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Home My WebLink About2016-04-21 MinutesDraft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 5/19/2016 1 Minutes City of Edina, Minnesota Transportation Commission Mayors Conference Room April 21, 6:00 p.m. I. Call To Order Chair LaForce called the meeting to order. II. Roll Call Answering roll call were members Bass, Boettge, Brown, Ding, Iyer, Janovy, LaForce, Loeffelholz, Miranda, and Olson. Absent at roll call was member Ruehl. III. Approval Of Meeting Agenda Motion was made by member Bass and seconded by member Boettge approving the meeting agenda. All voted aye. Motion carried. IV. Approval Of Meeting Minutes Motion was made by member Bass and seconded by member Olson approving the edited Mar. 17, 2016, minutes. All voted aye. Motion carried. V. Special Recognitions And Presentations A. Presentation by Metro Transit on Transit Service in Edina Ms. Cyndi Harper, manager of route planning for Metro Transit, and Mr. John Harper, manager of contracted transit services for the Met Council presented on Transit Service in Edina. Ms. Harper began by presenting the elements needed for transit to be successful, why people use transit, direct routes vs. deviated routes, funding, and level of service. She said Edina was currently served by 12 fixed routes, including six local routes that operate all day and six limited stop or express routes during rush hour. Mr. Harper presented on none-fixed route transit that augment fixed route transit. He said Metro Mobility is available to comply with federal and state Americans with Disability Act; Dial-A-Ride and Transit Link are available by reservation for curb-to-curb pick-up and drop-off. Mr. Harper said fixed routes have a required walking distance of a quarter mile in the winter from Nov-Mar, and half mile in the summer from Apr-Oct. He said the Edina Community Center and Cedars of Edina Apartment totaled 890 trips this past March. Ms. Harper said future improvements proposed for Edina includes nine new routes; however, none are funded. They are long term planning and to help make the case for funding. In reference to Southwest LRT, Ms. Harper said there won’t be a station in Edina but a park and ride would be nearby. Ms. Harper said Edina could take steps to make improvements (some already being done) such as having high quality pedestrian connections, having multi-use corridors, cluster commercial and residential together, and emphasize the streets instead of parking lots. Ms. Harper said state statute allows Edina to operate its own fixed route system. Their presentation is attached as part of the minutes. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 5/19/2016 2 Discussion • Need to clarify who they are planning transit for – seniors who wish to stay in the community but are no longer driving; getting students from the high school to transit center; and, getting around Edina in general. Ms. Harper said they could help to identify unmet needs in Edina; however, most people in Edina have access to cars so they’ll need to find the balance between those with and without access. She said the current senior population is the first generation to not have any experience with transit and when most are no longer driving, they are also not active in the community. She said development pattern is still a problem. • Ms. Harper was asked about bus shelter and she explained that the threshold for a shelter is 25 boardings per day in the suburbs and 40 in Minneapolis. She said sometimes the threshold is met but there is a lack of funding. She said the Met Council is focusing on shelters in relation to equity and Edina locations are not included at present. She said some shelters are funded by groups or companies but funding maintenance is an issue also. B. Southdale Area Transportation Study Update Mr. Chuck Rickart, traffic engineer with WSB & Associates, presented an update on the Southdale Area Transportation Study. Mr. Rickart explained that in 2008, the SE Edina Traffic Model was developed and it was used widely by developers. Also in 2008, the Comprehensive Plan was updated and a Transportation Plan was added. Mr. Rickart said the study area was expanded pass north of TH-62 up to W. 60th Street; the study will update the transportation planning model, look at land use density scenarios; and pedestrians/bike connections and conflicts. The study process included data collection from 57 intersections; traffic counts; field observations; existing average daily traffic volumes; existing level of service; forecasted 2040 conditions using the regional Travel Demand Model developed by the Met Council; and high density scenario increases. Discussion • Is W. 60th & Xerxes Avenue included in the study? No, said planner Nolan; however, City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County plan to install a traffic signal this summer at this intersection. • Does the model assume no change in behavior (or shifts in modes) in 2040? Mr. Rickart said the model is based on the Met Council’s specific formulas and their projections for the metro area. • Concern was raised with the projected level of service in the TH-62 & France Avenue area. Mr. Rickart will verify. • Why is the City studying higher density? Planner Nolan said for pre-emptive measures and Mr. Rickart added that it helps to know what certain densities would do to the transportation system and what improvements would be needed. • What other data sets are being used for the review and analysis of the pedestrian and bike system? Mr. Rickart said he could find out from the Met Council. • Is the assumption that only minor improvements will be needed, because this is probably not the assumption of most people of the Southdale area? Mr. Rickart said yes, given that they will not need to add lanes to the roadway system. In summary, Mr. Rickart said most of the issues can be taken care of with low cost improvements such as new traffic signals, improvements to turning lanes and signal timing. The final report should be ready by June or July. VI. Community Comment Mrs. Lori Grotz, 5513 Park Place, noted that Menards purchased the land at W. 78th Street and France Avenue which will have an effect on traffic. Mr. Rickart said adjustments will be made as needed. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 5/19/2016 3 VII. Reports/Recommendations A. 2016 Work Plan Updates 1. Study and report on Community Circulator (Loeffelholz and Brown) Member Loeffelholz said they haven’t met yet; however, it appears they are trying to solve several issues that are not clearly defined and asked how they should define the scope. The consensus was that the ETC should define the scope and members Loeffelholz and Brown will identify the issues. 2. Organize and host a transportation-themed event with speaker(s) (Bass) Member Bass asked for feedback on speakers. She said she thought about doing like the Energy and Environment Commission where they actively promote their events. She is considering inviting the founder of StrongTowns.org who does curbside chats. He has one scheduled for May 3 that she will attend to see if he’s a good fit and she invited other members to attend. She said she would entertain other ideas. Member Iyer suggested a panel discussion. 3. Prepare and comment on Comprehensive Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan for inclusion in 2018 Comprehensive Plan (Olson and Miranda) Nothing to report at this time. 4. Review Edina To Go app and provide recommendations to staff regarding organization/categories for reporting concerns related to streets/transportation (Iyer) Member Iyer said he reviewed the app and it is nicely done. He noted some areas that could be improved (neighborhood map, City news) and suggested some new features (walking/biking map). Mr. Jordan Gilgenbach in the communications department is responsible for the app and chair LaForce suggested inviting him to attend a meeting to talk about the app and share ideas. 5. Review data from City’s Quality of Life Survey (2011, 2013, 2015) and conduct two public meetings to identify gaps around the City’s transportation systems (LaForce) Member LaForce said they may need to survey residents directly to get them involved. He said it might be interesting to include neighborhood walk scores for feedback. He suggested identifying the top gaps by modes (pedestrians, bikes, cars). He acknowledged that some of these areas will be outside of the City’s control so they will need to create an advocacy plan to deal with other agencies. Another suggestion was to reach out to residents using Next Door instead of Speak Up Edina because of low participation. 6. Make recommendations to staff for evaluation of the Living Streets and Streets Smarts outreach campaigns (Janovy) Nothing to report at this time. 7. Provide input to staff on the creation of a walking map of the City indicating routes and areas of interest (Boettge) Member Boettge said she reached out to a staff working on a walking map and the staff sent a link to a Cambridge, MA, map that the staff was planning to duplicate. Member Boettge expressed frustration about not having an opportunity to provide input on ETC’s map and instead being asked to Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 5/19/2016 4 provide input on staff’s map. Member Iyer said the Edina To Go app has a “Places” in the app with photos and descriptions that could probably be enhanced. 8. Passenger Rail – planner Nolan said this topic was suggested by manager Neal as an addition to the ETC’s work plan and he and chair LaForce are scheduled to meet with manager Neal for further discussion. Member Brown has agreed to be the ETC lead on this new work plan initiative. B. 2015 Street Smarts Campaign Evaluation Planner Nolan said the communications department has asked if the ETC would like to do a campaign in 2016. Member Janovy said they cannot evaluate 2015 because they do not know how or what information was presented to the public, nor the public’s feedback to the campaign. Member Bass suggested generating a list of evaluation questions. Member Janovy has some ideas that she will send to planner Nolan. C. Benton Ave & Hwy 100 Ramp Pedestrian Improvements Planner Nolan said the changes include shortening the crossing distance and making the median a little longer. To minimize sightline issues, vegetation on the west will be trimmed but the bridge rail on the east will continue to be an issue. Stop signs were suggested and MnDOT is still evaluating this. Planner Nolan said the changes were shared with residents and they still have concerns but they cannot be addressed at this time. D. Traffic Safety Report of April 6, 2016 Motion was made by member Janovy and seconded by member Brown to forward the April 6, 2016, Traffic Safety Report to City Council. D.2. Member Bass polled the commission to see how many of them walk in Edina and seven, plus two staff said they did. All voted aye. Motion carried. VIII. Correspondence And Petitions - None IX. Chair and Member Comments A. Living Streets Citywide Integration Member Bass said the ETC should identify other decision-making processes to see if they align with the Living Streets Plan. She mentioned the transportation study presentation and said they should set targets from the Living Streets Plan for the study and what their expectations are from consultants. She said the transportation study presentation tonight was very different from the one presented by the Grandview District Transportation Study consultants. Member Janovy said they had previously talked about the ETC and Planning Commission forming a working group. Member Bass said they could draft a scope to present at a future meeting. Member Miranda said he did the 30-days of biking blog post; he said he’s reading through the Bike Plan from 2007 and there were no bike facilities then compared to now; and the Hennepin History Museum is doing a presentation on mapping the second golden age of bicycle. Member Janovy thanked member Bass for presenting the TSC request review to the City Council. She asked if there was a map that shows all the construction areas and street closures, and planner Nolan said no, but residents can sign up to receive City Extra email updates. She said it would be good to have a map. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 5/19/2016 5 Member Bass said the TSC request review presentation was well received by the Council. She said the Council wants to learn from the data. X. Staff Comments • A petition was received for a sidewalk on Tower Street (Golf Terrace A) and it was approved by Council. • On May 15, Council will receive a report on 2015 PACS fund expenditures of $1.1m. • The grant application for the Oaklawn Avenue sidewalk was not approved because it did not demonstrate sufficient resident support for the “on-ramp” to the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail. • A grant of $100,000 was approved by Hennepin County for the Vernon Avenue sidewalk. • TH-100 and ramps reconstruction – the bridges are opened; the northbound W. 50th Street ramp will be closed until August. • TH-169 bridge replacement is scheduled for next year and the stretch between Bren Road to 7th Street will be completely closed during reconstruction. TH-100 reconstruction will be completed before MnDOT begin working on TH-169 because northbound traffic will be detoured to TH- 100. • Stop-bar policy – there is none currently, and safety coordinator Totten was influential in getting the Local Road Research Board to study this issue; $10,000 was allocated for the study. XI. Calendar of Events A. Schedule of Meeting and Events as of Apr. 21, 2016 XII. Adjournment at 9:30 p.m. J F M A M J J A S O N D SM WS # of Mtgs Attendance % Meetings/Work Sessions 1 1 1 1 4 NAME TERM (Date) 6/21 Bass, Katherine 3/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 100% Boettge, Emily 3/1/2017 1 1 1 3 75% Brown, Andy 3/1/2019 1 1 2 100% Iyer, Surya 3/1/2018 1 1 1 1 4 100% LaForce, Tom 3/1/2018 1 1 1 1 4 100% Loeffelholz, Ralf 3/1/2018 1 1 1 1 4 100% Janovy, Jennifer 3/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 100% Miranda, Lou 3/1/2019 1 1 2 100% Olson, Larry 3/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 100% Ding, Emily (student) 9/1/2016 1 1 2 50% Ruehl, Lindsey (student) 9/1/2016 1 1 2 50% TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE 1 Cyndi Harper Manager, Route Planning Metro Transit TRANSIT SERVICE IN EDINA John Harper Manager, Contracted Transit Services Metropolitan Council Edina Transportation Commission April 21, 2016 •Transit 101 •Service in Edina •Next Steps 2 2 Transit 101 Types of Transit Service •Fixed Route (Metro Transit) •Paratransit (Metro Mobility) •General public dial-a-ride (Transit Link) 3 Transit 101 •Primary destinations: work, shopping/errands, school, social trips •Why do people use transit: no car, save money on gas & parking •What makes transit attractive – Convenient, frequent, direct service – Travel time competitive with driving (congestion, transit advantages) – No free parking •Limited budget means we need to maximize investment, match transit service to demand 4 3 What is “Successful Transit”? •Carries people – 91 million rides in 2015 – 75% on fixed route bus, Metro Mobility and Transit Link •Provides basic access •Simple, direct route structure Transit 101 What is “Successful Transit”? •Cost-effective use of public funding – 2015 operating budgets: • Fixed route: $404 million, Metro Mobility: $62.5 million, Transit Link $7.6 million – Sources of funding: MVST, passenger fares, federal/state/local Transit 101 2011 Met Council Weekday Subsidy/Passenger 4 7 What is “Successful Transit”? •Type, level of service matches development patterns Transit 101 •12 fixed bus routes serve the city – 6 local routes – 6 limited-stop/ express routes •Facilities – Southdale Transit Center – 12 shelters – 387 bus stops Transit Service in Edina 5 Ridership, Span of Service on Local Routes 9 Transit Service in Edina Total Rides Edina Rides Span Total Rides Edina Rides Span Total Rides Edina Rides Span 6 9473 1111 4:15am- 2:45am 5225 894 4:15am- 2:45am 3989 640 5:55am- 1:43am 46 1332 81 5:10am- 10:45pm 567 62 6:10am- 10:45pm 348 33 8:00am- 8:45pm 515 1826 366 4:50am- 1:00am 1647 370 6:15am- 1:00am 1077 244 6:15am- 12:30am 537 112 85 7:30am- 6:30pm n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 538 440 170 5:15am- 10:00pm 362 133 6:30am- 8:00pm 246 89 8:45am- 7:15pm 540 746 210 5:50am- 11:30pm 385 70 7:00am- 11:00pm 293 53 7:30am- 9:30pm WEEKDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY Ridership, Span of Service on Express Routes 10 Transit Service in Edina Total Rides Edina Rides Span 146 418 67 6:12am-8:45am; 4:00pm-6:30pm 156 459 33 6:05am-9:00am; 3:15pm-6:45pm 578 402 215 6:10am-8:51am; 3:30pm-6:30pm 579 141 61 7:00am-8:45am; 3:45pm-6:09pm 587 245 135 6:00am-8:45am; 4:00pm-7:00pm 684 163 50 5:20am-9:15am; 3:10pm-7:30pm WEEKDAY 6 •ADA service -Complies with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) federal requirements -Complementary to all-day regular route -For people who live near service but are unable to use because of disability •Non-ADA service -State requirement -Available to ADA-certified riders Paratransit: Metro Mobility Transit Service in Edina Dial-a-Ride: Transit Link Transit Service in Edina •General public transit •Must reserve ride in advance •Curb-to-curb with limited assistance •Shared-ride service •Available on weekdays from 6:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. •30 min. pick-up window 7 •Available where regular route service does not operate •Walking distance -¼ mile Nov - Mar -½ mile Apr - Oct •Eligibility based on specific trip request •Riders may use a combination of Transit Link and regular routes to complete their trip •890 trips in Edina in March 2016 -Most of the trips stay within Edina -Top destinations: Edina Community Center, Cedars of Edina Apartments Transit Service in Edina Dial-a-Ride: Transit Link Next Steps •Service Improvement Plan – Span, frequency of service improvements on nine existing routes – Three proposed new routes – None are currently funded •Improved signage •Southwest LRT Future improvements proposed in Edina 14 8 What can the city can do to improve the market for transit? •High-quality pedestrian connections, walkable environment with frequent street crossings •Variety of uses concentrated in corridors •Cluster the locations of employment, housing •Developments that emphasize the street, not the parking lot Next Steps MN Statute Chapter 241-S.F. No. 54 •Edina may construct, acquire, maintain, and operate a public fixed route system – City may acquire all equipment needed to operate the system – City may directly operate the system or contract to manage or operate it on behalf of the city •CSAH 62 on the north, TH 100 on the west, city limits on south and east Next Steps 9 Discussion points •What are we doing well? •Where can we improve? •What opportunities exist to grow transit usage in the city? •How can we learn more about unmet travel needs in Edina? •Once we have a better feel for the opportunities and unmet needs, then we can discuss potential solutions. Next Steps Cyndi Harper Manager, Route Planning Metro Transit TRANSIT SERVICE IN EDINA John Harper Manager, Contracted Transit Services Metropolitan Council Edina Transportation Commission April 21, 2016 10