NOTES FROM AS&R MEETING, MAY 2, 2024
Attendees: Amy S, Carrie H-S, Harry C, Ian M, Jonas B, Julie M, Ken M, Nick P, Preston J, Robert P (Bike East Bay,) Sherie R, Tim
REPORT ON UPCOMING CLIMATE RIDE BY IAN
Training and fund raising going well, but no matching funds this year
REPORT ON JACKSON STREET WEST SIDE PATH BY KEN
Active Transportation path from Ocean View Elementary to Buchanan St path
Project under umbrella of Ocean View Elementary
City of Albany not involved at all
Rotary, Ocean View PTA, AS&R have agreed to project in concept and to share costs, waiting for budget. Will take 1-2 weekends in June
PTA and Rotary Club will also participate in on-the-ground work
Suggestions: PTA, Uni Village (including Bulletin Board), NextDoor, AS&R list for volunteers to work
Suggestion: involve Sadia Khan, School Board’s liaison for Ocean View ES, lives in Uni. Village
Preston suggested contacting Effie Rawlings at Farm re bringing soil there
5/30/2024 Since the meeting, the project has been delayed to September 15, OV PTA has voted to supply up to half of the estimated cost, and Albany Rotary is undecided. This project will be put before the next AS&R general meeting for specific funding.
DISCUSSION RE KAINS/ADAMS BIKEWAYS
Grant at end of month, City staff recommends submitting an application to return the streets to their former one-way directions for motorists and stripe a contraflow cycling lane, as allowed by the MUTCD and approved by the engineering consulting firm in its report studying alternatives for making the streets two-way for people cycling.
4/25 Transportation Commission meeting wasn’t as effective or comprehensive as it could have been due to three absent members including Ken and Farid
TC recommended contraflow bike lane if City/APD won’t deprioritize ticketing contraflow car parking in current configuration
Preston indicated that he will NOT recommend deprioritizing ticketing contraflow car parking because of potential legal liability if there is a head-on collision between a motorist pulling out of wrong-way parking and another motorist or someone biking. Also because AS&R worked for years to get some long past Council’s direction not to enforce state law prohibiting motorists from parking on/across sidewalks rescinded. He does not want to take such an action regarding another State law. Also, because taking this step could readily be taken as the Council not respecting the Police Department’s professional expertise on what laws should be enforced where and when.
Amy is concerned about bike lane crossing so many driveways, drivers backing out…requested signage for cyclists to ride as close to center of street as possible.
Discussed various treatments such as diverters, speed bumps/humps, but opted to keep our position statement less specific on those items at this time.
*POSITION STATEMENT ON KAINS/ADAMS OPTIONS, AS ADOPTED BY ATTENDEES OF THE 5/2 AS&R GENERAL MEETING,
AS&R supports Option 4, Contra-Flow Bike Lanes on Kains and Adams with consideration of the following:
- Prioritizing cyclist through movements by adding stops signs for cross traffic
- Reducing motorist through movements by adding diverters or reversing the direction of some one-way blocks like the 700 block of Kains
- Encouraging cyclists to ride outside the door zone with road markings
- More indications that cyclists have dedicated space on the street and showing what motorists are allowed to do
- Reducing vehicle speeds by lowering the speed limit to 20 mph and/or through other traffic calming measures (was added in subsequent email discussion)
