Active Transportation Commission Meeting - May 18, 2023
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Active Transportation Commission Meeting - May 18, 2023
The Active Transportation Commission met on May 18, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss three main agenda items: the 21st Avenue Beautification Project, the Pocket Greenhaven Neighborhood Transportation Plan final draft, and Phase I outreach for the Streets for People Active Transportation Plan. The meeting included a consent calendar, commissioner comments, and public comment on a non-agenda matter.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the meeting minutes from April 20, 2023 (File ID: 2022-02330) and adopted the Active Transportation Commission Log (File ID: 2023-00622). Both items were passed by a unanimous voice vote with all present commissioners voting "Aye."
Public Comments & Testimony
- Public Comment on Matters Not on the Agenda (online): Lisa Tordos, a member of the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, expressed concern about traffic safety on 59th Street between 10th and Broadway, particularly at the intersection of 59th and 2nd. She noted that traffic studies were conducted beginning in 2020 and a request for a stop sign was denied, and a subsequent request from November 2022 remains unresolved. She urged the city to implement traffic calming measures before someone gets hurt.
Discussion Items
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21st Avenue Beautification Project (Item 3): Staff presented a project to improve safety and walkability along 21st Avenue near Ethel Phillips Elementary School and Christian Brothers High School. Improvements include widening the sidewalk, adding curb ramps, installing bioswales and rain gardens, adding pedestrian-scale lighting, and incorporating public art (murals featuring school mascots). The project is funded by a Caltrans Clean California grant and has a total cost of $1.78 million. Phase I construction is scheduled for July 2023, with Phase II in February 2024. Commissioners asked about maintenance (responsibility of the Franklin Neighborhood Development Corporation and the school), the possibility of adding more trees (limited by right-of-way), and concerns about ongoing dumping (addressed by improving the appearance of the area and adding anti-littering signs). The item was for receive and discussion only; no vote was taken.
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Pocket Greenhaven Neighborhood Transportation Plan Final Draft (Item 4): Staff presented the final plan for the Pocket Greenhaven area, which was developed with extensive community engagement beginning in February 2020. The plan includes new pedestrian crossings (using RRFBs and pedestrian signals instead of full traffic signals to reduce cost), traffic calming measures such as narrow lanes, roundabouts, speed feedback signs, and buffered bikeways. Notably, lane reductions were eliminated from the plan in response to community concerns about emergency evacuations (following the Paradise Fire). Commissioners discussed the lack of lane reductions on Pocket Road and Riverside Boulevard, with some expressing disappointment that the plan does not reduce travel lanes. Staff noted that the plan is a starting point and can be enhanced during later design phases. A motion to recommend City Council approve the plan passed unanimously (9-0).
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Streets For People: Sacramento Active Transportation Plan Phase I Outreach (Item 5): Staff introduced Phase I outreach for a citywide active transportation plan that will update the Bicycle Master Plan (last updated 2016) and Pedestrian Master Plan (last updated 2008). Focused engagement will occur in North Sacramento, South Sacramento, and the Fruit Ridge-Broadway areas. Outreach methods include a community planning team, walk and bike workshops, virtual and mobile workshops, and an interactive web map. Commissioners recommended expanding outreach strategies to include paper surveys, yard signs with QR codes, partnerships with transit agencies, and the use of social media. Staff welcomed these suggestions. No vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
- Pocket Greenhaven Neighborhood Transportation Plan: The Commission voted unanimously (9-0) to recommend that the City Council approve the final draft plan.
- Other Items: The Commission discussed the 21st Avenue Beautification Project and the Streets for People outreach phase without taking formal votes.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are. Great, thank you so much. Good evening, and welcome to the May 18th, 2023 Active Transportation Commission. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Hodell. Here. Commissioner Harris? Here. Commissioner Gibson? Here. Commissioner Rowe. Here. Commissioner Gonzalez. Here. Commissioner Haupt? Here. Commissioner Brazzle is currently absent. Commissioner Granville. Present. Commissioner Lee. Aye, here. Commissioner Banks is absent. And Chair Dewar Westbrook. Present. Thank you. We have quorum. Fantastic. I'd like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you'd like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. For members of the public who wish to join virtually, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. Once you have joined the meeting and wish to speak, raise your hand 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 your hand option in the more tab. 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 two minutes to speak once you are called on. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips and the raise hand feature in Zoom will be disabled. We'll now proceed to today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu Valley and Plains Mewok, Patuanwintu 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 an active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples history, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Our first business today is approval of the consent calendar. Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on the consent calendar? Thank you, Chair. I have no speaker slips from those in chambers, and I have no hands raised online. Thank you. Are there any commissioners who wish to speak on this item?
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