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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-05-09 TAC MINUTES• • • City of Englewood, Colorado ENGLEWOOD TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Minutes of May 9, 2002 The regular meeting of the Englewood Transportation Advisory Committee was called to order by Chairperson Anderson at 7:08 p.m. in the City of Englewood Community Room. Members Present: David Anderson Joe Christie Gary Dounay Betty Goosman Barbara Hodge Cinda Losee (Alternate Member) A quorum was present. Members Absent: Ken Ross, ex officio Also Present: Ladd Vostry, Traffic Engineer Linda Wilks, Recording Secretary There were no visitors in attendance. Chairperson Anderson asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes of April 11, 2002. There being none, a motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes as presented. Motion passed . Under Old Business, Traffic Engineer Vostry discussed comments that were received from the Planning and Zoning Commission at their meeting of May ih, regarding the draft 2001 Englewood Transportation Study . Mr. Vostry advised that, in part, the Planning and Zoning Commission presented several items for consideration: •provide improved pedestrian crossings on both major and minor arterials; •provide a solution for neighborhood separations, or barriers, for both pedestrians and motorists which are perceived to be created by the major arterials, i.e., Broadway, Santa Fe Drive, Hampden Ave.; •include problem solutions in not only the Transportation Action Plan, but in the Comprehensive Plan, as well. The Planning and Zoning Commission also discussed the need for traffic calming as well as enforcement, parking for light rail users, and traffic patterns. Mr. Vostry noted that Carter and Burgess will provide a compilation of the comments received from the Planning and Zoning Commission. Mr. Vostry noted that the Planning and Zoning Comm iss ion will most likely be involved in developing the Transportation Action Plan. Director Ross is scheduled to update City Council on the Trunsportation Study at the May 20th Study Session. Committee Member Dounay elaborated on his suggestions presented at the April ETAC meeting pertaining to guidelines for creating the Transportation Action Plan. Copies of a summary of those suggestions were distributed to Committee members. Mr. Dounay stated that these items merely came to mind while reading through the Study and as he talked with citizens, and he offers them only as a point of discussion to begin dialogue for creating the Action Plan: 1. Should be acceptable to culture of our community. Referring to comments received from citizens, Mr. Dounay believes the citizens want to preserve Englewood as a small town, and transportation should fit that image. 2. Should not exacerbate current traffic problems. Placement of traffic calming should not move traffic problems from one location to another. 3. Should not increase risks to people traveling in any mode or manner. Self explanatory. 4. Should not increase response times for emergency vehicles. Citizens of Englewood will be called upon to determine if traffic calming devices are worth increasing emergency response time. 5. Should be a cost-effective solution for the problem 1t is intended to solve. Self explanatory. 6. Should not deprive any residents or businesses of their current parking cond!tions or other current uses of their property. Community feedback is essential prior to placement of traffic control devices. Brief discussion ensued regarding surveys that were distributed at the public meetings. Mr. Vostry indicated that minimal response was received on those surveys. 7. Should be based on sol!d factual and objective data/ incluc/Jng costs of t/Je proposed plan and schedules for plan implementation. Self explanatory. 8. Should provide options for solutions of t/Je perceived problems. Self explanatory. 9. Should include a ''trigger// for implementing traffic calming measures. Criteria required for implementation. 10. Perceived problems should be tied to options for solutions of the problems so t/Jat Oty Council will have sufficient information to make informed decisions. Referring to comments received from citizens, Mr. Dounay noted that perceived problems on Broadway have not been adequately discussed in the Study . Mr. Vestry noted, likewise, that a number of citizen comments state they do not want Broadway traffic diverted into their neighborhoods. Chairperson Anderson distributed copies of, and discussed, information received from Director Ross regarding development of the Transportation Action Plan. Mr. Anderson stated that, without Director Ross' guidance this evening, he surmises ETAC's role in development of the Action Plan will entail coming to a consensus and prioritization of the items that are defined in the Study that are of a pressing nature. Traffic Engineer Vestry explained that the Action Plan will provide City Council with possible solutions to transportation issues that have been identified by citizens, committees, staff and City Council. Projects submitted, annually, by all City departments are prioritized by the City Manager's office and submitted to City Council for either funding approval or, in some cases, postponement. In response to Committee Member Dounay's inquiry, Mr. Vestry stated that, in order to resolve many traffic enforcement issues, communication efforts take place through several channels, i.e., Neighborhood Watch, Police Department staff, and Public Works staff. Mr. Anderson suggested that, as representatives of the citizens of Englewood, ETAC may want to draft a recommendation to enforcement personnel pertaining to matters relating to information gathered from the community. ETAC members concurred. Committee Member Hodge made a motion, seconded by Committee Member Christie, to table further discussion regarding the Transportation Action Plan until the June ETAC meeting. Motion passed unanimously. Under New Business, Alternate Member Losee expressed concern for the low citizen participation at ETAC meetings. Discussion ensued. Chairperson Anderson discussed forming a sub-committee to focus on various avenues for making the public aware of ETAC meetings and activities. Several suggestions were made as means to publicize ETAC functions: 1) ETAC representatives could attend the June Tent Talk meeting, 2) attend Nancy Peterson's Neighborhood Watch Block Captain meetings, 3) approach businesses along Broadway to display notices in their windows, 4) request Tom Munds, reporter for the Englewood Herald, to publish an article along with an opinion poll, and perhaps some photographs, 5) post meeting notification signs in affected neighborhoods. Committee Member Christie opined that citizens are not going 2 • • • to attend meetings unless there are specific traffic issues that will affect their specific neighborhoods, i.e., • Cushing Park neighborhood parking conditions, General Iron Works site development, etc. • • Chairperson Anderson made a motion , seconded by Committee Member Dounay, to create a sub- committee consisting of three ETAC members to focus on community outreach. Motion passed unanimously. Committee Members Hodge, Losee, Chr istie and Anderson agreed to serve on the sub -committee . Mr. Anderson noted that the sub-committee will meet probably one time per month, separately from ETAC meetings , and will follow the "open meeting" laws, i.e., post an agenda, meet in public location, take written m inutes. Committee Member Hodge suggested inviting Tom Munds to attend an ETAC meeting to discuss options fo r in form ing t he commun ity of ETAC's activity. Brief discuss ion ensued. Ms. Hodge agreed to contact Mr . Munds inviting him to attend an ETAC or sub-committee meeting. Alternate Member Losee exited the meeting at 8:30 p.m . Under Director's Choice, Traffic Engineer Vostry, filling in for Director Ross, reported the School Safety Comm ittee approved an all-way stop at the intersection of Lincoln St. and Kenyon Ave. as requested by Flood Middle School, which is conducive with other all-way stops installed adjacent to other Englewood schools. The signage near Flood Middle School has been installed. Mr . Vostry noted that the School Safety Committee held its last meeting for this school year, and w ill reconvene in the fall. With regard to an update on the General Iron Works site development, Mr. Vestry advised that City Counc il adopted, on first reading , a statement of the City's commitment to RTD's construction of a light rail station at Bates Ave. with a trans it oriented development (TOD) to follow. Mr. Vostry noted that the project is currently in the negotiation phase . Committee Member Hodge presented a petition she circulated on the 3200 block of South Galapago St. co ncerning light rail users' overflow parking in neighborhoods adjacent to the light rail station at CityCenter. The resulting permit parking re st r iction w ill be effective from 6:00 a.m. to 6 :00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ms. Hodge expressed the neighborhood's apprec iation for the City's efforts to alleviate this critical neighborhood park ing situation. Ms. Hodge noted she does not know the status of the petition being circulated on Huron St. Traffic Engineer Vostry noted that the residents from this restricted parking neighborhood will be required to pick up their parking permits at Civic Center. Traffic Engineer Vostry advised that the new pedestrian countdown signals have been installed at the intersections of Broadway and Kenyon Ave. and Broadway and Chenango Ave. These new signals will alert pedestrians of the time remaining to cross Broadway before opposing traffic has the green light. Mr. Vostry stated that parent and student response has been favorable . Additionally, Mr. Vostry reported that, at City Council's request, staff has replaced some of the median signs displayed between Yale Ave . and Hwy. 285 to improve sign vis ibility. Committee Member Dounay inquired about the possibility of painting the noses of medians on Broadway north of Hwy. 285 to improve median visibility, to which Mr. Vostry advised that, for the time being, City Council requested the median curbs alo ng th is stretch of Broadway remain unpainted . It was noted that the curb noses south of Hwy. 285 , however, will be painted yellow for better visib ility as are the medians along Hwy. 285. 3 Under Chair's Choice, Chairperson Anderson reported that this week has been proclaimed as "Public Service Recognition Week", and thanked ETAC members for actively taking part in this public service committee. Chairperson Anderson inquired about the schedule for street restriping where striping has faded. Mr. Vostry advised that restriping is scheduled to take place in late Spring following the micro-surfacing application. Also, Mr. Vostry stated that COOT has agreed to contribute toward the cost of restriping some of the crosswalks on the state highways in Englewood. Committee Member Dounay inquired about a large dumpster that has been dropped on a residential street in his neighborhood, stating it appears to have been placed for a long period of time without consideration for resulting traffic or health hazards. Traffic Engineer Vostry advised that these containers are primarily used at construction or remodel sites for the duration of the specific project. Permits should be, but are not always , obtained for these containers to be parked on the public right-of-way. When permits are issued, instruction is given to locate the container where proper sight distance can be maintained for motorists. However, when a permit is not obtained, the Traffic office is not always aware that a dumpster has been placed in the right-of-way. Frequently, the Police Department will notify the Traffic office, at which time staff can follow up for a permit and possible relocation of the dumpster. Mr. Vestry noted that the City prefers they be placed in a driveway or on the property when possible rather than the right-of-way. Mr. Vestry indicated he will check the specific dumpster that has been placed in Mr . Dounay's neighborhood. • With regard to the restricted parking signs that will be placed on Galapago St., Committee Member • Hodge inquired where these signs are normally located. Mr. Vestry stated that the likely location is usually between properties. Referring to the port of entry information contained in Committee 's packets, Committee Member Hodge asked if that project was approved by City Council as it was presented. Mr. Vestry stated he is uncertain of the outcome of Council's discussion regarding this project. Brief discussion ensued. The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 p.m. Linda 'wilks, Recording Secretary J . . ,~, /~, /j /;/),//) 4 •