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Minutes 01-02-08Richfield Transportation Commission Wednesday, January 2, 2008 7:00 p.m. Richfield City Hall, Council Chambers DRAFT Minutes Commission members in attendance: Bob Elliott (Chair); Martin Kirsch (Vice-Chair); Bob Shotwell; Steve Lindgren; Barbara Kritzman; Pat Sorensen Jay Hermann; Gary Ness; and, Council Member Sue Sandahl. Others in attendance: Mayor Debbie Goettel; Dennis & Mary Elwood; David Gepner; Stephen Shurson of Three Rivers Park District; and Jack Broz of H.R. Green Company; and, City Staff: Tom Foley and Kristin Asher. Excused absence: Sara Nutter. B. Elliott called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Agenda was approved in a motion moved by S. Lindgren; and seconded by B. Kritzman. Motion passed unanimously. Motion to approve December 5, 2007 meeting minutes was made by M. Kirsch, seconded by P. Sorensen. Motion passed unanimously. 75th/76th Streetscape Plan Jack Broz of H.R. Green Company was available to answer any questions the Commission had on the final report on the redesign of 75th and 76th Streets. The corridor was divided into five zones of different urban character. H.R. Green produced a different design for all five zones. The summary report had been sent to the Commission for its review and to make a recommendation to Council. Stephen Shurson of the Three Rivers Park District attended to answer questions regarding the regional trail. Three Rivers will perform long-term maintenance on the trail including replacing the pavement surface, repairing cracks, signing and pavement markings, but not routine maintenance like snow removal. Dennis Elwood, 7444 Washburn Avenue, spoke that the trail doesn’t lead anywhere and isn’t needed. He said that no one will use it. He and his wife had not been involved in discussions about the trail. Commissioners responded that the trail will cross 35W to Cedar Avenue. K. Asher shared a comment from a resident that lives on 75th Street, Chris Olsen wanted to be on the record in support of either alternative A or B under consideration for the 75th Street segment; however, he is adamantly opposed to any parking allowed along the street other than near the church. S. Lindgren asked if comments by Joe Hoover of 7627 Harriet Avenue had been addressed. K Asher explained that Alternative B for Section A (75th Street) addressed his concern for on-street bike lanes. Mr. Hoover also suggested extending the sidewalk on the south side of 76th Street to Cedar Avenue. G. Ness explained that the Community Services Commission expressed their desire to have parking stalls along Donaldson Park from Logan Avenue to Morgan Avenue. David Gepner, Penn Avenue, commented that on-road bike paths are safer than off-road bike paths for bicyclists where there are a lot of driveways. The additional distance improve the sight lines for drivers. He also thought that the existing configurations of both 76th Street west of 35W and 77th Street are uncomfortable for bikers. There isn’t room for bikes to operate on these roads. He also asked that the bike lanes be designed so that (1) the catch basin is not placed in the gutter, but placed on the face of the curb; (2) the gutter be made of concrete and be as wide as the bike lane; (3) the gutter be poured continuously and that gutter sections be saw cut, rather than toweled, so that bikers can ride on a smooth surface. The Commission accepted the report as presented, extending appreciation to the City’s consultant, H.R. Green and the Three Rivers Park District for their cooperation. It is recommended that the following elements be included as part of the final design: Alternative B along the 75th Street segment of the project which includes on-street bike lanes and an 8-foot off road trail. Limiting parking along 75th Street while offering a consistent route across the City for bikers. (Motion by B. Kritzman, seconded by M. Kirsch and passed with one abstention.) Include sidewalks on the south side of the 76th Street segments from 77th Street east to Cedar Avenue to accommodate pedestrians now and into the future. (Motion by M. Kirsch, seconded by B. Kritzman and passed unanimously.) Include left-turn bays for east-west traffic at Lyndale Avenue. (Motion by B. Kritzman, seconded by G. Ness and passed unanimously.) Do not include left-turn bays for east-west traffic at Portland Avenue or Nicollet Avenue. (Motion by B. Kritzman, seconded by G. Ness and passed unanimously.) Include bump-outs on the 11th Avenue and 72nd Street segments for the benefits of safety, snow storage, additional green space, and speed control. This will be a demonstration of traffic calming. (Motion by B. Shotwell, second by M. Scaglia and passed unanimously.) As an opportunity to make this regional trail a model for the metro area the Commission recommends incorporating the following design features into the plan: place catch basins into the face of the curb, not in the gutter; use concrete gutters that are as wide as the bike lanes; pour the curb and gutter continuously and saw cut the gutter panels so that the surface is smooth rather than use a trowel to round the edges of gutter panels; and, add color to the bike lane to create contrast with the roadway. They also encourage the Council to seek additional funding from other sources if necessary (and where appropriate) to accomplish this. (Motion by P. Sorensen, seconded by B. Kritzman and passed unanimously.) Comprehensive Plan T. Foley presented a draft of the Rail Service Section of the Transportation Element of the updated comprehensive plan. The narrative notes that the City has an interest in making the rail corridor into a pedestrian/bike trail. Lyndale Avenue Bridge T. Foley reported that the City is continuing the right of way acquisition process for the new bridge. Future Agenda Items The revised bikeway section of the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan and the Arterials Study will be discussed at future meetings. Upcoming Meetings Three transportation topics will be on the January 8th Council work session at 5:30 p.m. They are: the Commission By-laws; the proposed new Stop Sign Policy; and the proposed resident parking by permit only program on the 7600 block of Aldrich Avenue. Commissioners were invited to attend. On January 10th another open house will be available for residents and businesses on the 75th/76th Streets Streetscape. A presentation will occur at 7:00 p.m. but the open house is available from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The next Transportation Commission meeting will be held on February 6th at 7:00 p.m. at the Richfield City Hall. Adjournment Motion to adjourn by B. Kritzman, second by S. Lindgren and passed. Meeting was adjourned at 9:18 p.m.