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CALL TO ORDER

The Regular Meeting of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) was called to order at 6:11 p.m. by
Vice Chairperson Thielges in Room B-104, VTA, 3331 North First Street, San Jose, California.

ROLL CALL

Members Present          Members Present

Members Absent                    Members Absent                                   

A quorum was present.

There were no Public Presentations.

Committee Staff Report

• Project Design Review

Chris Augenstein, Transportation Planning Manager – CMP and Staff Liaison, advised hard copies of the new Bike Map are available for BPAC and available on VTA’s website at www.vta.org.

Mr. Augenstein reported that staff will e-mail a link to the update of the Google Maps Bicycle Map to BPAC for their review.

Mr. Augenstein advised that the Board of Directors did not take action on the VTA Scenario at their meeting on December 1, 2005.   The VTA Scenario will be presented to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) at 1:30 p.m. and PAC at 4:00 p.m., Thursday, December 8, 2005.  Mr. Augenstein extended an invitation to BPAC to attend either the TAC or PAC meeting if they would like to participate in the discussion.  Mr. Augenstein stated the VTA Scenario will be presented to BPAC at their  January 11, 2006 meeting.  Mr. Augenstein stated that copies of Michael t. Burns’, General Manger, dated December 5, 2005, City of San Jose’s Position on the VTA Long-Term Capital Expenditure Plan dated November 30, 2005, and Modified VTA Quarter Cent Sales Tax Scenario Recommendation dated November 28, 2005, which are being provided at the December 8, 2005 meetings are available from the Board Assistant.

Mr. Augenstein reported that no projects are at least 35 percent under design.   Mr. Augenstein stated that staff is considering removing the Project Design Review from the Committee Staff Report and placing it as an agendized item.

Chairperson’s Report

There was no Chairperson’s Report.

Member Stallman requested the fatality of a two-year old on Blossom Hill Road serve as a reminder to BPAC that there are unsafe railroad crossings in Santa Clara County, a need closer attention to the rail road crossings paid to them, and to move them up to the top of the priority list for funding. 

Member Carpenter took his seat at 6:16 p.m.

CONSENT AGENDA

(Removed from Consent Agenda and Place on the Regular Agenda.)

Approve Minutes of November 9, 2005.

M/S/C (Stallman/Simons) on a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes, and 1 abstention to remove the Minutes of November 9, 2005 from the Consent Agenda and placed on the Regular Agenda.  Vice Chairperson Thielges abstained.

REGULAR AGENDA

The Agenda was taken out of order.

Minutes of November 9, 2005

Member Stallman requested the following language be added to the motion on Agenda Item # 15., Draft Policy for Bicycle and Pedestrian Use of Santa Clara County Expressways as follows:  M/S/C (Stallman/Wadler) to adopt policy:   VTP: 2030 (adopted February 2005) and County Expressway Plan (adopted August 19, 2003) are County policy for bicycle and pedestrian use of expressways, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities on expressways.  The “wide shoulders” in the County Expressway Plan are shoulders that are five feet wide or wider.  Wide shoulder facilities can serve for occasional pedestrian use and that… .

M/S/C (Stallman/Walton) on a vote of 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absention to approve the Minutes of November 9, 2005, as amended.   Vice Chairperson Thielges abstained.

Nominating Committee Report for Chairperson and Vice Chairperson

Member Stallman reported that the Nominating Committee proposed the following slate of candidates:   Marc Jensen as Chairperson and Herman Wadler as Vice Chairperson for 2006.   Member Stallman advised that both candidates have accepted.

On order of Vice Chairperson Thielges, there being no objection, Nominating Committee Report for Chairperson and Vice Chairperson was received.

State Route 237 Bicycle Path Between Zanker Road and McCarthy Boulevard      

Ms. DeRobertis stated that she, Yves Zsutly, City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department, and Armando Gomez, City of Milpitas Council District 2, went on a trail walk the week of  November 28, 2005 to get an understanding of State Route 237 (SR 237) Bicycle Path.

Mr. Zsutly noted that he manages the Trails Program. and distributed a copy of the Annual Trail Report, which is produced on an annual basis to review project and program accomplishments over the past year. 

Mr. Zsutly provided an update on SR 237 Bikeways stating that SR 237 Bikeways is a project not listed in a work plan because it was not part of a funded effort.   Mr. Zsutly stated that he is making progress and has been working with John Brazil, San Jose Department of Transportation (DOT). 

Mr. Zsutly referenced photographs in the power point presentation depicting SR 237, Guadalupe River, Gold Street, and Lafayette Street in the Cities of San Jose and Santa Clara.

Mr. Zsutly reported that the bikeway was built as part of SR 237 as a condition of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) because the existing roadway that was there, Alviso/Milpitas Roadway, had on-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities making the   bikeway a condition of the highway.

There are bicycles lanes along the south side of the highway which go down to First Street as an on street alignment, cutting over to Headquarters Drive, following the roadway until it gets to Zanker Road and resumes along the highway as a separate facility until it reaches McCarthy Boulevard.

Mr. Zsutly stated there is a short segment located on the north side of the highway that was designed differently than the bikeway on the south side, which is in a bad state of repair. 

The south side bikeway that abuts the freeway has an opening in the gate that has had some improvements and will become a connection to the Coyote Creek Trail scheduled to open early 2006. 

The section from Zanker Road to McCarthy Boulevard west closed for sewer repair work, which is now completed.   Mr. Zsutly stated the Public Works Project Manager has informed him that the facility is now open. 

Mr. Zsulty stated that the issue with the bikeways is that Caltrain never really intended to take care of the facilities and expected local agencies to be responsible.  There is a letter in existence that goes back approximately 15 years that states the City of San Jose would maintain facilities and Caltrans would take care of the underlying infrastructure.

Mr. Zsulty reported that the Parks and Recreation Department has been working towards a formal agreement with the City of San Jose’s DOT that the Parks and Recreation Department will maintain the bikeways with the condition that the DOT works with Caltrans to ensure the major roadway repairs will not have to be done. Mr. Zsulty stated the hold up in entering into an agreement with Caltrans is Caltrans inability to enter into an agreement with the City of San Jose until right-of-way issues are resolved.

Mr. Zsulty reported that the pathway located in the northside is in bad shape and he and Mr. Brazil met with Calpine, PG&E, and Silicon Valley Power because their trucks were using this roadway and have destroyed it.   The facility was a temporary facility during the building of the highway, was never maintained because no one was claimed responsibility for it and has been impacted by the utilities using it. 

Mr. Zsulty stated that he recently received a sheet of paper from an agreement that provides no other information except for a job order number which references an easement on the property for maintenance and bikeway purposes.   The challenge now is working with city attorney’s office and the city clerk’s office to find out where the rest of that agreement is.

The Parks and Recreation Department has sent a survey crew to confirm that the facility is within the City of San Jose property. 

The Parks and Recreation Department has met with Calpine to seek funding and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has asked Calpine to provide approximately $30,000 for the repair of this facility.   At this time, it is not possible to obtain the funds as there is still no determination as to who the land belongs to nor who the responsibility if maintaining the facility belongs to without an agreement. 

The City of San Jose, the Water Pollution Control Plan, Caltrans, and VTA staff   have met and there is a willingness from each agency to work at finding a solution.

Member Stallman stated he is glad that Mr. Zsutly is becoming involved with this issue because it has been a real struggle and very disappointing in trying to take care of it.   Member Stallman thanked Mr. Zsutly for the presentation.   

On order of Vice Chairperson Thielges, there being no objection, the State Route 237 Bicycle Path Between Zanker Road and McCarthy Boulevard was received.

Fiscal Year 2006-2015 Short Range Transit Plan

Kevin Connolly, Transportation Planning Manager, distributed a handout to BPAC entitled Short Range Transit Plan Fiscal Years 2006-2015 – VTA Committees December 2005.  

Mr. Connolly provided a power point presentation on the Fiscal Year 2006-2015 Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) highlighting:   1) what the SRTP is, 2) purpose and organization of the SRTP, 3) overview of the transit system, 4) operating financial plan, 5) capital improvement program, and 6) staff recommendations.

Member Chan queried what the major component was that decreased the 2003 Operations Budget.   Mr. Connolly responded it was due to the reduction of service.

Member Carpenter stated that although decrease in the fare box recovery may be job related, historically it is known that if there is an economic lull it is easier for people to drive. 

Member Walton queried if the DeAnza College Transit Center is to primarily serve the needs of the college students or is it a gathering point for transit riders.   Mr. Connolly responded that while it is for both, majority of the riders in that area are students.   Mr. Walton inquired as to the completion date of the Center.  Mr. Connolly advised that the anticipated date of completion is 2008. 

Member Carpenter stated that the intersection at Stevens Creek Boulevard and Winchester Boulevard is very busy and recommends the use of other modes of transportation such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in that area.   Mr. Carpenter asked about planned transit improvements in that area.    Mr. Connolly responded that a Comprehensive Operations Analysis will be done over the next 24-months which will consider how to better provide service, especially in that area on Stevens Creek and Winchester Boulevards.  In the Measure A, funding BRT will be available and three intersections have been identified as enhanced transit corridors, one of them being Stevens Creek.

Member Muniz referenced the Paratransit Vehicles and Facility of the PowerPoint Presentation asking how many vehicles will be purchased and how much staff will be needed to maintain the vehicles.   Mr. Connolly responded that he would have to obtain and forward the information.

Member Stallman thanked Mr. Connolly for providing the information to the BPAC and stated the BPAC can provide a lot of good input to improve ridership and service levels.

Mr. Stallman queried if the projects listed in the SRTP will be funded by Measure A.      Mr. Connolly responded that the projects are non-Measure A.

On order of Vice Chairperson Thielges, there being no objection, the Fiscal Year 2006-2015 Short Range Transit Plan was reviewed and discussed.

Cooperative Agreement with the County of Santa Clara to Develop and Administer a Lifeline Transportation Program in Santa Clara County

Amin Surani, Senior Transportation Engineer, reported that the Lifeline Transportation Program in Santa Clara County is a Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) program established to fund transportation projects to improve mobility for lower income residents in the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties.   The Program goals are to address transportation gaps and barriers through the Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP), develop the CBTP through a collaborative and inclusive planning process that includes broad partnerships, and improve a range of transportation options.

Mr. Surani stated that approximately $4 million is available over the next three years for the Lifeline Transportation Program for the County of Santa Clara. VTA and County of Santa Clara are partnering to develop the program.

Mr. Surani reported that the Agreement forms a Joint Lifeline Transportation Committee which will be empowered to develop criteria and scoring.   The Committee will meet, develop a program, do a call for projects, accept applications, rank the applications, and then make funding recommendations to VTA Board of Directors and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

Mr. Surani provided the following timeline: a call for projects in March 2006 and the list of projects presented to the MTC by June of 2006.

Member Simons queried as to the marketing component of the project.   Mr. Surani stated that VTA is partnering with the County of Santa Clara because the County of Santa Clara has connections with various organizations such as non-profit agencies, County departments, and outreach agencies that will help develop the program.

Member Carpenter recommended that when considering the Welfare-to-Work Plan to consider other cities and counties other than Santa Clara County, which may have a higher area of low income residents.   Mr. Surani stated that the goal of the Plan is improve mobility within the County of Santa Clara and Mr. Surani clarified that the MTC program is a nine San Francisco Bay Area county program.

Mr. Augenstein clarified that although there will be a call for projects with a June 2006 deadline, the project is ongoing for three years.

Mr. Augenstein advised that VTA has received funding for two community-based transportation plans, one for the South County and the other for East San Jose.   A study is currently being conducted in the two specific areas and the projects identified will feed into the process.  

Member Simons recommended VTA and the County of Santa Clara include Sunnyvale Community Services and the Salvation Army in the City of Sunnyvale, in the agencies enrolled into the program. 

Vice Chairperson Thielges queried if improvement to pedestrian facilities cited in low income neighborhoods will be considered as candidates for the program. Mr. Surani responded that MTC’s suggested list of projects includes new bicycle trails and pedestrian improvements. 

On order of Vice Chairperson Thiegles, their being no objection, the Cooperative Agreement with the County of Santa Clara to Develop and Administer a Lifeline Transportation Program in Santa Clara County was reviewed and discussed.

Announcements

Member Simons, City of Sunnyvale, commented on the Sunnyvale Citywide Deficiency Plan’s presentation at the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC).

Member Carpenter, City of Mountain View, reported that the City of Mountain View is moving forward with developing a network of bicycle boulevards.   A prototype is underway and construction may commence in 2006.

Member Walton, City of Cupertino, reported that construction on the Mary Avenue Bridge is scheduled to commence January or February of 2006 and fencing has been installed to shield neighbors from bicyclist or pedestrians looking into their yards.   Member Walton requested BPAC provide him with ideas as to how best educate and encourage young bicyclist to ride their bicycles responsibly.   Member Simons requested discussion on how to best educate and encourage bicyclists to ride their bicycles responsibly be agendized for discussion at the January 11, 2006 BPAC Meeting.

Member Stallman, City of Saratoga, reported the Cities of Saratoga, Monte Sereno, and Los Gatos held a cookie and coffee meeting hosted by the City of Monte Sereno regarding the Highway 9 between City of Saratoga and City of Los Gatos Safety Project the week of November 28, 2005 to discuss project safety. 

Member Chan, City of Los Altos, reported that the statistics for Walk to School Day held on October 1, 2005 was 65 percent.

ADJOURNMENT           

On order of Vice Chairperson Thielges, there being no objection, the meeting was adjourned at 7:19 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,                                                                                    

Gilda M. Gozdanich, Board Assistant
VTA Board of Directors

NOTE:   M/S/C MEANS MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED AND, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.