pages: TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf, 11
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TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 11 | concept, and that it would be considered by the Park Street Business Association (PSBA) Board of Directors at its next meeting. Chair Knox White inquired where the 35 required bike parking spaces had gone. Staff Bergman replied that there were 40 spaces in the garage, including bike lockers and racks. Chair Knox White noted that this plan was similar to the Jack London Cinema - a big theater with no parking in front of it, and across the street from a parking lot with no way to cross the street. He did not believe this was a pedestrian-friendly area. He believed it was unfortunate that this plan was coming forward at this time, after years of planning in this area. He noted that the traffic and parking plan came to the Transportation Commission two years ago, which he believed was the time to make these recommendations. He agreed with Commissioner Krueger that the red curb would become a de facto right turn lane, which would be more dangerous for pedestrians and bike riders trying to navigate the intersection. He did not see how 270 feet of no-parking zone could be created without a bulbout. He noted that he was not against the dropoff zone, but questioned whether that much space was needed either for dropoff or emergency access. He believed there should be bike parking in front of the theater, that bicyclists would be more likely to use this than the parking in the garage. He noted that other cities provided bike parking in front of the theater, and believed that those spaces would be full of bikes on a summer evening. He was concerned that the City was trying to solve this problem quickly and cheaply, and did not believe this added to the area. He had not heard anyone justify the need to park four or five fire trucks in front of the theater at any given moment, and believed this created a very unfriendly environment for pedestrians. Lt. Dave Boersma, APD Traffic Division, noted that this was a compromise, and that from a public safety standpoint, he preferred a red zone in front of the entire area, without allowing any parking. He noted that 187 feet of white zone was a lot of space, and that at 20 feet per parking space, this would allow a lot of cars to park. He noted that an alternative to the red zone was to leave it as a metered parking zone, which created double parking problems in front of the building, and would not allow for emergency vehicle access. He noted that they were primarily concerned about the vehicular traffic flow through the area. He added that he hoped that drivers did use the red curb zone as a de facto right-turn lane, as this would keep the traffic flow moving. He was concerned that there would be a lot of traffic stuck at the red light on westbound Central Avenue at Oak Street, which would then back up and impact Park Street. APD proposed a right-turn lane at the intersection, but that there was not enough space where the street narrowed to put an actual right-turn only lane. They believed that having the red zone would be a good compromise. Commissioner Krueger would like to see a mid-block crosswalk, as suggested by Mr. Smith. He noted that there will be a lot of pedestrians wanting to cross over to the theater entrance, and believed the City should acknowledge people's actual behaviors and design the crosswalk to suit. Transportation Commission Page 11 of 15 04/23/08 Minutes | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |