Active Transportation Commission Special Meeting – January 21, 2021

The Active Transportation Commission held a special meeting on January 21, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. via teleconference. The meeting included routine approvals, public testimony, staff updates on the Slow & Active Streets pilot, and action on shared-rideable regulatory changes and a new subcommittee on charging stations. The commission also elected officers and approved the 2021 meeting calendar.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of November 11, 2020 Minutes: Passed unanimously.
• Active Transportation Commission Log: Received and filed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• David (California Department of Public Health): Spoke in support of the California Bike Plate initiative, which would fund bicycle infrastructure through special interest license plates. Urged the commission to promote the program, noting a deadline of September 2021 to sell 6,000 plates.
• Dan Allison: Expressed strong support for the Slow & Active Streets pilot and urged faster implementation. Later, during the shared-rideable charging stations item, supported forming a subcommittee and noted existing charging infrastructure from Jump bikes and Sacramento State scooter hubs.
• Dev Banks (Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates): Commended departing Commissioner Verdugo and welcomed new Commissioner Westbrook. Urged extending the Slow & Active Streets pilot beyond April 2021 (at least through June) to collect more data and allow longer community use.
• Bob Walsh (Byrd): Thanked staff for the collaborative process on shared-rideable regulations. Expressed concern that requiring riders to scan their driver’s license before each trip would create a barrier to use, particularly for lower-income individuals who may not have smartphones. Suggested alternative solutions.

Discussion Items

• Election of Chair and Vice-Chair: Commissioner Cole nominated Chair Heim to continue as Chair, seconded by Vice Chair Ward Waller. A separate motion was made for Vice Chair Ward Waller. Both motions passed unanimously (10–0).
• Approve 2021 Commission Calendar: The calendar sets meetings for the third Thursday of each month (February–November, except July and December). Passed unanimously.
• Slow & Active Streets Update (Information Item):
  • Staff (Jennifer Donlon Wyant) presented the pilot program: up to 6 miles of streets, funded through April 2021, community-driven with sponsors, prioritizing environmental justice (EJ) areas, multi-family housing, and areas with limited park access.
  • Applications received for more than 8 miles of streets; two from East Sacramento, one from Land Park, two from Tahoe Park (EJ area), two from Cabrillo Park (EJ area), and one from Midtown Newton Booth (survey closing February 3rd).
  • Commissioners discussed compliance, monitoring, extension beyond April, and equity concerns. Vice Chair Ward Waller suggested extending the pilot and leveraging community monitoring. Staff noted liability requires city staff monitoring, but expressed willingness to share commission interest with leadership.
  • Commissioner Cole emphasized the need for targeted outreach in marginalized communities to ensure equitable participation.
• Action Item: Shared-Ridables: Proposed Regulatory Changes:
  • Staff (Valerie Hermanson) presented proposed changes based on City Council direction: equity (20% deployment to opportunity areas, rider surveys, better messaging on devices), fee structure revisions (remove parking meter fee, allow monthly invoicing per trip, reduce bike fees), greenhouse gas reduction (incentivizing bikes, waiving bike fees in opportunity areas), parking management (require integrated locking mechanisms “lock2”, geofencing, in-app reminders, driver’s license scan before each ride), and administrative updates (anti-competitive behavior rules, device cap revisions).
  • Statistics: 1,700 311 reports on shared rideables (June 2019–December 2020); 50% for improper parking, 36% for blocking sidewalks; 6,800 parking citations issued (December 2019–December 2020).
  • Public comment (Dan Allison) supported fee reductions and passing citation costs to users. Commissioner discussion raised concerns about driver’s license scan (privacy, equity, feasibility), parking citation due process, and the need for a nonprofit operator option.
  • Commissioner Hopp made a motion to forward staff recommendations to the Law & Legislation Committee and City Council. Seconded by Vice Chair Ward Waller. Motion passed unanimously (10–0).
• Action Item: Shared-Ridable Charging Stations:
  • Commissioner Brazzle proposed forming a subcommittee to investigate installing charging stations for shared rideables, noting a pilot in Austin, Texas (10 stations by Swift Mile with Bird, Lime, Spin) and a SACOG study finding 35% of bike-share costs go to recharging/rebalancing.
  • Commissioners volunteered: Commissioner Brazzle, Commissioner Hopp, Commissioner Smith. Motion to form subcommittee passed unanimously (10–0).

Key Outcomes

• Elected Chair and Vice-Chair: Chair Heim and Vice Chair Ward Waller reelected for 2021.
• Approved 2021 Commission Calendar: Meetings scheduled third Thursday of each month (except July and December).
• Slow & Active Streets: Staff will continue pilot through April 2021; commission expressed desire to extend, and staff will share interest with city leadership. Equity outreach to be emphasized.
• Shared-Rideable Regulatory Changes: Motion passed (10–0) to forward staff recommendations to Law & Legislation Committee and City Council. The proposal includes: 20% deployment to opportunity areas, rider surveys, device messaging requirements, fee restructuring, lock2 requirement, geofencing, driver’s license scan before each ride, and anti-competitive behavior rules.
• Subcommittee on Charging Stations: Formed with Commissioners Brazzle, Hopp, and Smith to research and report back to the full commission.
• Other: Commissioner Verdugo acknowledged for her service (last meeting). Commissioner Smith corrected about term expiration.

Next Meeting: February 18, 2021 (pending staffing availability).