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2 - Minutes, 11/10/03 CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING SUMMARY FORM NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: Transportation Advisory Board DATE OF MEETING: Nov. 10, 2003 NAME/TELEPHONE OF PERSON PREPARING SUMMARY: Robin Madel, 303-441-4073 NAMES OF MEMBERS, COUNCIL, STAFF AND INVITED GUESTS PRESENT: BOARD MEMBERS –TAB: John Tayer, Jim Rettew, Brant Liebmann, Krista Holland, Bill Roettker STAFF – Mike Sweeney, Bill Cowern, Teresa Spears, and Robin Madel, secretary WHAT TYPE OF MEETING [REGULAR] Agenda Item 1 – Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. Agenda Item 2 – Meeting Minutes from Sept. 8, 2003. Krista Holland asked to have a portion of the last meeting minutes expanded upon. The minutes were approved as amended. Krista Holland motioned to approve the minutes as written. Brant Liebmann seconded the motion. The vote was 5-0 in favor of the motion. Agenda Item 3 – General Citizen Participation Premena, P.O. Box 1038, Boulder, 80306-1038, spoke about signage on the bike paths. He said he first brought up the topic at a TAB meeting about two years ago and has brought it up at subsequent meetings. He has asked the city to create a sign criterion because no specific protocol exists. The protocol was supposed to be ready at least a year ago. Premena supplied an example where bike path signs have been installed inconsistently and in a misleading way. His main concern is why signs aren’t installed in certain locations and what our criteria are for installing signs. He would like to be able to look at the criteria that the city is supposed to create. Alan Streater, 2830 Dover Dr., Boulder, gave an update on the American’s with Disabilities situation as it relates to the installation of driveway ramps and corner ramps in the city. Streater said that several months after the agreement was made between the staff and the TAB, staff was still installing driveway ramps. After numerous calls on his part, Streater said that the staff told him they had misinterpreted the agreement with the TAB. They stopped installing the driveway ramps. With regard to the corner ramps, there were two preferences that were discussed and so far the staff has not installed any that meet the first preference. The second preference is not as good for wheelchairs and the TAB should revisit the issue. Streater said the TAB should ask the staff what the agreement was. Also, people can still build a driveway with curb ramps if they pay for it themselves. This policy should also be revisited. The staff has been reluctant to change. According to Streater this is probably due to bureaucratic lethargy and the agreement should be clearly spelled out. Streater also encouraged the TAB to think about RTD’s extortion of the city over the community bus network issue. Bill Cowern gave the Board a summary of the city’s on-going programs for signing bike paths. Cowern said that the city does not have a comprehensive policy for all bike signing. John Tayer suggested doing a press release to announce the city’s bike signing program. Krista Holland said that several types of signs are not represented by the summary on the handout that Cowern distributed. Holland said she is mainly concerned about safety-related sign issues and she is also interested in getting signs placed where on-street paths end. Mike Sweeney said that the staff has been conferring with the disabled community to gain input on the sidewalk ramp issues. Sweeney said that national standards do exist and the city is compliant with those standards but the sidewalks will be more or less traversable depending on a person’s disability. Sweeney said the issue requires balancing the needs of different user groups. Sweeney said that the policy that allows private owners to build driveway ramps in sidewalks is currently being reviewed and the staff will have more details about that in the spring. General Citizen Participation was closed. Transportation Advisory Board Summary Minutes Nov. 10, 2003 1 Page Agenda Item 4 – Staff briefing on the NTMP education program. Teresa Spears reviewed the goals of the NTMP program in light of the budget reductions. The TAB chose a program of enhanced education and attempted to determine if any “low hanging fruit” exist that can be used until the program budget is restored. Spears presented a hand-out that outlined the educational component of the program and defined low hanging fruit. Spears discussed the information that is sent to neighborhoods that complain about speeding problems. Spears also discussed speed display devices that staff has available for either temporary or permanent displays and radar guns that can be checked out by residents. The program includes warning letters sent to speeders and written on Police Department letter head. John Tayer said he thinks that the list of educational items shows a lot of creativity on the part of the staff to show what can be done without a lot of money. Krista Holland said she thinks the program is great because it gives the residents a chance to help and feel like they are doing something. Spears discussed the definition of low hanging fruit. She said that staff was unable to devise any new strategies and she recommended gaining closure on the term. She said she prefers referring to Steps 1-3 of the program. Jim Rettew said that he considers elements of the educational component to be low-hanging fruit. Bill Cowern discussed enhanced enforcement and Phase 2 of the program. If the staff determines that enhanced enforcement has not had an impact on an area, then the neighborhood moves on to the next phase of the program and something substantial is needed to impact traffic speeds. Spears added that the criterion for speeding problems differs between the NTMP and the police department. Rettew asked what the status is for completing an evaluation of the voting process within the NTMP. Spears said that the evaluation had slowed a bit but she is still working on it. Agenda Item 5 – Matters From Staff: Mike Sweeney discussed the US 36 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and an issues meeting to be held on Nov. 12, 2003. Sweeney gave a brief update about the EIS process and how the project meshes with the RTD Fastracks project. Sweeney said that while Fastracks includes the rail line planned from Boulder to Longmont, the US 36 EIS does not. Sweeney said that city staff would be involved through technical committees and through the mayors and commissions coalition. Mike Sweeney said that now that the TMP has been approved, the staff focus has turned to development of a work plan which will be presented to the TAB at an upcoming meeting. Matters From the Board: th John Tayer asked to have another TAB briefing about the 17 St. project before a final recommendation is brought to the board. Sweeney discussed the status of the project which has gone before the city manager for review and more information. Sweeney said that the TAB hearing date has been postponed. The main concern is the public perception that staff is unresponsive. Tayer also asked the staff to be as clear as possible in presenting the cost components of the project. Agenda Item 6 – Discussion of Future Meeting Agenda The next regular meeting will be on Dec. 8, 2003 and will include a discussion of the South Broadway safety issue and a potential discussion on the Transit Village. Brant Liebmann said that he would not be able to attend the December meeting. Agenda Item 7 – Adjournment Krista Holland motioned to adjourn the meeting. Jim Rettew seconded the motion. The vote was 5-0 in favor of the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 7:48 p.m. Date, Time, and Location of Next Meeting: Dec. 8, 2003, 6:00 p.m. Transportation Advisory Board regular meeting, Municipal Building Council Chambers. Minutes approved on ______________ By __________________ Transportation Advisory Board Summary Minutes Nov. 10, 2003 2 Page