City County Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting - July 13, 2017
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City County Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting - July 13, 2017
The Sacramento City County Bicycle Advisory Committee (SacBAC) met on July 13, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. The committee approved the consent calendar, received updates on the Downtown Bikeway Network and Vision Zero, and voted on recommendations regarding state legislation on "stop as yield" and automated speed enforcement. The future of the joint committee was also discussed.
Consent Calendar
- Approved meeting minutes of June 15, 2017, with corrections (spelling and wording).
- Approved the committee log, with item #8 removed.
- Motion carried unanimously; one member (Mr. McFarland) abstained.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Dan Allison (Sacramento resident) spoke in favor of the "stop as yield" legislation (AB 1103), arguing that yielding behavior is safer and more responsible. He also supported automated speed enforcement legislation (AB 342), citing its effectiveness and noting the bill could be improved.
- Jim Brown (Executive Director, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates) expressed concerns that AB 1103 does not increase funding or infrastructure and may not attract new riders; he also commented on automated speed enforcement, stating its limited value for bicycle safety without street design changes.
- Jeanie Wardwaller (Policy Director, California Bicycle Coalition) supported AB 1103, noting it is bipartisan and could reduce inequitable enforcement.
- Bob Plantholdt (by email) urged the committee to consult with disability and other vulnerable user groups before supporting AB 1103.
Discussion Items
- Downtown Bikeway Network (Item 4): Jim Brown presented an analysis of bike access gaps in the Downtown Specific Plan, particularly in the northwest quadrant and along corridors like L Street, 5th Street, and 7th/8th Streets. He cited Calgary’s 40% ridership increase and Chicago’s Dearborn Street as examples of successful protected bike lanes. Committee members expressed strong agreement and encouraged individual comments on the Environmental Impact Report.
- Vision Zero Update (Item 8): Staff presented collision profiles: 66% of killed-or-severe-injury (KSI) collisions occur on streets with posted speeds ≥35 mph, 25% involve alcohol, and 47% of bicycle KSIs are within 500 feet of retail/recreation areas. Next steps include a draft action plan and an education campaign funded by an OTS grant.
- Future of SacBAC (Item 9): Staff announced plans to dissolve the joint committee and form separate city and county bicycle advisory committees. Members emphasized the need for coordination between the future committees, greater geographic and demographic diversity, and possibly enhanced decision-making power.
Key Outcomes
- AB 1103 ("Stop as Yield") – Motion Passed: The committee voted to recommend that staff seek a sponsor from the City Council and Board of Supervisors to bring the item to their agendas, that the Council and Board formally support AB 1103, that the city and county seek support from the League of California Cities and California State Association of Counties, and that they seek support from SACOG. The motion passed with one abstention (Walt Seifert).
- AB 342 (Automated Speed Enforcement) – Motion Passed: The committee adopted the recommendation as amended (striking the request for city support for League of California Cities because the city had already done so). The motion passed with one dissenting vote (Christian) and one abstention (Walt Seifert). The committee also asked for a report on what action had been taken on prior recommendations.
Meeting Transcript
Committee member Lee. No. Committee member Seifert. Here. Committee member Casey. Present. Chair Whelan. Here. Member Lang. Member Melvin. Present. Member Castle. Member Coffer. Member Casarda. Present. Wonderful. Thank you. A couple of housekeeping rules. This meeting is broadcast live on the city website. It's also recorded. So if you are not able to watch the full meeting tonight, you can go back and watch it online. If you have a cell phone, please silence it. Speaker slips are located in the back. If you wish to speak, uh please fill it out and turn it into Drew Hart or Dan Clinker up here up front. The speaker limit time is three minutes. We also have a cordless microphone and assistive listening devices should anyone need one. Thank you. Thank you, Jennifer. Ready for item one on the agenda is the consent calendar consisting of two things. The approval of the minutes from June 15th, and our list of topics to be discussed, which we call our bicycle advisory log. Are there any additions or corrections to either of those items? I have noted two corrections in the minutes. Was uh Jordan Lang's name was misspelled. And down in item four, um the very last line, uh the word recommend it should be recommendation, I believe. Um other corrections or additions to the minutes. No. Thank you. Um, yeah, in the committee log number eight should be taken off the list. Um that happened last month. The bike presentation. Okay. Anything else on the log. Nothing else, I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent calendar as amended. I move approval. Thank you, Walt. Second. Dave seconded. Thank you. Uh, any other discussion? All those in favor indicate by saying aye.
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