Active Transportation Commission Meeting – August 18, 2022
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Active Transportation Commission Meeting – August 18, 2022
The Active Transportation Commission met teleconference-only on Thursday, August 18, 2022, at 6:01 p.m. and adjourned at 8:27 p.m. Commissioners considered consent items, received staff reports, discussed corridor projects, a grant application, the Transportation Priorities Plan, and a subcommittee report. Public comments addressed a wide range of active transportation topics.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1 – Approval of Minutes (June 16, 2022): Passed (7 yes, 1 abstain (Commissioner Paullins), 2 absent).
- Item 2 – Adoption of Active Transportation Commission Log: Passed as part of the consent calendar.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 4 (34th Street / West El Camino): Nick Meyer (resident) requested a crosswalk on V Street at 34th, noting pedestrian conflicts.
- Item 5 (Marysville Blvd Grant): Dan Allison (support) and Margarette (student, support) spoke in favor of the project.
- Item 6 (Transportation Priorities Plan):
- Dan Allison strongly supported the plan’s transparency but noted possible disagreement with specific criteria.
- Troy Senke asked if the city considers temporary/cheaper materials to deliver projects faster.
- Brian Henry requested context on spending on car infrastructure versus active transportation.
- Steve criticized the lack of high-priority projects in South Sacramento, questioning the equity of the map.
- Saba (Dev Banks) praised the effort and asked how grant applications (like Marysville) align with the TPP prioritization.
- John Fritzie (audio issues) commented on the River City Bike Trail and equity concerns in the Pocket area.
- Item 7 (Subcommittee on Walking/Biking): Dan Allison suggested a public dashboard; Matt Anderson supported funding emphasis and transformative ideas like street closures.
- Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda:
- Dan Allison urged combining pedestrian and bike master plans, ATC monitoring of Vision Zero, and regular council communication.
- Brian Henry reported a pedestrian signal issue at 65th & Folsom and RT display problems.
- Steve criticized the Pocket parkway process, alleging lack of transparency and use of PR firm.
- Matt Anderson called for ATC to weigh in on budget and climate action plan, noting three pedestrian deaths in the past week.
- Saba (Dev Banks) supported updating the bike/ped master plans and streamlined parklet programs.
Discussion Items
- Item 3 – Commission Staff Report (Oral): Received and filed. Staff announced new planner Jeff Gelsma, two vacant transportation planner positions, and nine traffic signal locations being upgraded for bicycle detection.
- Item 4 – Transportation Corridor Program: 34th Street and West El Camino Rehabilitation: Staff presented planned improvements: buffered bike lanes, pedestrian refuge island at Niños Parkway, rectangular rapid flashing beacon at X Street, bus stop relocation, and pavement rehab. Commissioners discussed speed, bike facility type, creative crosswalks, and intersection safety. No vote – review and comment only.
- Item 5 – Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant (Marysville Blvd Vision Zero): Staff presented the grant application for a $4 million local match from SACOG and a federal grant due September 15, 2022. The project would reduce the five-lane roadway to three lanes with separated bikeways, improved crosswalks, and bus stop spacing. Commissioners expressed strong support. Motion passed unanimously (8 yes, 2 absent) to forward recommendation to City Council.
- Item 6 – Transportation Priorities Plan Initial Prioritization: Staff presented the data-driven prioritization of over 700 planned projects using values adopted by council. Key statistics: 41 miles of high-priority projects; 70% on the High Injury Network; 85% improve job connections; 90% on poor pavement serving many people; 95% benefit communities lacking basic infrastructure. Commissioners discussed funding challenges, engagement gaps (especially North Sacramento), and scoring of shared-use paths. No vote – review and comment.
- Item 7 – Subcommittee on Status of Walking/Biking: Chair Westbrook reported subcommittee progress, including review of past agendas and brainstorming report topics. The subcommittee aims to highlight recent successes, identify transformative ideas, and produce a draft report by November 2022, final in January 2023. Commissioners offered suggestions (dashboard, metrics, council member outreach). No vote – received and filed.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved (7-0-1, 2 absent).
- Item 5 motion passed (8-0-0, 2 absent) to recommend City Council support for the Marysville Blvd Vision Zero grant applications.
- Item 4, 6, and 7 received comments and were filed without vote.
- Commissioner Houpt proposed adding the R Street al fresco dining/street closure issue to the commission log for future discussion; staff will accept the proposal for the next month’s log.
- Commissioner Brazzle raised concerns about moving to in-person meetings without hybrid option; staff noted a decision is pending.
- Staff will continue engagement on the Transportation Priorities Plan through September 6, 2022, with virtual workshops on August 24 and 27.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are great, thank you. All right, good evening and welcome to the August 18th, 2022 Active Transportation Commission meeting. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioners, please unmute and turn on your video for roll call vote. Commissioner Brazzle. Here. Thank you. Commissioner Buen Roastro. Present. Thank you. Commissioner Carpenter. Is absent. Commissioner Granville. Present. Thank you. Commissioner Harris. Present. Thank you. Commissioner Haim. Here. Thank you. Commissioner Ha. Here. Thank you. Commissioner Ward Waller will be absent tonight. Vice Chair Pollins. Here. Thank you. Chair Dewar Westbrook. Present. Thank you. We have a quorum. Wonderful. This meeting is virtual via Zoom. For members of the public who wish to join, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you have joined the meeting and wish to speak, use the raise your hand feature to provide public comment when the chair confirms the public comment speaking period for your desired item. If you're online, click on raise your hand at the bottom of your screen. If you're joining via the mobile app, you could raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. And if you're calling in via telephone to raise your hand, dial star nine, then to unmute or mute, dial star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digits of their phone number. You will have three minutes to speak once you are called on, and we'll now proceed to today's agenda. Starting with the land acknowledgement, please rise for the opening acknowledgements in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous People and Tribal Lands. The original people of this land, the Nissanong people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains Miwok, Hatwan Wintu peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples history, contributions, and lives. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. You can now be seated. Madam Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar? Thank you, Chair.
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