Sacramento Active Transportation Commission Meeting - February 16, 2023
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Sacramento Active Transportation Commission Meeting - February 16, 2023
The Active Transportation Commission of Sacramento, California, met virtually via Zoom on Thursday, February 16, 2023, from 6:01 p.m. until 8:11 p.m. under AB361 teleconference rules. All eight attending commissioners were present: Manuel Buenrostro, Donald Gibson, Melissa Granville, Melissa Harris, Arlete Hodel, Jim Houpt, Eunice Roh, and Chair Ali Doerr-Westbrook. Commissioner Ron Brasel was absent. The meeting opened with roll call, a land acknowledgment, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Consent Calendar
- Moved by Commissioner Houpt, seconded by Commissioner Buenrostro, the commission unanimously (8-0, Brasel absent) approved the January 19, 2023 draft meeting minutes (File ID 2022-02312) and the Active Transportation Commission Log (File ID 2023-00072). No public comments were received.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Dan (on the Walking/Biking Subcommittee report) expressed support for the report and urged the City Council to take it seriously and accelerate improvements for walking and bicycling safety and convenience.
- Matt Anderson (District 4) expressed support for the report, asked whether the chair/commissioners could present it orally to the City Council, and recommended adding more actionable, specific recommendations, suggesting 'add one full-time FTE in the 23-24 budget solely dedicated to implementing a Safe Routes to School program.'
- Brian (on the e-Bike Lending Program) expressed disappointment that cargo bikes were not purchased, described handling challenges with electric tricycles, and suggested that everyone involved take the trikes out to understand the riding experience.
- Brian (matters not on the agenda) asked for updated information on the Two Rivers Trail and raised concern about a design change creating a gap in the trail where it did not go under the railroad.
- Matt Anderson (matters not on the agenda) asked whether the city conducts bicycle counts outside of SACOG counts and where they are published, and suggested bicycle detection cameras could serve as a proxy for biking rates. He also suggested giving businesses a tax break for installing bike corrals based on reduced sweeping services.
Discussion Items
- Commission Staff Report (Item 3): Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Transportation Planning Manager, reported on active transportation projects: the Downtown Mobility Project (separated bikeways on 19th/21st, P/Q from 15th to 21st, I Street from 21st to 13th, and Fifth Street two-way conversion); Del Rio Trail (nearly five miles of off-street shared-use path); Del Paso Boulevard lane reduction/school safety improvements (mostly complete, awaiting materials); and Broadway Complete Streets (construction expected spring 2023). She noted the bicycle detection signal program budget is about $100,000 per year, it ran over by approximately $20,000 due to material costs, and a typical intersection costs $40,000-$60,000. She invited reports of non-detecting signals via 311. New commissioners Eunice Roh (District 5), Donald Gibson (District 3), and Arlete Hodel (District 1) introduced themselves.
- Council Rules of Procedure Review (Item 4): City Clerk Mindy Cuppy summarized recent updates to the City Council Rules of Procedure that apply to boards and commissions, including requirements for virtual public access, prior board/committee review before council items, majority vote to continue meetings past 9:30 p.m., annual advisory body reports to the PNP (Personnel and Public Employees) Committee, Chapter 17 vacancy rules, and maintenance of a future-items log. Commissioner Buenrostro asked about public teleconference participation and commissioner in-person attendance; Cuppy confirmed public remote access will continue, but commissioners must attend in person. Commissioner Granville reminded commissioners that proof of vaccination is due February 21, 2023.
- Selection of Chair and Vice Chair (Item 5): Commissioner Buenrostro nominated Ali Doerr-Westbrook for Chair, seconded by Gibson; unanimous vote (8-0) to select Doerr-Westbrook as Chair for calendar year 2023. Commissioner Buenrostro then nominated Melissa Granville for Vice Chair, seconded by Hodel; unanimous vote (8-0) to select Granville as Vice Chair for 2023. Terms begin at the next regular meeting.
- Subcommittee on Status of Walking/Biking (Item 6): Chair Doerr-Westbrook presented the revised report, incorporating prior commissioner feedback. The commission discussed that the report would next go to the PNP Committee (with Councilmembers Kaplan, Leloy, Valenzuela, and Maple) before the City Council. Commissioner Houpt moved to approve the report and forward it to the appropriate body; Vice Chair Granville seconded. The motion passed unanimously (8-0).
- e-Bike Lending Program (Item 7): Fedolia 'Sparky' Harris, Principal Planner, presented the program under the Sacramento Electric Vehicle Blueprint Phase II, funded by a California Energy Commission grant and operated in partnership with the Sacramento Public Library. The city acquired 30 e-trikes from Alta Cycling; 10 were on hand and 20 were expected to arrive February 17. The original plan was 20 e-bikes and 10 cargo bikes, but procurement pivoted to e-trikes because of cost and backorders. Trikes are pedal-assist and thumb-drive, limited to 20 mph, have removable batteries, and will be checked out for up to two weeks to library patrons 18 and older. Launch is planned this spring at Colonial Heights Library (Stockton Boulevard and 21st Avenue), with five secure lockers and maintenance/logistics provided by The Electric Bike Shop. Harris said the grant requires at least two years of operation, there is no supplemental funding, and she is already seeking future funding. Commissioner Roh asked about bike infrastructure near the library; Harris acknowledged no specific improvements were proposed but noted the upcoming Active Transportation Plan update. Commissioner Harris asked about community engagement in bike selection; staff acknowledged there had not been community input, and Harris suggested future phases include it. Success metrics will be tracked through an AECOM equity dashboard, including number of unique users, mileage, and length of checkout.
- City of Sacramento Bicycle Parking Program (Item 8): Jennifer Donlon Wyant presented for Jeff Jelsma. The city has over 7,500 publicly available bike parking spaces, installed 890 spaces since 2020 (about 350 per year), and has 41 shared rideable drop zones. Annual recurring funding is about $60,000 from Measure A, plus 10 cents per shared rideable trip and one-time SACOG funding; each space costs about $400-$500, so normal budget supports roughly 150 spaces per year. Installing on-street bike corrals replaces one car space with up to 10 bike spaces but requires adjacent property owners to maintain and sweep the area; three bids showed city maintenance would cost more than $60,000 a year. Wyant discussed approved rack types, challenges with narrow sidewalks outside the grid, shared rideable deployment issues, and a possible pilot to install racks on private property, pending legal questions such as gift of public funds and liability. Commissioner Gibson noted 7,500 bike spaces is fewer than the car parking at the old Arco Arena and asked about standards and school engagement; Commissioner Roh asked about siting outside the central city and the business sponsorship process. The item was received and filed.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved unanimously.
- Ali Doerr-Westbrook re-elected Chair and Melissa Granville re-elected Vice Chair for calendar year 2023, each by 8-0 vote.
- Motion to forward the Subcommittee on Status of Walking/Biking report to the City Council passed unanimously (8-0).
- e-Bike Lending Program and Bicycle Parking Program presentations were received and filed without a vote.
- Commissioner Roh requested a future agenda item on leaf cleanup in bike lanes; the Chair explained the process for adding items to the commission log, requiring a specific question, connection to the commission's seven official duties, and the equity statement.
- Staff noted a Two Rivers Trail presentation had been given in April 2022; a Union Pacific railroad issue is causing a temporary gap, and the next phase has funding from Assemblymember McCarty but is awaiting staff capacity.
- The next meeting is expected to be in person in March 2023.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are great, thank you. Uh good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Thursday, February 16th, 2023, Active Transportation Commission. The meeting is now called the order. Will the clerk please call the roll and establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioners, please unmute and turn on your video. Commissioner Brazzle. Did you see that with the post? Um absent. Commissioner Buenrostro. Here. Commissioner Gibson. Here. Commissioner Granville. Here. Commissioner Harris. Here. Commissioner Hodell. Here. Commissioner Hoopt. Here. Commissioner Rowe. Here. Chair Doer Westbrook. Here. Thank you. We have a quorum. Fantastic. All right. Uh this meeting is virtual via Zoom, uh, as you probably assumed. And for members of the public who wish to join, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. And once you have joined the meeting and wish to speak, use the raise your hand function 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 on the bottom of the screen. In the mobile app, you can 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, dial star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digits of their phone number. Uh and you will have three minutes to speak once you are called on. We'll now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous people and tribal lands. May we honor, maybe 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. Thank you. And remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Okay. So our first business today is approval of the consent calendar. Madam Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar? Thank you, Chair. I have no speakers with their hands raised. Thank you.
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