DISCUSS BIKE ROUTE MASTER PLAN AND CREATE A PRIORITY LIST OF PROJECTS.
Chairman Olmsted reiterated Council's direction to revisit the original Task Force Report presented to Council approximately 10 years ago and to return recommendations concerning updates or reaffirmation of this report. The first step had been to review the map, which has been completed. The next step and the topic of this discussion is to revisit the Report itself to determine how to proceed in terms of reaching recommendations.
The members discussed a priority list based on affordable items as opposed to those items that the Council would be unable to approve because of budget factors. or not important enough at this time. Further, it would be better to get low-cost items accepted as policy rather than run the risk of having the Council deny a package because of high-cost items.
The original report was submitted to Council; Council discussed and accepted the Report. The Master Plan, however, was adopted in concept, not policy. Chairman Olmsted stated that it would be advantageous to word the recommendations that would allow the Council to adopt them as policy rather than "in concept".
Chairman Olmsted suggested that discussion of the Master Plan priority list be postponed since not everyone has read the Report, but decide what the Subcommittee wants to accomplish and how to go about it.
The issue was raised as to whether the information contained in the report is usable or can be scratched. Staff advised that there are some critical issues within the report being used as guidelines, which could be questionable. Further, the report will be discussed in segments, i.e., maintenance definition, specific schedules, standard width for bike lanes. Staff was requested to prepare a list of discrepancies between what is in the report and what Caltrans requirements might stipulate.
Staff asked if the intent is to scrap the existing report or to create a new one. Chairman Olmsted stated that his intent was to keep this report as submitted, considering it to be "useful" history; and based on what is currently known, extract from the report those policy-related items that should become City policy, put together a proposal for the TCC and the City Council, and recommend a viable "policy" that can be adopted by Council.
Staff was requested to glean from the report those items that currently meet specified standards. Staff stated that there are several topics. It was suggested that one topic per meeting can be discussed and compared to the standards available. It was further mentioned that maybe it would be better to have a new outline as opposed to using the report as "gospel". Nonetheless, it was deemed necessary that all members read and review the original report with the intent to glean the essential information to be addressed. It was a consensus that each Member should review the Report and prepare a categorized list of items to bring back to the next meeting.
It was summarized by Chairman Olmsted that for a number of years, the City, its staff, and members of various commissions and committees have been working without a formal policy with regard to bicycle issues. The original Task Force report was an informal policy created by bicycle activists; and over the years, it has become obvious that a clearer, defined policy needs to be established and ultimately adopted by the City Council.
