City County Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting - August 17, 2017

The City County Bicycle Advisory Committee (SacBAC) met on Thursday, August 17, 2017, at 6:31 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting covered several major projects, updates on bicycle infrastructure, and a proposal to restructure the committee into separate city and county advisory bodies. The committee approved the consent calendar, discussed the N 12th Street Complete Street Project, the Sacramento-West Sacramento Streetcar, temporary bicycle access to Sacramento Valley Station, and the formation of a new City Bicycle Advisory Commission.

Consent Calendar

• The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the July 13, 2017 meeting and the committee log, with abstentions from members Lang, Kofer, Nardis, and Lewis. A member requested adding an item on American River Parkway flooding locations to the log but withdrew the request.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dan Allison, a Sacramento resident, spoke during public comments and requested that the committee ask the city for a report on the bike share program, including membership numbers, usage statistics, trip patterns, hub selection, expansion plans, and marketing. He noted difficulty obtaining information from SACOG.

Discussion Items

N 12th Street Project Update

• Associate Civil Engineer Megan Johnson presented the North 12th Street Complete Street Project, which will install a two-way Class IV bikeway from C Street to Richards Boulevard. The project includes a buffer with flexible vertical posts, sidewalk and lighting improvements, and a transition from four to three vehicle lanes. Key design elements include a signalized intersection at Sunbeam and Richards Boulevard, a relocated bus stop on Sunbeam Avenue with a protected area for cyclists, and a complicated five-legged intersection at North B Street with a bike signal for left-turning cyclists. The project is in the preliminary engineering/environmental phase, expected to finish in February 2018, followed by final design (12 months) and construction. Funding is secured.
• Committee members asked about the environmental process (CEQA/NEPA), durability of flexible posts, the possibility of extending the bikeway to I Street, and why Caltrans declined to allow a lane reduction on its facility. Members emphasized the need for education on new bike signals. One member noted that flexible posts at another intersection regularly get demolished. Another asked about the project budget and was directed to the city's Capital Improvement Program.

Streetcar Project Update

• Senior Engineer Adam Randolph updated the committee on the $200 million Sacramento-West Sacramento streetcar project, funded by the Federal Transit Administration ($100 million), state cap-and-trade ($30 million), state funds ($25 million), and local contributions ($45 million). The route crosses Tower Bridge, goes down Capitol Mall, up H Street, and loops via 12th, J, 19th, and L streets. Bicycle improvements include Class II bike lanes on Tower Bridge and Capitol Mall (filling a gap), Class II bike lanes on H Street after a two-way conversion from 8th to 12th, and consolidated buffered bike lanes on 19th Street (from H to L) and L Street (from 15th to 19th), placed on the side opposite the streetcar tracks. The system is expected to be operational by end of 2021.
• Committee members expressed strong concern about safety hazards from streetcar tracks, particularly the flangeway groove, which can cause crashes for cyclists. Members noted that at least 20 bicycle routes will cross the tracks. Staff responded that they are squaring crossing angles and using markings and signage, and have consulted with Portland on mitigations. One member argued that $200 million spent on bike facilities would be more cost-effective. A public commenter, Jeannie Wardwaller, a midtown resident, said moving bike lanes to one side on one-way streets would create conflicts and that tracks are a barrier for new cyclists. Staff noted that bike boxes and two-stage turn boxes may help. A member asked about bicycle accommodations on the streetcar; staff will check with the procurement team. Another asked about bicycle rental options at stops.

Sacramento Valley Station Access

• Active Transportation Program Specialist Jennifer Donlon Wyant presented a temporary project to extend the existing Class IV cycle track from under the Fifth Street overpass to the Sacramento Valley Station walkway. The project is funded at $200,000–$300,000, with design expected this winter and implementation next year. The temporary connection will last until the station area is developed through the master planning process.
• Committee members supported the interim connection. Dan Allison, during public comments, expressed concern about multiple transportation modes (light rail, buses, cyclists, pedestrians) being squeezed into the station area and urged careful planning. The committee voted to invite the Sacramento Valley Station Master Plan project manager to a future meeting.

Development of New City Bicycle Advisory Committee

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant presented a proposal to dissolve the current joint city-county committee and form separate city and county advisory bodies. The city’s new Bicycle Advisory Commission would have 11 seats: one appointed by each council member, one by the mayor, and two at-large appointed by the Personnel and Public Employee Committee. Members must live in the city of Sacramento and have a demonstrated history of professional/community involvement in bicycling issues (or an interest, after committee feedback). Terms are four years, staggered initially, with a two-term limit. The current committee’s last meeting is planned for November 2017, with a possible gap of December and January before the new commission begins in February 2018.
• Committee members expressed excitement about restructuring and the potential for greater geographic diversity. However, several members raised concerns that the qualification requirement (“demonstrated history of professional/community involvement”) might exclude interested novices. Members suggested changing the language to “interest or involvement” and dropping “professional.” Members also discussed the need for economic, demographic, and gender diversity; staff agreed to look into codifying diversity requirements. The committee emphasized the importance of continuity and encouraged current members to contact their councilmembers to reapply.

Key Outcomes

• The committee approved the consent calendar with abstentions.
• The committee directed staff to invite the Sacramento Valley Station Master Plan project manager to a future meeting.
• The committee agreed to place a discussion on the September 14, 2017 agenda regarding how to communicate recommendations to the city council on stop-as-yield and automated speed enforcement (via letter, resolution, or oral presentation).
• The committee requested a presentation from SACOG on the bike share program, including membership, usage, hub selection, and expansion plans, for a future meeting.
• The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:30 p.m.