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05-17-2023 BPC Final Minutes1 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 FINAL MINUTES MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION May 17, 2023 Final Minutes The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Ilango Ganga, Grace John, Hervé Marcy, Joel Wolf (VC) John Zhao (C) Absent: Staff: David Stillman, Staff Liaison Others Present: Ollie Zhou, VP Principal Associate, Hexagon Transportation Consultants APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. April 19, 2023 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Minutes David Stillman, Transportation Manager suggested some edits to the minutes for Jennifer Shearin. The first edit relates to agenda item five, page six, paragraph three, and is to add “ultimately be” before “Class 4” within her communication. It should read, “She noted that the plan for the De Anza Buffered Bike Lane Project was to [ultimately be] be a Class 4, which she approved of.” The second edit relates to item six, page eight, paragraph one, to replace “Walk Bike Cupertino” with “Cupertino Bicycle Pedestrian Commission.” The sentence should read “Ms. Shearin suggested a sign from [Cupertino Bicycle Pedestrian Commission] Walk Bike Cupertino stating they were sponsoring the energizer station.” Vice Chair Wolf suggested a change for agenda item three, page four, paragraph three, to say “southwest” instead of “northwest.” It should read, “Vice Chair Wolf suggested having a rack installed in the [southwest] northwest corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Tantau Avenue.” MOTION: Vice Chair Wolf moved, seconded by Commissioner Marcy to approve the minutes as amended. MOTION PASSED: 4-0, John Absent POSTPONEMENTS 2 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 No Postponements ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS None OLD BUSINESS 2. Future Agenda Items (Zhao) Carmen Road Bridge Education on How to Use Two-Stage Left Turn Boxes Path between Lincoln Elementary and Monta Vista High School The Impact of Semi-Rural Designation on Bike and Ped Projects/Priorities Reassess the Intersection at Bubb Road/McClellan Road Stevens Creek Boulevard, Phases 1-3 Vision Zero (Workplan Item) Lead Pedestrian Walk Interval (LPI) (start the pedestrian green before vehicles) Input from Seniors on the Bicycle Pedestrian Improvements Bollinger Road Safety Corridor Project AB 43 – Summary and how Commission can support implementation (to what extent we can reduce speed limits) Bicycle Licensing (to prevent bike theft) Bicycle Facilities (Workplan Item) Land Donation from Richard Lowenthal (Carter) Review Progress toward BPC Objectives (Six months to annually) BPC Input at the VTA BPAC Meeting Regarding Adult Bicycle Education (Lindskog/Ganga) League of American Bicyclists Application – Due fall 2023 Review Bicycle/Pedestrian Improvements and Provide Input from the Public Pedestrian Safety around Shopping Centers Update from Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Examine Pedestrian Walkways for Safety Pedestrian Focused Area in Cupertino related to the VTA Plan for Pedestrian Safety Study of the speed of cars and street crossing behavior on Rodrigues Avenue Know & understand Federal grant funding with the Department of Transportation on updated bicycle pedestrian planning NEW BUSINESS 3. Lawson Middle School Bikeway Feasibility Study (Stillman) Ollie Zhou, Vice President Principal Associate, Hexagon Transportation Consultants gave a presentation on the Lawson Middle School Bikeway Feasibility Study. 3 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 Grace John joined the meeting at 7:25 p.m. Commissioner Marcy wondered how long it was going to take to implement this project and were there estimates on the number of people that biked as opposed to drove. David Stillman, Transportation Manager answered that there was likely a difference on how long it was going to take to implement, depending on which alternative was agreed upon. There was about $60,000 available toward this project from the School Walk Audit. It was likely that if Alternative B moved forward, it was going to be a quicker implementation because of fewer funding constraints. Mr. Zhou responded to the second question and said a safer environment encouraged biking, as opposed to being driven. Commissioner Ganga recalled when this item came to the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission (Commission) before, one alternative was to relocate the bike racks on the south side of the school. He wondered why that alternative was not mentioned. Mr. Zhou said that was considered and was brought up with stakeholders. Relocating the bike cage to the south side of the school caused students to walk on the track, which conflicted with zero period, plus it was a long walk, which people thought would discourage kids from biking to school. Commissioner Ganga preferred to see that data. He wondered if Measure B funds could be used toward this project. Mr. Stillman suggested the potential for grant funding. Vice Chair Wolf wondered if there was accident data between pedestrians and bikes on combined use trails. He was asking because option A had pedestrians and bicyclists sharing a path. Mr. Zhou did not have any data but thought that since the speeds were so low it would be near miss or very low severity collisions, if any. Vice Chair Wolf asked about the age of the trees that would be removed. Mr. Stillman did not have information on the age of the trees but said they were mature enough to provide a bit of a canopy. Chair Zhao asked about the number of parking spaces available on the east side of Vista Drive. Mr. Zhou said there were about 44 spaces. Geoff Paulsen, public speaker thought either of the alternatives were good from a bicycle standpoint but considering his planning experience, the trend was toward suburban density. If 59 spaces were taken away, combined with the future prospect on density, there was going to be a lot of frustrated residents. An alternative that protected the parking and provided a two- way bike path was the best solution. Regarding the trees, he understood people get upset when they get cut down, but trees grew back. Jennifer Shearin, public speaker, felt the best solution for the community was a separated bike lane because it provided the greatest safety for students, it was the fiscally right thing to do, the class 4 bike lane did not require removing trees, it seemed to be the preferred alternative amongst the community, and the School District was likely going to allow parking on the weekends and after school in their south lot, which was 40 parking spots. 4 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 Seema Lindskog, public speaker relayed a multi-use path did not separate out pedestrians from bike traffic, a parent complained about this. This was not going to improve if bike and pedestrian traffic continued to be mixed; it was safer for everyone involved to have a separated bike lane. Regarding the removal of trees, the City of Cupertino canopy has been declining. She recommended alternative B move forward. Ramola Gokhale, public speaker said Vista Drive was an obstacle course; not doing something was not an option. She supported option B, the separated bike path. Parking was going to be limited but there was plenty of parking around the neighborhood. If alternative A was pursued it would take years to find the funding. Peggy Griffin, public speaker mentioned the removal of parking and added that residents used the street parking. Alternative B did not solve the parking problem because the issue was when school was in session. The School District needed to open the south lot and all lots after school hours. She supported alternative A. There was an option during one of the meetings where the utilities did not need to be moved, a combination of both options, but she did not see that presented. Terry Griffin, public speaker was in favor of alternative A. Alternative B did away with the parking on Vista Drive, but he thought parents would continue to drop their kids off there. The loss of parking on Vista Drive was going to cause severe traffic on surrounding streets. The school parking area was used for many events. The two-way bike lane was unconventional and was not going to be used outside the drop-off and pick-up times. Vice Chair Wolf inquired if alternative B could be fully funded with Apple money. Mr. Stillman was not able to promise that it be fully funded, but it could be partially funded. He was under budget in the Walk Audit so it was likely that money could be used to supplement this, but he could not guarantee. Vice Chair Wolf asked about the $1.5 million for alternative A, and inquired where that funding came from. Mr. Stillman said a good portion was Apple funding; it was the same pot of money regardless of what option was selected. Option A was going to need to be supplemented with grant funding and/or general fund money. Commissioner Marcy asked about the trash can removal issue. Mr. Paulsen answered that every Tuesday night the garbage cans needed to be put out and pick-up was between 7-11 a.m. Commissioner Ganga inquired if the on-street parking was taken away, where would the 70 cars park. Mr. Zhou answered that the guideline was for parents to use the official drop-off area. Secondly, there were 20 unused parking spots in the staff parking lot; some staff might be parking on the street. The School District was going to allow use of their lot for drop-off. The goal was always to get kids out of cars. Commissioner Ganga commented on the parking during the special events, it was busy. Mr. Zhou answered that a count was not done on a special event day, but the school said they would open up their parking lot for this use. The school has about 12 evening events 5 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 throughout the year. Commissioner Ganga was for solving this problem, but he did not want to create additional problems. He wanted the consultant to come up with innovative ideas that solved the problems and not create additional problems. A solution when this came to the Commission last time was to have the south side lot available, so students did not have to go through the middle of the school. He wanted to see that data, which was specifically requested. Mr. Stillman added that these options were presented to the school and the School District, and they indicated they were not in support. He did not want to pursue something that was a non- starter. Commissioner Ganga discussed option A and thought people had concerns with the shared use paths. California had a guideline of a 10-foot minimum for a shared use path and having 12-14 feet was better. Mr. Zhou replied that there were restrictions on the north side of the bike cage which caused a reduction in the width. Commissioner Ganga mentioned there was already bike parking on the north side of the school, so it was highly unlikely they would be coming down to the middle bike cage, which would cause more problems because they would have to cross the driveway where there were a lot of cars. Mr. Zhou replied that option was considered but it was only feasible if that route was fenced off and only used for the school, otherwise, it was a multi- use trail that was open to the entire public and if there was someone that did wish to use the multi-use trail and continue onto Vista Drive, past the bike cage, the path could not be stopped in the middle of the road without a continuing bicycle facility. That was why both alternatives presented go all the way to Merritt Drive. He did agree there were not a lot of bicyclists that biked down Vista Drive from the north. Mr. Zhou said a classic multi-use trail meant bicyclists were allowed to be on it and users needed a way to continue on the trail to other facilities. Having the trail stop in the middle of the street was not a good design. Vice Chair Wolf wondered if the max occupancy observed was on the west and east side of Vista Drive. He thought there was little residential parking after 5 p.m. Mr. Zhou said yes. Vice Chair Wolf concluded there was little residential parking after 5 p.m. and then residents parked in their driveway. Mr. Zhou explained the line graph and said counts were performed every hour and they counted at the peak time when students were being dropped off. Vice Chair Wolf inquired if there were people that worked in the neighborhood. Vice Chair Wolf thought things would drop off after 9 a.m. and then peak again later. Mr. Zhou stated that it was a possibility that some school staff preferred to park on the street. Chair Zhao went to Lawson as a student, and he commented that it felt unsafe to bike on the street with cars; something needed to be done. The biggest issue between the two alternatives was the parking, the cost effectiveness and trees being removed were important but the biggest issue was parking. If the staff parking lot was properly utilized and the School District opened their south lot, that balanced the parking issues. He thought that if alternative B was chosen, it might diffuse some of the pick-up and drop-off further away from the school. He was not able to rationalize alternative A due to trees being removed, given that there were mitigations for the parking. 6 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 Commissioner Marcy thought what mattered was the implementation time. The urgency was things were unsafe and needed to be fixed as soon as possible. Commissioner John observed the survey showed favoritism toward option B. Vice Chair Wolf lived on a street where parents dopped their kids off for 37 years and the loss of parking would be an inconvenience for parents dropping their kids off but good for kids biking. Chair Zhao inquired how current budget downfall effected this project. Mr. Stillman said all costly projects were being reevaluated. Chair Zhao encouraged the Commission to consider the City’s current financial situation into their decision. Commissioner Marcy suggested having parents pick up their kids a little further away, that also alleviated some concern from residents. Commissioner Ganga preferred option A because it solved the problem, provided a larger space, and preserved the parking spaces. Vice Chair Wolf observed the situation, and it was frightening. He liked alternative B and understood there was funding for that. This issue needed to be solved as soon as possible. MOTION: Vice Chair Wolf moved, seconded by Commissioner Marcy to recommend to the City Council preferred alternative B, 8x3 buffer, two-way, class IV bike facility, bike crossing enhancements at intersections, wayfinding/signage. MOTION PASSED: 4-0, Ganga Abstain 4. Bicycle Facilities Work Plan Item Subcommittee (Zhao) Chair Zhao addressed the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission (Commission) and suggested the Commission assign a Subcommittee for work on the Bicycle Facilities Work Plan Item. He wanted to know the process. David Stillman, Transportation Manager said once the Commission decided who they wanted to be on the Subcommittee then there would be a Motion and a vote. Commissioner Ganga specified the two members for the Subcommittee needed to be chosen now at this meeting. Chair Zhao remarked that in terms of involvement, it would require work with staff and advance planning. He nominated Vice Chair Wolf and Commissioner Marcy to be on the Subcommittee given their experience. Commissioner Ganga supported Chair Zhao’s nomination. Jennifer Shearin, public speaker suggested that a Subcommittee be formed; she heard there was an opportunity to have a public/private partnership. This was a great idea for the City of Cupertino and was an opportunity to get some great looking bike racks. 7 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 Seema Lindskog, public speaker thanked staff and encouraged the Commission to come up with a bike rack that was functional, useful, and beautiful. Chair Zhao wanted to be on the Subcommittee but did not have the time. Commissioner Ganga said the same. Vice Chair Wolf inquired if the Subcommittee would meet with transportation staff. Mr. Stillman said the arrangement would be however the Subcommittee wanted to do it. There was going to be interaction with the Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce (Chamber). Once that was figured out, or the Subcommittee wanted the full Commission to weigh in on something, they would bring the item back to the Commission. Commissioner Ganga said in the past it was typically good to include the staff member as part of the Subcommittee, that way the Subcommittee was able to come up with a recommendation and had staff buy-in. Secondly, he suggested before the Subcommittee was formed, the Commission provide clear direction about what they expect. Chair Zhao recapped that the commitment meant exploring the public/private partnership and working with the Rotary and the Chamber. He also mentioned the limitations and what was able to be done on the public right-of-way. Vice Chair Wolf mentioned there were some places that only had one rack, and there were other bike racks that were rarely used. Commission Ganga recalled there was also discussion about what style of rack was going to be installed. MOTION: Chair Zhao moved, seconded by Vice Chair Wolf to form the Subcommittee with Vice Chair Wolf and Commissioner Marcy and have them bring back a recommendation to the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission for the Bicycle Facilities Work Plan Item. MOTION PASSED: 5-0 5. Election of Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Chair and Vice Chair for 2023 (Stillman) Chair Zhao explained that he was stepping down as Chair due to time constraints. Seema Lindskog, public speaker thanked Chair Zhao for his time and dedication. She urged the next chair to be Commissioner Wolf. NOMINATION: Chair Zhao, seconded by Commissioner Marcy nominated Vice Chair Wolf as Chair of the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission for 2023. NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR WOLF AS CHAIR FOR THE BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION FOR 2023 PASSED: 5-0 8 Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Regular Meeting May 17, 2023 NOMINATION: Commissioner John, seconded by Commissioner Zhao nominated Commissioner Marcy as Vice Chair of the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission for 2023. NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER MARCY AS VICE CHAIR FOR THE BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION FOR 2023 PASSED: 5-0 STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS 6. Staff Update and Commissioner Activity Report (All) Erik Lindskog was not present to update the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission (Commission) on the VTA BPAC meeting. David Stillman, Transportation Manager updated the Commission on the Calle de Barcelona item and said a stop sign was not going to address the issues and concerns. Based on what was observed, a crossing guard was going to be issued at that intersection. Commissioner Zhao was unable to attend the Mayor’s meeting. Next month it was Commissioner Ganga, then Commissioner John, then Commissioner Marcy. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 9:19 p.m. SUBMITTED BY: ____________________________ David Stillman, Staff Liaison Note: Any attachments can be found on the Cupertino Website https://www.cupertino.org/our-city/agendas-minutes