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HomeMy WebLinkAbout062100 Transportation Coordinating Committee Minutes BOZEMAN AREA TRANSPORTATION COORDINATING COMMITTEE JUNE 21, 2000 MINUTES ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ATTENDANCE Chairperson Bill Murdock called the meeting to order and directed the secretary to record the attendance. Members Present Members Absent Andrew Epple, Director, Planning & Comm. Dev. Bob Burkhardt, Designee, FHWA Debbie Arkell, Director Public Service Lee Provance, Road Supv., Gallatin County Lynn Zanto, Supervisor, Urban Planning, MDT Ed Musser, President, City Planning Board John Gallagher, Bozeman Bicycle Board Paul Weingart, Citizen, Bozeman Bill Murdock, Chairperson, Co. Commission & TCC Doug Moeller, Maintenance Chief, Bozeman MDT Clark Johnson, Bozeman City Manager Joe Menicucci, Belgrade City Manager Marcia Youngman, Mayor, City of Bozeman John Gallagher, Rep. Bicycle Board Jason Giard, District Engineer, Butte District MDT John Mandeville, Citizen Member, Gallatin Co. Ralph Zimmer, Rep. Pedestrian & Traffic Safety Comm. Visitors Present Staff Present Al VanderWey Chris Saunders, Associate Planner, COB Jack Joyner Carol Schott, Recording Secretary Thomas Stuber Bill Kayser John Shepard Debe Youngberg Bert Hopeman Kendall Dittmar Rick Hixson Ashley Green Doug Widmayer Al Scholes David Smith ITEM 2. MINUTES OF APRIL 20 AND MAY 17, 2000 Chairperson Murdock noted the minutes would be acted upon at the next regular scheduled meeting. ITEM 3. TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE Progress Report (Doug Widmeyer, P.E., Robert Peccia and Associates) Doug Widmayer presented the results thus far. He recommended the intersection of South 19th Avenue/ Babcock Street be converted to right turn only. He stated the model indicated no advantage to extending North 15th Avenue to Babcock Street. He noted converting the one-way couplets nor the extension of North 7th Avenue to Babcock Street A loaded up@ when modeled. He stated extensions of Kagy Boulevard to Cottonwood Road and Cottonwood Road to Valley Center Road, upgrading Gooch Hill Road to Valley Center Road, and other street improvements had little effect on volumes of traffic. He noted he did an analysis of the downtown intersections. Mr. Widmayer distributed copies of the models run and analysis results (on file in the Office of Planning and Community Development). He reviewed the analyses done for the handout materials, stating angle parking with two through lanes and a center left turn lane wouldn=t work downtown and would cause most intersections on Main Street to fail. He reported the test converting the couplets to two-way streets indicated the change would somewhat ease movement downtown, however, it created problems at North 7th Avenue/ Mendenhall Street and North 8th Avenue/Babcock Street, Babcock Street/Willson Avenue, and Mendenhall Street/Willson Avenue intersections. He noted there wasn=t an overwhelming positive effect in the model for reversing the one-way couplets, and may not be worth the effort. Bert Hopeman, representing the Downtown Improvements District, reviewed the history of the downtown. He suggested converting the downtown into a destination place not a race track. He noted traffic patterns make or break a downtown area. He noted angle parking and two-way traffic encourage a community setting. He stated the change would make pedestrian traffic flow better. He noted that in Columbus, MO, main street was changed to three lanes and the couplets made 2-way, which seemed to increased the traffic downtown, thereby contributing to its survival. He noted that tearing down structures to provide more parking has been detrimental in other communities. He stated the perception was that the downtown is a place to get through. He noted Bozeman’s downtown is losing traffic and customers. He stated there are more vacancies downtown, the vacancies take longer to fill, and rents have gone down. He suggested rethinking the making of downtown into a destination, a neighborhood commercial center. He suggested routing through-truck traffic around Main Street. He suggested converting Mendenhall and Babcock Streets into two-way streets, the addition of lighting at intersections on Mendenhall for safe passage of pedestrians, and parallel parking on one side and angle parking on the other side of Main Street. He asked to have the crossing signals allow more time for people to cross Main Street. He noted downtown may not survive the North 19th Avenue and West Main Street explosion. Ralph Zimmer asked for the names of the two consultants. Director Epple noted the Makers organization was hired by the downtown organization to research the area for the downtown business owners. Bob Lashaway stated if a goal of the Bozeman 2020 Community Plan was to set up a customer/pedestrian friendly downtown, then the Transportation Plan shouldn=t be in conflict with it. Mr. Widmayer asked to be allowed to pursue the conversion of the one-ways to two-ways. He noted preliminary tests show that traffic would be improved at North 7th Avenue and Main Street. He stated he=d like to work out the problems with DBA. Mayor Youngman noted that with the revitalization of East Main, Smart Growth ideas are being considered, including a parking garage with commercial businesses on the first floor and residences on the second and third stories. She noted removing truck traffic from the downtown was for MDT and Mr. Widmayer to answer. Rob Bukvich noted he could support the conversion of the one-ways to two-ways if he could be certain the businesses along the one-ways are in favor of the change. Mr. Epple noted that traffic calming may reduce the amount of traffic as those going through town will avoid the downtown area. He asked Mr. Widmayer to look at the feasibility of angle parking on one side of the street, which would also be a question for MDT. Mr. Widmayer stated that every intersection on Main Street would fail. Mr. Lashaway asked if an AF@ intersection was effective for traffic calming or does it work at all. Mr. Widmayer noted it would create gridlock in the whole downtown. Mr. Bukvich noted more pedestrian time could be added for crossing Main Street. Mr. Hopeman noted the ADon=t Walk@ signal in other towns flashed the number of seconds left to cross the street. Mr. Bukvich noted there have been suggestions to change pedestrian signals to red, yellow, and green. Mr. Zimmer suggested several hazards caused by backing into traffic as part of angle parking. Mr. Widmayer noted he was planning a parking analysis during the week of the July 10th. He noted he would also look at downtown parking. He asked for permission to continue working with the Downtown Business Association to solve traffic problems, stating he=d like to model Mendenhall and Babcock Streets as two-way streets. Lynn Zanto noted State Statute address angle parking along state highways. Mr. Epple noted that the focus of the Master Plan Update is to maintain and sustain the downtown business district; therefore, enhancement and protection are appropriate. John Mandeville reviewed the changes during his lifetime. He suggested allowing Mr. Widmayer to pursue all angles. Mr. Bukvich stated Main Street would not come off the Federal Aid system and there would never be angle parking on Main Street due to a resolution of the City Commission. He suggested considering a truck bypass. Ms. Arkell suggested studying the effects on streets beyond Mendenhall and Babcock Streets. Mr. Widmayer asked for an MDT attendee, and Mr. Giard volunteered to attend any of those meetings. Mr. Widmayer distributed the Transit Survey results and reviewed the results. He noted there is a very clear indication that the public wants public transit with 89% of the respondents indicating thus. He noted he would meet with the Transit Group to get their input. He stated he would like to schedule workshop sessions with the group, either all morning or all afternoon, the first one to be held in August to refine the improvements list, and the second workshop to discuss prioritization and funding. It was decided by the Committee to hold the first workshop August 16, all day, in lieu of the regularly scheduled October meeting. He would send the feedback to the secretary in advance with a list of proposed improvements. The workshop would begin at 10:00, break for lunch, then spend the afternoon completing the discussion. The second workshop was set for September 20th at the same times. Mr. Zimmer noted a problem in the past has been that those who miss a meeting don’t have an opportunity to receive the handouts. Mr. Widmeyer assured Mr. Zimmer that extra handouts would be available. Other Mr. Giard announced the Transportation Commission is meeting in Bozeman on July 6, 9:30 a.m., at the Grantree Inn for an all day session. ITEM 4. NEXT MEETING AND ADJOURNMENT July 19, 2000, 9:30 a.m. (Regular quarterly meeting) There being no other business to come before the Committee, the meeting was adjourned. _______________________________________________ Bill Murdock, Chairperson Bozeman Area Transportation Coordinating Committee