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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/12/2011 TSC MinutesDirector Sean P. Dorsey Mount Prospect Public Works Department 1700 W. Central Road, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 -2229 MINUTES OF THE MOUNT PROSPECT TRANSPORTATION SAFETY COMMISSION DRAFT CALL TO ORDER Deputy Director Jason H. Leib The regular meeting of the Mount Prospect Transportation Safety Commission was called to order at 7:04 p.m. on Monday, December 12, 2011. ROLL CALL Present upon roll call: John Keane Chuck Bencic Angel Campos Robert Fisher Carol Tortorello Bob Smith Randy Uidl Jeff Wulbecker Matt Lawrie Absent: None Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Police Department Representative Fire Department Representative Public Works Representative Traffic Engineer — Staff Liaison Chairman Keane announced the recent resignation of Commissioner Pampel. Others in Attendance: See attached sheet APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Bencic, seconded by Commissioner Campos, moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Transportation Safety Commission held on November 14, 2011. The minutes were approved by a vote of 8 -0. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD There was no one in attendance that spoke on an issue not on the agenda. TSC Meeting Page 1 of 5 December 12, 2011 OLD BUSINESS There was no old business to discuss. NEW BUSINESS A. MOUNT PROSPECT BICYCLE PLAN 1) Background Information In 2010 the Village received a grant from the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to develop a Bicycle Plan. Staff then hired a consultant to write the plan with the corroboration of Village Staff. Throughout plan development, residents were given the opportunity to participate in the process and provide feedback. The Bicycle Plan includes bicycle - related goals, an inventory and evaluation of existing bicycle facilities and amenities, energy saving analysis, a proposed bicycle facility plan, and a detailed implementation plan to achieve the plan's goals. The vision of the Bicycle Plan is "to create a safe, comfortable and bicycle - friendly environment in Mount Prospect, which encourages people of all ages to use bicycles for everyday transportation and enjoyment." At the September 27, 2011 Committee of the Whole Meeting, the Village Board discussed the Bicycle Plan and requested that Staff revise the plan based on their feedback. This was done with the assistance of the consultant. The Mayor then requested that the Bicycle Plan be presented to the Transportation Safety Commission before coming back to the Village Board for further discussion and adoption. 2) Recommendation Village Staff recommends that the Bicycle Plan be approved by the Transportation Safety Commission and that it be forwarded to the Village Board of Trustees for adoption. 3) Discussion Traffic Engineer Lawrie provided an overview of the presentation and then introduced Senior Planner Clare O'Shea. Ms. O'Shea shared a little bit about biking in the Chicago area and then discussed the steps that have been taken over the past year in developing the plan. Traffic Engineer Lawrie spoke on the different types of bike facilities and touched on the proposed network. Ms. O'Shea wrapped up the presentation by highlighting various bike ordinances /policies, funding and implementation strategies. Chairman Keane questioned how the plan would be funded given that some grants are being eliminated or reducing the amount offered. Ms. O'Shea mentioned that the Village would look into incorporating improvements into annual programs like the resurfacing program without adding a significant cost. She also mentioned that local schools and bike clubs could assist with some of the education or encouragement strategies. Traffic Engineer Lawrie said engineering grants that have typically focused on vehicular projects are shifting to bike projects and the Village is right now seeing more opportunities for bike - related grants. There was some discussion on the potential bicycle /pedestrian bridge connecting Melas Park to Meadows Park. Village Engineer Wulbecker spoke on the Village's efforts to obtain a grant but TSC Meeting Page 2 of 5 December 12, 2011 has not been successful yet. He said that having a document like the Bicycle Plan increases the chances of getting a grant as it shows the Village's commitment to biking in the community. Chairman Keane then opened the discussion to the audience. Ken Brey, 18 S. Owen Street, asked if the Village's traffic calming program gives any priority to bicyclists when it comes to placement of stop signs and calming devices. Traffic Engineer Lawrie responded that bicycling is included in the traffic calming program but not in a way that gives bicycles priority. It speaks to making sure bicycling is considered when developing the best calming device for the street. Ms. O'Shea responded to a question about the cost savings in gas as more people choose to bike rather than drive. She mentioned that the cost savings as well as the Village's target of attaining a 2% mode share for bicycling are estimates. Officer Smith brought up the Rand /Elmhurst /Kensington intersection and the fact there are no crosswalks for pedestrians and bicyclists. Village Engineer Wulbecker and Traffic Engineer Lawrie spoke on the limitations of the traffic signals at the corner and the continual conversations with IDOT. It was also mentioned the Village will continue to look for opportunities to make improvements around it including adding a bike path along Kensington Road and improving the crossing at Elmhurst and the Randhurst entrance. Paula Matzek, 200 W. Fairmont, wanted to thank the Village for putting a plan together. She has been active in previous meetings and appreciates having a plan for years to come. Commissioner Keane brought the issue back to the Commission. Commissioner Bencic said that he likes the idea of having a bike plan. However, he expressed a number of reservations including not wanting to add many more signs to the neighborhoods, making sure any proposed pedestrian islands are wide enough for bicycles, the potential safety concerns with flashing crossing lights, and desiring stop bars to be moved back to increase the separation between vehicles and pedestrians. He also questioned the actual cost savings of gas with an increase in bike ridership and how the Police Department will be able to enforce any new bike ordinances given the reduction in staff over the years. Commissioner Bencic then expressed a concern with the requirement of businesses to add showers and bike facilities. Ms. O'Shea responded that each of the recommended ordinances will require more discussion before they would be considered. Many of the ordinances would need to be brought to the Transportation Safety Commission while others would need to go through other Village commissions before any approvals. And Staff recognizes that some ordinances may not be appropriate for Mount Prospect. Commissioner Bencic was concerned that approving the plan would give Staff the authority to implement everything without further discussion. Ms. O'Shea clarified that it would not be the case. Commissioner Fisher also expressed concern that if the Commission approved the plan they would be approving or signing -off on every detail. The Commission as well as the audience discussed the installation of sharrows. The purpose of them was explained but many concerns were raised including their interpretation and inconsistency of use. Traffic Engineer Lawrie said that Staff is still unsure about the appropriate use of them and he will continue to research them. TSC Meeting Page 3 of 5 December 12, 2011 Commissioner Fisher offered the idea of creating a bicycle academy for youth as part of the education initiatives. Commissioner Campos and Commissioner Tortorello, while supporting having a bike plan, have concerns with approving the plan as- presented. They would like to see a number of changes. Officer Smith was supportive of approving the plan knowing that Staff would proceed cautiously and involve the Commission. Chairman Keane liked the idea of having a bike plan. He too, though, expressed concerns with a few aspects of the plan. He thought the education section had shortcomings, there would be added liability for placing bicyclists on the road, and the road diet concept would create gridlock. Overall, he felt the document was "too loose" and needed to be refined to make sure not every recommendation would be implemented as -is without further discussion. Traffic Engineer Lawrie said there were similarities with this plan and the traffic calming program. The traffic calming program has a toolbox of devices just like the bike plan has a toolbox of different bike facilities. And the bike plan has a process to implement the different initiatives like the traffic calming program. He mentioned that not every recommendation may fit but that it gives us guidance as to how to move forward. He reminded the Commission that this is a planning document that does not have the detail of an engineering document that they're used to reviewing. Those in the audience expressed their support of the plan. Some acknowledged that not all the recommendations would work in Mount Prospect but that the details could be resolved as the plan moves forward. They view the plan as a great starting point for the Village. Village Engineer Wulbecker made a motion to approve the Bicycle Plan. It was clarified that the motion was to approve the plan as- drafted without any amendment. It was seconded by Officer Smith. Chairman Keane asked to hear the vote of each individual. Village Engineer Wulbecker —aye Police Officer Smith — aye Fire Battalion Chief Uidl — aye Commissioner Bencic — aye Commissioner Tortorello — no Commissioner Fisher — no Commissioner Campos — no Chairman Keane — no The motion failed by a vote of 4 - 4. As the Transportation Safety Commission is a recommending body, the Bicycle Plan will be forwarded onto the Village Board of Trustees without an affirmative recommendation. Those in attendance were invited to the Village Board Meeting in January. COMMISSION ISSUES Traffic Engineer Lawrie passed out an invitation to the Celestial Celebration and invited the Commission members to attend. TSC Meeting Page 4 of 5 December 12, 2011 Traffic Engineer Lawrie thanked the Commission members for their commitment to the Village's efforts over the past year and on behalf of the Village Board of Trustees he presented a gift to each of the members. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to discuss, the Transportation Safety Commission voted 8-0 to adjourn at 9:23 p.m. upon the motion of Commissioner Fisher. Commissioner Tortorello seconded the motion. Respectfully submitt , Matthew P. Lawrie, P.E. Traffic Engineer h:\ engineering \traffic\ safety_ commission \recs &mins \decemberllmin.docx TSC Meeting Page 5 of 5 December 12, 2011 VIL SAFETY( ATTENDANCE SHEET December 12, 2011 NAME Tl Pin &7- kae, k 4 k o ADDRESS /)-? (� r g �B ui `T E OVV W III IU U/, I to s,L FCT STING PHONE NUMBER S