BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for January 5, 2016
Commission Present: Renee Losapio, Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Steven Johnson, Andy Hund, Stewart Strothers, Matt Paddock, Marc Hoecker
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Jeff Raliski, Ben Kane, Christy Fisher, Rachel Bean, NPD Officers: Whitley, Rodriguez, Williams, Copeland
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o December minutes approved with one comment
II. Granby Bike Lanes / I-64 Underpass Improvements o Engineering firm Michael Baker Corp is currently designing 3 bike/ped improvement options at the I-64/I-564 underpass on Granby St. o The options range from very expensive long term solutions to less expensive short term fixes o Funding could either come from TAP (transportation alternatives) or FHWA (federal highway admin) grants. Best case scenario would be for VDOT to fund it as a pilot project for statewide underpass improvements o Staff has already applied for the next round of TAP grants for bike lane improvements on Granby from Riverview to Ward’s Corner
III. MHI / ERT Land Transfer o MHI and the City are exchanging land for re-route of the Elizabeth River Trail at the MHI parking lot o The trail will now go along the border of Raleigh and Claremont instead of through the middle of parking lot o The new cross section will be 8’ landscape buffer, 12’ trail, and another 8’ buffer to the street. o A large green space area will be at corner of Raleigh/ Claremont and have a gateway/public art feature o Landscape plan by Land Studio is currently in design phase
IV. FestEvents Bikeability o FestEvents representatives Karen Scherberger, Christin Pond, Ted Baroody, and Jeffery Morrison present o FestEvents putting together plan for ERT detours during events at Town Point Park and Waterside o Need to determine detour routes and signage locations o Paul Filion requests that detour info and bike parking locations be consistent so users learn quickly how to locate them o Purchasing bike racks and a bike repair station for Waterside o Working with DNC and ERT Foundation to have bike friendly events over the summer such as family rides, commuter breakfasts, and a cycle cinema event o Andy Hund has provided bike valet station at past events, will work to expand services
V. Rustbucket Races Recap / Bike Norfolk Light Giveaway
o The first ever cyclocross race in Norfolk (Rustbucket Races) was held Dec. 17th at the Hanson/Goff Street location o Over 100 competitors raced, many travelled from Richmond, Roanoke, and even Raleigh o Comments from riders were overwhelmingly positive about the course o Looking to continue and improve upon the annual event and possibly add more throughout the year o Bike Norfolk organized a bike light giveaway to riders riding at night without them o Over 70 sets of quality lights were given away in mostly low income areas o Commissioners would like to start a dialogue with NPD to encourage officers to hand out lights instead of tickets when they can o Officer Whitley said it is something they could look into and have done similar helmet giveaways in the past o Funding sources would be an issue, will look into grant options o Paul Forehand states city will be purchasing some lights soon through the funds awarded by a TBA grant
VI. General Issues / Public Comments o Jonathan Nye organizing trip to Richmond to lobby in favor of the Vulnerable Road Users law on January 23rd o March 6th-9th is the National Bike Summit in Washington DC o Jonathan is organizing a 24hour Bike-a-thon around the Pilot Loop on April 22nd
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for February 2, 2016
Commission Present: Renee Losapio, Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Steven Johnson, Stewart Strothers, Matt Paddock,
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Ben Kane, NPD Officer McCarthy, Thelma Drake, Patti Raduenz, Christine Armstrong
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o January minutes approved with comments
II. Staff Projects update o Legislation Updates VDOT maintenance reimbursement bill has passed in the state House of Delegates, will go to Senate next for vote The bill allows city to retain maintenance funds for travel lanes when they are converted to bike lanes. John Stevenson notes that the funds equal about $17,000 per lane mile o Llewellyn Flex Posts 230 flex posts were eradicated by snow plows along Llewellyn Ave. Will re-use some posts but most unusable City will re-install once threat of more snow is passed using a different application that will not remove asphalt if damaged again Matt Paddock suggests that the wide space is a sufficient buffer and if the bollards are damaged again too consider not replacing them if solution is not found to protect them John Stevenson states the reason for the buffers is to encourage inexperienced riders o Bike Lane Wayfinding Toole Design is assisting with developing a wayfinding plan for the pilot bike loop Signs will give directional and distance info to points of interest and other bike routes such as Elizabeth River Trail and future bike lanes Will work to coordinate with new Downtown wayfinding as well as ERT signage Wayfinding plan will be for pilot loop only, City will continue signage as more bike lanes are built o IKEA Development Update Plans include adding a bus stop, but traffic backup issues on Northampton may have bus stop within parking lot Bike racks will be installed by front entrance o Ghent Taskforce Bike Issues Looking to add bike racks along 21st St and Colley Ave. Could also add a bike repair station Will be yellow powder coated ad similar to Chelsea bike racks Current meter hitch bike racks could be refurbished and painted Riverview neighborhood adding racks and repair station as well Markus suggests that all bike racks should be put in well-lit areas
o Capital Trail Connection The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organazition is looking at possible bike routes to connect to the Capital Trail in Jamestown Several options shown on map and HRTPO is looking for input on best option The southern option would link up to the South Hampton Roads Trail in Suffolk o Bike Share Update City had 3 proposals and chose Zagster to implement bike share program Reps from Zagster will solicit sponsorships from local organizations to fund program Initial phase will start with 50 bikes and 10 docking stations. Will looks to expand as usage grows Matt Paddock suggests connecting with ERT foundation to target sponsorships together instead of competing for funding
III. Smart Scale Grant Brief o Christine Armstrong presents about the VDOT Smart Scale grant system o Smart Scale is a scoring system to rank projects submitted for State transportation grant funds o The Granby St bike lanes from Riverview to Ward’s Corner was submitted and scored very well with a rank of #4. 24 projects will be selected o The project will total $822,000 and will remove a travel lane in each direction to add bike lanes o City will know in June if selected. Funding and project construction would start in 2021
IV. Safe Routes to School update o Crossing guard appreciation day is on February 8th. Patti encourages everyone to thank crossing guards for their hard work o There is shortage in number of crossing guards. If anyone knows anyone who could help, tell them to contact NPD for info o SRTS planning bike rodeo style event in Lafayette Park with Jon Nye and Andy Hund in April o Reapplying for SRTS grant, this time need a 20% match to secure grant o Matching funds can be “In Kind” donations such as police time during events or bike/equipment donations o Patti is looking for a trailer for carrying bikes
V. Bike Month Planning o Due to lack of time, commission recommend everyone have bike month event ideas next meeting o Bike Month planning meeting at Slover Library on Feb. 14th at 3pm
VI. General Issues / Public Comments o Citizen Angela Bernard publicly thanked the city for installing the new bike infrastructure. It has been great for her and her children to ride o Greg Reck of DNC requested an update on complete streets initiative
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for March 2, 2016
Commission Present: Markus Wegener, Marc Hoecker, Liz Schleeper, Steven Johnson, Stewart Strothers, Matt Paddock, Hudnall Croasdale
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Lori Crouch, Ben Kane, Jeff Raliski
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o February minutes approved with 2 comment updates
II. Bike Marketing Campaign o Lori Crouch gave presentation on updated marketing campaign o Communications department decided Bikes Belong message was divisive and decided to move in new direction o New campaign is approved by People for Bikes to use with Norfolk branding o Campaign will incorporate a wide array of local citizens who ride bikes in pictures with message “Travel with Care” o Commission asked for vote to proceed working on “Travel with Care” message. Group voted yes to proceed o Goal is to have campaign ready to promote during bike month
III. Bike Month Discussion o Paul Filion went through calendar of planned events. More events to come o Bike Norfolk to help on one event that is sponsored by the city o Liz voices concern about safety/insurance issues for leading rides that are not insured by the city o Volunteers needed on all events o Bike Month planning meeting Mid March o Cut off day to add events is March 31st so print materials can be made with calendar
IV. Online Issue Tracking o Matt Paddock updated Paul Filion’s bike/ped issue tracking spreadsheet to an online Google spreadsheet with a form that the public can enter issues. o Ben will work with City to get it published on the bike page o Looking to have an “owner” for each issue moving forward o Sub committee to meet soon to organize spreadsheet and assign action items
V. General Issues / Public Comments o There will be a meeting March 13th to discuss the detour of the ERT during events at Town Point Park and Waterside mall o John Stevenson discussed plans for new bike lanes to be installed during resurfacing on Robin Hood Road from Almeda Ave to Chesapeake Blvd, and lanes on Willow Wood from Granby St to Tidewater Dr. Both projects to be discussed at public meetings o The pilot loop bollards will be replaced soon and plans will be made to protect them from future damage
o Harrison Opera house is complaining that they lost over 100 spots for events o Compromise was made to let them have parking during 3 events before the bollards are replaced o Greg Reck asks for complete streets update for annual report o Jonathan Nye tells everyone of his charity bike a thon event on April 22nd that involves riding the pilot loop. There is also Bike Fest scheduled for the 22nd at Lafayette park that will involve kids rodeo, a bike race and other fun events
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for April 6, 2017
Commission Present: Renee LoSapio, Markus Wegener, Marc Hoecker, Liz Schleeper, Stewart Strothers, Matt Paddock
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Lori Crouch, Susan Pollock, Ben Kane, Jeff Raliski
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o March minutes approved with 1 comment update
II. Safety Campaign Update o Campaign is part of overall safety umbrella for motorists, pedestrians, and bikes o Communications is working on photo shoots with local citizens who ride bikes.Several examples were passed around o $20k allocated for advertising on billboards, busses, online, etc. Communications looking into options o Matt and Renee voice concerns that $20k should only be spent on bike/ped campaign, not overall safety message. Lori states it is for “Travel with Care” campaign o Matt suggests using citizen’s own bikes for more originality than using the same bike for each picture o Plan is to roll out campaign with May bike month o Communications will share final visuals and marketing plan when finished o Marc suggests spending $10k on initial roll out and see what works best before spending the rest
III. Downtown Wayfinding o Rachel McCall from Downtown Norfolk Council gave presentation on new wayfinding signage for Downtown and NEON Arts District o Signs will come in several shapes and sizes from kiosks to post collars o Updated maps will be placed in parking garages and kiosks o Consultant Dawson did the downtown signage plan, WPA and SWAY created the NEON signage o DNC will pay for initial phase and city may expand on it in future
IV. Bike Month Planning o Liz suggests having more right turns instead of lefts on Glow Ride route o Route had already been submitted to permit office. Staff will meet soon with NPD to discuss and may possibly adjust route o DNC/Staff working to get swag and tshirts for events and update marketing materials
V. Bike Share Update o Paul Filion shows off Zagster bike share model bike o Currently have 2 sponsors and looking for at least 3. Each sponsor gets ads on rack and 5 bikes
o Initial phase will target Downtown o Matt states need for strong education about program to avoid animosity as there was towards bike lanes o Also need to educate low skilled riders on rules of rode before sending out into traffic o Program model easy to grow as interest and sponsorships increase
VI. Granby Street Lanes/Grant Updates o Staff meeting with civic leagues regarding new bike lanes on Willow Wood Drive o There has been some push back from residents and working to gain support o HRTAC has voted to move forward with Granby St bike lanes north of bridge to Ward’s Corner in SmartScale grant o It ranks very highly and there is confidence it will be approved for funding
VII. General Issues / Public Comments o Jon Nye gives info on April 21-22nd “Pedal-a-thon” that takes place on pilot loop
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for May 4, 2017
Commission Present: Renee LoSapio, Markus Wegener, Stewart Strothers, Matt Paddock, Steven Johnson
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Rob Brown, Officer Whitley, Ben Kane, Christy Fisher
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o April minutes approved
II. Safety Campaign Update o Travel with Care campaign has been rolled out to community o 23 busses will have ads through July – cost $6,200 o 10 billboards around town will run ads – cost $5,000 o City website has been updated with campaign and safety information o Rack cards printed and available at DMV o Renee suggests trying to measure success of campaign. Surveys can be given to gauge effectiveness
III. Bike Month Planning o Commission asked to help spread word of events through all available social channels o Glow ride logistics meeting at Scope with police/city staff o Attending commissioners asked to help with leading / corralling riders o Coordinate with FestEvents for bike parking at events o Event leaders will coordinate with staff for events
IV. Community Concerns About Bike Lanes o Renee asks what commission can do to help with public outreach about bike lanes o Paul suggest going to civic league meetings where lanes are being planned or exist. Paul will get schedule of civic league meetings to commissioners o Need to get info out about the levels of safety the lanes provide o Forward any positive social media to staff and council o Send flyers and social media alerts to communities about planned lanes o Steven Johnson asks if city staff has been tracking the negative emails in a spreadsheet. Staff saving emails but not currently tracking with metrics and will consider o Staff meeting with Jordan Pascale from the Virginian Pilot to do a brief segment about the pilot loop for an article
V. Bike Share Update o Target is to get 10 sponsors for initial phase. Currently have 5 confirmed o Chad from Zagster has been soliciting for more sponsors o Hope is to get more sponsors after positive rollout and ridership o Cost for sponsorship is a 3 year commitment at $9k per year. o Hoping for a rollout this summer
VI. Future Projects / Grant Updates o Staff will work on spreadsheet to track available grants and status of any being worked on o Health Department awarded a complete streets grant through Smart Growth America. Consultants will be here June 5th for technical assistance workshops o May 23rd will be announcement if Port Authority awarded grant for Plum Point Park improvements o Future Projects – Lafayette Blvd road diet from 4 lanes to 2 with 2 bike lanes o Robin Hood Road from Cheasapeake Blvd to Military Hwy bike lane project due for late summer construction o Ocean View from Capeview to 19th Bay estimates are in the FY18 budget. Deputy City Manager asked staff to look into costs of extending lanes all the way to Pretlow Library o Public outreach is underway for all projects. Commission welcome to participate in Civic League meetings and social media support
VII. General Issues / Public Comments o Patti from Safe Routes to School has switched careers. Commission will draft letter of support to Nofolk Public Schools for continuation of the SRTS program o Toole Design will begin working on a wayfinding plan for the pilot bike loop and will start discussions with staff soon. Plan aims create signage for the loop that will expand with future lanes
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for June 1, 2017
Commission Present: Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Stewart Strothers, Marc Hoecker, Matt Paddock
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Rob Brown, Ben Kane
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o May minutes approved
II. ODU Bike Representative Introduction o Megan Gribble introduced to group as ODU’s bike coordinator. She is Matt McCluney’s replacement o Looking to increase ridership among students and promote bike safety o Wants to expand university bike share and possibly city bike share o Her email is [email protected]
III. Safety Campaign Update o Campaign now on display on several billboards and buses. o Rack cards have been distributed to DMV, Auto Stores and several other locations o Posters are being printed and hung soon o This is first wave of campaign, we can make improvements for next phase. o Markus/others agree next wave should feature photos of people with their own bikes o Remaining balance for next wave is $7k, possibly could try to find more funding o Matt suggest trying to monitor level of effectiveness of first wave before next phase o Options include online surveys to get feedback
IV. Bike Month Review o Glow Ride was very successful with over 350 riders. Several would be riders did not show because of weather o Marc had several riders at the East Beach rides and was happy with attendance o Bike loop/Church charity event raised over $7k for clean water charity. Liz said it’s a great location to host other events o Thoughts for next year are to promote the pit stops with better signage and possibly get corporate buy in for incentives o Looking to build off momentum and continue events throughout year. Ride to Burning Man in August is next big ride
V. Bike Share Update o 2 sponsors for bike share are locked in. DNC, and SL Nusbaum. MacArthur Mall is tentative o Possible other sponsors that showed interest are Waterside, ODU, TCC, Traffix. Looking for more o Matt asks if there are tax incentives, Paul answers no as it is all advertising based o Staff looking into press releases in media such as “Inside Business” to inform possible sponsors
VI. Bike Lane Wayfinding o Toole design starting work on wayfinding plan for the Pilot Bike Loop o Working on signage design and sent a few options to pick from o Design will focus on the loop but allow expansion to future lanes and routes o Wayfinding will point to places of interest and routes such as the ERT
VII. Future Projects / Grant Updates o Staff should hear results of VDOT TAP grants soon. Main grant is for $822k for Granby St bike lanes from Willow Wood to Wards Corner o Granby St/I-564 underpass is still being studied for bike/ped access by Michael Baker Engineering. Study is being paid for by VDOT o Willow Wood bike lanes still need more community outreach before moving forward. No timetable given o Project would be part of traffic calming effort as posted speed limit is 25mph but speeding still issue o The Friends of Elizabeth River Trail Foundation won $82.5k grant from the Port of Virginia to install a kayak launch at Plum Point Park to allow access to the water o Paul Forehand submitted a grant application to “Transportation for America” for funding for a trailhead at the start of the trail at Park/Brambleton
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for July 6, 2017
Commission Present: Renee LoSapio, Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Stewart Strothers
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Susan Pollock, Ben Kane, Jeff Raliski
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o June minutes approved
II. ODU Bike Representative Update o Megan Gribble and Scott Silsdorf from ODU share updates o Goals for next 6 months are to increase online bike registration. Offering a u-lock giveaway as incentives to register bikes o Collecting abandoned bikes and fixing them to ship to Haiti as donations. Found over 100 bikes so far o Applying for silver bike friendly status from League of America Bicyclists
III. Birthplace of America Trail o Presentation by Steven Lambert – Active Transportation Planner for Hampton Roads Regional Transportation Office (HRTPO) o HRTPO leading study on creating Birthplace of America Trail to connect to the Capital Trail in Jamestown o Several route options were presented for public input which got 600 responses o Focusing on two route option, one through the Peninsula with a tunnel bus transfer, and one through Suffolk and Smithfield with a ferry ride to Jamestown o Suffolk route will connect BOAT to the South Hampton Roads Trail o Study shows cost benefits of trail in hopes to secure funding via federal, state, and other grants
IV. Upcoming Bike Events o August 12th is Burning Man Ride. It leaves from Smartmouth and goes to the Burning man exhibit at Hermitage Museum with several stops along way o Full Moon Ride along ERT is coming up next weekend o July 4th bike parade in Ocean View hosted by RPOS o Staff will look into putting calendar on the city bike page with ongoing events
V. Bike Lane Wayfinding o Toole Design Group is creating wayfinding plan for the pilot loop o Currently working on a logo design and wayfinding to points of interest, business districts and other trails like the ERT o Initial signage will be for the loop, but created to be used throughout rest of bike network
VI. Future Projects / Grant Updates o Robin Hood Road resurfacing will include bike lanes from Chesapeake Blvd to Military Hwy. Phase one is from Chesapeake to Azalea Garden Rd. Phase two from Azalea Garden to Military Hwy after completion of Military Hwy continuous flow project. Construction of phase 1 should be complete by end of summer. $170k for project came from grant funding o Liz asks if there are any plans for sharrows along Miller Store Rd. There are currently no plans for it o ERT phase 4C/5 construction starting soon. Heavy construction from Oct-Jan. Project includes sidewalk improvements at Jeff Robertson / Claremont , and a footbridge near Bold Mariner brewery o Grant awarded for Fort Norfolk ERT improvements o Port Authority awarded 82k to the ERT foundation / city to build a kayak launch at Plum Point Park o VDOT grants awarded for Granby St bike lanes. Smart Scale grant funds for Granby St Bridge to Admiral Taussig will be available 2021, and TAP grant funds for Bayview to Ocean View Ave in 2020 o Willow Wood bike lanes are on hold due to civic league concerns with losing left turn lanes- a neighborhood subcommittee is working on proposals for possible testing late spring 2018 (after school year) o Thelma requests help from commission talking to civic leagues in support of bike lanes. Especially for upcoming Granby St lanes o East Ocean View Ave bike lanes from 19th Bay to Capeview will start in 2018
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for September 7, 2017
Commission Present: Matt Paddock, Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Stewart Strothers, Steven Johnson, Marc Hoecker
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Susan Pollock, Ben Kane, Jeff Raliski, Officer Whitley
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o July minutes approved
II. ODU Bike Representative Update o ODU is continuing to explore grant funding for various projects including Zagster bike share, new bike racks, and bike garages near high bike use dorms o Waiting on final approval to launch Project/Garage 529 online and mobile bike registration system, splitting cost with the Student Rec Center o Starting a safety campaign for all modes of transportation modeled after Virginia Tech’s “Heads Up Hokies” campaign. There is no name yet as it is in very early stages
III. Bike Share Update o Currently have 3 committed sponsors, SL Nausbaum, DNC, and HRT Traffix. Looking for several more o First 3 stations would be a Wells Fargo building, MacArthur Square, and by HRT Ferry at Waterside o Paul notes that several businesses have expressed interest, but are tentative due to budget or waiting to see success of bike share first o Looking to roll out in October. Matt voices concern of rolling out too close to winter where ridership will be perceived as low. Staff wants to roll out sooner than spring to not lose sponsors o Matt suggests asking condo/apartment developers to add bike share as an amenity and funding could be included into rent costs
IV. Legislative Priorities o Last year’s sucessful legislation priority was the VDOT maintenance funding bill where cities are not penalized for converting road miles into bike lanes. Cities are allowed to convert up to 50 miles without losing maintenance funds. o Priorities this year include the following • SB1339 - Traffic Infraction with a penalty of not more than a $250 fine “for a motor vehicle to travel in a bicycle lane to pass or attempt to pass another vehicle” • HB2381 – Amends the dangerous dog bill to include injury from a bike fall due to a dog running into you as an attack • HB1834 – Distracted Driving bill to ban handheld devices while driving • SB1223 - Riding bike while intoxicated bill
• HB1663 - Vulnerable Road User which protects rider’s rights in case of accident with vehicles o Commission asked to come up with recommendations on which bills to support o Paul will send list of bills to commission for official recommendations o Thelma notes that the numbers and names of the bills are subject to change
V. Safe Routes to School Update o The job posting will close to applicants this week. Interviews to start soon o Position is under Norfolk Public Schools and part of the PE program o Position is funded by grant money. This year’s grant included a 20% match which was mostly in- kind donations o Program teaches bike/ped safety through activities in PE classes, rodeos and events
VI. Strategic Plan Projects / Grant Updates o Robin Hood Road resurfacing currently underway from Chesapeake Blvd to Sewells Point Rd. Sewells Pt to Almeada on hold until next year due to construction on Military Hwy continuous flow intersection (CFI) o Crossing at Military and Robin Hood not included in scope of CFI project. Staff can start looking at options to cross after CFI project is complete o There will be 8 ft sidewalks near the CFI project along Military Hwy o Lafayette Blvd bike lanes near completion. Good feedback on bike lanes from commission o Liz asks if there will be funds for pedestrian improvements along Tidewater Dr. Suggests using bike/ped counters to ID hotspots o Willow Wood Dr bike lanes on hold until resolution made with residents o Granby St/I-564 underpass study being done by Baker Engineering. Estimates for improvements are around $4mil. Looking to apply for VDOT Smart Scale grant for funding o Toole Design Group will be in town next week for field work and to discuss progress on bike wayfinding plan. o VDOT awarded $1.5mil for pedestrian crossing signal upgrades. Most of these upgrades will start in the downtown area
VII. General Issues / Public Comments o ERT Foundation working on rolling out new wayfinding for entire trail o Markus asks for any volunteers to lead cruise ship tourists on bike tours of the city. Several ships coming in the next couple months
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for October 5, 2017
Commission Present: Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Stewart Strothers, Marc Hoecker Marc Hoecker
Staff present: Paul Forehand, Paul Filion, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Ben Kane, Jeff Raliski
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o September minutes approved
II. Election of New Commission Chair o Renee Losapio has relocated and resigned as chair o Current commissioners will discuss and make a decision by next meeting o Several other commission positions are available and need filled
III. Safe Routes to School o New Coordinator hired but not yet started. Paul will invite new person to next BPTC meeting
IV. Bike Share Update o Currently have 3 committed sponsors, SL Nausbaum, DNC, and HRT Traffix. Looking for several more o Working on agreements between procurement and Zagster, and agreement for station locations o Bikes/Racks for first 3 stations should ship soon o Hoping to have more sponsors after new year
V. FY18 Street Resurfacing Plan & Bike Plan o John Stevenson discusses each section of roads being resurfaced and the possibility of including bike infrastructure. The following segments could have infrastructure • Campostella Rd from Wilson to city limits – wider lane (no bike signs) • Ballentine from VB Blvd to Lafayette Ave – possible sharrows • E Ocean View from 19th to Capeview – Road diet from 4 lanes to 2 with bike lanes • Granby from Brambleton to 23rd – sharrows • Widening of some streets in Park Place o Markus requests finishing bike connection on Llewelyn from 35th to 38th
VI. Staff Projects Update o Working with Toole Design Group to create bike wayfinding signage. Toole reps came down for bike tour to mark locations of signs. Working to pick final design o Relocated 2 bike counters. One now on Lafayatte Blvd bike lanes and one near Plum Point Park on the ERT. o ERT Foundation/City received grant for 82k to build kayak launch at Plum Point Park. It is being designed now o The second annual Rustbucket Cyclocross races will be held in December at the Hanson site
VII. Social Cycling Group o Dane Gomez from Social Cycling Group explains the group and the weekly rides they put on o The rides have had good attendance and are growing. The rides typically utilize the ERT and bike infrastructure facilities o Dane would like to help get more businesses registered as League of American Bicyclist Bike Friendly and has met with MacArthur Mall staff to improve bike parking / bike commuting initiatives o Dane is LAB certified and can help lead rides or help with instruction. Can help Safe Routes at rodeos
VIII. General Issues / Public Comments o No public comments
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for November 2, 2017
Commission Present: Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Stewart Strothers, Marc Hoecker, Greg Reck, Mark Furlo
Staff present: Paul Forehand, John Stevenson, Thelma Drake, Ben Kane, Jeff Raliski, Theresa Pusateri (Safe Routes)
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o October minutes approved
II. New Member Introductions o Two new commissioners are introduced o Mark Furlo – works for City of Portsmouth, recreational rider and avid runner , uses ERT and is interested in pedestrian projects o Greg Reck – retired, serves on DNC complete streets committee, helped get sharrows on Granby St. Would like to see more walkable/bikeable downtown
III. Election of New Commission Chair o Steven Johnson stated in past his schedule is too busy to be full time Chair o Marc offers but also states he schedule may interfere o Group nominates Marc Hoecker for Commission Chair and Marc accepts
IV. Proposed Bike/Ped Survey o Paul Filion shares City of Suffolk’s survey to residents about biking , would like to use their template as a model for a Norfolk survey o Goal is to help get a baseline of data of number of cyclists in the City of Norfolk o Survey will help justify existing bike lanes and future projects o Survey will have less questions than the Suffolk draft and have room for comments o Will be hosted on the City webpage
V. VDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Advocate Committee Meeting Briefing o Highlight of meeting was study from ODU that analyzed the benefits of adding cycling facilities o Study showed data on health benefits for cities o Norfolk ranked highest in the region for bikeability o VDOT released statewide ESRI map of all bike lanes o Virginia Beach is working on a feasibility study for the former light rail corridor; study will show three options ranging from easiest to hardest to achieve o VDOT has been requested to update their previous feasibility study on the Elizabeth River Trail connections to Virginia Beach’s corridor
VI. Bike Registration o Staff wants to put registration info on the webpage
o NPD rep stated that registration is not required. Registration helps if bike was stolen and recovered o Unclarity if citizens can register at any precinct or only Military Hwy precinct o When City collects abandoned bikes they look for registration numbers o Scott Silsdorf from ODU Transportation notes they use a free online tool called Garage Project 529 for students to register bikes online o Commission suggest NPD use the same service
VII. Safe Routes to School Coordinator Intro o Theresa Pusateri introduced as new Safe Routes to School Coordinator o She was formally the ODU Women’s basketball director of operations o Learning what Patti was working on and planning this year’s programming o For next round of grant funding, matching funds will be needed o In-kind donations can count as matching funds which includes volunteer hours for events and planning and staff time
VIII. Staff Projects o ERT construction nearing completion at Jeff Robertson Park, path for bridge across 25th street creek by Bold Mariner has been cleared o Ocean View – preparing presentation to civic league about the lanes Cape View to 19th Bay o Bike Share – Meeting at Smartmouth with potential sponsors . Currently have 4 sponsors and looking for a spring roll-out
IX. General Issues / Public Comments o No public comments
BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN TRAILS COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes for December 7, 2017
Commission Present: Markus Wegener, Liz Schleeper, Matt Paddock, Marc Hoecker, Greg Reck, Steven Johnson
Staff present: Paul Filion, Paul Forehand, John Stevenson, Ben Kane, Jeff Raliski
Guest speakers: Scott Silsdorf (ODU), Megan Gribble (ODU), Jonathan Nye (EcoCycling)
I. Agenda Overview, Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting o November minutes approved with one comment
II. Bike Share Update o Zagster still working with the City Attorney’s office on procurement contract, and an agreement for use of public land for the docking stations o Zagster has changed its model and is now using a dockless system where bikes can be locked anywhere o Instead of the initial few stations, Zagster has agreed to supply 100 bikes with 15 docking stations for a roll out in April o Goal is to have more bikes to attract new sponsors o Portsmouth has reached out to be a potential partner o Zagster will be liable if bikes are stolen or vandalized o Commission will be involved with feedback of locations of racks o Matt suggests Harbour Group as potential sponsor to offer bike share as an amenity to their property
III. Bike Registration o Paul suggest forming a committee to look at different options for bike registration o Current model is only specific to Norfolk, new online version Garage 529 would register nationwide (website link - https://project529.com/garage) o ODU is looking into using the Garage 529 in the spring. It is a web based app that also allows photos to be uploaded. o Norfolk’s system only uses registration numbers which can be scratched off if stolen o If a bike is stolen and registered with 529, other apps can be notified to crowd source o Link to registration site and NPD system can be put on the City bike page o Commission suggests advertising 529 and see what happens. If successful NPD could possibly use it moving forward for their registration
IV. Staff Project Update o Elizabeth River Trail phase 4C/5 is nearing completion. The section from Jeff Robertson Park through the Hampton Blvd underpass is almost complete. Bridge section by Bold Mariner should be complete by early February o The first phase of the Robin Hood Rd bike lane project is complete. Next phase will occur when the work on Military Hwy is complete
o Staff is attending E Ocean View civic league meeting to discuss the new bike lanes going in on Ocean View from Capeview to 19th Bay st. Project will be a road diet from 4 lanes to 2 with 2 bike lanes and center turning lane o Transportation staff has requested FY19 CIP funds to finish bike lanes on the remainder of Ocean View Rd
V. Upcoming Bike Events o Staff looking into best options for a calendar of all bike events at one central location such as the City bike page or Bike Norfolk website o Rustbucket Cyclocross races take place on December 16th at the Hanson site. Last year had about 100 people o Bike Norfolk is hosting a trail cleanup day on the existing trails at Northside Park on Dec 9th o Elizabeth River Trail foundation hosted a managed meadow wildflower and tree planting along the ERT in Chelsea o Social Cycling NFK has been hosting several group rides with various themes and continue to grow o The Tour De ORF from Smartmouth Brewing group ride is on the first Sunday of each month and has been increasing in riders each time o City Staff looking into organizing an Open Streets event in the Fall which would close a major road to traffic such as Granby Street for the day.
VI. General Issues / Public Comments o Jon Nye asks staff to look into putting a bike box at the Olney/Duke intersection o Jon also requests staff to put an online interactive version of the bike infrastructure map on the city page