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TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 1 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item 4A Action Transportation Commission Minutes Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Commissioner Jesus Vargas called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. Roll Call Roll was called and the following was recorded: Members Present: Michele Bellows (Chair) Eric Schatmeier (Vice Chair) Thomas G. Bertken Michael Hans Christopher Miley Gregory Morgado Jesus Vargas Staff Present: Alex Nguyen, Assistant City Manager Liam Garland, Deputy Public Works Director Virendra Patel, Transportation Engineer Gail Payne, Transportation Coordinator 2. Agenda Changes Chair Bellows explained that she would postpone Item 5A (Harbor Bay Ferry Area Parking Recommendations) because any Transportation Commissioner who lives near Item 5A may not be able to participate in the debate or vote. The Transportation Commissioners will work with City staff, and then will reschedule the 5A item as a special meeting at the end of April. She apologized for the inconvenience, and stated that the public comment period will be open until the special meeting. Commissioner Miley moved to have a special meeting for Item 5A. Commissioner Vargas seconded the motion. The motion was approved 7-0. | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 2 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 2 of 13 3. Announcements/ Public Comments Dorothy Freeman, Alameda resident, said one week ago she attended a meeting about the I-880 and 23rd/29th Avenues Overcrossing Project. She observed people asking questions and the standard reply from Caltrans staff and contractors were that traffic studies were conducted. She felt although the traffic studies were conducted 3-5 years ago, they may not have looked at the new construction work on the northern waterfront. She requested that the traffic study be updated and that the study look at new housing coming on board. She also was concerned with the Ford Street intersection across from the Park Street Bridge and wondered whether there would be pedestrian or bicyclist controls at the intersection. Staff Patel replied that staff was aware of the new traffic arrangement that would occur and staff reviewed the traffic signal plans and the new studies that Caltrans provided to them. Pedestrians crossing the intersection could activate the signal. Regarding the traffic studies, he said the studies include Alameda Landing, Alameda Point and road projects for the City. Jim Strehlow, Alameda resident, referred to the Cross Alameda Trail project at Ralph Appezzato Parkway and during last month's Transportation Commission meeting a plaza area was mentioned. He spoke to staff person Michelle Berner of West Alameda Business Association (WABA), and she said a consultant designer was working with the City, but she does not know the details. He urged staff to have the designs of the Webster Street plaza area fully vetted by WABA members. Staff Payne replied that the WABA design committee - not Michele Berner - has been working with the City and they have forwarded their design sketch for the Neptune Tower and plaza area. 3A. Central Avenue Complete Street Concept Proposal Workshop #: Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. (Encinal High School Cafeteria, 210 Central Avenue) Staff Payne stated that the meeting would introduce the idea of a p… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 3 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 3 of 13 4. Consent Calendar 4A. Transportation Commission Minutes - Approve Meeting Minutes - January 28, 2015 4B. Joint Meeting Minutes of the Transportation Commission and Planning Board - Approve Meeting Minutes - February 25, 2015 Commissioner Miley moved to approve Item 4A and 4B of the Consent Calendar. Commissioner Schatmeier seconded the motion. The motion was approved 7-0. 5. New Business 5B. Approve 2015-2017 Transportation Projects in Alameda's Proposed Capital Improvement Program and Provide Input on 2017-2025 Transportation Projects Staff Garland and Staff Payne presented the report. Commissioner Vargas referred to page 7 of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) document and stated that the gas tax revenue was projected to drop to $1.6 million dollars per year, and wanted to know why the gas tax revenue was reduced. Staff Garland replied that the gas tax was calculated with a state formula and the formula reduced the revenue received by the City. He also mentioned that hybrid vehicles are part of the reason for the reduction of gas tax revenue. Commissioner Miley referred to page 15 of the CIP document regarding a facility study that the Department of Public Works was conducting. He wanted to get an idea of what the schedule looked like. Staff Garland replied that the facility study should be completed by the fall. Furthermore, he said that his staff procured a third party expert on facility assessment to identify all deficiencies and costs to remedy the facilities. He said that staff would turn the results into a ten-year capital plan. Commissioner Miley referred to page 17 of the CIP document and asked if the $13 million needed to get the City's roads in "good" condition was per year or over two years. Staff Garland said the figure was an upfront investment of over two years with a big push on street resurfacing to make that big jump to "good" condition. Commissioner Bellows asked Staff Garland if the City was aiming for the current level, which … | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 4 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 4 of 13 remaining funds would be $20 million. Liam Garland replied the numbers should be consistent and the $20 million in funds is a typo. Commissioner Schatmeier stated that some funds, which were initially devoted to street paving and road rehabilitation, have been reallocated to transportation. Therefore, he asked for the dollar amount. Liam Garland replied that the funds have not been reallocated, but moved from rehabilitation to transportation and that would be a $10 million project. Commissioner Schatmeier said the change would cause the remainder of the other transportation projects to have $9 million for funding. Liam Garland replied yes. Commissioner Schatmeier explained that part of the short-term capital project plan was updating the pedestrian and bicycle plans, which were completed in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Thus, he wanted to know if the transit plan also would be updated since the last update was in 2001 and if there was another source of funding to update the plan. Staff Payne replied that the transit plan update was currently going through a separate process with City Council and staff would have a special City Council meeting about this soon. She explained for now there was a placeholder project called the Island Access Study for that item because staff was not sure what the City Council would approve. Commissioner Schatmeier asked staff if the Island Access Study would be multimodal. Staff Payne replied that the City Council would discuss whether to have a separate transit plan and a separate Transportation Demand Management plan. Commissioner Schatmeier asked staff if they have identified funding for the study. Staff Payne replied no. Commissioner Vargas referred to the City's Transportation Element within Exhibit 3 and he wondered if there have been changes to the street classification system that described the street types. Staff Payne replied that the Transportation Element was passed in 2009 and the document was a significant effor… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 5 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 5 of 13 Commissioner Bellows opened the floor to public comments. Don Sherratt, Alameda Resident and member of Alameda County Fairgrounds Association, said that he was a member of the Alameda Traffic Advisory Committee and Recreation and Park Commission for eight years. When he was on the Recreation and Park Commission, there was an issue about funding the bike bridge and there was a promise to continue the bike trail all the way around Alameda. He spoke with Commissioner Hans and he mentioned a safety issue near the bridge and that it was hard to travel by bicycle on that path. He explained that there are four speed humps that slow the speed, so when you go from the bridge to Shore Line Drive there was a gap. He also said that when he was on the Recreation and Park Commission, funding was promised to continue the bike path from the East Bay Regional Parks District and the City, but the funding did not come through because of political reasons. Commissioner Bellows explained to Don Sherratt that the Commission moved the project from long-term to short-term so that project could begin with a feasibility study. Jim Strehlow referred to Exhibit 2 found on page 5, item 53 of the staff report. He wanted to know the timing of the traffic signals and the flow for cars, bicycles and pedestrians because when talking about major funding and long-term projects residents need to understand the flow of transportation. Lucy Gigli, Bike Walk Alameda Advocacy Director, reviewed the plan with staff and she asked that Central Avenue and Fifth Street to Sherman Street be pushed up to the short-term projects. Staff Payne replied that the Central Avenue project was in the conceptual phase and that was the basis for the meeting on April 14. It was hard to know if the community will accept a bikeway along Central Avenue. She felt it was hard to place the corridor, but staff felt the section between Pacific Avenue and Fifth Street should be placed in the short-term and the project wil… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,6 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 6 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 6 of 13 as a complete street. She said staff might change the project name to Otis Drive Complete Street. Commissioner Miley echoed Jon Spangler's comment about how seeking various funding options were imperative. He said Cal Fire recently had a call for projects for urban greening and it may be out of staff's purview, but Cap and Trade funding may bring more revenue for urban forestry projects. Commissioner Schatmeier stated that the City needed to make transit more user friendly and the capital program could address the transit issue. He suggested that the City could possibly subsidize transfers by AC Transit within City limits. Commissioner Vargas said he enjoyed the pictures in the report and he noticed a Geographic Information System (GIS) project that would identify utilities, maintenance and overall infrastructure, which was helpful. Commissioner Miley replied that Jim Strehlow brought up a light signalization plan and that should be addressed. Staff Patel said staff could address the traffic signal synchronization program. Commissioner Bertken made a motion to approve Item 5B. Commissioner Miley seconded the motion. The motion was approved 7-0. | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 7 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 7 of 13 5C. Approve the Clement Avenue Complete Street Concept Proposal and the Active Transportation Program Grant Submittal Staff Payne presented the report. Commissioner Schatmeier referred to the PowerPoint slide showing the existing section and proposed section. He asked staff if the location of the railroad tracks would be unacceptable to motorists. Staff Payne replied motorists tend to travel away from the railroad tracks and veer off into the bike space. She also said the street would need resurfacing to make the road smoother. Furthermore, she stated that the removal of the railroad tracks was ranked highest on the goals for the community. Commissioner Vargas asked staff about the Navy and businesses' views of the proposal. He referenced the city documents and NACTO guidelines relative to challenges of putting a cycle track in an industrial designated street. He also expressed concern over the quality of the technical document supporting the recommendations. Staff Payne said the Navy restricted parking in front of their facility, so staff planned to work with them to reduce the restriction because it was right near Thompson Field. Regarding the businesses, she stated that staff had several meetings and some businesses were in favor and others were opposed. Businesses on the north side had the most significant comments. She explained that the businesses at Alameda Marina were opposed to the bikeway on the north side. The owner of the property, Shawn Murphy, supported the project because he was working with the Planning Department to redevelop the property as a multi-use development in the future. Commissioner Bellows opened the floor to public comments. Shawn Throwe, business owner at the Alameda Marina, said he received a lot of boats on trucks and some of the boats are over 15 feet wide. He found the proposal misplaced because the area was zoned industrial and the cycle track should be moved to Buena Vista Avenue. He felt the City was attempting to dr… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 8 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 8 of 13 railroad tracks and make the sidewalk improvements. He was in favor of bike lanes on each side. However, when looking at objective #8, improving truck access, he does not see that happening. Zach Kaplan, Alameda resident and bicycle rider, said he was in favor of removing the railroad tracks and making the sidewalk improvements, but he was opposed to the cycle track. He explained that he used to own a Class A motor home and the two-way bike track will produce a fatality. Also, if he attempted to use the cycle track in the wrong direction he would have to cross a lane of traffic to get to the other side and then cross another traffic lane to get back, so there would be two additional conflicts with motor vehicles. Sara Sanchez, Alameda Marina business owner, said she was excited for the planned street improvements and she has seen an increase in bicycle activity. She looked forward to the cyclists having their own space, but she opposed the plan because the corridor is designated as an active truck route. She noted that if the railroad tracks were removed and Clement Avenue was striped like Broadway Avenue then the flexibility for motorists would be preserved and cyclists would have a safe space to ride. She urged the Commission to only approve the street and sidewalk improvements and wait for more data before implementing the cycle track. Liz Taylor, Alameda Marina business owner, said there are large trucks that come into the facility and people from all over the world come because they have space to offload trucks. She went on to say that cyclists generally avoid Clement Avenue. She also noted that Clement Avenue was an emergency access route. She felt it was more sensible to have better connectivity between Fruitvale BART and the Ferry Building through a resource going down Lincoln Avenue. John McKeon, Alameda resident, former sailor, truck driver and avid cyclist, said that the concerns about the railroad tracks for cyclists are true because the tra… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,9 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 9 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 9 of 13 Ginni Dofflemyer, Alameda resident, said the new development planned at 2100 Eagle Avenue would create more traffic at Buena Vista and Eagle Avenues. Regarding the Alameda traffic study, she wanted to know when the document was published and she wanted to know where she could read the document. She also asked staff if the rails on Clement Avenue could be repaired or used for transportation because that may be cheaper than taking them out. Furthermore, she requested that the Commission schedule a time to speak about the 2100 Eagle Avenue development so that her neighbors can come out to speak. Bruce Kibby, Alameda resident, felt that the Clement Avenue proposal was a well thought out plan. He said as part of the Cross Alameda Trail, the City should be building a trail through the Clement Avenue section and the protected bike lane would create a feeling of a trail rather than a regular bike lane. He appreciated the thorough outreach effort, which was similar to the Shore Line Drive outreach effort. When traveling down Shore Line Drive, he sees the changes that were made based on the input at the workshops for that project. Jon Spangler said that he disagreed with those who support the cycle track. He explained to the Commission that the buffer zone was two feet wide between the parked cars and the cycle track and that meant people would get "doored" when heading towards Park Street. He felt the truck traffic issue needed to be dealt with and the way the parking spaces are away from the curb will not work unless there are police escorts and wide load escorts, which is not acceptable. He suggested that staff go back and review implementing Class 2 lanes in either direction and add buffers by taking parking off of one side of the street. Trish Herrera Spencer spoke in her individual capacity as a citizen, and said that she echoed most of Jon Spangler's comments. She also questioned the reliability of the resident survey because it did not outline the use of … | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,10 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 10 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 10 of 13 Staff Payne replied eliminating parking was not an option to pursue because it was not high priority to remove parking in front of someone's home or business. Commissioner Bellows replied that she heard the businesses say they wanted to maintain flexibility. She wondered if staff could work with them to identify off-street parking at Svendsen's Boat Works. She asked staff to think of any creative options, especially since there are homes and business on both sides of the streets. Commissioner Morgado said staff should even consider reducing parking on the north side to increase the turning radius. Staff Payne replied that was something that she did bring up in the presentation and staff would consider the idea because of visibility and the fact that the project was part of the complete street program. Commissioner Bellows said she was concerned about the wide load issue and she asked staff if they could eliminate parking during date time hours when most deliveries occur. Staff Payne replied deliveries occur throughout the day. Commissioner Hans stated that the street width was 13 feet across and the 6 foot rail road tracks acts as a buffer. He went on to say that staff was looking into reducing the street width to 11 feet, so he wondered if parking was needed on the north side in order to increase some of the turning areas. Commissioner Miley referred to the City's Transportation Element objective 4.1.7 and objective 4.3.3. He felt the project was adhering to the objectives, but he was willing to approve the concept with some modifications for staff to look at Class II bike lanes. Ultimately, he worried that the cycle tracks were being shoehorned on Clement Avenue and given the current land use the idea may not work. Commissioner Bertken said that removing the railroad tracks was important and he was glad to hear from both opposing and proposing views on how the cycle track would work. However, he said reducing the street width on Clement Avenue for tr… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,11 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 11 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 11 of 13 the City may not receive all of the funds they initially requested. Commissioner Vargas said he was happy to see the diverse responses and found eight speakers not for the cycle track and four speakers for the cycle track and a few other comments. He explained that he grew up in Chicago and he used to bike ride from the north to south side for many hours alongside heavy truck traffic. He felt the most important thing he was trying to bring to the conversation was that the community contained industrial traffic. There are numerous driveways, and the trucks have large turning radii. He related a conversation that he had with NACTO advocates from Chicago that implemented a lot of cycle tracks and their biggest lesson to him was to be careful when putting too many bicycle facilities in industrial areas. He said carving in too much into the truck traffic would be dangerous. Additionally, he noted that there were public concerns of placing cycle tracks on one side where the destination was on the opposite side of the street. He re-stated that the NACTO component needed to be factored in and he felt the consulting firm should have done more homework regarding the City's policy. There are heavy traffic volumes and ultimately, he felt staff should keep all the modes of traffic in mind and there must be a balance. Commissioner Schatmeier stated that this is a designated bicycle, truck and transit route and the City must find a way to allow all of the transportation needs to coexist. He asked staff why the cycle track was on the north side rather than the south side, which would eliminate many truck conflicts on south side. He summarized a business owner's comment regarding how truck access would be improved, and asked for more information. He also questioned the parking demand in the area and he requested that staff provide data on who parked in the area. Staff Payne replied that the south side contained a number of dead-end streets and many more street conflict… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,12 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 12 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 12 of 13 Staff Payne stated that she does not have it in front of her yet it is not anywhere near 100 percent, and the demand depends on the section of Clement Street. She requested that the Transportation Commissioners consider approving the traditional bike lane concept. Commissioner Miley stated that while the zoning may change, we have existing users and the City needs to balance equity and accommodate all users, but maintain their safety. Commissioner Miley moved to approve the concept so that staff could move the item forward to the City Council, but the concept should be focused on traditional Class II lanes. He also hoped the design would not preclude the City from being able to install cycle tracks in the future. Commissioner Bellows stated the motion should also make sure that truck traffic is accommodated and that the wide loads needed to be accommodated safely. Commissioner Bertken asked if the proposal also includes all the key features in the staff report. Commissioner Schatmeier wanted more information on parking demand. If the parking is used only 50 percent then staff should consolidate parking on one side of the street and have the cycle track. Commissioner Miley stated that a cycle track could go in the future, pending more information. Commissioner Bellows wanted to include more parking information and utilization rates with a feasibility study to see if parking could be consolidated. Commissioner Miley made a motion to approve staff concept recommendations with the exception of item b, instead make the lanes traditional Class II bike lanes. He also requested that staff accommodate truck access. Also, staff would look into parking demand and provide the parking information moving forward. Commissioner Morgado seconded the motion. The motion was approved 4-2, 1 abstention. 5D. Approve Point-to-Point Car Sharing Policy Staff Payne presented the report. Commissioner Bertken told staff that a car sitting in front of someone's home for three days… | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf,13 | TransportationCommission | 2015-03-25 | 13 | Transportation Commission May 27, 2015 Item #4A Page 13 of 13 Walter Rosencrantz of car2go introduced himself and provided a brief overview of the car2go operation including an explanation that it makes business sense to move car2go vehicles that are not moving after 24 hours. Commissioner Miley moved the staff report with an amendment that staff reviews the progress within one year rather than within two years. Commissioner Hans seconded the motion. The motion was approved 7-0. 5E. Approve City of Alameda Paratransit Program Review for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 Staff Payne presented the report. Commissioner Miley moved to approve the staff report. Commissioner Hans seconded the motion. The motion was approved 7-0. 6. Staff Communications 6A. Update on Ad Hoc Transit Committee Staff Payne replied that Board member Knox White is interested in joining the committee and Commissioners Miley and Schatmeier are interested. Staff Payne suggested that Commissioner Hans participate because of the school trips within the area. 6B. Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items 1. Review Quarterly Report on Activities Related to Transportation Policies and Plans 2. Proposed I-880/Broadway/Jackson Multimodal Transportation and Circulation Improvements 3. AC Transit's Comprehensive Operations Analysis 7. Announcements/Public Comments Commissioner Miley announced that Assistant City Manager, Alex Nguyen, will be leaving to the city of Riverside and he thanked him for his service to the City. 8. Adjournment 10:07 pm | TransportationCommission/2015-03-25.pdf |
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