Bicycle Commission Regular Meeting Agenda
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BICYCLE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AGENDA Monday, November 18, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. Civic Center Gymnastics Building Multi-Purpose Room 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN LOCATION AND TIME FOR THIS MEETING CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL – F. Berghout, A. Combs, W. Kirsch, G. Klingsporn (Chair), C. Welton CITY STAFF – N. Nagaya, J. Quirion A. PUBLIC COMMENT (Limited to 30 minutes) Under “Public Comment”, the public may address the Commission on any subject not listed on the agenda and items listed under the Consent Calendar. Each speaker may address the Commission once under Public Comment for a limit of three minutes. Please clearly state your name and address or political jurisdiction in which you live. The Commission cannot act on items not listed on the agenda and, therefore, the Commission cannot respond to non-agenda issues brought up under Public Comment other than to provide general information. B. REGULAR BUSINESS B1. Approve Minutes from the Regular Meeting of October 14, 2013 (Attachment) B2. Provide Recommendation to the City Council for Potential Laurel Street Parking Modifications Adjacent to Nativity School (Attachment) C. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS D. INFORMATION ITEMS D1. Presentation from Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Roadway Safety Solutions Team D2. El Camino Real Lane Reconfiguration Subcommittee Update (Kirsch/Combs) D3. TDA Article 3 Grant Applications Update E. ADJOURNMENT Agendas are posted in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2(a) or Section 54956. Members of the public can view electronic agendas and staff reports by accessing the City website at http://www.menlopark.org and can receive e-mail notification of agenda and staff report postings by subscribing to the “Home Delivery” service on the City’s homepage. Agendas and staff reports may also be obtained by contacting Nicole Nagaya, Sr. Transportation Engineer at (650) 330-6770. (Posted 11/14/2013) Any writing that is distributed to a majority of the Commission by any person in connection with an agenda item is a public record (subject to any exemption under the Public Records Act) and is available for inspection in the Public Works Department at 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, CA 94025 during regular business hours. Persons with disabilities, who require auxiliary aids or services in attending or participating in Commission meetings, may call the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 330-6620. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK AGENDA ITEM B-1 BICYCLE COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Monday, October 14, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Civic Center Administration Building City Council Conference Room 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park The meeting was called to order by Chair, Greg Klingsporn at 7:05 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: F. Berghout, G. Klingsporn (Chair), W. Kirsch, C. Welton, A. Combs, Absent: N/A Staff: N. Nagaya, J. Quirion A. PUBLIC COMMENT Jonathan Weiner, Menlo Park resident, introduced himself and his interest in possibly applying for the Bicycle Commission. B. REGULAR BUSINESS B1. Accept the meeting minutes for August 12, 2013 (Attachment) ACTION: Motion and second (Klingsporn/Kirsch) to accept minutes passed unanimously. B2. Accept the meeting minutes for September 9, 2013 (Attachment) ACTION: Motion and second (Berghout/Welton) to accept minutes passes unanimously. B3. Discuss Rescheduling of November 11, 2013 Meeting due to Veteran’s Day Holiday ACTION: Motion and second (Kirsch/Combs) to schedule the next meeting on November 18, 2013 unanimously. B4. Review and Discuss Sample Bicycle Anti-Harassment Ordinances (Attachment) Commission discussed sample ordinances. No action taken. C. REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS C1. MaryAnn Levenson tendered her resignation from the Bicycle Commission. There are now two Commission seats open. D. INFORMATION ITEMS D1. Review September Quarterly Update to City Council Chair Klingsporn presented the activities of the Bicycle Commission to the City Council at the October 1, 2013 City Council meeting. D2. El Camino Real Lane Reconfiguration Subcommittee Update N. Nagaya stated that the Request for Proposals was sent to more than 60 consulting firms within the last 30 days. Responses are due by November 6, 2013. D3. Wayfinding Subcommittee Update C. Welton to be introduced to the Transportation Commission’s two representatives that will join her on the Subcommittee. They will reach out to adjoining cities to coordinate Wayfinding routes. E. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 p.m. Minutes submitted by: W. Kirsch AGENDA ITEM B-2 BICYCLE COMMISSION Meeting Date: November 18, 2013 Agenda Item #: B-2 REGULAR BUSINESS: Provide a Recommendation to the City Council for Potential Laurel Street Parking Modifications Adjacent to Nativity School RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Bicycle Commission provide a recommendation to City Council for No Parking on northbound Laurel Street between Oak Grove Avenue and Glenwood Avenue. Staff also recommends that pedestrian crossing improvements at the Laurel Street and Oak Grove Avenue intersection be installed. BACKGROUND The City received a complaint from a City of Menlo Park resident in 2012 that noted concern with the use of the northbound bicycle lane on the eastern side of Laurel Street between Oak Grove Avenue and Glenwood Avenue for vehicle parking. This complaint reiterated past comments from residents during development of the Encinal and Valparaiso Safe Routes to Schools studies that noted similar concerns. Vehicles parked in the bicycle lane introduce conflicts and challenges for bicyclists who must weave into the adjacent vehicle lane when the on-street parking is occupied. This item was previously brought to the Transportation Commission on October 10, 2012. The staff report and minutes from the October 10, 2012 meeting are included in Attachment A. The Commission voted unanimously to continue the item at a later meeting, recommending that staff coordinate with the Nativity School administration to develop an alternative proposal that would serve the needs of bicyclists and Nativity School. Since October 2012, staff has worked to evaluate the issues raised at the prior Transportation Commission meeting and subsequent meetings with the Nativity School community and develop and review alternatives that would serve all users of Laurel Street, in accordance with the City’s Complete Street Policy. The Transportation Commission reviewed the item at their November 13, 2013 meeting, and voted to support staff’s recommendations with the following amendments: 1. Defer installation of the no stopping restrictions on the east side of Laurel Street until after the 2013-2014 school year has ended 2. Modify the proposed Right-Turn on Red restriction at Laurel Street and Oak Grove Avenue to all-day, instead of “when children are present” 3. Encourage Nativity School to develop a carpool, walking and bicycling encouragement program 4. Work with Nativity School to evaluate the modifications after the start of the 2014-2015 school year, and if necessary, bring the items back to the Transportation Commission for further review 5. Require Nativity School to install green bicycle lane treatments (specific design to be determined) as part of a condition of approval for their pending Use Permit Staff concurs with amendments 1, 3, and 4. Staff recommends amendment 2 not be implemented, since an all-day restriction for Right-Turn on Red would incur vehicle delay, even when no pedestrians are present at the intersection. Staff recommends amendment 5 be further evaluated to determine if this location is appropriate for use of green bicycle lanes before proceeding. Nativity School Permitting and Entitlement Background Concerns with parking on the eastern side of Laurel Street were first voiced in 2006 during Nativity School’s Use Permit application for expanded student enrollment and facility renovation. At that time, the Planning Commission directed that all student drop- off and pick-up activity for the School occur off of Oak Grove Avenue to minimize the impact of the School expansion on Laurel Street neighbors. The Planning Commission required a condition of approval requiring drop-off and pick-up of passengers occur only in the designated loading and unloading zones. The School expressed that all drop-off and pick-up activity and parking demand could be accommodated within the proposed on-site parking areas. The minutes from the September 11, 2006 Planning Commission review of the project are included as Attachment B. The Planning Commission approved the Use Permit application to allow the School’s expansion and renovation. The first phase of renovations was completed in 2008, with construction of the new Sobrato Pavilion (multi-use) and kindergarten classroom. Since then, the School has been granted subsequent permits under the 2006 approval to proceed with site renovations and facility renewals, including a permit to demolish the existing convent in December 2012. Most recently, on September 12, 2013, Nativity School submitted an application for a Use Permit to add a junior kindergarten class of 12 to 18 students plus associated faculty and staff as well as Architectural Control for a new building to replace those demolished in 2012. The additional students are allowed under their current Use Permit enrollment limits; however, the expansion is a new age group on-site, which requires modification to their current Use Permit. This application is anticipated to be reviewed by the Planning Commission in late 2013 or early 2014. In general, the City does not allow on-street