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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-08-17 PTS Minutes1 Bozeman (Area) Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee 2 Minutes of the Feb. 8, 2017 Meeting 3 Upstairs Conference Room Alfred Stiff Office Building 4 5 Attendance: 6 7 Voting Committee Members: 8 Ralph Zimmer (Gallatin County), Chair 9 Danielle Scharf (City of Bozeman), Vice Chair 10 Mandee Arnold (City of Bozeman), Secretary 11 Bud Jarvis (Bozeman School District) 12 Marilee Brown (At-large Member), Secretary 13 Tom Foster (Gallatin County) 14 Tony Gaddo (At-large Member) 15 Absent: Vance Ruff (Bozeman School District) 16 17 Official Non-Voting Committee Members: 18 John Van Delinder (City of Bozeman Streets Department), Todd Swinehart (School District) 19 Absent: Bill Brownell, Road & Bridge Supervisor (County) 20 21 City Commissioners, County Commissioners, and School Board Members 22 I-Ho Pomeroy (City Commissioner) 23 Absent: (County Commissioner), (School District Trustees), 24 25 Law Enforcement Liaison Officers 26 Steve Crawford (Chief, Bozeman Police Dept.) 27 Absent: (Sheriff Departmentt) 28 29 Frequent Attendees and Guests (City, County, Bozeman School District, and Montana 30 Department of Transportation Staff): 31 Taylor Lonsdale (Western Transportation Institute), Tom Keck (Collins Coalition) 32 33 Citizens and Other Guests: 34 Kevin Jacobsen (Morrison-Maierle) 35 36 Quorum: Present. 37 38 1. Call to Order, Introductions and New Business. 39 Ralph Zimmer, PTS Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 12:00 PM and 40 introductions of attendees were made. 41 42 2. Agenda. 43 Ralph offered the opportunity to provide comments on the agenda. None were made. 44 45 3. Public Comment. a. Kevin Jacobsen gave an update regarding North 7 th 46 , stating they received comments back 47 from the city of Bozeman and are currently waiting for comments back from MDT- waiting 48 for comments and re-addressing the plans as we move forward he will continue to keep 49 everyone updated in future meetings. 50 4. Minutes. The minutes of January 11 th 51 (correction line 87 amendment- GVLT reported that 52 they are purchasing a bicycle/pedestrian counter) motion to approve minutes with correction 53 to line 87 by Tony Gaddo and second from Marilee Brown. Line 144 spelling correction 54 Name to read David Fine- Minutes with those corrections Approved 55 56 5. Report on Results of Previous Actions & Consideration of Follow-Up Action. 57 58 None Reported 59 60 6. County Commission, City Commission, and School Board Member Reports. 61 I-Ho –John Van Delinder was complemented by city commissioners for a great job snow 62 plowing the streets in the City of Bozeman 63 64 7. Liaison Officer Reports. 65 a. Steve Crawford, Chief Bozeman Police Department, reported they are busy with weather 66 related crashes. They are continuing to encourage motorists to slow down and are are 67 working on code-compliance with citizens clearing or plowing sidewalks focusing efforts- 24 68 hours after fresh snow give notice to plow sidewalks if they don’t comply there is a contractor 69 who will plow and home owner will be responsible for the cost. 70 71 b. Steve Crawford also reported – Some parents at Morning Star Elementary were parking on 72 side streets in an unsafe manner when school was being let out. They are working with school 73 district promoting an education approach-street signs and parking in a legal manner 74 75 8. Reports from Non-Voting Official Committee Members. 76 77 a. Todd Swinehart with the School District reported staying busy with all the snow and slush 78 over the last couple of months, keeping up with clearing the sidewalks, parking lots and 79 playgrounds. 80 81 b. John Van Delinder stated the city is staying busy with drainage issues- getting parked cars 82 off the streets, working with the school, everyone is working together and it has been 83 successful. They have been aggressive with plowing, working 7 days a week until 11pm at 84 night until its done. Hope to do bike lanes as part of the transportation and then run out of 85 time because it snows again. Currently storing snow at the softball complex. 86 87 9. Reports from Related Groups. 88 89 a.. John reported from the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board currently getting priorities 90 together and focusing on a direction 91 92 b. Marilee (Concerned Citizens for a Safer Bozeman and Gallatin County) currently looking 93 into raising money for pathway along frontage road. Considering a non-profit- working on it 94 daily and hoping to get answers. Please contact her if you want to help. 95 96 c. GVLT- Jeff Huff- not to much to report – TOPS project may be delayed; front street path 97 east Birch to Storymill, Spur Trail. May not aline with bridge design, looking for options to 98 keep project going. 99 100 10. Status of New Transportation Master Plan & Frontage Road Corridor Study a.. Transportation master plan – February 7 th 101 - Ralph reported a draft plan was posted to the website. On March 2 nd 102 at 630 public information meeting to discuss that draft. Ralph asked for 103 someone at this meeting to go on behalf of PTS- Danielle was asked if she could be present at the meeting on March 2 nd 104 unless there was an objection from the committee to speak on the 105 committee’s behalf . Danielle agreed to speak in support- however if there is a need for a 106 specific comment she will wait until the next PTS meeting to further discuss and will give 107 written comment. 108 109 b. Frontage Road Corridor study is moving ahead. Advisory committee has received draft of 110 improvement options. The committee is reviewing the first draft and a second draft is being 111 prepared there will be a public meeting in late March or early April at which the study’s 112 recommendations (not yet drafted) will be presented. Marilee- asked to encourage business 113 leaders, economic leaders to continue to write to MDT about safety issues if only a shoulder is 114 provided. She is contacting insurance industry who may help with writing letters supporting a 115 separated path. 116 117 11. Consider Supporting Various Projects for MDT Transportation Alternative Funding 118 a. Todd Swinehart (Bozeman School District) stated Chief Joseph Middle School is still trying 119 to install sidewalks still vacant lots with no sidewalks. Cross walk improvements of Davis and 120 Cattail-safety concerns for pedestrians. Emily Dickenson proposed cross walk improvements of Oak, city to incorporate that with 27 th . Crossing improvements with 27 th 121 and Annie 122 crossing. Meadowlark School- Durstan and Flanders cross walk. Sacajawea Middle School 123 widen sidewalks along east side. Some were carry overs from last year as Bozeman grows 124 elected to add a few more items. 125 126 b. Taylor Lonsdale (WTI) met with Jennifer Nelson (she is MDT local contact for Bozeman 127 projects). She is on the Bozeman Transportation Coordinating Committee. There is a project- 128 match requirements on federa-aid projects. MDT provides local match 14% for TA Project 129 in MDT’s right-of-way. Several proposed projects; Priorities support of focusing of MDT right-of-way- North 7 th at cemetery- also east side of 7 th 130 along La Quinta – Mandeville west side of 7 th. 131 132 133 It would be helpful for PTS to write letter(s) of support in regards to applications (perhaps 134 prepare separate letters for each proposal. Application deadline is end of March. 135 136 Which projects would the committee like to see in applications and support with letter(s)? We 137 can make those decisions at our March meeting. Construction would likely occur in 2018. 138 139 Ralph stated the school district are working at independently submitting proposals for TA 140 funding. Taylor stated the proposals would complement each other. However the lists 141 complement eachother. Todd stated there are two applications the school is preparing for the 147 148 c. Todd asked for letters of support from PTS for school district proposals. Danielle so moved 149 and Marilee seconded. Motion passed unanimously. 150 151 12. Report on Status of Kagy Blvd. Reconstruction & Consideration of Recommendations 152 Chairperson erroneously skipped over this agenda item but the group returned to it later in the 153 meeting (see Item 15 below). 154 155 13. Review Status of Safety-Related Legislation & Consider Making Recommendations 156 a. Legislation- house bill 267- safe passing distance by bikes- passed the house and moved to 157 the senate- highway and transportation committee was suppose to vote on it 2/7/17 there was 158 no action taken on it maybe by end of week. 159 160 b. Bill prohibiting texting while driving – house bill 380 – no action- hearing was cancelled 161 for tomorrow 2/9/17 162 163 c. Bill to create additional revenue for transportation purposes- drafting state has not been 164 introduced yet- sponsored by Frank Garnier-Generally revised tax laws- renamed 165 transportation safety act-before a senate committee next week, however not assigned a 166 number yet. Members willing to express support to local and non-local legislators please 167 nform Ralph. This includes gas tax and increasing the fee on low fuel cars; support increased 168 revenue for transportation funding and includes increase in state fuel tax, registration charges 169 for electric and hybrid vehicles. Marilee will research and put together a list with phone 170 numbers, contacts with support- this is regarding who is voting on bills-distribution list 171 172 14. Implementation of Bozeman Community Transportation Safety Plan 173 Danielle stated nothing new to report 174 175 15. Additional Business 176 Danielle provided an update on the reconstruction of Kagy Boulevard from South 19 th 177 to South 178 Willson. (This was Item 12 on the agenda but the chairperson erroneously skipped over it at that 179 time.) 180 181 The proposed project exceeds available funding and hence will be delayed until sufficient funding 182 is available which perhaps will take a few years. However, some interim improvements between South 11 th and South 7 th 183 are being considered. Those interim plans tentatively involve widening Kagy on the south side and will carry through the east side of 7 th 184 . Existing bike lanes will stay but 185 will will widen to 5.5 feet bike lanes. 186 16. Next Meeting March 8 th 187 Noon 188 189 17. Meeting Adjournment 190 191 192 Minutes by Mandee Arnold 193 Initial Edits by Ralph Zimmer 142 elementary district and high school district. 143 144 Marilee was asked if she could provide letters from parents on Cattail to Davis crossing. 145 Taylor commented those letters are valuable. Ralph stated we will learn more from Taylor in 146 March and then we can write letters of support.