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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-05-19 MinutesDraft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 6/16/2016 1 Minutes City of Edina, Minnesota Transportation Commission Community Room May 19, 6:00 p.m. I. Call To Order Chair LaForce called the meeting to order. II. Roll Call Answering roll call were members Boettge, Brown, Iyer, Janovy, LaForce, Miranda, Olson and Ruehl. Absent at roll call were members Bass, Ding and Loeffelholz. III. Approval Of Meeting Agenda Motion was made by member Olson and seconded by member Boettge approving the meeting agenda. All voted aye. Motion carried. IV. Approval Of Meeting Minutes Motion was made by member Brown and seconded by member Olson approving the edited Apr. 21, 2016, minutes. All voted aye. Motion carried. V. Special Recognitions And Presentations A. Grandview District Transportation Study Presentation Ms. Lydia Major, Ms. Zabe Bent, and Mr. Michael Fisher presented an update on the Grandview District Transportation Study which just completed the final phase of the study, recommend week. Ms. Major gave an overview of past phases which included convene week and imagine week. Ms. Bent presented their proposed recommendations and solutions. Ms. Bent said improvements that could be accomplished within five years include pedestrian crossings; new traffic signal on Vernon Avenue by Jerry’s; restrict left turn movement at Interlachen Boulevard and Vernon Avenue; remove the free right turn at the top of the W. 50th/Vernon Avenue ramp, from southbound TH-100 ramp so that traffic comes to a complete stop and then makes the right turn; remove redundant ramp to northbound TH-100; add bike lanes on Arcadia Avenue; and add a new connection from Eden Avenue to Jerry’s. With implementations of the short term solutions and Vernon Avenue and Eden Avenue beginning to take shape, Ms. Bent said mid-term (5-15 years) improvements could be making Vernon Avenue a 3-lane road including a dedicated turning lane with sidewalks and bike lanes; a multi-use path on Eden Avenue; open W. 53rd Street to add another entrance into the neighborhood; eliminate one of the southbound TH-100 exit ramps; and connecting Vernon Avenue and Eden Avenue to create a transit connection. Ms. Bent said long-term (15-30 years) solutions could be a shared street at Arcadia Avenue to north of the old public works site which would extend to the new pedestrians bridge over TH-100; using Willson Road as a new exit ramp from TH-100 was eliminated because of feedback; adding a new road to Jerry’s parking ramp which will serve as another entrance to the ramp. Ms. Bent said they evaluated current Level of Service (LOS) at intersections and compared them to with a future time with developments. She said there was slight degradation in LOS in the short-term, especially at Interlachen Boulevard which is one reason they are recommending having another entrance into the neighborhood. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 6/16/2016 2 Ms. Bent said the final study will be presented in June/July 2016. Discussion Member Olson asked if light rail was considered and Ms. Bent said this would be looked at as density increased (the “long term”) and this would also be the time to consider the Lid. Member Brown asked about density and transparency and Ms. Bent said the final report will cover density in detail. Member Janovy asked what should be included in the Capital Improvement Planning (CIP) and Ms. Bent said the short term improvements. Planner Nolan said staff is already working on the CIP and have included the short term improvements. VI. Community Comment Mr. David Davison, 6716 Galway Drive, addressed the ETC in response to an article in the Edina Sun Current regarding the Dan Patch rail line whether the City Council should support further study, dedicate staff time or request the gag rule be overturned. Mr. Davison said the City Council should consider light rail and not support overturning the gag rule on the Dan Patch rail line because in doing so the City Council would be agreeing to a plan for heavy, fast trains (commuter rail), the subject of the gag rule, contrary to the best interests of Edina. VII. Reports/Recommendations A. 2016 Work Plan Updates B. Community Circulator Study (Brown and Loeffelholz) Member Brown presented the following options: i. Create their bus system ii. Utilize SW Transit a. Create Southdale Circulator b. Use Southwest Prime (similar to Uber) iii. Pool resources from major apartments, condos and senior buildings. iv. Metro Transit extension Discussion Member Olson asked what happened to the B-Line that used to run in Edina/Richfield/Bloomington? He said the map outlined by member Loeffelholz looks a like the B-Line route. Chair LaForce asked if there was a need for this service and what was the City Council’s vision of the circulator? Planner Nolan said it is left over from the transportation options working group that was working on transportation for the elderly and disabled, and member Iyer added there is a need for youth transportation services after school. Member Janovy suggested looking at Southwest Prime as an option. Members Brown and Loeffelholz will pursue this option. C. Edina To Go App Transportation Recommendations (Iyer) Member Iyer said he will present his recommendations next month and requested of staff to invite Mr. Gilgenbach to the next ETC meeting. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 6/16/2016 3 D. 2015 Street Smarts Campaign Evaluation (Janovy) Member Janovy said she sent some questions to planner Nolan and he met with Mr. Gilgenbach. She said she is not sure that this is the best use of their time. She said if the communications department is interested in input, they should be willing to work directly with the ETC but they are always told to work thru staff (planner Nolan). Discussion Chair LaForce said he has no way of telling if what they did worked or not. Member Iyer suggested a single message for the summer instead of many phrases. Planner Nolan was asked where communications get their guidance and he said staff the police and engineering department review their work. Planner Nolan was asked who was determining goals and he said last year the ETC had ideas regarding a campaign while the police and communications had their own and all three joined together. Chair LaForce said the communications department have already started their campaign and is moving forward with it. Member Janovy said they’ve offered feedback and nothing has changed so it is not worth their time. E. Traffic Safety Report of May 4, 2016 A.1. Member Janovy said she was concerned with installing a sign in such a narrow boulevard. She suggested using a stop bar but planner Nolan said stop bars are inconclusive at this time as they are still being studied. D.1. Member Janovy said better communication is needed with the public. Planner Nolan said a staff is dedicated to Centerpoint Energy and the City does press releases. Member Iyer said Street Closures could be added to Edina To Go. Planner Nolan said staff is working on mapping Street Closures. Member Janovy suggested communications department doing a press release that lists how to sign up for Street Closure information and where to find information on the City’s website. Motion was made by member Boettge and seconded by member Miranda to forward the May 4, 2016, Traffic Safety Report to City Council. Boettge, Brown, Iyer, LaForce, Miranda, and Olson voted aye. Janovy voted nay. Motion carried. F. 2015 Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety (PACS) Fund Summary Report Member Olson asked if there was any concern that the PACS fund could be depleted given the approval of the two sidewalks that were petitioned. Yes, said planner Nolan. Member Janovy suggested an article in About Town about the two sidewalks. VIII. Correspondence And Petitions - None IX. Chair and Member Comments Member Ruehl said she agreed with adding Street Closures to Edina To Go App because she researched street closures on the City’s website and could not find anything. Member Janovy asked if the ETC will see the CIP and planner Nolan said yes. She asked if the ETC would get a chance to give feedback on the Grandview District Transportation Study and planner Nolan said yes. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 6/16/2016 4 Member Brown said a resident mentioned to him that shrubs on Eden Avenue near Our Lady of Grace were obstructing view. He asked if pedestrian connection between city hall and Perkins Restaurant was part of the Grandview District Transportation Study and planner Nolan said yes. He said he is concerned with density in the Grandview area. Member Iyer said he’s heard from residents about speeding on Normandale Road and that they may bring their concerns to the ETC or City Council. He said W. 77th Street at Minnesota Drive should go straight thru to France Avenue and planner Nolan said the Comprehensive Plan is scheduled to be updated soon so this could be suggested for inclusion. Member Miranda suggested naming the new street in the Grandview area Yancy. He said he attended the curbside chat by StrongTowns.org that member Bass suggested. Member Olson said it was National Walk and Bike to School Day recently and it must have been heavily promoted because he could not find a space to park his bike at his child’s school. Chair LaForce noted the difference between the transportation study presentation last month (Southdale Study) and the Grandview Study tonight. He said he is much happier with tonight’s transportation study presentation. Chair LaForce said the City Council has asked the ETC to study passenger light rail. He said the ETC is not taking a position, just studying it and manager Neal was going to City Council for their timeline. Chair LaForce said member Brown summarized information on the Dan Patch rail line that was emailed everyone and their task is to answer the three questions they received from the City Council. Planner Nolan will email the three questions to everyone. X. Staff Comments • A joint work session with City Council is scheduled for Jun. 21, 6:30 p.m. The ETC was asked to send ideas for discussion at the work session to Chair LaForce and planner Nolan. • A petition was received for a sidewalk on Woodland Road W. (Golf Terrace B) and it was approved by Council. • For 2016, all the money budgeted for the PACS fund will likely be spent. • The 2016 projects are progressing on schedule. • Bid opening for several sidewalk projects are scheduled for May 26. Xerxes Avenue sidewalk is still in design and bid opening is scheduled for Jun. 9. • Capital Improvement Planning started and is due to Finance by the end of June and due to City Council by Sept. for adoption in Nov. or Dec. • They are four Centerpoint Energy crews working throughout the city. XI. Calendar of Events A. Schedule of Meeting and Events as of May 19, 2016 XII. Adjournment at 8:25 p.m. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 6/16/2016 5 J F M A M J J A S O N D SM WS # of Mtgs Attendance % Meetings/Work Sessions 1 1 1 1 1 5 NAME TERM (Date) 6/21 Bass, Katherine 3/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 80% Boettge, Emily 3/1/2017 1 1 1 1 4 80% Brown, Andy 3/1/2019 1 1 1 3 100% Iyer, Surya 3/1/2018 1 1 1 1 1 5 100% LaForce, Tom 3/1/2018 1 1 1 1 1 5 100% Loeffelholz, Ralf 3/1/2018 1 1 1 1 4 80% Janovy, Jennifer 3/1/2017 1 1 1 1 1 5 100% Miranda, Lou 3/1/2019 1 1 1 3 100% Olson, Larry 3/1/2017 1 1 1 1 1 5 100% Ding, Emily (student) 9/1/2016 1 1 2 40% Ruehl, Lindsey (student) 9/1/2016 1 1 1 3 60% TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE