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2016-06-14 Mobility Committee Minutes MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE June 14, 2016 After determining that a quorum of the Mobility Committee of the Denton City Council was present, the Mobility Committee thereafter convened into an Open Meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at 10:36 a.m. in the City Hall Conference Room 215 E. McKinney, Denton, Texas. Present: Council Member Dalton Gregory and Council Member Kevin Roden Also Present: Howard Martin, ACM; John Cabrales, ACM; Mark Nelson, Director of Transportation; John Davis, Director of Engineering Services; Tim Fisher, Assistant Director Water Utilities; Ron Menguita, Long Range Planning Admin; Noreen Housewright, Senior Engineer; Julie Anderson, Bike Coordinator Pedestrian Coordinator; John Chapman, CMO Intern; John Polster, ITS; and Annie Bunger,Administrative Assistant III 1. REGULAR MEETING: A. MC16-021 Consider approval of the Mobility Committee meeting minutes of April 12, 2016. Approved as circulated B. MC16-025 -Receive a status report and hold a discussion regarding the Oak and Hickory Streets bike accommodations. Mark Nelson introduced this item and stated that Julie Anderson and Noreen Housewright would be talking about it. Anderson stated that the 2014-2015 Bike Fund planned projects, $220,000 was allocated for bike accommodations on Oak and Hickory Streets from Bell Avenue to Avenue C. This will be completed in three different phases. Phase I consisted of sharrows on Oak from Bell Avenue to Locust, and a contra-flow bike lane on Oakland from Hickory to Oak. Phase I was completed in February 2016. Phase II is Oak and Hickory, from Locust to Carroll Boulevard and is a mixture of sharrows and bike lanes. It is set for construction in July 2016. Phase III is Oak and Hickory Streets from Carroll Blvd. to Ave C and will include bike lanes and sharrows. Phase III has designs that are 80 percent complete, but has not been scheduled for construction. There is an existing bike lane on Hickory from Welch to Carroll that was completed before 2011. The 2014 Bond Election included funds for reconstruction of Hickory from Bonnie Brae to Locust. However, funds for the underlying utility work were not included in the scope and funding of this project. The Street Department has tentatively planned to start the reconstruction near the end of the Bond Program cycle to better coordinate work with water and wastewater departments. As neither water nor wastewater has Hickory in either of their CIP lists, each utility is discussing the option of accelerating project and identifying funding. Water Department anticipates they could have a schedule for Hickory within six weeks, with eighteen months to two years for utility construction to be completed for the western section from Bonnie Brae to North Texas Blvd. Work would start at Bonnie Brae and progress east. Parking is not a huge issue that is holding this project back. Staff met with Geary Robinson, UNT Director of Transportation earlier this month. UNT is supportive of the parking being removed which is about 22 spaces. Gregory stated that the businesses on the north side of Hickory are few at this time. There wouldn't be a better time to remove the parking. Gregory them asked if there is a timeline in place for removing the parking. Anderson answered it would depend on if staff moves forward with stripping. Roden thought that when the prioritization of the street projects came together, one of the factors that determined what was placed on the list to begin with was coordination with other utility projects. Looks like Hickory has been approved for reconstruction without any utility work which was known to be needing replaced. Davis answered this is correct but engineering and transportation is not involved in that. What has happened Streets initially scheduled Hickory for later in the bond programs and water and wastewater was in later CIP projects as well. In asking to move Hickory forward, they are scrambling to adjust the budgets currently for this change. Martin stated that it will be more than six weeks. Staff is trying to get all the parties together and put together a realistic schedule of how to move forward. The geotechnical work on Oak points to a complete reconstruction from Carroll Blvd to Fulton, obviously Hickory Street has needed to be reconstructed for many years. Oak is not in the bond funds. The Hickory Street section through UNT has a variety of different challenges, one is utilities. Staff has been talking to UNT about the systematic abandonment of streets internal to UNT. What this really means is having to finding a different metering methodology to meter water into the campus from the perimeter. It is common knowledge that the line size will have to be increased from what is currently is. Along Hickory that water line is an eight inch line and will have to go to a twelve inch line. Roden stated that he thinks no matter when you take parking it will be a painful thing to the businesses. Anderson went on to say that Hickory is in bad shape and there are options for doing bike accommodations on Hickory based on what will happen once the road is reconstructed. Staff could move forward with striping Hickory before reconstruction and use thermoplastic. This will not last its normal life cycle because of the bad road conditions. Paint could also be used instead of the thermoplastic which would last six to eight months. An option is to leave the street as it is and wait to strip after the reconstruction. Another option would be to go ahead with Oak since there are no work scheduled for that street and wait for Hickory. The cost difference between paint and thermoplastic isn't much but the life cycle is different. Since the bike fund is paying for striping, if it is done now, it would have to be re-done and paid for after reconstruction. Gregory remembers that any CIP project would pay for striping of bike lanes. Anderson answered that is only if the markings are existing. Roden remembered the same as Gregory. Roden asked for clarification on this point. Martin added that a key issue that needs to be brought up that staff is struggling with has to do with when the streets are re-done curb, gutter and sidewalk will be looked at as well. Since part of this is in the historic area and part of the sidewalks have the old WPA stamp, they feel compelled to keep that even though it is crumbling. It does not generally meet any of the ADA compliance. There will be some resistance in the historical district as to how this is completed. Martin hopes to solve and get some clarity on the approach before any construction is started. Roden asked what staff is recommending. Anderson answered she would stripe Oak and leave Hickory until the road reconstruction. Davis added that in the mean time staff could be holding meetings with the businesses for removal of parking. This would also be a good time to meet with the Historical Commission about removing parking and going through Traffic Safety Commission and then go to Council. It will take an ordinance from Council for the `no parking' along this area. Gregory asked when the utility construction for Hickory would began. Fisher answered this fall starting from Bonnie Brae to North Texas Blvd. Gregory asked about the portion of Hickory from Aveue C to Carroll Blvd. Fisher answered it would probably not begin for a year or so, there isn't a defined phasing plan or defined schedule currently. Gregory asked for the paint that is currently in place to be refreshed on Hickory. The 22 parking spaces to be removed as soon as necessary for the construction. Regarding Oak, suggest measuring and getting block by block explanations. There may not be any need to reduce parking on Oak Street. If there is a lot of explanations to the citizens in that area the bike lanes should be welcomed instead of resisted. Roden stated that he is encouraged by the plan that is moving forward. Once the timeline is established make sure this is communicated to media outlets for citizens. A schedule will be brought back as an update to the next meeting. C. MC16-028 -Receive a report and hold a discussion on sidewalk priority projects. Julie Anderson talked about this item stating that part of the budget process last year was to survey gaps in sidewalks. About thirty projects were realized at that time. This list was given to Engineering to add to the bond sidewalk program or separate funding. Engineering also has a list of projects for the $2 million bond. The downtown list was combined with the Engineering list and cost estimates were given for the top five downtown projects. An authorization of$75,000 from the $2,000,000 bond was made for the downtown projects. The top two project has been funded. Those are on Oakland to coordinate with the crossing on McKinney Street. The other is on Hickory Street on Exposition where the new rail yard project is. Transportation also submitted a budget submittal to fund the remaining three projects which is $352,000. Those projects are: South side of McKinney St. at City Hall West between Elm St. and Cedar St., Austin Street - McKinney to Oak, and McKinney Street - Oakland to Austin. Roden asked the basis of the prioritization for the list that was included. Davis answered staff looked at sidewalks that had ADA requests in the areas, schools were looked at next parks and shopping areas. Also areas that didn't have sidewalks but there were walking paths in the area. Gregory stated that there is a work session later for full Council regarding the budget and potential priorities. Is the $352,000 in the $6,000,000 that is listed as other potential priorities. Cabrales answered it is in the list, staff is looking at the subliminal package request that came in from all different departments and Council. It is in that list will not be discussed at the Council meeting today but will be in the near future. Anderson lastly added that existing sidewalks are managed thought the streets department, they are repaired or replaced with street projects. Additionally$1,000,000 is set aside in the operating budget to deal with sidewalk issues. Roden stated that he still believes that there needs to be a comprehensive sense of what is needed. Roden asked if there anything in motion to make this happen. Cabrales answered currently under the Mayor's summary job program there is an intern that will be helping Anderson catalog some of the locations where there are gaps and put together the needs list. There will need to be a discussion for a prioritizing sequence of the many projects. Davis added that the sidewalk inventory list has been started through the street inventory process, the sidewalks on city streets. Anderson's program will inventory those along TxDOT roadways. When the list and map is brought together staff will know the missing links. The easier sidewalks have been installed. The more costly ones are left(i.e. drainage issues). Roden wants to develop a more mechanical process of prioritizing sidewalks. He then asked if there is any data to be able to add cost for the budget cycle. Martin added it will take longer than this budget cycle. Cabrales answered there will not be comprehensive data, but there is some data available. Roden added that figuring out the priority list will be key. Complaint driven is very hard to justify. A better program and more funding is needed. D. MC16-027 -Receive a report and hold a discussion regarding Texas Department of Transportation On-System projects in the Denton area to include the 35Express Project. John Polster talked about this item. FM2181 —East West- complete July 3. FM2181 —North South—Design complete March 2017 FM2499— Section 5 —complete November 2017 Gregory asked about the signage off of I-35. US377/Fort Worth Drive—Plans 100 percent September 2016 US380/Urban—Complete September 2016 US380/In town—Complete January 2017 Sidewalks Carroll Blvd to Hinkle on University North side have ROW issues. Continue to work to get that accomplished. FM426—waiting on acceptance to take off system. Loop 288 West—New I-35 East—95 percent plans for the ramps (Mayhill, Brinker and Loop 288) Dallas Drive being re-constructed at AGL cost,beams not set properly. Open end of August/first of September. E. MC16-024 - Staff Reports: 1. DCTA Service Enhancements 2. DISC Site Locations 3. Matrix Add sidewalk around courthouse 2. CONCLUDING ITEMS A. Under Section 551.042 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, respond to inquiries from the Committee on the Environment or the public with specific factual information or recitation of policy, or accept a proposal to place the matter on the agenda for an upcoming meeting AND Under Section 551.0415 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, provide reports about items of community interest regarding which no action will be taken, to include: expressions of thanks, congratulations, or condolence; information regarding holiday schedules; an honorary or salutary recognition of a public official, public employee, or other citizen; a reminder about an upcoming event organized or sponsored by the governing body; information regarding a social, ceremonial, or community event organized or sponsored by an entity other than the governing body that was attended or is scheduled to be attended by a member of the governing body or an official or employee of the municipality; or an announcement involving an imminent threat to the public health and safety of people in the municipality that has arisen after the posting of the agenda. The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 11:45 a.m.