Meeting #5 Minutes: Feb. 4

Franklin Street Arterial Study Group

Meeting #5 February 4, 2008

Notes

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

Staff: Mike Bobinsky, Kathi Earley, Bill Needleman, Carl Eppich, Gerald Varney, Alex Jagerman, Rachel Talbot-Ross, Regina Philips

Consultant: Mitchel Rasor
1. Introductions
2. Updates          

• meeting schedule: 2/26 meeting w/ Lucy Gibson, consultant,  3/4 invite business/property owners, Econ Dev Director, 3/18 finialize performance standards, prepare for Public Workshop,
• Public Workshop: Committee feels we need 2 public workshops. First in Early April. Open to weekday evening or weekend. Committee willing to do back to back workshop and debrief, if appropriate; willing to work with/scribe for/small groups. Facilitators were favored.
• Reporting back from stakeholder constituents:

• • MHNO: excitement, new Observer to raise awareness
  • EBNO: pedestrian issues are priority, excitede about possibility of ped. crossings, reconnecting streets, at least for peds
  • Ethan (Off-Peninsula): see Franklin as eyesore, mistake, ‘charged’ about Vision statement
  • Liz (Off Pen): all have stake in Frankin
  • Peaks: importance as conduit for islanders, unattractive, importance of walkability, connecting Metro and boats
  • BNA: excitement, need for short term/immediate improvements: pedestrian lighting

3. Traffic Data             

   Mike Laberge presents data on traffic volumes. Questions/Comments:

• These 3 year (2005-7) averages are year round average (not summer avg)
• Peak Hour 8-9 am, 4-6 pm
• Marginal Way and Commercial have increases ; Cumberland and Congress, decreases
• Points out that need to compare intersections to like intersections.
• Do we know where traffic is coming from? (only traffic through ‘portal’ not on peninsula traffic
• Commercial street has most increase in volume (more to come)- we must be planning for this
• Please compare Congress @ Franklin to rates at Congress @High and State

   Crash counts Data for Franklin intersections

• I-295 ramp and Congress Street are high crash locations
• what is relationship between volume and crashes year by year? (appears to be more crashes when less volume
• Knowing types of crashes at each location give better idea what’s happening
• Current design encourges/supports dangerous driving choices (high speed, lane changes, etc)
• Need transitions between Contexts
• Continuity in context is important to controlling speed, maintaining even speed
• City requested to look into traffic infractions on Franklin (2005-7) Is it even enforced?
• Could put up a speed detector on Franklin? Generate a Speed Profile (graph)
• What is relationship between development and traffic ?
• What is relationship between  speed limit and # of accidents?
• Reconnecting Streets may create more ‘conflict points’
• need to know all factors contributing to unsafe conditions and address the most influential
• Dan Stewart will bring Peninsula Maps of Traffic and Ped counts/ accidents
• How have traffic calming efforts in other parts of city worked (Stevens Ave)?
• Would like research on incidents involving pedestrians- Requested of Staff

   Preliminary discussion on Exit 7 plans/stakeholder process

• DOT moving forward with this process, to run parralel to Franklin Study
• Subgroup of Franklin Com. can have serve on Exit 7 stakeholder process
• Must be multiple feedback loops between Franklin and Exit 7 group

4. Refining Vision Statement (postponed until next meeting)                   

5. Discussion on public workshop/community outreach      

• March 4th meeting: invite Business and Property owners (abbutting properties, India St, Lower Congress, East Marginal Way, Washington Ave), local developer community, Economic Develpoment Director for first half of meeting.
• Work with City Community Liaison’s-survey for multi-cultural community in East Bayside, brief Liaisons. Possible follow up: meetings with Community Leaders, larger forum w/ multi-cultural community (Parkside, Kennedy Park, Root Cellar?) What is the ‘hook’ that will get this population engaged? Also opportunity to ‘piggy back’ on other event with this population. Chairs to follow up with survey, meeting with City Staff/Community Liaison.
• Public Workshop- Committee wants to see 2 public workshops focusing on generating solutions, not describing problems, (second to refine input from first). First to be around early April mtg date. Discussion around weekday eveing or weekend- (perhaps one each). Committee open to a follow up meeting day after workshop, if appropriate. Committee members interested in working with small groups (perhaps as scribes, with volunteer facilitators-PSA?, Institute for Civic Leadership?). Committee would like to see Workshop plans as developed. Also questions around balancing input of attendees w/ Study Committee work, what ‘parameters’ might we want to set? Get media involved!. Also: may want to consider smaller, more tailored events. Locations; OceanGateway, Cathedral Guild Hall?

6. Performance Standards/Design Criteria- (postponed until next meeting)

7. Homework: Vision Statement-committee members to make edits they would like to see in final version

8. Comments                        

• • • Mitch Rasor- Consultants need to have an idea of what our Performance Standards are

Next Mtg  Lucy – response to earlier issues discussed at Mtg #4

Feb 26  Vision Statement

Performance Standards/Design Criteria