2017/09/25 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Minutes VLONNERT Ptikk-
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Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
Meeting Minutes
5:30 PM, Monday, September 25, 2017
2nd Floor Conference Room, Rohnert Park City Hall
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California 94928
Members Present: Stephen Gold(Chair)X Terry Gault(Vice-Chair)X
Gary Gutierrez X Tim Hensel Katie Musick X
Non-Voting Participants: Eydie Tacata, Management Analyst; JoAnne Buergler, City Clerk
1. Call to Order
Chair Stephen Gold called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM.
2. Introductions
Chair Gold commenced self-introductions.
3. Public Comment
There were no members of the public present.
City Clerk JoAnne Buergler distributed copies of a memorandum addressed to City
Commissioners, Committee Members and Board Members, dated September 25, 2017, and entitled
"City Commissions, Committees, and Boards Terms of Office."Ms. Buergler explained that the City
Council wanted appointees' terms to be synchronized with the appointing Council Members' terms. An
ad hoc committee of the Council was convened and recommended staggering the Commissions,
Committees and Boards terms of office. The City Council approved the recommendation. Ms. Buergler
explained to the Committee how the staggered terms would be implemented and how specific
Committee members would be affected.
4. Consideration of Approval of Minutes of Special Meeting/Camino Colegio Informational
Meeting of August 21,2017
Committee Member Katie Musick moved to approve minutes of the meeting of August 21, 2017;
the motion was seconded by Committee Member Gary Gutierrez and was approved by a vote count of 3
ayes (Gold, Gutierrez, Musick)—0 nays— 1 absence(Hensel)— 1 abstention(Gault).
5. Discussion about Intersection of Snyder Lane @ Capri Way and Rosana Way and proposed
recommendation on mid-block crossings
Chair Gold remarked that after the September 11th field visit to the intersection, he has found the
safety issues tough to resolve. He said there appears to be agreement that the intersection is dangerous,
and the Committee should be focused on safety. Committee Member Musick said the field trip revealed
the crosswalk's use to be significant, at 10-12 people during the hour of the visit, and all from the
adjacent neighborhoods. Chair Gold noted that small children were among the users of the crosswalk.
Committee Member Musick wondered about vehicle collisions at this intersection. Vice-Chair
Gault said that for a while he lived on Capri Way within viewing distance of the intersection, and during
that time he had not seen or heard about any accidents there.
Chair Gold invited brainstorming solutions for bicycles and pedestrian safety at this intersection.
There was discussion about:
Rohnert Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
September 25,2017 Meeting Minutes
• Installation of a traffic signal. Ms. Eydie Tacata,Management Analyst and staff to the
Committee, noted that there may not be warrants for such a traffic signal, given the proximity
of the two other signals at East Cotati Avenue and Southwest Boulevard.
• Railing at the sidewalk with signage directing users to the controlled crosswalks. Chair
Gold noted that there is an example of such a railing on Golf Course Drive at the end of the
SMART Multi-Use Path, west of the shopping center.
• Pedestrian activated rapid-rectangular flashing beacon or"flashing sign". It was noted
that the idea of installing one in the median—in addition to both sides of the crosswalk—was
brought up at a previous meeting. Ms. Tacata said that she would ask the Deputy City Engineer
if there was anything to prevent installing one in the median.
Committee Member Musick said that whether or not there is a painted crosswalk,people will cross
anyway because of the shopping center. She said that she previously supported removing the crosswalk,
as crosswalks nearby on Southwest Boulevard were removed without incident. However, she has since
realized that in the case of Southwest Boulevard, there were no particular attractors for pedestrians. On
Snyder Lane, the shopping center provides a compelling reason for people to cross.
Committee Member Musick remarked that she was surprised during the field trip about the use of
the left turn lane, including how far cars pulled into the intersection and the wide movement of the
bicyclist who turned left into Rosana Way from Snyder Lane.
Ms. Tacata wondered if a corral could fit in the intersection. There was a brief discussion about the
difference between a corral and a pedestrian refuge, with a corral being described as just one type of
pedestrian refuge.
Committee Member Musick asked whether curb ramp truncated domes were going to be installed
at this intersection, as she thought the bright yellow color might help the visibility of the crosswalk.
Chair Gold asked what the way forward would be, and he reminded the Committee that their
original recommendation was to remove the painted crosswalk. Vice-Chair Gault said that now he
would not support removing the crosswalk. Committee Member Gutierrez moved to rescind the
recommendation to remove the crosswalk on Snyder Lane at Rosana Way/Capri Way. Vice-Chair
Gault seconded the motion. The motion was approved by a vote count of 3 ayes (Gault, Gutierrez,
Musick)— 1 nay(Gold)— 1 absence (Hensel)—0 abstention.
6. Staff and Committee Member Updates on Previous Matters
Ms. Tacata called attention to the flyer in the agenda packet for the Rohnert Park Town Hall
Meeting on October 4th. She said that the City was looking for community input on spending priorities
for approximately$1 million in new funding.
Chair Gold reminded the Committee about the October 16`h Special Meeting which would be a
field trip to the segment of Camino Colegio between Southwest Boulevard and East Cotati Avenue.
7. New Matters for Future Consideration
Committee Member Gutierrez mentioned the Age Friendly Sonoma County Initiative ("Initiative"),
sponsored by the Council on Aging and the County of Sonoma. He said that the coordinator has been
interested in making in-roads into Rohnert Park and was particularly interested in addressing the issues
of mobility, which is why the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee was a good forum for her to
make a presentation. Committee Member Musick asked if the Committee would be reviewing
recommendations from the Initiative. Committee Member Gutierrez clarified that the Initiative is still in
Rohnert Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
September 25,2017 Meeting Minutes
the process of compiling data and developing an Action Plan; a presentation by them would likely just
be information and how to get involved. The Committee concurred to have a presentation on the Age
Friendly Sonoma County Initiative put on a future meeting agenda.
Committee Member Musick noted that she has heard that there are a lot of bicyclists using
SMART, and there are not enough bicycle facilities on the trains themselves. She also wondered about
signage or other facilities that help bicyclists exit the Rohnert Park station, exit onto Seed Farm Drive
and find their way to the bike trails.
8. Adjournment
The Committee concurred to adjourn the meeting at approximately 6:19 PM.
42 , 0))/(//i I
Eydie Tacata, Recording Secretary Stephen Gold, Chair
Rohnert Park Bicycle and Rohnert Park Bicycle and
Pedestrian Advisory Committee Pedestrian Advisory Committee