Group: Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force

DATE: February 5, 2001

TIME: 9:30 AM

LOCATION: CATS Conference Room

Members Represented:

John Allen Regional Transportation Authority

Ders Anderson Openlands

Ed Barsotti League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB)

Ray Campbell American Council of the Blind

Bruce Christensen Lake County

Josh Deth Break the Gridlock

Greg Dreyer Village of Orland Park

Cathy Geraghty Cook County Forest Preserve

Catherine Kannenberg Metra

Alan Mamoser Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC)

Carl Mikyska Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)

Bobbie Moore Palatine/Willow Rd. CMT

Randy Neufeld Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (CBF)

Artemio Perez Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)

Keith Privett Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT)

Tom Rickert Kane County DOT

Craig Williams Edwards and Kelcey

Others in Attendance:

Steve Call FHWA

Lee Cotton Village of New Lenox

Christina Dudek Village of Lemont

Ann Fennessy East Hyde Park Committee

Andre Gaither National Park Service

Derrick James Chicagoland Bicycle Federation

John LaPlante TY Lin

John Lomas City of Naperville

Matt Longjohn Children's Memorial Hospital

Dave Longo Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Marty Mueller Knight

Ruth Meyers DuPage County DOT

Lisa Phillips University of Illinois/CDOT

Suzan Pinsof Susan Anderson Pinsof and Associates

Maryann Romanelli Hinsdale School Walking Program

Heather Tabbert Kane County

Randy Warren CBF

Dick Westfall Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Brian Gebhardt CATS

Tom Murtha CATS

Tom Murtha CATS

Tom Murtha CATS

Tom Murtha CATS

Introductions

Meeting participants introduced themselves. The task force approved staff's proposal that Mr. Lee Cotton, a planner for New Lenox, become a new task force member. He will fill the municipal vacancy.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes from October 24, 2001 were approved with no changes.

Walkable Communities Workshops

Ms. Kilgore explained that an interim report has been completed to provide a general overview of what happened at the workshops. She provided a timeline for additional products:

Mr. Murtha explained that the Palatine/Willow Road Corridor Study has been moved from the Plan Implementation to the Plan Development Division. Because it was difficult to gain consensus from all eight participating communities on details of the original scope of work (a transportation demand management approach), staff is proposing conducting Walkable Communities workshops to help communities think about strategies for accommodating walking and cycling in the corridor. Staff is currently trying to determine whether the communities will find this approach a suitable alternative.

Ms. Moore and Mr. Campbell both expressed their support for this approach. Mr. Williams asked if the process would affect the design of the current road project, parts of which are already in the letting phase. Mr. Murtha explained that the planning exercises would explore pedestrian and bicycle accommodations along and across the corridor. Implementation of these accommodations might happen in the future. In some cases, they might be addressed during the upcoming construction processes.

Soles and Spokes Working Group Proposal

Ms. Kilgore provided a report on the recent Over, Under and Across: Grade Separation and At-Grade Crossings workshop and an overview of the Soles and Spokes Working Group's proposal for on-going technical training on bicycle and pedestrian transportation issues. The working group feels that the workshop, conducted by Mr. James Mackay, PE, Bicycle Planner for the city of Denver, was a success. One hundred people attended (a second workshop was added to accommodate the demand) and all expenses were recouped. She made available a packet of Mr. Mackay's handouts and stated that a summary of the workshop will be available soon.

She delivered the working group's recommendation that CATS offer more frequent and diverse events throughout the year instead of planning a large conference every two years. This would allow for more frequent networking opportunities and address different audiences more directly. For example, Soles and Spokes Design Workshops (such as Mr. Mackay's workshop) can be more technical, for implementers looking for specific ideas. Other events, such as a Safe Routes to School workshop, might focus both on implementation and "buy-in." Using existing staff, volunteer and financial resources, the Soles and Spokes Working Group feels the following events can be organized within the next year.

Events

1. Safe Routes to School Workshop in spring

She explained that the working group also recommends developing "bicycle planning 101" and "pedestrian planning 101" workshops. For example, CATS could build on the Walkable Communities program and provide a certain number of workshops a year. We could also develop a mobile bicycle workshop modeled on work CDOT is doing. CDOT's bike program takes engineers and project managers on bike tours to demonstrate need for bicycle accommodations and discuss best practices. It would be useful to provide this kind of service to other agencies in the region. These projects would require additional resources, perhaps in the form of consultant services.

Mr. Rickert expressed his support for offering more frequent, targeted events, noting that almost as many people attended the Over, Under and Across workshop as attended the 2000 Soles and Spokes conference. Mr. Neufeld added that easily accessible bike and ped 101 resources can make a big difference, providing information to those who don't typically seek out bicycling and pedestrian training opportunities.

Safe Routes to School Workshop Proposal

Mr. Perez presented the Safe Routes to School workshop proposal (below). Possible keynotes are James Corliss with the Surface Transportation Policy Project and Rich Killingsworth, formerly of the Centers for Disease Control's Walk to School Program. Mr. Killingsworth has already expressed willingness to be a keynote. He has proposed scheduling the event in mid-April, right before or after the American Planning Association conference (which he will already be in town for). However, this might be a challenge for people in the region who would like to attend both events, so we are also investigating holding the event in early or mid-May.

Workshop Goals

• Raise awareness of the benefits of providing safe routes to schools and encouraging children to walk and bike to school.

Workshop Structure

Preliminaries and Keynote Address (9-10 am)

We are seeking a keynote speaker who can provide:

• An overview of Safe Routes to School efforts nationwide and around the world.

Virtual Walkabouts and Panel Discussion (10:15am-noon)

A panel comprised of local experts and our keynote speaker will discuss examples of how schools in urban, suburban, and small town areas have improved walking and cycling conditions and/or increased walking and cycling to school. Video clips will help participants "walk and bike a mile" in a youngster's shoes, to illustrate typical challenges and opportunities.

Lunch (noon-12:45pm)

Nourishment and networking.

Discussion Forums (1-2pm)

We will break into groups for facilitated discussions on topics such as:

• Current and future funding strategies.

Report Back and Wrap-Up (2-2:30pm)

We will hear reports from the discussion forums and adjourn.

Target Audience

The workshop will focus on issues that affect communities and families throughout northeastern Illinois. Special outreach efforts will be made to local and state elected officials, school administrators, educators, planners, engineers, public health professionals and community residents.

Bike Lanes and Paths Proposal

Mr. Barsotti presented the Bike Lanes and Paths proposal (see below).

Workshop Goals

Provide attendees with the following information, with an opportunity for questions:

• Importance of considering bicyclists in roadway corridor designs

Proposed Workshop Speaker

Michael Ronkin, Oregon Department of Transportation’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, comes highly recommended by national experts. Additionally, there will be short sessions by other speakers, on local examples and policy issues.

Target Audience

The workshop will mainly focus on technical issues of on-road and off-road bicycle accommodations. Planners, engineers, consultants, policy makers, and others will be encouraged to attend.

Workshop Structure, Dates, and Locations

Attendees would have the choice of two dates, tentatively Wednesday/Thursday June 19-20 or Thursday/Friday June 20-21. We are considering having one, in-depth, full day workshop option (at CATS) and one half-day workshop option (perhaps in a suburban location, like Schaumburg). The proposed locations offer both on-road and off-road bicycle facilities that can be described in the discussion.

Mr. Anderson expressed concern that the workshop might send the message that off-road facilities are always inappropriate. Mr. Barsotti clarified that Mr. Ronkin will help participants understand the pros and cons of on and off road bicycle accommodation so that informed decisions can be made. The objective is well-designed bicycle facilities that are safe and pleasant, whether they are on or off road.

Mr. Rickert closed the discussion and the task force moved that CATS proceed with planning these events. The bike and ped 101 issue was deferred to the UWP agenda item.

Inclusion of Youths in CATS Household Travel Survey

Mr. Murtha explained that the Work Program Committee had considered the task force's request that youth under the age of 14 be included in the household travel survey. With input from CATS staff, the committee decided that the 2001-02 survey was not going to collect the data, but invited task force members to propose a UWP element to fund such a study in FY03. Mr. Murtha then added his own view to the recommendation. He reminded the task force that the scope of work for the regional bicycle and pedestrian plan includes identifying data needs and gaps. He stated that it is not clear that youth travel will be a number one data need. He also noted that CATS' bicycle and pedestrian planning assistance program includes a line item for data collection and analysis. This could be expanded to do a pilot youth travel data collection effort. Mr. Murtha feels that a separate UWP project should not be the strategy, especially because the UWP committee has indicated that it wants fewer separate project requests.

Mr. Privett observed that the Work Program Committee's meeting minutes indicate their discussion emphasized children's health. He does not recall health being the reason for the task force's interest in collecting youth travel data. Instead, the impetus was making sure that youth trips are counted for modeling purposes. The task force is interested in the question: do better facilities mean that parents do not need to make as many trips? Mr. Rickert and others concurred, adding that we want to better understand how youth travel needs affect our transportation systems. Mr. Perez added that there has been discussion of alternative data collection strategies, such as doing a smaller sample. Mr. Murtha countered that it is not clear if supplemental data could be integrated into the model or if the model is even the most important thing we should be focusing on. Instead, we should be investigating the effects of the built environment and education on youth travel patterns, safety and overall health.

Mr. Neufeld summarized: we asked, the Work Program Committee said no, and, as a result, the household travel survey will produce less complete information. We want to collect more data, and there may be ways unrelated to the model to do the collection.

The discussion closed with calls for CATS staff to continue investigating ways to collect youth travel data.

Unified Work Program

Mr. Murtha explained that CATS staff is seeking input on its bicycle and pedestrian planning Unified Work Program proposal for FY03. Should we build on last year's program? Add new components, such as the bicycle and pedestrian 101 projects? What are our priorities? Mr. Neufeld advocated for the inclusion of the "101" projects because he has seen how effective they can be. He encouraged CATS to be realistic about its internal staffing resources and to consider outsourcing some projects. If CATS' bike and ped work program increased to a trillion dollars, but there were only two people to staff it, not much would be accomplished. Mr. Neufeld also cautioned against letting bicycling and walking issues be sold short in the overall UWP process. About half of the public comments and concerns from the update of the 2020 regional transportation plan were on bike and ped issues. He feels it is appropriate for the UWP to fund a chunk of bike and ped activity. We should not decide to settle for $90-95 thousand dollars.

Mr. Rickert concurred and asked what will happen after staff receives task force comments and submits the UWP proposal. Will the task force be able to assess the various competing elements of the UWP and have an opportunity to promote bike/ped's proposal? Mr. Murtha stated that we would provide more information on process at a later date.

Highway/Transit Working Groups Update

Mr. Murtha announced that CATS is engaged in a multi-modal regional transportation planning process with a horizon year of 2030. We are exploring concept scenarios on topics such as public health and transportation to help develop the plan's goals and objectives. We are also in the early phases of developing scenarios for analysis of regional travel demand modeling efforts to evaluate possible plans. Highway and Transit Working Groups are beginning this effort by identifying possible projects and development procedures. The working groups are collecting proposals, which can take three forms: 1) a project (such as a freeway in Lake County) 2) a system (such as a system of railroad grade separations, arterial improvements or a bikeway network) or 3) a strategy (something that cannot be pinpointed on a map but that should be evaluated in the context of the plan, such as creating a funding source for improving pedestrian connections to elementary schools). He explained that working group members will be collecting proposals and introduced Mr. Derrick James, who is representing bicycling interests on the Highway Working Group. Mr. Privett and Mr. Christensen are also involved in the working groups. Proposal forms are still being finalized, but we will let task force members know when they are ready. The proposal deadline will likely be one month after the forms are finalized.

Mr. Murtha added that bicycle and pedestrian projects probably will not be considered regionally significant. Mr. Neufeld countered that bike and ped projects are the only kind required by federal law to be included in the regional transportation plan. Mr. Privett added that a system approach will probably be more effective for getting bicycle and pedestrian projects considered for inclusion in the plan. Mr. Barsotti suggested that the notes from the Center for Neighborhood Technology's Connecting Communities Transportation Summits would be a great way to find ideas for projects being sought by the public.

Mr. Anderson commented on the list of projects and concerns generated from the 2020 update that was included as an attachment for this agenda item. Noting that bicycle and pedestrian issues were subordinated in the highway category, he asked where an off-road trail network would fit in. Mr. Murtha explained that building a trail is similar to building a highway--you have the same right of way and regulatory issues.

Mr. Neufeld asked whether projects identified in the subregional bike plans would be considered for inclusion in the plan. Mr. Murtha suggested that they are system proposals, and could have regional significance. Mr. Neufeld clarified: if a council does not submit its plan, will it still be considered? He added that the plans should be submitted, particularly since the region dedicated resources to developing them. Mr. Murtha mentioned the problem of some councils having more fully developed plans than others. Mr. LaPlante asked how the regional bicycle and pedestrian plan relates to the 2030 regional transportation plan. Mr. Murtha explained that the 2030 plan needs to be finished before the regional bike and ped plan is expected to be complete. It is expected that the bike and ped plan will play more of a role in the 2030 update, scheduled for completion in 2005/6. We expect the bike and ped plan will be separately adopted by the policy committee, so it will have the same standing as Shared Path 2030.

Ms. Kilgore recalled that the task force had had a similar discussion about how to incorporate bicycle and pedestrian projects into the RTP. Indeed, these discussions were an impetus for developing a regional bicycle and pedestrian plan. Since the regional bike and ped plan will not be complete in time for the next RTP, bike and ped proposals should still be submitted for consideration. Mr. James stated that he would submit all the subregional plans for consideration.

Mr. Mamoser asked how the proposals will be evaluated. Will they be modeled in relationship to the highway systems? Mr. Murtha anticipates that an alternatives working group will be established. The details have yet to be worked out.

Mr. Rickert closed the discussion with a reminder to submit proposals.

Suburban Bike Rack Program

Ms. Kilgore announced that municipalities may order discounted bicycle racks through the council of mayors bicycle parking program. Copies of order forms were available at the meeting and are available on-line.

Cardiovascular Health Partnership

Mr. Murtha announced that he has been participating in the Illinois Department of Public Health's development of a state cardiovascular health plan. He, Mr. Longo and Mr. Barsotti are part of the nutrition and physical activity sub-committee. Developing a plan is the first step in trying to secure some funding resources for cardiovascular health initiatives in Illinois.

Other Business

Mr. Privett announced that he had attended a trails conference in northern Indiana. The conference was well-attended, indicating a strong interest in developing trails and creating connections between Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Mr. Neufeld mentioned state legislation on Context Sensitive Design that Senator Dan Kronon has introduced. SB 1579 asks IDOT to rewrite its regulations to consider community, environmental and other issues as part of design criteria. Mr. Neufeld suggested that would be a good topic for a future task force meeting. He also announced that Mayor Daley has agreed to close Lake Shore Drive to car traffic on the morning of Sunday, June 9^th for a new CBF event: Bike the Drive.

Mr. Deth asked that a Regional Bike and Ped plan update be included in every meeting. Mr. Murtha explained that the process is expected to take off soon. We are still in the consultant selection process.

Ms. Romanelli had noticed an article in the paper about expected cuts to IDOT's budget. She asked how those cuts will affect the proposed projects discussed earlier in the meeting. Mr. Privett explained that while budgets are tighter, it is important to keep planning so that you are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes along. Mr. Campbell added that President Bush is proposing an initiative that will provide assistance to people with disabilities, which is expected to include transportation provisions. He will keep the task force updated.

The next meeting was scheduled for 9:30, April 10^th at 9:30am.