CITY OF BOISE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 3, 2014 WORK SESSION. City Hall - Council Chambers Final 4:00 PM 150 N CAPITOL BLVD BOISE, ID 83702

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1 CITY OF BOISE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 3, 2014 WORK SESSION City Hall - Council Chambers Final 4:00 PM 150 N CAPITOL BLVD BOISE, ID I. Call to Order PRESENT: Clegg, Eberle, Jordan, McLean, Quintana, Thomson, Bieter ABSENT: To re-order the agenda by placing item number 3 (36th Street/Hill Rd/Catalpa Roundabout, Review Design) prior to number 2 (Downtown Buffered Bike Lanes ) on the agenda as the recommendation to the ACHD Commission regarding the bike lanes will be available shortly and Council would like the opportunity to review prior to discussion. RESULT: MOVER: SECONDER: AYES: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] Maryanne Jordan, Council President David Eberle, Council Pro Tem Clegg, Eberle, Jordan, McLean, Quintana, Thomson II. Work Session Items 1. Interim Budget Changes (5 mins) Presenter: Brent Davis, Finance and Administration RESULT: MOVER: SECONDER: AYES: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] Maryanne Jordan, Council President David Eberle, Council Pro Tem Clegg, Eberle, Jordan, McLean, Quintana, Thomson 2. 36th Street / Hill Rd / Catalpa Roundabout, Review Design (20 mins) Presenter: Karen Gallagher, Planning and Development Services RESULT: DISCUSSED 3. Downtown Buffered Bike Lanes (20 mins) Presenter: Karen Gallagher, Planning and Development Services City of Boise Page 1

2 Minutes City Council June 3, 2014 RESULT: DISCUSSED 4. Executive Session: Personnel, Labor Negotiations, Land Acquisition, Records Exempt from Public Disclosure, Pending/Probable Litigation, I.C (1)(b)(c)(d)(f) RESULT: MOVER: SECONDER: AYES: MOVED INTO [UNANIMOUS] Maryanne Jordan, Council President David Eberle, Council Pro Tem Clegg, Eberle, Jordan, McLean, Quintana, Thomson Moved into the regular Work Session meeting. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned. RESULT: MOVER: SECONDER: AYES: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] Maryanne Jordan, Council President David Eberle, Council Pro Tem Clegg, Eberle, Jordan, McLean, Quintana, Thomson APPROVE: MAYOR ATTEST: CITY CLERK City of Boise Page 2

3 2.1.a City of Boise FY 2014 Interim Budget Changes June 3, 2014 Revenue Neutral Changes 1. Legal (General Fund) FTE increase: 0.6 FTE (base), $0 Legal requests approval of a total increase of 0.6 FTE to its authorized staffing level, to be funded internally. A part-time Attorney IV position is currently dedicated to serving Parks & Recreation, as well as doing real estate transactional work. The highly skilled incumbent will soon be leaving the City, so other staff members are now being trained to assume coverage of these two areas. Subsequently, an additional 0.5 FTE is needed to cover the criminal work they currently do. The new full-time position will be classified as an Attorney I. Another part-time position is dedicated to a specialty court for domestic violence cases, which requires a skilled and specialized prosecutor to achieve the current high level of case resolution. The incumbent needs an additional 4 hours per week to continue this accomplishment, which would constitute an increase of 0.1 FTE to the position. Informational Only 2. Mayor s Office (General Fund) FTE transfer to PDS: 1.0 FTE, $114,639 (base) A vacant 1.0 FTE position from the Mayor s Office has been transferred to PDS for the purpose of creating a new Strategic Real Estate Manager position. The source and destination Accounting Units are both in the General Fund, so this transfer has no net effect to the budget or approved FTE totals at the fund level, only at the department level. The Mayor s Office new FTE level is and PDS-GF is Attachment: IBC Final (2974 : FY 2014 Interim Budget Changes) David H. Bieter Mayor Page 1 Packet Pg. 3

4 2.2.a Date: May 30, 2014 To: From: Mayor and City Council Karen Gallagher Transportation Planner Re: 36 th St / Hill Rd / Catalpa Roundabout Review Design and Landscaping Requested Action Provide comments to ACHD on the landscaping and design for the proposed roundabout at 36 th Street /Hill Road / Catalpa. Design Considerations Green Stormwater Infrastructure with detached sidewalks Attached sidewalk request from School District at Hillside Junior High Single lane with conversion to dual lanes Rapid Flashing Beacon Pedestrian Signals at each crossing Landscaping Considerations Large size of center island (18,000 s.f.) ACHD s default plan is large boulders and rocks Opportunity to enhance community identity with landscaping and railing 36 th Street Garden Center HOA, possible partner Provide direction on if the Council supports landscaping the center island, and, if so, what type/intensity of landscaping. Based on that direction, Parks and Recreation can create a plan and estimate the costs to install and maintain. ACHD plans to hold another Public Information Meeting on June 26 th. Potentially this information could be shared at the public meeting. Attachments Concept Plan Single Lane Pedestrian and Bus Circulation Traffic Considerations Concept Plan Dual Lane Example of ACHD s Landscape Plan Attachment: Binder Jun3 RAB concept (2981 : 36th Street / Hill Rd Roundabout) Packet Pg. 4

5 2.2.a Single-Lane Roundabout Attachment: Binder Jun3 RAB concept (2981 : 36th Street / Hill Rd Roundabout) 36 TH STREET HILL ROAD CATALPA DRIVE INTERSECTION ROUNDABOUT 4/24/14 Packet Pg. 5

6 2.2.a School Circulation Parent Pick Up/Drop Off Bus Pick Up/Drop Off Attachment: Binder Jun3 RAB concept (2981 : 36th Street / Hill Rd Roundabout) Bus Circulation Parent/Vehicle Circulation Pedestrian Circulation *Note: Pedestrian guidance features will be used to route pedestrians to appropriate crossing locations. (See pedestrian treatment board) 36 TH STREET HILL ROAD CATALPA DRIVE INTERSECTION ROUNDABOUT Committed to Service 4/24/14 Packet Pg. 6

7 2.2.a Traffic Considerations Today Near Term (0-15 Years) Long Term (15-20 Years) Total: 1,315 Total: 1,730 Total: 2, Total Intersection Volume (Peak Hour) High Growth Scenario Construction Year ** Multilane Roundabout Estimated Lifespan Single-Lane Roundabout Estimated Lifespan* Attachment: Binder Jun3 RAB concept (2981 : 36th Street / Hill Rd Roundabout) 1, Maximum Length of 125 Traffic Backup (Peak Hour) *Timeframe for conversion to multilane roundabout depends on construction of N 36th extension and rate of general growth **Note: Model shows heavier volume on Catalpa Dr. due to increased congestion on parallel routes. 36 TH STREET HILL ROAD CATALPA DRIVE INTERSECTION ROUNDABOUT Committed to Service 4/24/14 Packet Pg. 7

8 2.2.a Multilane Roundabout Attachment: Binder Jun3 RAB concept (2981 : 36th Street / Hill Rd Roundabout) 36 TH STREET HILL ROAD CATALPA DRIVE INTERSECTION ROUNDABOUT 4/24/14 Packet Pg. 8

9 2.2.a Attachment: Binder Jun3 RAB concept (2981 : 36th Street / Hill Rd Roundabout) Packet Pg. 9

10 Date: May 30, 2014 To: Mayor and City Council From: Re: Karen Gallagher Transportation Planner Buffered Bike Lanes Downtown Requested Action Provide comments to ACHD on buffered bike lane trial on Capitol Boulevard, Idaho Street, and Main Street. This item is on the June 4 th ACHD Commission agenda. Overview Council discussed the buffered bike lanes at a work session two weeks ago, followed by a letter to the ACHD Commission. This is a follow up work session to cover new information. Attached is Director Wong s presentation to the ACHD Commission from May 21 st and data from ACHD. ACHD has tracked bicycle and vehicular data before and throughout the month of May. The bike counts are up with the buffered bike lanes, bicycle behavior/compliance has improved, and overall vehicular travel time has not changed. There not been any crashes reported that are attributable to the trial. There has been a large amount of public feedback, the majority from the motoring public, and a significant amount from the bicycling community. We recognize that change is difficult and the need for more education. The buffered bike lanes bring a multitude of benefits, including: - Improved Walkability - Safety - Economic Development (including attracting mobile employees who can live where they choose and choose bike friendly environments) - Quality of Life - Mode Choice for a wider range of people - Health - Air Quality Recommendation Have a Council Member attend ACHD s meeting to state Boise s support for the buffered bike lanes with refinements. Attachments ACHD PowerPoint, May 21, 2014 ACHD Data Boise City Letter to ACHD, May 21, 2014 Packet Pg. 10

11 21 May 2014 Boise Pilot Project Briefing Bruce Wong, Director Our Mission: We Drive Quality Transportation for all Ada County - Anytime, Anywhere! Packet Pg. 11 1

12 The Why Boise s CCDC hired planner Jeff Speck to recommend pedestrian/bicycle changes to Boise; his report was late for the ACHD FY14 planning cycle, but some of his changes were budgeted nonetheless. ACHD is hosting this pilot project to evaluate other potential changes recommended by the study Boise sponsored. The study recommended permanently converting travel lanes to bike lanes in the downtown core The What operationally replicate the concept (fly before you buy) through May 2014 The How -- In addition to public comments received, ACHD will consider how well the new road configuration works. ACHD will be observing and measuring aspects such as utilization of the bike lanes and peak hour travel times along the affected corridors. We will compare these observations and measurements against baseline data taken before the project. Packet Pg. 12 2

13 Stakeholders Boise Downtown Business Association Boise City Police / Fire Departments Boise City Leadership / Staff Boise City Chamber of Commerce VRT ACHD ACHD Bicycle Advisory Committee Ada County Leadership Packet Pg. 13 3

14 Packet Pg. 14 4

15 Vehicle count methodology Capitol south and north of the river, north of Front Main east of 16 th, east of 13 th, east of 9 th, west of 5 th, west of Broadway Idaho west of Broadway, east of 5 th, east of 9 th, east of 13 th, east of 15 th Bike count methodology Capitol and River, Capitol and Main, Capitol and Idaho Main and 3 rd, 5 th, 9 th, 13 th, 16 th, and Broadway/Ave B and Warm Springs Idaho and 3 rd, 5 th, 8 th, 9 th, 13 th, 16 th Packet Pg. 15 5

16 Base Daily Bike Count Pilot Daily Bike Count Capital In Street On Sidewalk In street On Sidewalk AM (79) (139) PM (210) (285) Main AM (72) (177) PM (169) (304) Idaho AM (45) (148) PM (146) (412) AM 7 9 AM PM 4 6 PM Packet Pg. 16 6

17 Capital Main Idaho Base Daily Vehicle Count AM PM AM PM AM PM Pilot Daily Vehicle Count AM 7 9 AM PM 4 6 PM Packet Pg. 17 7

18 ACHD 2014 Public Open House 600 attendees 2/3 rd support As of 21 May 8756 survey responses -- 55% No / 45% Yes 650+ TELLUS 70% against 30% for Common customer themes Increased congestion Bike registration fees (bikes are getting a free ride) Bikes not following the rules of the road Attitude both sides see each other as wrong and arrogant Drivers hate the lanes for the most part cyclists like / tolerate the lanes Parking Loading zone challenges Bikes NOT USING the dedicated bike lanes Buffered bike lanes not safe visibility Main and Idaho buffered lanes appear redundant already have bike lanes The bike lanes are not attractive Packet Pg. 18 8

19 Initial Observations / Lessons Learned: Downtown Business Association OK at this point Reexamine parking / loading zones Of the 20 business surveyed, 12 say they are losing customers Increasing bike traffic -- average vehicle to bike project traffic usage 97.5% / 2.5% Small number of bikes using this for commuting, appears more are using this for recreational growing number after 7 PM Bikes are slowly moving off the sidewalks except on Idaho No huge spike in congestion in the morning / evening peak times White candlesticks are working to delineate bike lanes but not working as well to mark parking, driveways, and transition areas Packet Pg. 19 9

20 Initial Observations / Lessons Learned: Parking concerns on Main between 4 th and 5 th Informally, we have not noticed a decrease in vehicle speeds and are checking with Boise PD Bike boxes if the Commission decides to permanently implement buffered bike lanes, we will need to move select bike boxes further back from intersections No turn on red is largely being unheeded or unobserved by drivers If made permanent, Parade routes will have to be redone Packet Pg

21 Long Range: Need to answer the question what long term problem are we trying to solve and does the demonstration project do just that? Need to answer the question why protected bike lanes, why not just enhanced (traditional) bike lanes on the road way? ROI for the taxpayer May need to consider sacrificing parking verses sacrificing travel lanes for permanent bike lanes Winter Maintenance Although the City is the lead on accessible downtown parking, if the Commission decides to move forward with buffered bike lanes, accessible parking space locations must be a focus item Need to consider / assess growth projections for years regarding implementation, congestion, etc. ROI for the taxpayer --- COST SHARE? Need to keep our powder dry we are learning more every day Packet Pg

22 Recommendation continue as advertised Decision point 4 June (Conclusions / Recommendations) Potential to extend through August 2014 on Capitol (Capitol overlay project begins in Sept 2014) Potential to extent on Idaho No potential to extend on Main west of Capitol Gardner Project Packet Pg

23 If you think about it, our 436,000 customers only need two things from ACHD: Someone they can trust Someone they can count on Our Mission: We Drive Quality Transportation for all Ada County-Anytime, Anywhere! Packet Pg

24 Downtown Buffered Bike Lane - Bicycle Usage Counts 03rd & Idaho 03rd & Main 05th & Idaho 05th & Main 08th & Idaho 09th & Main 09th & Idaho 13th & Idaho 13th & Main 16th & Idaho 16th & Main Broadway/Ave B & Warm Springs Capitol & Idaho Capitol & Main Capitol & River 4/25/14 (Before BBL) AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM Using Street (BBL) direction of traffic flow Using Street (BBL) against traffic flow Using Sidewalk (BBL) direction of traffic flow Using Sidewalk (BBL) against traffic flow Total Bikes (possible BBL usage) Total Bikes (All Directions) Vehicular Volume Ratio Week of 5/5/14 Using Bike Ln (BBL) direction of traffic flow Using Bike Ln (BBL) against traffic flow Using Sidewalk (BBL) direction of traffic flow Using Sidewalk (BBL) against traffic flow Total Bikes (possible BBL usage) Total Bikes ( All Directions) Volume Ratio Week of 5/19/14 Using Bike Ln (BBL) direction of traffic flow Using Bike Ln (BBL) against traffic flow Using Sidewalk (BBL) direction of traffic flow Using Sidewalk (BBL) against traffic flow Total Bikes (possible BBL usage) Total Bikes ( All Directions) Volume Ratio Packet Pg. 24

25 May 21, 2014 John Franden, President Ada County Highway District 3775 Adams Street Garden City, ID Re: Downtown Boise Implementation Plan Buffered Bike Lanes Dear President Franden: The Boise City Council sends an enthusiastic thank you for your innovative installation of buffered bike lanes on Capitol Boulevard, Main Street, and Idaho Street. It is evident that this took courage, foresight and effort to execute and we greatly appreciate it. With Boise recently being recognized as having the 4 th highest percentage of bicycle commuters in the nation, we see the buffered bike lanes as a tremendous step forward in safely assisting bicyclist mobility downtown. We have also observed that pedestrians feel safer with fewer traffic lanes to cross and more buffering between vehicular lanes and the sidewalk. Downtowns are all about pedestrian activity and comfort; and these factors have notably improved as part of the bike lane project. There were eight metrics proposed by ACHD before the pilot was launched, including system failure, travel time, bike counts, and public opinion. We are very pleased to see that the system has not failed with the pilot project. At our work session, Matt Edmond affirmed that there has been no overall change in vehicular travel time and that bicycle use has in fact increased. We are aware of the amount of feedback you have received, both positive and negative, and understand that some of this may be of concern to the District. If the District stopped every project that receives significant negative feedback, many would not proceed. As leaders of public entities we all know it is important to look at the long term vision while working through change management. Change of any significance is never easy; yet, given time and adjustment, the buffered bike lanes will bring a multitude of benefits to our shared constituents, including: - Safety - Economic Development (including attracting mobile employees who can live where they choose and choose bike friendly environments) Packet Pg. 25

26 - Quality of Life - Mode Choice - Health - Air Quality - Improved Walkability While we have certainly seen bicycle and driver behavior that needs to be addressed through education and enforcement, we have also seen families with young riders bicycling in on Main Street and Idaho Street, even in the PM peak hour commute. This a great change to witness and shows that the buffered bike lanes are making downtown more bicycle-accessible to a wider range of people. Boise remains in full support of the buffered bike lanes on Capitol, Main, and Idaho, and strongly recommends keeping and refining them throughout the summer and fall. Based on our limited experience over the last three weeks, the following items are suggested for refinement as we move forward: 1. Increase education Particularly on use of the bike boxes 2. Relocate Accessible Parking spaces to nearest side street 3. Replace the loading zones that were removed 4. Add more paint or stencils to mark parking stalls and notify drivers of the parking zone (drivers are exiting vehicles and not realizing they are in a metered or time-zoned parking stall) 5. Add paint to highlight driveways and alley approaches 6. Replace the sharrows with a green bike lane on Idaho Street, between Capitol and 9 th 7. Examine the street section dimensions to see if some parking spaces can be gained back, especially on Main Street between 4 th and 5 th streets. 8. Refine candlestick placement and striping (Why are candlesticks offset from striping? Can the floating parking be delineated with paint and the candlesticks used solely to define the bike lanes?) 9. On Capitol Boulevard: a. Address Bus Stop loading of wheelchairs across the bike lane. With the bike lane located next to the curb, the bus no longer stops adjacent to the curb to load passengers, specifically those is a wheel chair. One solution is to install a raised pedestrian table in the cross walk starting at the pedestrian ramp and extending across the bike lane to the place where the bus stops. It would look like a speed hump in the bike lane. b. We would like to add parking meters south of Myrtle Street Lastly, Boise requests that we maintain the buffered bike lanes on Main and Idaho while the City Center project is under construction. The buffered lanes extend for many blocks on either side of the City Center area and we see no need to forego the learning experience and benefits of continuing to use those bike lanes while the construction project proceeds. We would be happy to work with the District on a plan for the short segments that will be impacted by the City Center project starting in June. In summary, we applaud the highway district for your efforts in bringing modern concepts for transportation to our downtown. We also believe that a program of this substance and significance requires a lengthier period of transition and adjustment for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and implementing agencies than the preceding three weeks have provided. If ACHD will extend the duration of the project as we are requesting Packet Pg. 26

27 here, we pledge our best efforts to assist in refining its operation and in educating our citizens about how to use it and benefit from it. Sincerely, David H. Bieter Mayor cc: Maryanne Jordan Council President Karen Gallagher, Planning and Development Services Matt Edmond, ACHD Packet Pg. 27