discussed the Traffic\nSignal Policy and they were looking at how 2 Way cycle tracks function at major intersections.\nCommissioner Yuen asked about the reductions in AC Transit services and wanted to know if\nthese changes would be temporary or permanent. She was concerned for essential workers who\nrely on public transit. She also wanted to know more about the reduction in Transbay crossing and\nif there was any possibility for Federal Aid for transit.\nStaff Member Payne said that since March AC Transit had reduced their services but when the\nSAH (Stay at Home) was lifted they increased their services. AC Transit was also putting out extra\nbuses in some locations due to the limited capacity they were allowed to have on each bus. They\nwere monitoring ridership in real-time. AC Transit was hoping to get some infusion of Federal\nAid, they were looking at reducing their services next year. She discussed Alameda's plan to\nencourage and transfer people to the ferry since Alamada just got its 3rd ferry terminal and the Bus\nto BART plan to get into San Francisco.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand was curious if the sidewalk work at Alameda Point was being paid for\nby the developer or the city and if it was the developer she wanted to know what areas the city\nwould focus its investments on.\nStaff Member Wikstrom said that most of the workaround Site A would be covered by the\ndeveloper. He added that when Covid hit they focused most of their attention and funding on the\nresidential and commercial slow streets and the restriping of Webster and Park. These had\nexhausted their funding and they would be going back to council in October to restore some\nfunding.\nPublic Comments for #6A (not related to the slow streets program)\nJim Strehlow discussed how he already regularly rides his bike on Clement Ave as it is now. He\nbelieved that the plan outlined for Clement was very dangerous and put cyclists too close to\nvehicular traffic. He stated that he would continue to ride in the vehicular lane instead of the\nplanned painted bike lane that would go against traffic.\nStaff Member Payne explained how the SLMs or sharrows worked and that it was perfectly fine\nto share a lane.\nCommissioner Comments #6A (not related to the slow streets program)\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n4", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 5, "text": "Commissioner Yuen wanted to discuss the work done for Police Reform and to highlight that work\nsince she believed that it intersected with the work they were doing on the Transportation\nCommission. She said that a safe and functioning transportation system is dependent on traffic\nsafety and they rely heavily on police officers to enforce that safety. She put forth to her fellow\ncommissioners that for the Vision Zero Action Plan she wanted to see goals and policies that\nincluded equitable enforcement strategies that wouldn't disproportionately endanger black and\nbrown folks. She also asked that this commission should be plugged into the city and what was\ngoing on and to even have someone from the Police Reform Committee come and talk with them\non better ways they could be involved.\nChair Soules asked Staff Member Foster to discuss the goals and how they planned to include the\nequity component.\nStaff Member Foster discussed that the core of Vision Zero was to create system change. It would\ncreate an environment that people would be set up for success. She also discussed how Vision Zero\ndoes have enforcement as an element but it has been deemphasized. Alameda would include\nenforcement but there would be caveats about equity.\nChair Soules asked the staff to consider Commissioner Yuen's comments in future updates and\nhow that would be appreciated.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand thanked staff and supported the comments made by Commissioner\nYuen in regards to equity issues in enforcement. She then brought up the issues of traffic circles\nand how they hadn't been given much consideration in any of the plans. She discussed how helpful\ntraffic circles could be for Alameda and wanted to see more comprehensive research about traffic\ncircles.\nStaff Member Wheeler said from the perspective of the Active Transportation Plan, traffic circles\nwere a key treatment that the city could use for pedestrian safety and traffic calming. They would\neven consider temporary traffic circles in slow streets as part of the grant they had applied for.\nTraffic circles were very much on their radar of things to use.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand gave some suggestions of places that would benefit from traffic circles.\nStaff Member Payne clarified that traffic circles would be on minor streets and roundabouts would\nbe taking the place of traffic signals. She discussed wherein Alameda roundabouts were being\nconsidered, such as Mecartney and Island Drive.\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n5", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 6, "text": "Staff Member Wikstrom said that would be in 2022 and also added information about the\ndifference between traffic circles and roundabouts. He said with the temporary barricades on the\nslow streets there is the question if it should become permanent and traffic circles are a great\nalternative.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand asked about lane reduction on Pacific and wanted clarification on where\non Pacific that would happen.\nStaff Member Wikstrom clarified the lane reduction on Pacific Ave would be from Main to Fourth\nStreet.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand wanted to know more about the AC Transit reductions and when those\nhearings would take place. She had concerns about the elimination of the O Line and what effect\nthat would have on citizens. She also requested that the staff make their recommendations as clear\nas possible. She wanted to see the recommended action from the staff at the beginning of the Staff\nReport. She wanted to know exactly what actions the commission was being asked to act on.\nStaff Member Payne said that AC Transit would be having virtual public hearings that were\nseparate from the Alameda Transportation Commission meetings and she would make sure all the\ncommissioners and the community knew about those meetings.\nChair Soules thanked the staff for putting this together and agreed with Commissioner Yuen and\nKohlstrand for their comments on equity. She discussed her thoughts on AC Transit reductions,\nshe did not want to see these temporary events have a negative long-term effect. She also wanted\nto see continued progress on the Emergency Responses and to not let that be forgotten.\nStaff Member Payne said they would have a progress report by the next meeting and between\nCovid and the fires the Emergency Response team really had been maxed out. They have had some\nopportunities to work on Tsunami and Earthquake preparedness.\nCommissioner Clarifying Questions (Action Items)\nCommissioner Kohlstrand asked if planters would be more aesthetically pleasing and safe rather\nthan using the water-filled barrels to protect the parklets.\nStaff Member Wikstrom said there had been internal conversations between the Engineering\nDepartment and the Attorney's Office to discuss risk management about having diners on an active\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n6", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 7, "text": "roadway. He said water-filled barriers are the best at protecting against a car and anything smaller\nwouldn't be as safe.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand asked about encroachment permits and wanted to make sure she\nunderstood it correctly. District-wide encroachment permits cover Webster and Park St and\nanything outside of that would need a separate individual permit.\nStaff Member Wheeler said that was correct.\nChair Soules asked as this program moves forward would there be metrics put in place to study if\nthere was an increase in travel time delays.\nStaff Member Wikstrom explained where AC Transit got the 10% travel time reduction number,\nfrom GPS transponders in their buses. They also have good reliable data pre-pandemic to look at\nthe traffic impact. He also explained how he personally had been monitoring traffic on the island\nand that they were working on integrating and coordinating the signal timing on Park and Webster\nSt.\nStaff Member Wheeler added that having signal coordination is what would most improve AC\nTransit's travel time.\nChair Soules said she supported the slow streets program but she did see the importance of beta\ntesting parklets and seeing the full impact. She asked about the effect on side streets, like Oak St,\nthat was along Park and Webster St.\nStaff Member Wikstrom said that they definitely needed to do more data collection. He said the\nmain challenge was making sure they had good pre and post-data, which they don't really have on\nside streets. He said what they needed to bring forward as part of the Active Transportation Plan\nwas to really see what was important to the community. When the pandemic is over what will\nWebster and Park St return to?\nStaff Member Wheeler added that those questions were a part of their staff recommendations. She\nsaid that with everything still being new it would be next July that they would look at what effect\nall of these programs have had and that diversion was something they would need to look at.\nChair Soules gave her full support to waving the permit fees, with businesses being hit so hard by\nthe pandemic she was in full support of anything that would help them.\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n7", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 8, "text": "Commissioner Yuen discussed the many uses and demands of the commercial streets and the\nsafety people needed as they eat outside. She saw the slow traffic as a trade-off for business to be\nable to continue during the pandemic. She said the priority of the Commercial Street Program was\nto give businesses a fighting chance of survival and that means having slower traffic in these\ncorridors. She threw out the idea that maybe parts of AC Transit routes would need to be removed\nduring this time.\nCommissioner Weitze said the trade-off was worth it and doing these experiments was worth it.\nHe asked about parking lots on Webster that had been transformed to eating areas, crediting Sandy\nRussell from Fireside, and wanted to know if that was a city-driven or a private party project. He\npushed for that being permanent and something that could set Webster apart.\nStaff Member Wheeler said that was a private parking lot that had really been pushed by Sandy\nRussell and WABA (West Alameda Business Association). She said making it permanent was\nsomething that would need to be discussed further and yes it had been very popular and successful.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand asked about the 8th and 9th streets that were included in the permanent\nslow street program. She felt that further study was needed since she didn't think both needed to\nbe included.\nCommissioner Kohlstrand made a motion for the Transportation Commission to\nrecommend to the City Council to approve the 3 items recommended by the staff. To wave\nencroachment permit fees through October 31st, 2021, for the commercial street program -\ndelay short-term temporary special event closures along Park St and to authorize the staff\nto apply for the Alameda CTC (County Transportation Commission) Covid-19 Rapid\nResponse Program. Commissioner Hans seconded the motion and a roll call vote was taken.\nThe motion passed 5-0.\n6-B 2020-8318 Alameda Active Transportation Plan Update: Community Survey Results\n(Information)\nStaff Member Wheeler introduced this item and introduced Sara LaBatt, EMC Research, who gave\nthe presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at\nhttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4643214&GUID=E4A5206B-46C3-\nE32-87BB-F107BC666872&FullText=1.\nCommissioner Clarifying Questions and for #6B.\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n8", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 9, "text": "Chair Soules thought that it was great that this was all pre covid data since it created a baseline.\nShe also commended the decision to incentivize the survey, she believed this was really the best\nway to get an actionable equity program. She was curious to know how e-bikes and new bike paths\nwould affect mode shift and how they were reaching out to people who may not think they could\nafford an e-bike app.\nStaff Member Wheeler said that they did ask questions about e-bikes and ownership of e-bikes.\nThis was also part of the Climate Action Plan, so they did have data on that.\nMs. LaBatt added they learned through the survey that about 10% of people surveyed said that\nthey have an e-bike or a scooter-share membership.\nChair Soules thanked Ms. LaBatt for her presentations and for breaking down the information in\na very easy-to-understand way.\nCommissioner Weitze wanted to know how many of the 32% of residents using active transport\nto get off the island and how many were West End Alameda residents.\nMs. LaBatt said that number did include West Enders getting off the island but did not know how\nmuch of the 32% was from them.\nPublic Comments for #6B.\nJim Strehlow referred to page 2 of the presentation. He found the presentation wording by Sara\nLaBatt to be wonderfully clarifying but the verbiage was not printed. He found certain parts of the\npresentation to be initially misleading since tens of thousands of residents were not part of the\nsurvey. He gave examples of better wording that would be more adequate. He also believed that\ncertain surveys were accepted and others rejected based on their own undocumented bias.\nCommissioner Comments and Discussions for #6B\nCommissioner Kohlstrand found the amount of data to be very helpful as they move forward on\nthe Active Transportation Plan. She wanted to know if there was going to be an opportunity to\ndiscuss the issues over cost and prioritization into the survey as it was presented to the public. She\ngave an example of her past work when people were excited about a project until the price for the\nproject was announced, then people were no longer excited for said project. She also stressed the\nneed to connect safety data with the survey results as well as looking at this through the lens of\ncost-effectiveness.\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n9", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}
{"body": "TransportationCommission", "date": "2020-09-23", "page": 10, "text": "Staff Member Wheeler said that was the plan to use the survey to see what were the priorities and\nwhat would be the implementation plan be. Obviously, with implementation, they would need to\nknow the costs and they would meld together cost and priorities.\nCommissioner Weitze was surprised by the low amount of children who walk to school in groups\nand discussed ways to improve that. He also wanted to make it a priority to get bikes into\ncommercial districts.\nMs. LaBatt wanted to answer Commissioner Weitze's earlier question. She said that it was 23%\nof West Enders use active transportation, 15% walk or use a mobility device on the sidewalk, 11%\nride a bike, and 4% ride a bike to get off the island.\nChair Soules was curious how this worked with the Travel Demand survey that had been done\nearlier. She brought up that reliability is very important when it comes to using public\ntransportation and how many high schoolers will drive their own cars to high school. She added\nthat if anyone had additional thoughts they wanted to think more about they should email Staff\nMember Wheeler.\n7. Announcements / Public Comments\nJim Strehlow was amazed that no one had mentioned that Bike to Wherever Day was tomorrow\nand cyclists could pick up goody bags at participating locations.\nChair Soules thanked Mr. Strehlow and said more information on Bike Wherever Day could be\nfound on the city's website.\n8. Adjournment\nChair Soules adjourned the meeting at 9:47 p.m.\nApproved Minutes - Transportation Commission\nSeptember 23, 2020\n10", "path": "TransportationCommission/2020-09-23.pdf"}