Meeting #4 Minutes: Jan. 22, 2009

Franklin Street Arterial Study Group

Meeting #4, January 22, 2009

Notes

Com. Members present: Alex Landry, Bob Stevens, Greg Martin, Liz Hoglund, Jaime Parker, Boyd Marley, Markos Miller, Katie Brown, Laura Thibideau, Ethan Boxer-Macomber, Mark Adelson, Michael Langella, Mike Laberge/Dan Stewart

Staff: Mike Bobinsky, Kathi Earley, Bill Needleman, Carl Eppich, Gerald Varney, Alex Jagerman, Penny Littel
1. Welcome and Introductions     

2. Updates          

• Bayside Trail Bridge. Penny Littel reports that MDOT has offered to advance a pedestrian bridge for the Bayside Trail to pass over Franklin as a top priority federal stimulus project. The time frame for go-ahead is very short. Bill Needleman shows slides of variety of ped bridges, fancy, expensive, cheap, unattractive, to give a sense of what this could look like. MDOT would waive RFP requirements to enhance projects ’shovel-readiness’, no local matching $ would be needed (normally 20%). Discussion ensued, diverse opinions ranging from positive to indifferent to negative. Main points raised included:

Pros: opportunity now, asset to trail and Franklin, opportunity for ‘Gateway”, significant architecture, free money, may be needed in future

Cons: surface should be our priority, does this preclude a bridge somewhere else?, not compatible, timeline does not work, not local priority, just because it’s ‘free’ does not mean it’s what we want, what are all constraints and costs for high quality design?, detracts from street design

Concerns: design, local ownership of design, role of Franklin study com, interface w/Franklin, no substitute for at grade crossing,

• Outreach:

City Multicultural staff recommends that we develop a brief description of what we are doing and what input we want from community. This can then be translated and handled by city staff through existing relationships, with input coming back to committee. Committee members asked to forward ideas to chairs. Staff.

Hoping to invite local business, property owners to future meeting
3. Roadway/Corridor Data: postponed until next meeting      

4. Work with Lucy Gibson, consultant:

• Traffic Projections: Lucy shares data re: flattening off of traffic on Franklin since 2005 (w/ exception of Commercial St), and slight decrease in traffic statewide. She also notes that the Peninsula Traffic Plan uses a suburban model for traffic projections, not an urban model. She wants to revisit counts and develop more appropriate projections, and will test a range of traffic forecasts. She also states that the Goals of the city must be incorporated into the results.
• Shares slides of Multi-way Boulevard in Europe, highlighting various placemaking qualities, traffic calming features, and pedestrian elements
• Next steps: evaluate existing conditions, traffic forecasts, stakeholder input; develop performance goals, public workshop.
• Discussion of various design issues and data:
• Concerned about more pavement in Multi-way Boulevard (MWB)
• Roundabouts vs. Rotaries- what’s difference
• Consider roundabouts
• Community must decide what LOS is acceptable
• LOS ‘F’ is often acceptable in urban areas- avoiding gridlock
• Transit Plan and Traffic Plan address some of local community criteria
• Safety for all users
• Goals are expressed in policy, forecast to our goals
• 22mph as an optimal speed? t compare travel times @ 22mph vs. 35 mph (~1 min)
• Increase of ped use and neighborhood quality should drive work vs. focus on cars
• Need to develop performance standards for more than traffic
• We gain more from slowing cars down
• What is data on economic impacts slowing traffic down?
• Multi-way Boulevard is residential friendly
• Limited peak hour- plan for future development
• Intersections/cross traffic are complicating factor
• Emphasize capacity over LOS
• Importance of consistency in speed/ cues to maintain safe speed
• Remember multi-modal goals in projections
• Mixed feelings about MWB
• Reservations about roundabouts- will people know how to use them
• Want to see more data on roundabouts
• Maintenance as a performance standard
• More lights = more stops
• Signalized crossing
• Hierarchy of roads versus street grid
• PACTS can perform computer modeling w/ various parameters and modal splits
• Consider impacts on and opportunities with parallel streets (India, Washington, Pearl, etc)
• What treatments are there to reduce cut through traffic into neighborhoods?
• Keep traffic moving on Franklin
• Waterfront access
• I-295 back-up- will cause severe crashes
• City agreed to eliminate Franklin left turn if back up’s pass a certain threshold
• DOT controls ramps
• A vibrant Franklin will attract people to Commercial/Waterfront
• All our goals are not mutually exclusive
• Phase 1: concepts, phase 2: feasibility study
• Exit 7 changes are companion study
• State St. is a valuable reference for geometry
• Performance standards should include: connectivity, economic dev. opportunities, open space

5. Homework: Inform the group you represent, of the Study Committee work to date and solicit feedback.  Prepare to discuss at the next Study Committee meeting.
6. Comments:

     Committee

• • • • • • • • • • Want update on intern
                  • Want follow up on re-use of eminent domain property
                  • Send out contact info for members, future meeting dates
                  • Positive remarks for thoughtfulness, tone, and spirit of committee

work

Public

• If you build for traffic it will come, dedicate pavement for transit/car pool/etc
• Context/ people=chicken/egg
• MWB provides principles and qualities that create context
• Value of public open space in front of significant places, views
• Commonwealth Ave as inspiration
• Congress and Cumberland intersections are the worst
• Franklin does not work for cars
• Preserve, enhance open space
• “Policy should reflect goals, not worst case scenarios”
• Represent stakeholders and residents of neighborhoods
• Bayside Trail Committee will work with Franklin Committee to integrate trail and Franklin
• Process will get us to a better place (traffic, people, humanity, etc)
• Maine is making progress in integrating land use planning and traffic

Next meeting: Feb 4th, 6-8 pm