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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-10-16 PTS minutesBozeman (Area) Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee 1 Minutes of the August 10, 2016 Meeting 2 Upstairs Conference Room Alfred Stiff Office Building 3 4 Attendance: 5 6 Voting Committee Members: 7 Danielle Scharf (City of Bozeman), Vice Chair 8 Marilee Brown (At-large Member), Secretary 9 Mandee Arnold (City of Bozeman) 10 Tony Gaddo (At-large Member) 11 Bud Jarvis (Bozeman School District) 12 Absent: Ralph Zimmer (Gallatin County), Chair, Tom Foster (Gallatin County), 13 Vance Ruff (Bozeman School District) 14 15 16 Official Non-Voting Committee Members: 17 John Van Delinder (City of Bozeman Streets Department), Todd Swinehart (School District) 18 Absent: Bill Brownell, Road & Bridge Supervisor (County) 19 20 City Commissioners, County Commissioners, and School Board Members 21 Present: I-Ho Pomeroy (City Commissioner) 22 Absent: (County Commissioner), (School District Trustees), 23 24 Law Enforcement Liaison Officers 25 Absent: (Bozeman Police Dept.), (Sheriff Dept.) 26 27 Regular Attendees and Guests (City, County, Bozeman School District, and Montana Department 28 of Transportation Staff): None present. 29 30 Citizens and Other Guests: 31 Megan Gibson, County Planning Dept. 32 Andrea Stevenson, Gallatin Valley YMCA 33 34 Quorum: Present. 35 36 1. Call to Order, Introductions and New Business. 37 Danielle Scharf, PTS Committee Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 12:04 PM and 38 introductions of attendees were made. 39 40 2. Agenda. 41 In order to accommodate visitors wanting to discuss item 11 on the YMCA, it was moved 42 ahead of item 10. 43 44 3. Public Comment. 45 None 46 47 4. Minutes. The minutes of June 8, 2016 are not yet available and will be postponed until the 48 next committee meeting. 49 50 5. Report on Results of Previous Actions & Consideration of Follow-Up Action. 51 a. Update on the Kagy Project by Danielle. Presentation to the Commission has been 52 postponed until Sept. due to Craig Woolard needing to have discussions with MSU on the 53 funding components of the project. 54 55 b. The Bozeman Transportation Master Plan preliminary review was given to the City last 56 week and now will be written up for public comment in the next few months. 57 58 c. Tony reported that the Valley Center Spur traffic light is on the fast track for construction 59 and may be installed as early as next year. 60 61 6. County Commission, City Commission, and School Board Reports. 62 None. 63 64 7. Liaison Officer Reports. 65 None. 66 67 8. Reports from Non-Voting Official Committee Members. 68 69 John Van Delinder reported that lots of construction should be completed next week for 70 school openings. 19th, Graff and Goldenstein will have a lot of projects going on. Graff will 71 be hooked up to 11th. 72 73 Todd Swinehart reported school starts on the 30th. Hawthorn Elementary will be using the 74 city commission room for two 1st grade classrooms. MDT is starting the project for north of 75 Oak Street. 76 77 9. Reports from Related Groups. 78 79 BABAB is getting ready for bicycle counts the 2nd week in Sept. 80 81 Marilee reported that the TCC delayed having a special meeting to formulate a plan on the 82 bike path on Frontage Road. They are waiting for the corridor study. 83 84 10. Concern on Pedestrian/Bicycle Access to Gallatin Valley YMCA. 85 86 John reported that he has received a lot of calls about the County forcing the Y to put in a bike 87 rack when there are no facilities to get to the new site on a bike, which is on Baxter and Love 88 Lane. 89 90 Danielle asked about plans for off-site improvements. Andrea Stevenson, CEO of the Gallatin 91 Valley YMCA said this was the first she had heard of it. She asked if it was their 92 responsibility to build bike paths? 93 94 Danielle explained that there are no expectations for it being the Y’s responsibility – the 95 concern is that it is the type of place that may need them in the future and there might be 96 another funding source. 97 98 Andrea commented that she has attended conferences in other communities in Montana where 99 there are so many bike facilities and she wished we could be the same kind of community. 100 They have been talking with Streamline to see if they can come to the new site on Baxter and 101 Love Lane. This great location will be served by three school districts (Belgrade, Monforton, 102 and Bozeman), and cater to 3,000 students with after school programs mostly for 5th, 6th and 103 7th graders. Kids will have to be bussed from school no matter where they are coming from 104 and then parents will come pick them up and hopefully stay and get healthy also. The YMCA 105 would be excited to work with a group that has the knowledge to get more bike and pedestrian 106 pathways through the community. They have no mechanism to ask for pathways. 107 108 Danielle explained that funding and right-of-ways are an issue. 109 110 John mentioned that TA projects are a possibility since it is a good location to connect to. 111 112 Marilee mentioned that at the recent BABAB meeting there was a discussion on how the 113 County needed to upgrade their standard cross-section design standards for County roads so 114 that when development occurs, shoulders would have to be put in. 115 116 Megan Gibson of the Gallatin County Planning office stated that the County is planning round 117 about for Love Lane and Baxter and the MDT will be having a public meeting on it soon. On 118 Tuesday the 16th the County Commission will be discussing the conditional use permit for the 119 Y. No suggestions for bike or pedestrian facilities have been asked for by the County at this 120 time. 121 122 Andrea mentioned that bike racks would have to be put in anyway because of their mountain 123 bike program. At this time the facility will only contain program rooms, administration, and 124 team areas. There is no gym or pool planned at this time. Phase one will start construction 125 soon and hopefully be completed in 9 months. It is being completely self-funded with another 126 $2 million yet to be raised. 127 128 Andrea would like to be an advocate and help get more bike and pedestrian facilities in the 129 County. There are 40 acres available on that corner for paths. 130 131 Action needed: Danielle commented that we couldn’t make recommendations at this time in 132 conjunction with this project. But we can help in the future to help find funding for paths with 133 GVLT and others. We can also comment on the roundabout project for needed facilities in 134 the future. It was agreed that we do not feel the need to encourage the county to impose any 135 conditions on approving the Y’s application. 136 137 138 11. Consider Asking City Commission to Order in Sidewalks on East Koch & Lindley Place 139 The Parks Dept. has gotten back to us about asking homeowners to put sidewalks in on East 140 Koch and Lindley Place leading to the Bogart Park. They have spoken to one owner who is 141 not interested in voluntarily putting them in. Other owners are not reachable and may live out 142 of town. 143 144 John suggested possible options including delineating a walking area in the street with paint 145 or putting a sidewalk on the edge of the street. During new construction it should have been 146 done but no one had permission NOT to put one in. The new construction should have 147 required it. The City never approved the owners to omit them. On one property a garage is in 148 the way. 149 150 General discussion included trying to find funding for the homeowners to put the walks in, but 151 it was decided that all other property owners in the City have been required by law to put in a 152 sidewalk and maintain them. People will complain if funding is spent on these private 153 properties and not equally for other properties. We don’t want someone to get hurt because 154 they have to walk in the street. 155 156 Todd suggested that there is a precedent for the city to order in sidewalks. He stated that 157 Long Fellow does service that neighborhood. 158 159 Action: A motion was made by Bud to send a letter to the City Commission asking that the 160 sidewalks be ordered in. Second by Mandee. Ralph will be asked to write the letter. 161 162 12. Consider MDT policy of separated pathways. 163 Danielle explained that the MDT is considering eliminating future pathways on rural MDT 164 right-of-ways. Ralph received the following paragraph from Jennifer Nelson of the MDT: 165 166 “As you may already be aware, MDT is in the process of developing new policies related to 167 future inclusion of separated shared use paths within MDT right of way. Although this policy 168 is still in the early stages of being developed, based on input from FHWA, review of state law, 169 and careful consideration of our agency mission in coordination with our state funding 170 shortfalls, it seems likely at this point that use of MDT right of way for future separated 171 shared use paths will be more restricted than it has in the past. Therefore, it would be prudent 172 for the paths project champion to seriously consider and develop options other than placement 173 within MDT right of way/easement, particularly if the need for the facility is more 174 recreational than transportation (commuting).” 175 176 Danielle has learned that the hold up with the TA projects is in conjunction with this issue. 177 The MDT is considering eliminating TA applications for such projects. Timing is unknown. 178 179 General discussion took place about money needed for building and maintaining such projects 180 and that state law on Gas Tax requires that such be in the right-of-way. This could have an 181 adverse affect statewide. 182 183 Action: A Motion was made by Bud and seconded by Tony to allow our chair to use the 184 statement written below and make minor modifications as needed on our behalf, with 185 communications released to MDT, Media, Public Events, Legislators or legislative candidates. 186 It passed unanimously. 187 188 “The Bozeman (Area) Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee expresses gratitude to the 189 Montana Department of Transportation for its willingness to allow and even provide separated 190 pathways to enhance the mobility and safety of non-motorized users of our road system and 191 the committee discourages the Department from making any policy changes that would make 192 the construction of such separated pathways more difficult.” 193 194 195 13. Authorize Officers to Work with Partners on Frontage Road Pathway Design. 196 It is anticipated that officers will at some point be expected to sit down with our partners also 197 advocating for a pathway along the frontage road (and perhaps also with representatives of the 198 various governmental jurisdictions having jurisdiction over all or part of the frontage road) to 199 come to some mutual agreement on such issues as should the path be on the north side or the 200 south side of the highway, how far away from the edge of the paved shoulder should it be 201 located, etc. 202 203 Action: The following motion was made by Marilee and seconded by Bud: The committee 204 authorizes its officers to speak for the committee at any meeting of other groups sharing its 205 support for a separated pathway along the frontage road and at any meeting with appropriate 206 government staff discussing that proposed pathway. It passed unanimously. 207 208 14. Determination of Role to Play at August 25 Public Info Meeting on Frontage Road 209 Corridor Study 210 Danielle handed out flyer. Ralph is on the Advisory Committee for the corridor study. It was 211 decided that the previous motion covered any future action needed at these public meetings. 212 We may revisit this in the future to comment specifically on other improvements. 213 214 15. Implementation of Bozeman Community Transportation Safety Plan 215 Danielle is still having the same frustrations. Without funding, there is not much they can do. 216 It was suggested that she look into the United Way or similar sources. 217 218 16. Additional Business (Time Permitting) 219 None 220 221 222 17. The next meeting will be held on Sept. 14, 2016. (Electronic Postscript: The September 223 14 meeting was later cancelled and the next meeting will be October 12.) 224 225 18. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 1:45 PM. 226 227 228 Minutes by Marilee Brown 229 Edits by Ralph Zimmer 230