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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/14/2025 - Regular Minutes - Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board MINUTES BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN, AND GREENWAYS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING April 14, 2025 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairperson Scott Shafer, Board Members Kathy Langlotz, Neo Jang, Joy Chmelar, Matthew Jackson and Thomas Woodfin. MEMBERS ABSENT: Carla Robinson STAFF PRESENT: Director of Planning & Development Services Anthony Armstrong, Assistant Director Molly Hitchcock, Long Range Planning Administrator Christine Leal, Principal Planner Heather Wade, Staff Planner Ashley Klein, Transportation Planning Administrator Jason Schubert, Senior Planner Jesse DiMeolo, Staff Planner Joe Allen, Director of Parks & Recreation Kelsey Heiden, Graduate Traffic Engineer II DeAnna Ordonez, and Staff Assistant II Grecia Fuentes AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Call to Order, introductions and consider absence requests. Chairperson Schafer called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Hear Visitors. There were no visitors who wished to speak. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Agenda Items. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.1: Consideration, discussion, and possible action to approve meeting minutes. Board Member Jang motioned to approve the meeting minutes from March, Board Member Woodfin seconded the motion, minutes were approved 6-0. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.2: Presentation, discussion, and possible action existing and proposed policies for the Active Transportation Master Plan. Senior Planner DiMeolo presented this item. Board Member Jang raised a concern about policy number 3 where it stated, “Pedestrian and bicycle facilities should be included on both sides of streets”. He stated that it could act more as a barrier than an improvement. He said that older neighborhoods do not have sidewalks, and the downside would be that the roads would become wider or have a wider right of way. Senior Planner DiMeolo clarified that this did not mean it would make the roads wider. He said it would possibly make the right of way wider, but a lot of those bike facilities such as bike routes did not require extra pavement for it. Chairperson Shafer said he did not mind the word “should” in policy number 3 because not many years ago there was demand for sidewalks. He said he wanted to try and get as many in there as possible. Board Member Jackson agreed with policy number 4 and mentioned how temporary sidewalks during construction work starts will move up the right of way and close it off, leaving cyclists no way to get back on the sidewalk. Chairperson Shafer suggested staff stay consistent on the wording throughout the new policies. He said there are some policies that say bike ped and others that mention active transportation. Senior Planner DiMeolo said staff would make sure it stated active transportation users all the way throughout and could shorten it to AT users. Board Member Langlotz said the tone of policy number 9 was different. She said the use of the words “better, improved, and more flexible,” made it seem like the policy goal had a moving target. Administrator Schubert said that this policy was different because all the other ones had to do with what the city was doing. He said that College Station was not a transit provider and did not have control over their service so is coordinating with them. Chairperson Shafer asked about the exclusion of policies number 8, 12 and 13 and how it seemed to be moving away from the greenways. Senior Planner DiMeolo said that the Parks & Recreation Department would be integrating greenways into their new Master Plan. Board Member Woodfin said that that about 15 years ago the Parks Department did not want greenways to be a part of them because they did not have the funding for it and then there was some legal issues on the differences in floodplain funding. Director Armstrong stated that there has been direction coming from Dr. Crompton to turn a lot of greenways into parkland. In the conversations with the Parks Department, greenways has been in limbo for several years. This Board was focusing more on the transportation component and the Parks Department was more focused on the land component it made more sense for greenways to be a part of them. We are still meeting to make a more formal transition for it. Robert Rose, former owner of Cycles Etc., commented on what residents are looking for. He said he liked how policy number 7 really captured safety and protected bike lanes. He said that another thing people are really looking for is shading along bike routes. He added that summer here average pretty high temperatures and he wanted to put that forward. Board Member Jackson commented that neighborhoods that have only one sidewalk on one side of the road should have a way to get on to the sidewalk at intersections. He said there is a section like this near Barron Road and Longmire Drive. Traffic Engineer Ordoñez stated that the Public Works Department had been working on a lot of updates as part of their maintenance program. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.3: Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding Board Members’ feedback to staff for inclusion in the 2025 Comprehensive Plan 5-Year Evaluation & Appraisal Report. Planning Administrator Chirstine Leal presented this item. Administrator Leal asked the Board for their participation in the 2025 Comprehensive Plan 5-year Evaluation questionnaire strictly for Boards and Commission. She told the Board that there was a public survey where they could share with friends and family. Chairperson Shafer stated that there are micromobility issues with space and separation hat need to be addressed. He asked the Board to make sure after signing their names toalso include the full name Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board before submitting their responses. Board Member Chmelar stated an interest in consideration of historical properties. Mr. Rose said that the number one component that the public always mentions is traffic congestion and there should be consideration of having light rail in the future. Administrator Leal shared the information for the website questionnaire for the Board and the link for the public survey. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.4: Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding National Bike Month and the 2025 Cycle with Council event scheduled for May 3, 2025. Administrator Schubert passed out the Cycle with Council flyers for the Board to distribute and spread the word about the event. Board Member Woodfin asked if there were any prizes like water bottles and bike helmets. Administrator Schubert said that the sponsors were pretty good about having stuff like snacks and water for the participants, but was not sure if they would bring other things to hand out this year. Board Member Jackson asked staff if Police were going to be able to help. Administrator Schubert confirmed and said that staff was able to get the Police Department to help at the crossings of William D. Fitch Parkway. Chairperson Shafer and Board Member Woodfin volunteered to put the signs out for the route and collect them once the event is done. Administrator Schubert announced that the next City Council meeting on April 24th at 6 p.m. was also going to include the Proclamation for National Bike Month. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.5: Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding the status of the future trail along the Gulf States utility corridor. Chairperson Shafer asked Administrator Schubert to add this item to the May meeting agenda to allow enough time for the Board to discuss it. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.6: Presentation and discussion regarding the following items related to biking, walking, and greenways. a) Public Meetings of Interest – City Council April 24th at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers b) Capital and Private Project Updates – No upcoming updates Board Member Woodfin gave an update to the Board and stated he attended a Bike Rodeo at Rock Prairie Elementary to teach about bike safety. He said he would like to learn how to sponsor a League Bike Instructor Class to increase the number of LCI’s and hopefully help level up our Bike Friendly Community Status. Board Member Jang mentioned the BCS Metropolitan Planning Organization had opened their call for projects for Category 9 bicycle/pedestrian project funding. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3.7: Presentation, discussion, and possible action regarding the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board calendar of upcoming meetings. a) May 3, 2025 ~ Cycle with Council Event at 8:00 a.m. starting at College Station High School Field House, 4002 Victoria Avenue b) May 12, 2025 ~ Bicycle, Pedestrian and Greenways Advisory Board Meeting at 3:30 p.m. in the Bush 4141 Community Room AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: Discussion and possible action on future agenda items. A Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Advisory Board Member may inquire about a subject for which notice has not been given. A statement of specific factual information or the recitation of existing policy may be given. Any deliberation shall be limited to a proposal to place the subject on an agenda for a subsequent meeting. There were no requests for future agenda meeting items. AGENDA ITEM NO. 5: Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 5:06 p.m. APPROVED: ATTEST: ____________________________ ____________________________ Scott Shafer, Chairperson Grecia Fuentes, Board Secretary