Sacramento City County Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting - June 15, 2017

The City County Bicycle Advisory Committee (SacBAC) met on Thursday, June 15, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber, 915 I Street, 1st Floor, Sacramento. The meeting covered a broad range of bicycle-related topics including trail naming, a new parkway trail, the Downtown Specific Plan, a police bait bike program, the year in review, the bike plan implementation plan, and a one-time funding update. The committee took action on the consent calendar and the East Drain Canal Trail naming, and received information on all other items.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the meeting minutes of March 16, 2017, and April 20, 2017, with a correction to the spelling of Chair Whelan's first name in the April minutes. Member Melvin abstained from the April minutes due to absence. The motion passed unanimously.
• Received and filed the Bicycle Advisory Committee Log.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the meeting.

Discussion Items

Item 4: East Drain Canal Trail Naming

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant (City Active Transportation Program Specialist) and Elizabeth Graham (North Natomas Transportation Management Association) presented a proposal to name the trail "Jackrabbit Trail." A community survey of 161 votes resulted in 58% support for this name. The committee discussed signage and wayfinding, with Walt Seifert and Jonathan Lee emphasizing the need for trail-street intersection signs. The committee voted unanimously to endorse the naming.

Item 5: South Sacramento Parkway

• Bill Shunk (Project Manager) presented a half-mile Class I trail connecting the Freeport Trail to the Delta Shores Trail beneath Interstate 5. The project has an $800,000 SACOG grant plus a $100,000 city match. Construction is anticipated for spring 2018. Committee members raised concerns about the generic trail name, a stop sign versus yield sign at the east entrance, lack of landscaping and shade, and potential graffiti on the sound wall. Walt Seifert suggested a mini-roundabout at the trail intersection. No action was taken; the item was for review and comment.

Item 6: Downtown Specific Plan (Grid 3.0)

• Marco Gonzalez (Planner) and David Carter (Fehr & Peers) presented the plan, which aims to accommodate over 10,000 new housing units and includes 189 blocks of lane reductions, 82 blocks converted to two-way streets, and 188 blocks of new bicycle facilities (a 55% increase). Jim Brown (Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates) criticized the plan for lacking connectivity, especially in the northwest quadrant, and requested a future presentation. The committee discussed specific streets (L, 5th, 7th/8th, J, P/Q, 16th) and asked staff to address the seven points from SABA's letter. Staff noted that the plan will go to council in December 2017 and that the committee will have an opportunity to review before then.

Item 7: City Bait Bike Program

• Sergeant Don Schumacher (Sacramento Police Department Bike Unit) reported 371 deployments, 110 arrests, and a 30% success rate. The program uses GPS-equipped bikes placed in high-theft areas. Member Flo Jean raised equity concerns about targeting vulnerable populations. The sergeant noted that 75-80% of arrestees are transient and that the program does not offer referral services. The committee received the information and filed it.

Item 8: City 16-17 Year in Review

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant presented accomplishments including the adoption of Vision Zero, new bike rack standards, the Sunday Street event, a bike share preview, and the bikeway wayfinding program. The committee discussed the need for more enforcement, automated speed enforcement, expanded education, and equity. Committee members shared priorities for the coming year, such as improved connectivity and gateways, and increased outreach to businesses.

Item 9: Bike Plan Implementation Plan

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant outlined a scope to clean up GIS data, prioritize projects based on bike plan goals, and conduct three public workshops. The plan is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The committee discussed the possibility of a special working meeting to develop evaluation criteria. No action was taken.

Item 10: One Time Funding Update

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant reported on $2.25 million in mid-year surplus funds allocated to bikeway projects across eight council districts. Projects include pedestrian hybrid beacons, buffered bike lanes, road diets, and sidewalk gap closures. The downtown bikeway projects (extending P/Q Street bike lanes, I Street, 8th Street, and F Street improvements) will be completed within budget by using cost-saving measures. The council approved the funding on June 13, 2017.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (with one abstention).
• East Drain Canal Trail: Motion to name the trail "Jackrabbit Trail" passed unanimously.
• Other Items: All remaining items (Items 5-10) were received and filed, with no formal votes.
• Future Meetings: Jim Brown (SABA) was invited to present at a future meeting. The committee expressed interest in reviewing the Downtown Specific Plan and the Bike Plan Implementation Plan before they go to council.