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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.29.14 Packet CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING CITY OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS LORRAINE H. MORTON CIVIC CENTER COUNCIL CHAMBERS Monday, September 29, 2014 7:00 p.m. ORDER OF BUSINESS (I) City Council Roll Call – Begin with Alderman Grover (II) Mayor Public Announcements and Proclamations Williams Shoes - The Walking Spirit – 60th Anniversary National Community Planning Month – October 2014 National Fire Prevention Week – October 5-11, 2014 (III) City Manager Public Announcements (IV) Communications: City Clerk (V) Citizen Comment Members of the public are welcome to speak at City Council meetings. As part of the Council agenda, a period for citizen comments shall be offered at the commencement of each regular Council meeting. Those wishing to speak should sign their name, address and the agenda item or topic to be addressed on a designated participation sheet. If there are five or fewer speakers, fifteen minutes shall be provided for Citizen Comment. If there are more than five speakers, a period of forty-five minutes shall be provided for all comment, and no individual shall speak longer than three minutes. The Mayor will allocate time among the speakers to ensure that Citizen Comment does not exceed forty-five minutes. The business of the City Council shall commence forty-five minutes after the beginning of Citizen Comment. Aldermen do not respond during Citizen Comment. Citizen Comment is intended to foster dialogue in a respectful and civil manner. Citizen comments are requested to be made with these guidelines in mind. (VI) Special Orders of Business (VII) Call of the Wards (Aldermen shall be called upon by the Mayor to announce or provide information about any Ward or City matter which an Alderman desires to bring before the Council.) {Council Rule 2.1(10)} (VIII) Executive Session (IX) Adjournment 1 of 24 City Council Agenda September 29, 2014 Page 2 of 3 SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS (SP1) Sheridan Road/Chicago Avenue Improvement Project Staff requests approval to defer resurfacing, streetscape and bike improvements along Sheridan Road/Chicago Avenue Corridor from Grove Street to Isabella Street until 2017, and authorization to complete the required utility improvements along corridor in 2015. For Action (SP2) Dodge Avenue Biking Improvements (Howard Street to Church Street) Staff requests approval for submission of revised biking improvements on Dodge Avenue to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and Illinois Department of Transportation. For Action (SP3) Biking Improvements at Mason Park and Evanston Township High School Staff requests approval of proposed biking improvements at Mason Park and Evanston Township High School (ETHS) between Dodge Avenue and Pitner Avenue. For Action (SP4) Bike Policy Issues: Next Steps and 2015 Initiatives Staff requests City Council consider the presentation on Bike Policy next steps and 2015 initiatives. For Discussion MEETINGS SCHEDULED THROUGH OCTOBER 2014 Upcoming Aldermanic Committee Meetings Mon, Oct 6 6 pm Rules Committee Mon, Oct 6 7:30 pm Human Services Committee Wed, Oct 8 7 pm Northwestern University/City Committee Mon, Oct 13 6 pm A&PW, P&D, City Council meetings Wed, Oct 15 5:30 pm City-School Liaison Committee Wed, Oct 15 6:30 pm M/W/EBE Advisory Committee Mon, Oct 20 7 pm City Council meeting Tues, Oct 21 7:30 pm Housing & Community Dev Act Ctte Wed, Oct 22 6 pm Transportation/Parking Committee Wed, Oct 22 7:30 pm Economic Development Committee Thurs, Oct 23 5:30 pm Emergency Telephone System Board Fri, Oct 24 7 am Housing & Homelessness Commission Mon, Oct 27 6 pm A&PW, P&D, City Council meetings 10/24/2013 6:42 PM 2 of 24 City Council Agenda September 29, 2014 Page 3 of 3 Order and agenda items are subject to change. Information is available about Evanston City Council meetings at: www.cityofevanston.org/citycouncil. Questions can be directed to the City Manager’s Office at 847-866-2936. The City is committed to ensuring accessibility for all citizens. If an accommodation is needed to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Manager’s Office 48 hours in advance so that arrangements can be made for the accommodation if possible. 10/24/2013 6:42 PM 3 of 24 For City Council meeting of September 29, 2014 Item SP1 Business of the City by Motion: Sheridan Road - Chicago Avenue Project For Action To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Suzette Robinson, Director of Public Works Dave Stoneback, Director of Utilities Sat Nagar, P.E., Assistant Director of Engineering & Infrastructure Subject: Sheridan Road/Chicago Ave Improvement Projects Date: September 25, 2014 Recommended Action: Staff requests approval to defer resurfacing, streetscape and bike improvements along Sheridan Road/Chicago Avenue Corridor from Grove Street to Isabella Street until 2017, and authorization to complete the required utility improvements along corridor in 2015. Funding: FY2015 Water Fund – $4,000,000 FY2015 GO Bond Fund - $600,000 Washington National TIF - $400,000 Summary: The Sheridan Road – Chicago Ave Improvement Project is a major undertaking by the City of Evanston to improve the traffic flow throughout the corridor for all modes of traffic, to improve the streets pavement condition, and to provide additional sustainable surface storm water management techniques. Project limits begin with Chicago Ave at the intersection of Grove Street, and end on Sheridan Road at the intersection with Isabella Street. The project began with an alternative analysis of Sheridan Road and Chicago Avenue for improved biking, pedestrian, vehicular and transit operations. Based on community, aldermanic, university and consultant input, staff recommendation is to place a two-way cycle-track along the east side of the corridor from Davis to Central. During the initial stages of the design it was determined that a reconstruction of Sheridan Road was needed which requires more substantial subsurface work than the typical resurfacing project the department performs. Based on this determination staff is recommending that all underground utility work be completed as a part of the project. Memorandum 4 of 24 The underground utility improvements that are required on Sheridan Road include water main replacement, Northwestern utilities and other agency utilities. The City’s Utility Department has identified a water main lining project on Sheridan Road between Emerson Street and Lincoln Street. Water main replacements are needed on Sheridan Road between Lincoln Street and Central Street, Ingleside Place and Ridge Avenue, and on Chicago Avenue from Clark Street to Grove Street. As the design progressed, it became apparent that the completion of all the underground and surface elements associated with the improvement of the corridor cannot all be accomplished within the June to September construction window. Staff is therefore recommending that the subsurface utility work be completed in 2015 followed by street, bike lane, and sustainable parkway improvements in 2017. Staff are planning the Emerson/Ridge/Green Bay project construction in 2016, which is funded by Surface Transportation Program (STP) Funds through North Shore Council of Mayors. This construction may divert traffic to Sheridan Road. We are recommending a two year deferment for Sheridan Road/Chicago Avenue until 2017 to complete the Emerson/Ridge/Green Bay intersection improvement project in 2016. The proposed schedule adjustment will not result in the loss of any grant funding for the Sheridan Road project. Deferring the Sheridan-Chicago resurfacing project until 2017, will allow for detailed design and refinement of the recommended east side cycle-track. In addition, it will provide staff the opportunity to coordinate funding and landscape design with the University. The deferment will also free up $900,000 of MFT funding in 2015 which staff is recommending be used to resurface Ridge Avenue from Garnett Place to Isabella Street in 2015. This will allow the City to continue its practice of resurfacing at least one major segment of the primary route system each year. The total estimated cost for water main project on Chicago Avenue/Sheridan Road is $5,000,000. Page 2 of 2 5 of 24 For City Council meeting of September 29, 2014 Item SP2 Business of the City by Motion: Dodge Avenue Biking Improvements For Action To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Suzette Robinson, Director of Public Works Sat Nagar, P.E., Assistant Director of Engineering & Infrastructure Rajeev Dahal, Senior Project Manager Subject: Dodge Avenue Biking Improvements (Howard Street to Church Street) Date: September 25, 2014 Recommended Action: Staff requests approval for submission of revised biking improvements on Dodge Avenue to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and Illinois Department of Transportation. Summary: The City requested Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds to construct protected bike lanes on Dodge Avenue from Howard Street to Church Street. The proposed project will relocate the bike lanes to the curb lines and will place the parking lanes between the traffic lanes and the new bike lanes. The proposed bike lanes will have major impacts on street parking. To minimize impacts to on-street parking the City has developed an alternate option of buffered bike lanes on Dodge Avenue. The Dodge Avenue presentation will outline the pro and cons of the proposed buffered bike lane. The staff is requesting direction from City Council to ensure use of grant funds in 2015. Memorandum 6 of 24 For City Council meeting of September 29, 2014 Item SP3 Business of the City by Motion: Mason Park & ETHS Biking Improvements For Action To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Suzette Robinson, Director of Public Works Sat Nagar, P.E., Assistant Director of Engineering & Infrastructure Rajeev Dahal, Senior Project Manager Subject: Biking Improvements at Mason Park and Evanston Township High School Date: September 25, 2014 Recommended Action: Staff requests approval of proposed biking improvements at Mason Park and Evanston Township High School (ETHS) between Dodge Avenue and Pitner Avenue. Summary: The existing protected bike lane on Church Street is two-way west of Mason Park and one-way east of the park. The westbound bike lane/bike route on Davis Street is proposed to be connected to the bike lane on Church Street through Mason Park. After City Council approval, City staff will complete the engineering plans and meet with neighbors to discuss the proposed bike lane through the park. After finalizing the construction plans with feedback from neighbors, staff will let the project for construction of the bike lane in summer of 2015. City staff had several discussions with high school staff regarding the proposed bike lane on ETHS property. The proposed bike lane will be constructed south of Church Street on ETHS property between Dodge and Pitner Avenue. Memorandum 7 of 24 For City Council meeting of September 29, 2014 Item SP4 Summary of Bike Comments and Presentation on Bike Policy Next Steps For Discussion To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Ylda Capriccioso, Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator Subject: Bike Policy Issues: Next Steps and 2015 Initiatives Date: September 29, 2014 Recommended Action: Staff requests City Council consider the presentation on Bike Policy next steps and 2015 initiatives. Summary: In response to concerns regarding planned street improvements with added bike treatments, community members were encouraged to provide feedback at a number of public meetings through August and September. A total of six ward meetings hosted discussions on bike transportation improvements. Over 100 residents attended, asked questions and voiced concerns. Staff documented the written comments. The comments, both written and verbal, will aid in identifying community priorities when developing and implementing future on-street bike treatments and developing the framework for an education and safety campaign. A summary of the comments are provided in the attachments. Staff is requesting City Council consider potential initiatives for 2015 to help facilitate positive dialogue between residents and the City about bike treatments and improvements, educate residents about transportation safety rules, and create collaborative partnerships that promote and encourage biking in Evanston. Staff will use these initiatives during the course of the fall and winter to develop a plan to present to Committees and City Council for action. Staff has begun meeting cross-departmentally to identify partnerships to build a framework of initiatives that would support short and long-term sustained outreach efforts for bike safety and awareness. Additional external meetings with the Evanston Bicycle Club and Active Transportation Alliance have facilitated good dialogue about outreach and education efforts. The three initiatives follow. Memorandum 8 of 24 Initiative #1: Outreach & Engagement This initiative involves developing and providing communication to residents about biking in Evanston, future improvements, and how to participate in the planning process. This initiative will identify stakeholders and community partners to share, publicize and facilitate dialogue among groups and residents. One critical component to this initiative is a public forum to discuss bike policies. Staff is proposing to use the City’s Parking and Transportation Committee as the forum to discuss and address mobility issues, i.e. bike and transit. The committee is scheduled to meet in October to discuss its mission and committee composition to better address mobility challenges including bikes and transit. Other ideas under this initiative could include a bike repository webpage to include all bike resources and links from the City and the creation of a bike consortium of community partners. Initiative #2: Education & Safety This initiative involves working collaboratively with City departments, stakeholders and community partners to teach all residents how to bike, drive and walk safely in Evanston. This initiative could create a signature campaign for a spring launch. A Citywide campaign could include: select events for educational programming; development of a bike ambassadors program; work with businesses to address delivery issues; and targeted programs to Northwestern campus/School Districts 202 and 65. Other components include bike parking app, improved bike maps, and more. Initiative #3: Regulatory – Bike Ordinance City staff, in collaboration with stakeholders and community partners, could begin developing additions to existing traffic ordinances that apply to bikes or identify the need for a stand-alone bike ordinance. This initiative should begin in fall 2015 after public spring and summer engagement efforts. Attachments Staff summary of verbal comments from public meetings Scanned public comments from public meetings Emailed comments to bikes@cityofevanston.org Page 2 of 2 9 of 24 Summary of Ward/Public Meetings Comments Prepared by Ylda Capriccioso, Assistant to the City Manager/IGR Coordinator  Enforce all the lays – jaywalking, bikes, and cars  Synchronized lights  CTA bus on Sheridan Road should return to Sherman  Protect trees  Sheridan should be only cars  Regulate rickshaws and skateboarders too  Will the city prepare a safety analysis of how each of the options affect safety – Sheridan Road Project  More education to students and key staff at Northwestern University  No bikes on Sheridan Road during rush hour  Sheridan is a gateway to Evanston  Biker disregard stop signs and lights  Fine bikers for not obeying the law  Two way does not seems natural; how do you cross to make a turn  Sidewalk lighting  Protected bike lanes – there is no good way to turn left; pullover and stop in the bike lanes  Protected bike lanes – getting out and re-entering the street is challenging  Pedestrians in the bikes lanes  In Europe there are separate bike lanes and separate traffic signals for bikes  Davis parking lanes it is hard to see  What are the laws for designated bike lanes?  On Howard there must be stronger enforcement of bike on sidewalks  Having bike traffic running the opposite way of car traffic is confusing  Why are we not seeing the 3rd option for Sheridan Road  It is hard to see bikes from the bike lanes  Bike lanes were hard to get used to at first, but I’m now getting more accustomed to using them  Bikes on Sheridan is dangerous, bike should be on Hinman and Orrington  Has staff or consultant explored options that do not include Sheridan 10 of 24 11 of 24 12 of 24 13 of 24 14 of 24 15 of 24 16 of 24 17 of 24 18 of 24 19 of 24 20 of 24 BIKE COMMENTS SENT TO BIKES@CITYOFEVANSTON.ORG COMMENTS RECEIVED DATE: Aug. 22- Sept. 15 TOTAL: 15 comments Sheridan Road (SR) or Bike Plan Update (BP), General Bike (G) I live on Sheridan Rd. in the north part of Evanston. The road immediately outside my house, north and south, has been in serious disrepair for several years. Some small portions have been repaved; most have not. In order to avoid bumps, holes and fractured surfaces, bikers and drivers find that they have to swirl and sway to avoid pitfalls. Consequently, they frequently come close to accidents on the road and with each other. Once, when I was returning home from a walk, a biker who had been hit by a car was laying on my front lawn, surrounded by police. When I offered the biker water and an i phone the police yelled at me to keep moving. When I told them I was at my home and a lawyer and about to write down their badge numbers they yelled at me to keep moving. (They could easily have said, "Thanks. We're taking care of him. We've provided water and a phone.") The broken road, bike injury, and bizarre police behavior are all unnecessary and need repair. SR The bike parking on the 2nd level of the Sherman Plaza Garage is my Go To place for my bike whenever I ride to downtown Evanston - out of sight, secure and dry. I love it, though its existence seems to be a well-kept secret. 1. Might it be possible to indicate somewhere within the Davis/Benson elevators near the 2nd floor button a notation that that's where the bike parking is? Better yet -- change the picture itself to include a bike. 2. Can the performance of the street level automatic door be made as good as the automatic door into the bike parking area? Currently, the automatic door on the 2nd level opens in 7 seconds; the one on the street level takes almost 30 seconds to open, which feels like an eternity. While the 2nd floor one would only be used by cyclists, the street level one might be used by mobility-impaired pedestrians as well as cyclists. Many of our bikes issues are difficult ones; this one should be a relatively easy improvement. G I sympathize with the planners, aldermen who might have to vote up a plan and funding, and other riders who find Evanston a distinctly mixed bag of bike-ability -- and the prospects inevitably also mixed despite strong efforts to improve. My eyes glazed over before the end of the 65-slide show. But let me share how I, as a 70- year-old retiree, use my bike for running errands often and exercise occasionally, usually in fair weather. I know the odds when a 250-pound person-bike combination capable of 15 mph max collides with anything, especially a vehicle of 2,500-pounds-and-up, often going 35 in a 25 zone. During morning dog walks, I see a substantial minority of drivers using devices, eating, looking at a passenger -- not watching traffic closely and even less likely to see a bike. So, noise and exhaust aside, I strive not to have to share the pavement with motor vehicle. G 21 of 24 That means riding sidewalks, even painfully rough ones when nearby is smoother street pavement, even a bike lane like the intermittent one on south Asbury. It means being extraordinarily cautious, even leaving the street, when on a bike lane that will suddenly disappear near an intersection (the permission to use a traffic lane on Dodge northbound a Church is a jolly joke). It means crossing, often on foot, at signals even though they might be a block or more out of the way. It means often refusing to ride within large-car-door width of parked vehicles - - on either side. It sometimes means bending traffic rules to avoid becoming a victim, or yelling at someone who passes too closely. I have not yet seen an adequately protected bike lane on a street since leaving the University of Illinois, where since the 1960s parts of the Urbana-Champaign campus have had continuous dedicated lanes with flexi-posts and marked crossings. The new one on Church Street seems quite helpful until it gets into the congestion near and east of the Metra tracks. Then it expires at a busy intersection. Davis expires oddly at Ridge. I fully expect you soon will have a report of someone car-doored on the passenger side on Church or Davis. I have no preference as to the type of racks provided, except to note that many designs seem to presume tires smaller than 27 inches, bikes less than a foot wide, and people who have no need to squeeze in to lock or unlock from the rack. With a basket on front, panniers on back and a 3-foot cable, I need space. Just what sort of restrictions might apply on the high-stress routes? Would they be posted every block, as the no- bikes-on-sidewalks almost are in downtown? Could the prohibition signs include mini-maps of the recommended alternate routes? As an Evanston resident, I appreciate how receptive the city is to public comment and concerns. As a cyclist that rides mostly in Evanston, I have some concerns and comments regarding cycling in the city. Bike lanes and protected bike lanes are nice and flashy, but only really benefit a select demographic area. As one alderman questioned, "how is this being paid for?" Please make cycling more inviting throughout more of the city. As I try to ride east from the far northwest corner to the lake, it can be quite a struggle. The "bike routes" are pock marked with pot holes and construction patches. Bike licenses are not the answer to funding or enforcement. Please make it easier to ride throughout the whole of the city. The appearance now is that Evanston is becoming like Chicago and spending a ton of money on cycling amenities that benefit a minority of bikers. G There are more bikes on Ridge Avenue sidewalks than on Church and Davis combined. It's unfortunate that we cannot reconfigure Ridge so that there is a safe way to drive and bike on Ridge. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be the determination to get Ridge under control. The speeding and nine foot lanes make it hazardous to begin with and bikes can only go on the sidewalk.I have been hit three times by bicycles and I'm not the only one. I have written everyone and was told by the head of PW at a ward that the supposed speeding is an optical illusion. Please, look into Ridge Avenue and address these issues. This is an problem that has been out of control for years with many accidents and injuries to show for it. We pay taxes and live here albeit on the wrong side of the tracks. It's time that we were heard. G 22 of 24 With all the expense and effort to give bicycles a right-of-way in busy downtown Evanston, why are safety laws not enforced? I live downtown, drive downtown, walk downtown, and every single time I walk, (multiple times daily) I am threatened by bicyclists RIDING ON THE SIDEWALKS, weaving around pedestrians. Furthermore, when using the bike lanes, bicyclists often ride in the wrong direction on Church and Davis, threatening pedestrians stepping off the curb and looking for traffic coming from the correct direction, not necessarily from the WRONG direction. Bicycles are silent, fast, and more difficult to anticipate if one is driving a car, or walking on sidewalks (pedestrian rights-of-way). PLEASE spend some time effort and funds to enforce bicycle laws for the safety of everyone. G Cyclists are still riding on downtown sidewalks, sometimes next to the bike lane. They do not adhere to any rules of the road and ALWAYS have the right-of-way ahead of pedestrians. They are a real hazard with no regard to anyone except themselves. And still the city gets awards. Who is voting? G All bikes should be required to have a warning device for use in areas of pedestrian traffic. This should really be a state law. G I have traveled and biked in many cities and very clearly what works are protected bike lanes. The best way I have seen to accomplish this is where one side of the street has no parking; instead it is a 2-way protected (w/curb) bike lane. Businesses will benefit from the increased bike traffic that will more than make up for the parking loss. Until that happens I will not ride on the bike lanes. Too much risk for getting hit by cars and car doors. Church Street is terrible with passengers having to be aware (very bizarre) or even pedestrians wondering onto the bike lane because it is so very awkward and unusual. Again, visit places with true protected bike lanes and you will see them heavily used by commuters and families! G In the groups I belong to, bike riders are one of the biggest pet peeves. Too many bikers ignore all rules of the road. They cut in front of you, illegally turn and are particularly dangerous on streets without bike lanes. Ticketing these riders would go a long way to correcting bike rider abuses and make it safer for drivers, bikers and pedestrians. It obviously can be done -- just talk to the government in Amsterdam. Additionally, shouldn't we have a helmet law (standard in the northeast) for the safety of riders. Also shouldn't it be illegal to ride a bike wearing flip flops? G While we are trying to get the USA to use cycling as a means of transportation (like they do in Europe) Americans are not like Europeans - cyclist do not respect the laws of cycling, if there are any. No stopping at red lights or going with traffic on one way streets. They, the cyclist, want us to be aware of them, but they do not respect us driving our autos. In Europe cyclists do not ride on sidewalks or cut in and out of traffic. Its a mind set of discipline that Americans lack. Bikes are parked in designated areas, not chained to a tree or lamp post for G 23 of 24 people to trip over. How about the City of Evanston establishing some rules with fines to support all the money (even if it is a grant) that has been spent on rearranging all the downtown traffic patterns. It takes two to tango, so if these cyclists want us to respect their rights, they too must respect the laws with govern the movement of automobiles and pedestrian traffic. If the Bike Plan was adopted in its entirety, what would be the total cost? What would be the source(s) of funding? G Bike paths are a good idea if they are well marked and placed on streets with low vehicle traffic, on wide streets. The current idea for bicycle paths created between curb and parked cars ("hidden bike lane')is dangerous because bikers may assume passengers in a car, both elderly and children, will have a second nature to look before opening the door. A driver, on the other hand, automatically looks before opening his door on the street side; it is a built in reflex formed from instinct and experience. Passengers will be jumping out of the car while a random bicyclists is passing in the bike lane. Who would be responsible for the injury in this incidence? At the end of the block where the 'hidden bike lane' comes to a traffic light or stop sign, the parked cars obscure the driver's view of approaching bikers who are approaching in the bike lane when the car is turning to the right. This could have serious consequences if the bicyclists don't heed the light, and instead, pass through the intersection while the car is making a turn. Most bicyclists do not heed traffic signals meant for cars. Who would be responsible for injury in this case where the cyclist continues unseen while a car is engaged in turning? Will cyclists be obliged to follow the bicycle paths ONLY as they pass through Evanston, or will they still be cycling along side streets and therefore, have a choice to which streets to cycle on? Who will enforce the adherence of cyclist riding on bike paths only, if that would be the case for bicycle circulation? Will there be licensing for the bicyclist so a driver can identify a cyclist when he/she has caused a traffic incident by reckless, inattentive circulation in terms of weaving, darting out into traffic, not heeding traffic signs for stopping etc? will traffic lanes be made separate (using posts or other such partitions) from the street if otherwise NOT located between parked cars and the sidewalk? Thank you for consideration of these questions. G Please create and implement a plan that will facilitate access to the Green Bay trail in the North, the Lake Shore Drive Path to the South, and the Des Plains River trail to the West. G/BP Can anything be done about bikers using sidewalks, especially in downtown Evanston. G 24 of 24