Sacramento Active Transportation Commission Meeting - August 19, 2021
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Sacramento Active Transportation Commission Meeting - August 19, 2021
The Active Transportation Commission of Sacramento, California, met virtually via Zoom on Thursday, August 19, 2021, starting at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was chaired by Acting Chair Ward-Waller, with a quorum present. Key topics included the new broadcasting format, staff reports, a 311 data report, active transportation audits, and a discussion on the commission log. The commission also heard public comments and took actions on consent items.
Consent Calendar
- The commission unanimously approved the meeting minutes from May 20, 2021, and received and filed the Active Transportation Commission Log. Commissioner Granville abstained (first meeting), and Commissioner Smith abstained (not specified).
Public Comments & Testimony
- A public comment from Jen Knapp (read by staff) expressed concern that 311 reports about shared rideables blocking sidewalks and ADA ramps were closed without confirmation that the rideable had been retrieved. She requested that reports remain open until the rideable is confirmed to be picked up.
- A public comment from Mark Westbrook (read by staff) described unsafe conditions on the river bike trail due to construction closures at Pioneer Landing Park and near 35th Avenue, with no detours and unsafe merges with traffic. He questioned why bicycle paths are closed without accommodations comparable to those for cars.
- Jen Knapp's comment prompted discussion about implementing a tracking mechanism for rideable retrieval; staff noted this could be included in future regulatory updates.
Discussion Items
- New Broadcasting Format: Staff introduced the move to a fully Zoom-based format, including closed captioning, to improve accessibility and streamline public participation. Commissioner Garrow clarified the roles of panelists and attendees. Questions about translation services were raised; staff indicated that hiring interpreters is possible for future meetings.
- Commission Staff Report: Jennifer Donlon Wyant provided extensive updates, including:
- Adoption of shared rideable regulations by council, with amendments addressing equitable outcomes and a reduced fee of $15 (which will be passed on to users for ADA violations).
- The Safe and Active Streets pilot ended; 5 neighborhoods participated, and over 1,200 survey responses were received.
- The city was awarded $39 million in SACOG grants for multiple projects, including Broadway Complete Streets, Franklin Boulevard, and Vision Zero projects.
- New corridor studies for Freeport and Northgate Boulevards are underway.
- 311 Report on Active Transportation: Ivan Castallanos presented data from January 21 to July 31, 2021. Highlights included 1,492 street-related cases and over 5,000 shared rideable cases (90% reported by parking enforcement). Legal dumping and sidewalk issues were common. Discussion focused on using data to address recurring issues, language access (with translation services), and tracking repeat offenders.
- Active Transportation Audits: Staff introduced a new project to conduct neighborhood-level audits in North Sacramento, Fruit Ridge Broadway, and South Sacramento, focusing on environmental justice communities. The project, funded by the general fund and supported by a consultant (Alta Planning and Design), will identify barriers to walking and rolling. Community engagement and resident planning teams are part of the process.
- Active Transportation Commission Log: Discussion centered on making the log more action-oriented. Commissioner Garrow suggested deleting the log and starting fresh, with items aligned to the commission's seven duties and equity statement. Others proposed adding dates, sponsors, and status. Staff agreed to bring a revised framework back for action at the October meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent calendar (minutes and log) with abstentions from Commissioners Granville and Smith.
- Directed staff to bring back a revised commission log with a structured framework (including sponsor, date, alignment with duties, equity impact, and intended outcome) for action in October.
- Noted community feedback on shared rideable retrieval tracking; staff to consider incorporating into future regulatory updates.
- Staff will schedule updates on downtown bikeway projects (including North 12th Bikeway) for a future meeting.
- The next regular meeting was scheduled for September 16, 2021 at 6 p.m. via Zoom.
Meeting Transcript
Staff, we are live streaming. Chair Ward Waller. All right, calling the meeting to order. And can we please have the roll? Call the roll. Certainly. Commissioner Brazzle. Present. Commissioner Buen Rostro. Here. Commissioner Carpenter, we know I'll be absent. Commissioner Dewar Westbrook. Present. Wonderful. Commissioner Garrow. Here. And Commissioner Granville. Present. Wonderful. Commissioner Hopped. Here. Commissioner Pollins. Present. Commissioner Smith. Here. And Vice Chair Wardwaller, who is acting as chair. Present. And looks like. Wait, did I see Commissioner Buen Rastro join us? I did. I'm here. Wonderful. We have a quorum. It may do some housekeeping. Chair, acting chair. Wardwaller. This meeting is broadcast live on the city website. I'd like to remind the commissioners and staff to mute your microphones when not speaking. The public was able to provide comments to the meeting beforehand by e-comment on the agenda homepage. Public comment can be made by Zoom and by phone in our new format. If you're any members of the public by Zoom, please use your raise your hand option. You can also call in, and the call in information is on the agenda on the top of the agenda for our meeting. To uh raise your hand, hit star nine to unmute, hit star six. Speakers will be called by the last four digits of their phone number if they were calling in. And the speaker minute is speaker limit is three minutes. Thank you so much. Back to you, Jared Wall. All right. We'll start with the consent calendar. Approval of the meeting minutes from our May meeting.
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