Walnut Creek Transportation Commission Meeting - May 15, 2025

The Walnut Creek Transportation Commission met on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Vice Chair Charles Kreling presided in the absence of Chair Samantha Caygill. Commissioners Jared Asch, Laura Patch, Robert Rees, and Student Commissioner Diego Kirsch were present. The meeting included updates on Bike to Wherever Day 2025 and the Downtown Curbside Management Plan, along with public comments and commissioner announcements. The meeting adjourned at 7:47 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (March 20, 2025): Motion by Commissioner Asch, seconded by Commissioner Patch, carried unanimously to approve the minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Michael Vecchio (resident): Spoke during re-opened public communications (non-agenda items) asking about the status of the city's bicycle master plan and requesting a staff contact for an update. He later commented on Bike to Wherever Day, praising the event and suggesting coordination with East Bay Regional Parks and other cities for surveys, as well as noting the potential for losing parking when advancing bicycle access. On the Curbside Management Plan, he emphasized the importance of data and balancing bike lanes versus on-street parking, and mentioned that electric bike parking at the Art & Wine Festival now represents about 25–30% of bike parking.

Discussion Items

• Bike to Wherever Day 2025 Update (Staff: Henry Rood, Transportation Planner): Staff reported on the May 15 event, which moved from City Hall to Broadway and Newell Avenue to better reach students. The new location was "wildly successful" with 223 visitors — nearly four times the previous year's attendance (up from roughly 56). The Energizer Station operated from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM and provided snacks, bike lights, bells, and information. A lunchtime group bike ride from City Hall also participated. Staff sought commission feedback for Bike Month 2026.
  • Commissioners asked about visitor demographics, survey possibilities, and coordination with other stations. Commissioner Reese suggested adding an Energizer Station at the Canal/Iron Horse Trail intersection to capture riders from the north/east. Commissioner Ash proposed using youth commissioners to collect data from student bikers at schools. Commissioner Patch recommended coordinating a survey across all Energizer stations to avoid duplication and suggested engaging schools for assemblies. Commissioners also expressed interest in collecting data on electric scooter and bike use.
• Downtown Curbside Management Plan - Outreach Update (Staff: Briana Byrne, Associate Traffic Engineer): Staff presented the second of three planned updates, summarizing feedback from stakeholder groups (parking enterprise fund, enforcement officers, economic development, Downtown Walnut Creek, County Connection, bicycle/pedestrian groups, youth commission, and the general public via tabling at events). Key data from fall 2024 collection showed: on-street weekday occupancy in Area A (downtown core) at 88% (above the 85% target), while garages averaged 57%; weekend on-street occupancy dropped to 82%. The Locust Street Garage reached 100% occupancy during typical conditions. Five major themes emerged: street parking preference (people want to see their car, proximity, safety concerns), loading/curbside pickup challenges (app-based drivers idling in 15-minute zones and commercial loading zones, delivery trucks parking at red curbs), employee parking difficulties, wayfinding (library garage unknown, desire for central information), and pedestrian/bicycle space (interest in outdoor dining, parklets, safe bike connections to trails). Staff also noted issues in the Commercial Lane alley, including double parking, trash enclosures, and tenant spaces.
  • Commissioners asked about enforcement strategies (e.g., reducing 15-minute window to 5 minutes, requiring "active loading"), dynamic pricing, private metered lots (ParkSmart), garage lighting and safety, employee parking solutions (proposed reserved zones in less-used areas like the "blue zone"), bike parking supply/demand, and converting parking spaces to parklets. Commissioner Asch requested a presentation from the Parking Enterprise Fund. Commissioner Reese emphasized flexibility for quarterly rate adjustments and suggested using recommendations in the plan to address longer-term policies. Commissioner Patch advocated for increased enforcement fees for delivery companies and better bike parking cages.
• Commissioners’ Announcements and Brief Reports:
  • Commissioner Asch announced the upcoming Art & Wine Festival at Civic Park (first time downtown) with free bike valet parking and free shuttles from eight hotels and BART stations.
  • Vice Chair Kreling forwarded a public request for a future agenda item on safety enhancements or improvements to traffic signal equipment (yellow borders around signals).
  • Secretary Matt Redmond provided updates: base repairs and striping improvements on Ygnacio Valley Road (San Carlos to city limit) in preparation for next year's repaving; a successful staff bike ride to the Bike to Wherever Day station with police escort; and upcoming Public Works Week events.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
• Bike to Wherever Day 2025: Staff received commission suggestions for 2026, including adding a second Energizer Station at the Canal/Iron Horse Trail intersection, conducting surveys across stations, engaging schools, and collecting data on electric scooters/bikes. Directives: staff to explore these ideas for future planning.
• Curbside Management Plan: Commissioners directed staff to consider several strategies in the draft plan, including dynamic pricing, adjusting the 15-minute loading zone enforcement (e.g., "actively loading" requirement), creating employee parking zones in peripheral areas, improving wayfinding to garages, enhancing bike parking, and addressing private meter pricing. Staff will present additional updates or a draft plan in July/September, with a target of late 2025 for City Council consideration.
• Future Agenda Item: Vice Chair Kreling requested a future item on traffic signal safety enhancements, which will be scheduled.