Sacramento City County Bicycle Advisory Committee Special Meeting - February 16, 2017

The Sacramento City County Bicycle Advisory Committee (SacBAC) held a special meeting on Thursday, February 16, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber, 915 I Street. The committee received training on the chamber's electronic speaker system, unanimously adopted its 2017 meeting calendar, and took up informational items on the Franklin Boulevard Class IV bikeway, one-time bikeway funding, 2017 grant cycles, bike parking design standards, and Sacramento County bikeways completed in 2016. Public comment and committee discussion also addressed American River Parkway trail flooding and recent bicyclist fatalities.

City Council Chambers Training

• Staff demonstrated the request-to-speak queue and microphone system. Members practiced using the buttons and learned how to remove themselves from the queue.
• Member Jordan asked for an update on the Bicycle Master Plan implementation plan and a draft annual calendar; the update was added later in the meeting.

Adoption of 2017 Meeting Calendar

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant presented the proposed 2017 SacBAC meeting calendar. No corrections or additions were offered.
• A motion to adopt the calendar was made and seconded, and the committee voted unanimously to approve it.

Franklin Boulevard Class IV Bikeway

• Megan Johnson, Associate Civil Engineer, presented the Franklin Boulevard Class 4 Protected Bikeway project, extending roughly one mile from Calvine Road to Cosumnes River Boulevard.
• Franklin Boulevard is a four-lane arterial with an average daily traffic exceeding 25,000 vehicles and 85th-percentile speeds of 47.5 mph; the posted speed is 45 mph. The project responds to a history of wrong-way bike movements and collisions.
• The original two-way Class IV concept on the west side would include a concrete barrier and a 10-foot bikeway, but would require widening, right-of-way acquisition from the bufferlands, environmental studies, and approximately $2.5 million in construction costs. A one-way Class IV alternative with a 7-foot bikeway, 8-foot striped buffer, and flexible posts was estimated at roughly $321,000 (later discussion referred to $312,000); the design uses green bike-lane paint at conflict zones.
• The project currently has funding only for preliminary engineering, environmental documentation, and design through the Active Transportation Program (ATP). It did not score favorably for ATP because the corridor is not fully in a disadvantaged community and does not directly connect to schools; staff are exploring CMAC and SACOG funding.
• Committee members commented on the need for shading, coordination with Regional San/SRCSD about a possible trail, speed reduction, east-west connections, and the safety benefits of the one-way alternative.

Mid-Year One-Time Bikeway Funding

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant reported that the mayor proposed using $2.25 million in one-time mid-year surplus funds for transportation and bikeway improvements at the February 7 Budget and Audit Committee; the proposal was advanced to the full City Council.
• Staff must return with a project list within three to four weeks. Selection criteria include: bikeway or trail-crossing project; constructible within one year; cost roughly $300,000 or less (about $275,000 per council district); closes a key gap; identified as a priority by multiple sources; and no significant CEQA analysis required. The goal is to open projects in 2017, with a construction window ending in October.
• Staff have met with council district offices 1, 3, and 5 and were scheduling the remaining offices. Committee members suggested applying Bicycle Master Plan ridership/safety goals and socioeconomic/racial equity criteria, considering American River Parkway trail crossings (e.g., Del Paso Boulevard) and J Street restriping, and potentially extending the deadline so SacBAC can advise before projects are finalized.

Grant Funding 2017 Update

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant reported that there will be no ATP call for projects in 2017; the next call is expected in spring 2018. The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) also will not have a call this summer and is expected to open next year.
• Member Jordan requested that the city and county bring their candidate grant projects to SacBAC in December. Dan Klinker agreed for the county.
• A member noted a $76 million state urban greening program with applications due in May; staff said they were evaluating it.

Bike Parking Design Update

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant updated the committee on the bike parking design and placement guidelines, which will go to the Planning and Design Commission on Thursday, February 23, 2017, before being recommended to the City Council.
• Modifications since the committee last reviewed them include a new requirement that short-term bike racks not require users to lift their bicycles; hanging racks are still allowed for long-term parking with accessible floor-level racks available. Art racks must be intuitive and meet the same functional standards.
• Enforcement will occur through planning review for new development; existing non-compliant racks will remain in place.

Sacramento County Bikeways Completed in 2016

• Dan Klinker, County Alternative Modes Coordinator, presented bikeway projects completed in 2016: Vineyard Road bridge-related bike lanes; Cottage Way legends and signage; College Oak Drive and Diablo Drive paint-only improvements; a Chase Road Class I path; and an El Camino Avenue complete-streets project.
• The county completed 4.4 miles of new bikeways in 2016, below its goal of 10 miles per year. Staff could not readily separate total bike project costs from larger construction contracts.
• Discussion touched on the county parks Cordova Creek project, American River Parkway access, and environmental/archaeological constraints limiting trail construction.

Committee Comments, Future Topics, and Public Comment

• On the Bicycle Master Plan implementation plan, Jennifer Donlon Wyant said the city is still in contracting procedures with a selected consultant and aims to complete the plan in 2017.
• Future meeting topics include the North 12th Street cycle track, the one-time funding/transportation budget, and other items from the agenda's future-topics list.
• Dan Allison of the public made four comments: he disliked the formal room setup; asked for the full agenda packet to be publicly available; noted the county replaced its 311 app; and urged the committee to pressure county parks to manage and sign the American River Parkway as a commuter route, citing flooding and inadequate closure signage. Jennifer responded that moving to the council chamber allows live broadcasting and online access to meeting materials.
• A committee member echoed concerns about trail flooding and said county parks should be invited to discuss signage and real-time closure information. The committee agreed to invite a county parks representative.
• A member mentioned a recent fatal crash involving a 13-year-old cyclist and asked that infrastructure issues be reviewed. Another member suggested investing in bike education in addition to facilities. Jordan reported that SABA executive director Jim Brown is working with agencies on recent fatalities; the committee agreed to invite Jim Brown to a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

• The 2017 SacBAC meeting calendar was adopted unanimously.
• The Franklin Boulevard Class IV bikeway information was received; staff will continue pursuing funding for the one-way Class IV concept and coordinate with county/Regional San as appropriate.
• Staff will continue developing the one-time bikeway funding project list and return to the full council within three to four weeks; committee members asked to provide input and for the deadline to possibly be extended.
• The bike parking design guidelines will be presented to the Planning and Design Commission on February 23, 2017.
• The committee will hear city and county candidate grant projects in December 2017.
• County parks will be asked to address American River Parkway flooding/signage; Jim Brown of SABA will be invited to speak about recent bicyclist fatalities.