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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-12 City Council Summary MinutesCITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL FINAL SENSE MINUTES Page 1 of 10 Special Meeting June 12, 2018 The City Council of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in the El Palo Alto Room at the Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA at 6:08 P.M. Present: DuBois, Filseth, Fine, Holman, Kniss, Kou, Scharff, Tanaka, Wolbach Absent: Study Session 1. Update on the Ongoing Implementation of the Bicycle + Pedestrian Transportation Plan and the Neighborhood Traffic Safety and Bicycle Boulevards – Phase 1 Project Along Amarillo Avenue, Bryant Street, East Meadow Drive, Montrose Avenue, Moreno Avenue, Louis Road, Palo Alto Avenue, and Ross Road. James Keene, City Manager noted the Council would not take a specific action during the Study Session. Staff was working on the challenges related to the City's and the community's ambitious plans to improve bike and pedestrian travel and multi-modal travel. The community offered support and raised concerns regarding the Ross Road bike improvements. It was important for the Council to hear directly from the community. The Study Session was a chance for the community and Staff to get on the same page about the project. Rob de Geus, Deputy City Manager advised that a great deal of information about the Bike and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (Plan) and the project was available at the website cityofpaloalto.org/bikepedsafety. The Comprehensive Plan, Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Plan support the creation of a network of bicycle and pedestrian routes throughout Palo Alto. The Plan's objectives included doubling the bicycling rate for local and work commutes by 2020 and developing a core network of shared paths, bikeways and traffic-calmed streets. The Ross Road project was part of a vision to get people out of their cars and using different modes of travel. The Council approved the Plan in 2012 and the Neighborhood Traffic Safety and Bicycle Boulevard project in 2016. The project broke ground in 2017. FINAL MINUTES Page 2 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 Mr. Keene indicated Staff was attempting to connect a network that allowed travel across the City. Mr. de Geus shared community comments regarding the Ross Road improvements and outreach. Key features of a bike boulevard included low traffic volumes, low motor vehicle speeds and discouragement of non-local motor vehicles. Mr. Keene explained that many bike boulevards in Palo Alto required bicyclists and motor vehicles to share travel lanes. Mr. de Geus stated the outreach and education plan for the Ross Road project was not effective. Staff made changes to the project in response to community comments. A comprehensive public outreach plan was necessary for major street modifications. Staff continued to hold meetings with residents. Many traffic-calming elements of the project, such as the roundabout, trees and landscaping were influenced by residents. A group of traffic engineers and designers from outside Palo Alto determined the design of the project met accepted engineering standards. Staff wanted to rebuild the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) driveway, remove three roundabouts from the project, rebuild medians and the truck apron, alter future roundabouts to be more traversable, and use smaller bike boulevard stencils. Next steps were to continue community outreach, to adapt the project as needed and to continue evaluation of the project with metrics. Kirk Fry suggested Staff could have installed a Berkeley-style tank trap south of Loma Verde to decrease the amount of traffic on Ross Road. He did not think bicycles should have been used as speed bumps. The curbs in the roundabouts needed to be rolled rather than vertical to prevent tire damage. Saksiri T. supported bikes as a mode of transportation and changes to Ross Road. The roundabout improved traffic flow. He was dismayed by the community's negative response to the changes. Eric Nordman remarked that the roadway would need to be 8 feet wider or parking would need to be removed to install dedicated bike lanes. Bicyclists should not weave between parked vehicles. Traffic-calming features appeared to be effective. The roundabouts were efficient and safe. Steven Prothero expressed concern that improvements were making the road less safe. Road furniture forced bicyclists into the traffic lane. Jean Bozman commented that yield and speed limit signage should be posted near the roundabout at Ross and East Meadow. Young bicyclists were not visible to motorists. FINAL MINUTES Page 3 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 Laurie Mandel did not believe the changes were safer for young children or bicyclists or calmed traffic. She questioned whether Staff would use objective metrics to evaluate the improvements. Dr. Terry Martin opposed the Ross Road project because it was a waste of money and made the neighborhood less livable. He thought a bicyclist hitting the square curbs at bulb-outs could be killed. Rivka Sherman-Gold opposed the project. People did not know how to drive through roundabouts. The landscaping needed to be comprised of drought- resistant plants. Louis Fried believed the islands created road hazards for large trucks and emergency vehicles. The estimated number of bicyclists was likely based on conjecture. Evelyn Guernsey concurred with comments opposing the roundabouts, bulb- outs, and islands. Motorists did not stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks near roundabouts. She enumerated specific construction problems along Ross Road. The improvements were not appropriate for the size of Palo Alto. Maria Abilock supported roundabouts and other improvements. Behaviors of students commuting to school improved with education. Existing programs were used to educate the community regarding use of bicycle improvements. Chuck Karish supported the concept of bike boulevards; however, the City could implement them better. Bill Higgins applauded the Ross Road improvements. Aleks Totic felt Ross Road became an obstacle course after improvements were made. Bruce Moision indicated improvements to Ross Road increased safety for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Christy Moision believed the improvements supported safe cycling practices, and traffic-calming elements moderated vehicle speeds. Roundabouts forced all modes of traffic to slow and increased visibility of cyclists. Bob Hinden stated moving bikes and cars closer together was not safe. The purpose of many project elements was to increase the cost of the project. FINAL MINUTES Page 4 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 Andrew Boone loved the improvements to Ross Road. Roundabouts slowed traffic and increased the safety of intersections. Car diverters were a more effective way to build a bike boulevard. Yesh Ballon supported the project overall but questioned the wisdom of some design elements. Heather Schultz advised that Staff and the Council did not value residents' comments. She thought public backlash could have been avoided if staff had listened to public comments. Arnout Boelens thought the Ross Road improvements were great. Michael Nierenbert felt the Ross Road project was a disaster. The roundabout was too small. He questioned whether Staff had any data to demonstrate the improvements' effectiveness. Andrew Mellows opposed the conversion of Ross Road to a bicycle boulevard. Safety had not improved. Curbs needed fixing. Keri Wagner appreciated the improvements to Ross Road. Brian Strope commented that improvements to Ross Road were a failure. The end product was not sufficiently evaluated. Problems were not getting better. The main administrative mistake of the project was a lack of independent and critical design review. Penny Ellson supported the improvements. Residents needed three to six months to adjust to improvements. Staff used hardscape facilities to moderate auto speeds. Unmesh Vartak felt the roundabouts increased danger for cyclists. Dori Moss was pleased with the project and requested more sharrows be painted on the roadway. Dick Schultz opposed the project as it was a waste of money and a dangerous design. Geoff Ball hoped the design for the intersection of Bryant and Everett would slow all traffic. Mary Vincent was pleased by having sidewalks along most streets. FINAL MINUTES Page 5 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 Frank Viggiano favored the improvements because motorists had slowed. Landscaping improved the look of the street. The number of bicyclists had increased. Cedric de La Beaujardiere supported efforts to increase the safety and efficiency of bike riding and walking. He supported replacing stop signs with roundabouts, more concerted public outreach, enforcement of traffic laws and barriers to through traffic as part of bike boulevards. Meg Minto questioned whether buses could maneuver around the roundabouts. Catherine Ballantyne felt most of the improvements were disasters because of chokepoints, straight curbs and multiple stop signs. Alison Cormack found signs installed in sidewalks and observed cyclists riding on sidewalks. Crossing at the Ross/Meadow roundabout was dangerous for pedestrians because there were no yield or stop signs. Signage showing proposed improvements at completion needed to be placed at sites before construction began. Betsy Bechtel remarked that speed humps were dangerous for cyclists. Signage was needed. Cherie Donald did not believe cyclists and motorists should share the roadway. She requested staff review the turn at Amarillo and Louis. Richard Willets felt the project was a great addition. Traffic enforcement and training was needed. Bret Anderson stated roundabouts were more efficient and comfortable for bicyclists than stop signs. Jennifer Liu remarked that the improvements decreased safety for bicyclists. The roundabout was too narrow. Traffic cameras were less expensive than the improvements. Lilly Lam experienced motorists passing bicyclists on the left near chokepoints and traveling at high speeds along Ross Road. Liz Gardner supported installation of roundabouts and wider sidewalks and efforts to calm traffic. Stephen Rosenblum felt the public should be educated to use roundabouts, particularly the one proposed for North California and Bryant. FINAL MINUTES Page 6 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 David Coale supported the Plan and construction of the Plan. Vehicles appeared to be having difficulty with roundabouts. The community needed time to adjust to improvements. He thought outreach could be better. Kathy Durham analyzed the safety features of a roundabout. Educating drivers about the proper use of roundabouts was helpful. Bob Smith found the project unacceptable and dangerous-looking. Masuma Ahmed inquired regarding metrics and standards used to evaluate improvements and their design. Ace Yamaguchi expressed concerns about roundabouts and chokepoints. Fred Half was not convinced that the improvements were appropriate. The roundabout at Ross and East Meadow was not a good choice because the intersection was not 90 degrees. Kris Corbet suggested the Ross Road project attempted to be all things to all people, which provided too much conflict. Adina Levin supported the creation of a network of bicycle boulevards. The design of the street decreased vehicle speed. Ganesh Venleitachatam encouraged his child to ride on the sidewalk rather than the roadway. Before the improvements, only two accidents between vehicles and bikes had occurred in ten years. In the four months since improvements were installed, two accidents between vehicles and bikes had occurred. Tania Nanevioz as a homeowner on Ross Road appreciated the improvements. Bicyclists traveling along Loma Verde next to parked cars were unsafe. Edwin Ho expressed concern about wheelchair access to raised sidewalks. A dedicated bike lane along Amarillo would eliminate parking. Evan Lurie supported the improvements because his son was safer biking to school. Nextdoor was a good tool for City communications. Perhaps driver education prior to more construction was advisable. Cari Templeton remarked that the City should improve public transit. All City projects needed to meet the highest standards. Mayor Kniss noted speakers were almost equally divided in support and opposition for the project. FINAL MINUTES Page 7 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 Council Member DuBois advised that the City would do better in communication, design, and execution of projects. He wanted to value engineer all projects in the Infrastructure Plan. He requested Staff comment on the school's request for changes on Louis. Joshuah Mello, Chief Transportation Official reported improvements to Louis remained under construction. The number of stop signs decreased upon completion of the project. The goals of the Amarillo/Moreno bike boulevard were to connect to the Ross Road bike boulevard, to improve access to Ohlone Elementary School, and to connect Midtown residents to the Midtown Shopping Center area. The Council approved the concept for the Amarillo/Moreno bike boulevard in 2016. Council Member DuBois supported a review of Ross Road improvements following construction. Where possible, bike lanes needed to be separate from travel lanes. He wanted to ensure national standards were adapted to the Palo Alto context. Staff needed to keep aesthetics in mind when planning projects. He asked if the Council would have an opportunity to review the next phase of improvements. Mr. Mello remarked that Ross Road was unique, and many of the treatments used on Ross Road would not be used on other streets. Staff wanted to present Phase II plans with value engineering to the Council. Council Member Holman concurred with Staff considering the context when applying national standards. Roundabouts were superior to stop signs. The Council needed to reconsider the removal of street closures from the Plan. She questioned whether residents adapted to improvements or stopped trying to change them. Execution of the improvements was not good. She preferred speed tables to speed bumps. The Council had to review Phase II plans. Staff needed to present before and after metrics to the Council. She expressed interest in Staff commenting regarding John Ciccarelli's review of Ross Road improvements and in the number of shrubs removed, if any. Too many elements were included in the project for the public to adjust. Council Member Tanaka inquired about the cost of the Ross Road project thus far. Mr. Mello replied approximately $2 million to date. Council Member Tanaka felt metrics were important. He asked about the increase in bike usage of Ross Road following improvements. Mr. Mello explained that people required six months or longer to change their travel behavior; therefore, he recommended an evaluation occur at FINAL MINUTES Page 8 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 least six months after completion of the project. Staff collected data in 2014, prior to planning the project. Council Member Tanaka inquired whether Staff performed bike counts prior to construction. Mr. Mello advised that Staff obtained speed, motor vehicle counts, bicycle counts and other data. Council Member Tanaka hoped the data would show the success of the project. The Council needed to prioritize projects. Staff attempted to please everyone with the project, which resulted in a mediocre project. To increase safety, Staff needed to plan separated bike lanes. He thought this project could have been better. Council Member Fine believed removing the improvements would be more expensive than completing them. He thought the presentation of goals and metrics could have been better. The Police Chief's plans to renew the traffic enforcement team were to play a role in the bike project. The Council needed to recognize the tension between the community's two schools of thought regarding bike boulevards. Council Member Wolbach concurred with the Council reconsidering street closures. A protected bike lane was better, but often space was insufficient to construct one. The Council needed to discuss shared travel lanes, one traffic lane with a separated bike lane, and removing parking for a separated bike lane. He expressed concerns about aesthetics and safety of the islands at Ross, Colorado, and Loma Verde. Staff needed to consider all road users when planning roundabouts. Vice Mayor Filseth believed the community continued to be concerned regarding shared travel lanes. With respect to roundabouts, the focus needed to be on whether they are safer than stop signs. The Council needed to have before and after metrics for projects, particularly safety metrics. Council Member Scharff suggested the purpose of roadway design was to stress drivers so that they slowed their speeds, which he did not favor. Separated bike lanes were necessary to encourage new bikers. The Council needed visual representations of projects. He questioned Staff's takeaways from public comments. Council Member Kou also wanted to hear Staff's reaction to public comments. FINAL MINUTES Page 9 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 Mayor Kniss recalled the public's initial response to the Bryant Street bike boulevard. Communication about the project was terrible. Staff had to provide the public with visual representations of improvements. The project contained too many elements. Mr. Keene reported all design was subject to constraints. Designing by committee often resulted in a project containing too many elements. Real- life prototyping of a project was often key. In one way, the Ross Road project was a prototype. Staff identified some changes and adaptations they would implement for the project. He requested the locations of the three roundabouts to be removed. Mr. Mello responded the intersections of Bryant Street with Palo Alto Avenue, Bryant Street with Campesino, and Amarillo with Greer. Mr. Keene advised that Staff would review public comments and post a report and responses on the project website. Staff had reviewed communications for Phase II and provided the Council with a report regarding Phase I. The varied public responses to the Ross Road improvements made it difficult for Staff to respond. Staff's main goal was to post the content of the meeting, to answer questions and to outline actions in a way that was accessible to the public. Oral Communications Lynn Krug remarked that the Council's postponement of the Human Relations Commission's (HRC) recommendation for a conference was unacceptable. Palo Alto needed to recognize discrimination against different genders. Cherrill Spencer wished to make Palo Alto a model city by eliminating discrimination. Cedric de la Beaujardiere did not agree with the statement that raising the rails on a viaduct would require the use of eminent domain. The Council needed to request the cost of viaducts and explore the viability of constructing viaducts between the western track and Alma Street. Roberta Ahlquist hoped the Council would support the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Ordinance. The HRC supported the Ordinance. Shelly Kosak related the HRC's recommendation regarding the CEDAW Ordinance. The City committed to the ideals of the CEDAW Ordinance in 2002. FINAL MINUTES Page 10 of 10 Sp. City Council Meeting Final Minutes: 6/12/18 Action Items 2. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN REMOVED AND WILL BE HEARD AFTER COUNCIL'S BREAK. 3. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN REMOVED AND WILL BE HEARD AFTER COUNCIL'S BREAK. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:06 P.M.