TRAFFIC COMMISSION August 28, 2014 MINUTES

Transcription

1 TRAFFIC COMMISSION August 28, 2014 MINUTES The regular meeting of the Burbank Traffic Commission was held in the City Council Chambers, 275 E. Olive Avenue, on the above date. Rebecca Granite-Johnson, Chair, called the meeting to order at 4:02PM. Members Present: Members Absent: Staff Present: Rebecca Granite-Johnson, Chair Linda Barnes, Vice Chair Brian Malone Dr. David Carletta Paul McKenna, Jr. Robin Gemmill Joe Terranova Kevin Harrop joined the meeting at 4:43PM. Vanessa Rachal Ken Johnson Traffic Engineering, Public Works Sandy George Recording Secretary, Public Works Jonathan Yee Senior Traffic Engineer, Public Works Charlie Colato Administrative Analyst, Public Works Lt. Jay Hawver Police Department, Traffic Nancy LaPrath Police Department, Traffic I. FLAG SALUTE II. III. ROLL CALL ORAL COMMUNICATIONS (Limited to items on the printed agenda or items regarding the business of the Traffic Commission): A. Public Communication Paul McKenna spoke before the Commission as a resident of Mariposa St., indicating he and his neighbors would like permit parking restrictions on the 700 block of N. Mariposa St. William Anderson, also a resident on the 700 block of N. Mariposa St., reaffirmed the desire for parking restrictions. Dan May, owner of a building near Romancing the Bean on Magnolia Blvd., gave his support for changing the current 2-hour parking restrictions on the 3400 block of Magnolia (north side) to 1-hour, as well as installing a crosswalk with a signal to the nearby public parking lot. Mr. A. Adel, an associate of a business on Magnolia Blvd., felt that one hour was sufficient to do business in the area, and supported changing the 2-hour restrictions to 1-hour. Adrian Danescu, owner of a store on Magnolia Blvd., said his business has decreased since nearby Romancing the Bean opened, and supported decreasing the parking restriction time to 1-hour, as well as installing a crosswalk at Lima St. to access the City parking lot. K:\Traffic\Traffic Commission (T&T)\MINUTES\2014\08 August TC minutes final.docx 1

2 Jamaal Kincheloe, supervisor at Romancing the Bean, felt that the free Wi-Fi at his establishment was not keeping customers there too long, and he was against changing the parking limit to 1-hour on Magnolia Blvd. David Altenau and Sal Corona postponed comments until Public Hearing Item VA. J. Barron, Rick Dasher, Patrick Rock, Lorelei Blitstein, and Terry Guerrero postponed comments until Public Hearing VB. Charlotte Carpenter Lewis, Chuck Kradjian, Jennifer Hardaway, Ms. Kerry Krull, Kim Persinger, Laree Adel, and Mike Nolan postponed comments until Item VIB. Charlie Colato and Jano Baghdanian postponed comments until Item VIC. B. Commission Member and Subcommittee Communications Ms. Barnes asked to add an agenda item for October about how the Traffic Commission handles the public speaking portion of each meeting. Dr. Carletta asked about installation of a new signal on Olive Ave., and about roadway striping on Front St. by the I-5 freeway ramps. Mr. McKenna asked to add an agenda item to discuss the traffic situation near his home on Mariposa St. C. Staff Communication During discussion on future agenda items, Ms. George indicated the 7 items under the School Safety Subcommittee, the Non-Emergency Transportation Subcommittee, and the Rancho Equestrian Safety Subcommittee would be removed from the agenda, since those subcommittees were dissolved a the June 26, 2014 meeting. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Malone moved for discussion to approve the July 24, 2014, meeting minutes, seconded by Dr. Carletta. The minutes were approved, with Carletta, Harrop, Malone and Terranova voting affirmatively, and Barnes and Gemmill abstaining. (Note: Approval of Minutes was done at the end of the meeting, after Ms. Granite- Johnson and Mr. McKenna left the meeting, therefore, they did not vote on approval.) V. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Restricted Parking on 1400 Block of Brighton Street Residents on the 1400 block of Brighton Street petitioned the City to change the time frame of the preferential permit-only parking zone on their block from Monday-Friday, 1PM-8PM, to the City standard of Monday-Friday, 8AM-6PM. K:\Traffic\Traffic Commission (T&T)\MINUTES\2014\08 August TC minutes final.docx 2

3 David Altenau, owner of a business at 2316 W. Victory Blvd. described the parking challenge his employees have encountered in the area, and asked if the 2-hour parking restrictions on that area of Victory Blvd could be removed. Mr. Johnson indicated he would send letters to businesses in that area to see if the removal of restrictions is acceptable. Brighton St. resident Sal Corona supported the change to 8AM-6PM. Mr. Terranova moved to approve staff s recommendation to approve resident request to amend the parking restrictions on the 1400 block of N. Brighton St. from the current time frame of Monday-Friday, 1PM-8PM, to the City standard of Monday-Friday, 8AM-6PM, seconded by Ms. Barnes. The motion passed unanimously (Barnes, Carletta, Gemmill, Granite-Johnson, Malone, McKenna, and Terranova voting affirmatively). Mr. Johnson, Mr. Altenau, Mr. Corona, Mr. Malone, Mr. Terranova, and Ms. Barnes participated in the discussion. B. Restricted Parking on 1400 Block of Evergreen Street Rick Dasher of North Hollywood Sound (4207 W. Burbank Blvd.) petitioned to have six employee parking permits on Evergreen Street, a resident only parking zone. Staff reviewed the request and recommended that four permits be allocated. Staff briefly explained the Burbank Municipal Code requirements and the parking situation on Evergreen St. Three residents of N. Evergreen St., Patrick Rock (1417), Lorelei Blitstein (1419), and Terry Guerrero (1335), commented that parking was an issue on the street. A discussion by the Commission ensued, including that the first several homes are impacted, communication between business and residents, the need for permit flexibility, and a request for an investigation of the dirt lot on Whitnall Hwy. A motion was made by Malone and seconded by McKenna to allow only one permit for the business. The motion failed with one yes vote by Malone. Mr. Carletta moved for approval of four permits and Kevin Harrop seconded the motion. The motion passed 7-1, with Malone voting No. Ms. Granite-Johnson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. McKenna, Mr. Malone, Mr. Terranova, Ms. Gemmill, Dr. Carletta, Mr. Harrop, J. Barron, Rick Dasher, Patrick Rock, Lorelei Blitstein, and Terry Guerrero participated in the discussion. VI. REPORTS A. Subcommittee Reports a. Traffic Controls Near Schools Subcommittee Mr. Johnson asked about scheduling a meeting of this subcommittee, and indicated Jefferson Elementary School had several requests of staff. Ms. Granite-Johnson, Mr. Johnson, Dr. Carletta, and Mr. McKenna participated in the discussion. K:\Traffic\Traffic Commission (T&T)\MINUTES\2014\08 August TC minutes final.docx 3

4 B. Parking in the 3400 Block of Magnolia Boulevard, between Lima Street and Avon Street Several Magnolia Park businesses requested the installation of 1-hour parking restrictions on the north side of Magnolia Blvd. in the 3400 block. Mr. Johnson briefly discussed the parking issues in the block and provided a map of the existing businesses in the six block area surrounding the 3400 block. Mr. Johnson indicated that the issue was lack of available customer parking rather than the time limit restrictions, and he recommended that unrestricted on-street parking on the side streets be restricted to 2-hour parking. Lt. Hawver indicated his department received complaints from local businesses about limited parking and parking turnover. Mr. Johnson indicated the nearby plentiful parking in a City public parking lot near Lima St. Charlotte Carpenter Lewis, a business owner, supported changing the time restrictions to 1-hour, requested a crosswalk across Magnolia Blvd. at Lima St., and requested signage to indicate the City off-street parking lot. Chuck Kradjian also supported the 1-hour parking restriction, and suggested that the City paint parking tees in the block. Jennifer Hardaway, of the 3300 block, suggested the 2-hour parking was sufficient time for businesses. Kerry Krull, owner of Romancing the Bean, felt that 1-hour parking would not help the parking situation. Kim Persinger spoke about Romancing the Bean bullying other owners. Laree Adel complained about lack of parking enforcement. Mike Nolan also complained about lack of parking enforcement and the need for a controlled crossing. Traffic Commission members discussed the issues, including the need for a traffic signal, the need for additional enforcement, need for 1-hour parking, and available parking supply in the area. McKenna moved to table the matter until additional information was received showing specific parking supply, an evaluation of a crosswalk, and no change in parking time limit. The motion was seconded by Barnes, and the Commission unanimously approved the motion. Mr. Johnson, Lt. Hawver, Ms. Granite-Johnson, Mr. McKenna, Mr. Terranova, Dr. Carletta, Ms. Barnes, Mr. Harrop, Mr. Malone, Charlotte Carpenter Lewis, Chuck Kradjian, Jennifer Hardaway, Ms. Kerry Krull, Kim Persinger, Laree Adel, and Mike Nolan participated in the discussion. Ms. Granite-Johnson and Mr. McKenna left the meeting, at approximately 6:17PM. C. Letter to City Manager Concerning Transportation Networking Companies (TNCs) Staff presented a draft letter the City Manager concerning Transportation Networking Companies (TNCs) and their impact on taxicab operations in Burbank, as requested by the Traffic Commission during their July 2014 meeting. City Administrative Analyst Charlie Colato, approached the Traffic Commission as a public speaker, and described his concern with the draft letter. He described how Uber drivers are rated on quality by passengers, which gives a certain amount of power to the consumer of such services. K:\Traffic\Traffic Commission (T&T)\MINUTES\2014\08 August TC minutes final.docx 4

5 Jano Baghdanian, with G&S Transit, expressed his concern with TNC services, especially regarding insurance and safety inspection of vehicles. Ms. Barnes described her many experiences with Uber, speaking very highly of them. Mr. Harrop moved to table the discussion for two months, seconded by Mr. Malone, approved by all (Barnes, Carletta, Gemmill, Harrop, Malone,Terranova). Ms. Barnes, Mr. Colato, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Baghdanian, Mr. Malone, Ms. Gemmill, Mr. Terranova, and Mr. Harrop participated in the discussion. D. Accidents at Verdugo Avenue and Toluca Park Drive Rafael Osso spoke before the Traffic Commission at the June 2014 meeting on traffic accidents near the intersection of Verdugo Ave. and Toluca Park Dr., and asked that the Traffic Commission discuss the matter. Mr. Johnson said study of the area showed no particular pattern of accidents, and that the City s Verdugo Ave. restriping project to change nearby street lanes was about to go out for bid, which should reduce traffic speed in the area. Mr. Malone moved to support staff s recommendation that this intersection be reviewed four months after completion of the Verdugo Ave. restriping project, which should be completed in about eight months, and to discuss the potential costs of making Toluca Park Dr. more perpendicular to Verdugo Ave before the Traffic Commission next month. Mr. Terranova seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Mr. Johnson, Mr. Harrop, Ms. Gemmill, Mr. Malone, Mr. Terranova, and Ms. Barnes participated in the discussion. E. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Mr. Johnson described staff s need to further study fur how the Burbank Municipal Code could be changed to enforce street parking limitations for electric vehicle parking only, and asked that this be tabled for a month. Dr. Carletta moved to table this issue for one month, seconded by Mr. Malone, approved by all. Mr. Johnson, Ms. Barnes, Mr. Harrop, Dr. Carletta, Mr. Malone, Ms. Gemmill, and Mr. Terranova participated in the discussion. VII. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 1. Caltrans Presentation on I-5 Construction (July 2013) 2. Bike Rack Installation Discussion with CDD Staff re: Expediting the Permit and Fee Processes (July 2013 continuing to future meeting) 3. Discussion of Non-Aviation Development on the Airport B6 Site (November 2013 ongoing) 4. Status of Victory Pl. Widening/Capacity Study (April 2013 ongoing) K:\Traffic\Traffic Commission (T&T)\MINUTES\2014\08 August TC minutes final.docx 5

6 5. Information on the Talaria Project (November 2013 for future meeting) 6. Parking Situation on San Fernando Blvd re: Ocean Studios (December 2013 tabled in March meeting for future review if needed) 7. Discussion of Potential Mariposa St. Bridge Regulations re: Horse and Bicycle Traffic (December 2013 ongoing) 8. KEEP CLEAR signage on Verdugo Ave. and Frederic St., (April 2014) 9. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (April 2014 postponed until the September meeting) 10. Potential IKEA Pickup/ Loading Area Signage and Freeway Exit Signage (April 2014 for future meeting) 11. Marked Crosswalk on Magnolia Blvd. at Lima St. (postponed from July 2014 meeting ongoing discussion) 12. Possible Traffic Control Measures On/Near Priscilla Ln. (Osso) (June 2014 discussed in August, will review further in 2015 after Verdugo Ave. restriping) 13. Discussion on How the Traffic Commission Orders the Public Speaking Portion of the Meetings (August 2014 for the October meeting) Block of N. Mariposa St. Parking Restriction Installations (August 2014) 15. Letter to City Manager Concerning Transportation Networking Companies (TNCs) (August 2014 for October or November meeting) Items Not Scheduled Until Status Change: 1. Discussion of Horse Safety Issue in Rancho Area: Mariposa path encroachment cost analysis from County Information (Ongoing from July 2012) VIII. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:59PM. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held one week earlier than normal in our alternate location, on Thursday, September 18, 2014, at 4:00pm, in the Community Services Building, room 104, 150 N. Third St., Burbank, CA. Respectfully submitted, Ken Johnson, Traffic Engineer KJ: smg Handouts distributed during this meeting are available for viewing at the Public Works Engineering office, and include the following: 1) Paul McKenna printout from Jack O Neill, and 2-hour parking permit application for Mariposa St. 2) Ken Johnson from Carol A. Marienthal-Skaar re: commercial parking on Evergreen St. 3) Charlie Colato handout on Uber service. 4) Jano Baghdanian printout of The Sacramento Bee article on airports and Uber/Lyft; proposed legislation on transporting persons for hire; Taxi vs Uber comparison sheet. K:\Traffic\Traffic Commission (T&T)\MINUTES\2014\08 August TC minutes final.docx 6