2024/10/28 Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee MinutesMembers Present:
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
Meeting Minutes
5:30 PM, Monday, October 28, 2024
Rohnert Park City Hall, City Council Chambers
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California
Jan Ogren (Chair) X Steve Keith (Vice Chair) X
Gary Gutierrez X Tim Hensel O Shirley Johnson X
Non -Voting Participants: Eydie Tacata (Senior Public Works Analyst, City of Rohnert Park); Alisa
Rossetti (Sustainability Intern, City of Rohnert Park); Jim Barrios (Parks and Recreation
Commissioner, City of Rohnert Park); Emily Shartin (Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, Sonoma
County Bicycle Coalition)
1. Call to Order
Chair Jan Ogren called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM.
2. Introductions
Chair Ogren commenced self -introductions.
3. Reading of the Land Acknowledgement
Gary Gutierrez, BPAC Member, read the Land Acknowledgement on the Meeting Agenda.
4. Public Comments
There were no comments from members of the public who were present at the meeting.
5. Consideration of Approval of Minutes for August 28, 2024 meeting
Action: Moved/seconded (Gutierrez/Johnson) to approve the meeting minutes. Motion carried
by the following 4-0-0-1 vote: Ayes: Gutierrez, Johnson, Ogren, Keith; Noes: None;
Abstentions, None; Absences: Hensel.
6. Project Updates and Announcements
Chair Ogren said that people are starting to use the recently -completed pedestrian refuge/corral
on Snyder Lane at the Hinebaugh Creek path, although cars still pass through even when the
lights are flashing. Vice -Chair Keith said it seems to take a little time for drivers to get used to
heeding pedestrian flashing lights at new locations.
Eydie Tacata, staff to the BPAC, reported on the Southwest Boulevard Complete Streets project
in progress. She also reported that the crack seals and slurry seals portion of a Citywide paving
project was recently completed, and that the installation of pavement markings and striping was
in progress. Chair Ogren asked how streets get chosen for paving, as it seems that streets that
seem in good condition get re -paved, while worse -looking pavement is left alone. Ms. Tacata
explained that the City's pavement management program is based on a Statewide methodology
and software that prioritizes preventative treatments sooner, to maintain good condition streets
longer. This strategy optimizes limited pavement funding, as the cost to rehabilitate a few poor
condition streets far exceeds the amount to keep many more streets maintained in good
condition.
Rohnert Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
October 28, 2024 Meeting Minutes
Chair Ogren mentioned that tey used the new SMART Multi -Use Path (MUP) section between
Golf Course Drive and Santa Rosa. Tey said that signage needs to be installed to show where to
cross Golf Course Drive to connect to the new and existing sections of the MUP.
7. Bicycle Parking Inventory
Ms. Tacata reported that the bicycle parking inventory was mostly complete, as far as
information -gathering. Some data clean-up is needed, including verification of location
descriptions to map points and ensuring correct photos are coordinated with the locations. She
mentioned that Alisa Rossetti, Sustainability Intern and the main staff resource for the project,
was leaving the City to work in the planning department of another agency. Ms. Tacata said that
Ms. Rossetti offered to be available for a limited amount of time to wrap up the project.
Mr. Gutierrez reported that using the Survey 1-2-3 app was easy. He commented that there
wasn't the capability to take more than a few photos per location and added that downloading
photos was slow. This was an issue at Sonoma State University where there are a lot of rack
locations.
Other members relayed their experience gathering bike parking information, including using the
Surveyl-2-3 app and attempts to use web -based interface instead. Vice -Chair Keith mentioned
that there are other tracking websites and applications that are easier to upload information to
and do not have to be live. His preference was to load data on a browser -based application on a
desktop.
Emily Shartin, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, asked if the public was going to be able to
upload their observations. She also asked how the City was going to use the data, whether to
make improvements or just note conditions. Ms. Tacata replied that the City wants to use the
data to know what sites owned by the City need improvements. Regarding sites controlled by
other property owners, the data would help the City understanding the potential or need to
pursue incentives (e.g. grant funding) to help property owners install bike parking. The
information also provides insight into the City's own development review and permitting
processes, whether we have checkpoints to suggest or require bike parking, and the authority (or
not) to do so. Regarding public access to the inventory, Ms. Tacata said there aren't specific
plans yet for allowing the public to update the information, although she sees that this would be
helpful. She said that she'd discuss the possibility with the City's technical staff.
There was discussion among the group about the findings in the field, including:
• Sonoma State University (SSU) bike parking — Mr. Gutierrez noted the density and high
number of bike parking locations and different types of bike racks, such as for
skateboards. He suggested that data about SSU's parking for bikes and other active
transportation devices might be obtained from campus staff instead.
• Bike parking at apartment complexes — Vice -Chair Keith noted that at the affordable
housing complex in "K" Section, each building had nearby "wave" bike rack, which
seemed to have mostly kids' bikes. Chair Ogren also noted that at an apartment
complex, tey saw bikes parked and locked on stairway posts rather than actual bike
parking. It appeared that the bikes were actively used, and their presence suggested a
need for better and secure parking.
• Poor installations of bike racks — The group shared their observations about bike racks
installed incorrectly at Lawrence Jones Middle School, Hahn Elementary and Rancho
Cotate High School, including against walls or fences such that only half of the bike
spaces could be used, or on unpaved surfaces or in landscaping or other less desirable
Rohnert Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
October 28, 2024 Meeting Minutes
location to leave a bike. Vice -Chair Keith also shared that a parent also shared with him
her concern about her child's scooter being in an unsecured open parking area.
• Removal of bike racks / replacement with inadequate racks — There was discussion
about the reduction of bike parking spaces at Evergreen Elementary and replacement
with some wave racks with lower capacity.
There was discussion about a need to educate facility managers on how to provide bike parking
by installing the racks correctly.
Ms. Johnson remarked that with an increased interest in e-bikes, there should be consideration
of the proper racks for these. Mr. Gutierrez agreed, but added young people and kids seem to
prefer scooters. Ms. Johnson noted that given what the parent at Evergreen Elementary told Mr.
Keith, perhaps there should be more caged parking provided for scooters.
Mr. Keith asked if there was any sort of code enforcement or other mechanism to compel private
property owners to maintain bike parking spaces and adequate access to bike racks. Ms. Tacata
said that she does not know of any, besides at the permitting stage and any final inspections of
the permitted project afterwards.
Mr. Gutierrez said that the City should maintain a regular cycle of conducting the bike parking
inventory. Mr. Keith noted that the inventory was helpful in revealing even where City facilities
lack bike parking. He said it seemed surprising for the parks to have no bike parking; however,
he surmised that the early planning of parks assumed that the parks would be used by the
immediate neighbors who would walk to the park, not bike. Chair Ogren suggested that a map
could have a red dot indicating where bike parking should be.
8. New Matters for Future Consideration
No new matters were brought up.
9. Adjournment
Action: moved/seconded (Ogren/Gutierrez) to adjourn the meeting. There was concurrence to
adjourn.
Meeting was adjourned at 6:57 PM.
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Eydie Tacata, Recording Secretary Ja Ogren, Chair
Rohnert Park Bicycle and o nert Park Bicycl �mmittee
Pedestrian Advisory Committee Pedestrian Advisory