TRANSPORTATION & PARKING COMMITTEE

Transcription

1 TRANSPORTATION & PARKING COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, :00 P.M. 7:00 P.M. Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL Room CALL TO ORDER / DECLARATION OF QUORUM 2. CITIZEN COMMENTS 3. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 30, TITLE 10 ORDINANCE AMENDMENT RESIDENTS ONLY PARKING DISTRICT R (Document Enclosed) 5. TITLE 10 ORDINANCE AMENDMENT PROHIBITED PARKING AT CERTAIN TIMES KEDZIE EAST OF SHERIDAN (Document Enclosed) 6. TITLE 10 ORDINANCE AMENDMENT LOADING ZONE TIME CHANGE CUSTER NORTH OF MADISON (Document Enclosed) 7. Updates: Transportation and Mobility Updates (Document Enclosed) 8. ADJOURNMENT Next Meeting: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 at 6:00pm

2 trans-parking-minutes draft TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING COMMITTEE Wednesday, August 30, :00 P.M. 7:00 P.M. Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center Room 2404, Evanston, IL MEMBERS PRESENT: Ald. Wynne, Ald. Revelle, Ald. Fleming, A. Añón, J. Ford, & L. Young MEMBERS ABSENT: D. Reynolds, M. Smith STAFF PRESENT: Fleet Division Manager Rickey Voss, Parking Division Manager Jill Velan, Transportation and Mobility Coordinator Katherine Knapp, Deputy City Manager Erika Storlie; Planning and Zoning Administrator Scott Mangum; Neighborhood and Land Use Planner Meagan Jones; Senior Project Manager Sat Nagar PRESIDING MEMBER: Ald. Wynne 1. Call to Order / Declaration of Quorum Acting Chairman Ald. Fleming declared a quorum at 6:05 P.M. 2. Introduction L. Young Alderman Wynne officially introduced Parking Committee member Linda Young as a representative of the Environmental board. 3. Approval of Meeting Minutes of July 27, Minutes from the July 27, 2017 meeting were presented. Motion to approve made by Ald. Fleming and seconded by J. Ford. Vote called and taken. Motion passed unanimously. Minutes not properly displayed in packet. 4. Citizen Comments Alderman Wynne stated that citizen comments should be added permannately to the agenda before acknowledging citizen Dan Joseph. Mr. Joseph was looking to praise the CTA for the earlier start times for bus route # 93 (5 am on weekdays), however, he wished that they did a better job of advertising the changes. He questioned the communication between the CTA and the City

3 trans-parking-minutes draft Transportation and Mobility Coordinator Katherine Knapp responded that the CTA and the city are in constant communications about updates and changes to service, but that this specific change was not given to the city. She also mentioned that there is a Pace rep at the meeting today to go over some other upcoming changes to various services. Mr. Joseph also brought up concerns about the improper bus signage along the Dodge bus route. As well as a need for increased crosstown service on the southern end of Evanston on Sundays. 5. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Parking Requirements Discussion Planning and Zoning Administrator Scott Mangum began the discussion by overviewing the history of the topic. This issue was originally brought up one year ago so this is a summary of the findings. Neighborhood and Land Use Planner Meagan Jones went over the findings of the study conducted by a consultant team based on a grant that was received back on 2005 from the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to examine areas that surrounded CTA and Metra stations. The findings were that our current parking requirements are well suited for areas that are away from transit stops but often led to underutilized parking spaces in our TOD areas. This has resulted in new planned developments being granted variances with regards to a reduction in parking requirements. The E2 building was used as an example. Some major recommendations include 1) to modify the number of parking spaces required based on the number of bedrooms in a unit (.55 parking space per bedroom), or to use a standard of 1 parking space per unit regardless of bedrooms in the unit, 2) Allow developers to request a reduction of required parking spaces on a case by case basis backed up by various data, 3) require all properties that are allowed a variance to provide the city with annual updates as to how the parking in the building is being used, 4) require a transit management plan for planned developments over 100 units, 5) Encourage shared parking options 6) Impact fees or escrow payments in lieu of required parking spaces 7) As a long term project to perform a study on the of all the off street parking facilities, both public and private lots to determine future parking needs in the TOD area. The planning commission was already presented with this information and they unanimously passed the recommendation to reduce the required parking spaces.55 parking spaces per bedroom, however, the vote to accept either an impact fee or an escrow in lieu of required parking spaces was removed by a 5 to 2 vote. L. Young asked if a fee was taken in lieu of the required parking spaces where would that fee go. M. Jones responded that that money would be used to fund various studies, and implementing more off street parking solutions. J. Ford expressed concern about how a potential additional reduction would impact the already implemented.55 per unit reduction. Alderman Wynne also expressed this concern and stated that it was too soon to implement additional reductions until we can fully grasp the current impact made to parking in the TOD areas. Alderman Revelle also expressed that we should look at how parking is currently being impacted before adding new reductions. Alderman Wynne asks for reason behind 1 parking space per unit as opposed to.55 parking spaces per bedroom.

4 trans-parking-minutes draft M. Jones - Easier to use 1 parking space per unit, but the city currently bases parking requirements on number of bedrooms, so.55 calculations helps keep us in line with how city currently calculated required spaces. L. Young gives disclosure that she worked with one of the consulting firms on the study, but expresses that she thinks studies like this are a step in the right direction and that there is a lot to be learned from them. She also used examples of what was learned from E2 building. Thinks the city should look at monitoring these types of buildings on at least an annual basis. Alderman Wynne We are looking for any planned developments to show flexibility and to offer other parking solutions like at the development at Main & Chicago. The building bought a nearby lot to provide parking, has I-Go vehicles and offers free 1 st year memberships to new residents. Citizen Comment D. Joseph asks about the public transit options in the TOD areas and stresses the importance of public transit with increasing limited parking options. 2 nd citizen comment Citizen asks if data used could be made public so citizens can be informed as to how city made various parking decisions. Alex Anon brings up point that the city needs to make sure that sidewalk setbacks are taken into account. If we are looking to reduce vehicle traffic then we should look to be more accommodating to pedestrians. Ald. Wynne Sidewalk size is a big item that definitely needs to be considered. Ald. Fleming The plan commission will need to work on solutions for bike parking. 6. Regional Bus Project Update Katie Knapp introduced Steven Andrews from Pace to give an update on the Regional Bus Project. Steven Andrews wanted to update the committee on two different projects: First the Pulse Dempster Project: This is an express service from Davis St CTA station to O hare airport. Limited stops about ½ mile apart. There would be 2 stops in Evanston, one at the Davis St. CTA station and one at Dodge and Dempster intersection. These would be special branded tech savvy busses with enhanced bus stops. Bus stop amenities include headed shelter with overhead heating, vertical markers with real time arrival times, 12 inch raised platform to speed up boarding process, reinforced concrete pad in the street, bicycle racks at the stations, trash receptacles, and also potential landscaping. The bus line would mirror the current 250 route but would have less stops resulting in an average savings of 15 minutes for a full trip to the airport. The busses would travel in normal traffic (no special lane of traffic for the busses).

5 trans-parking-minutes draft Currently at the environmental phase where they are determining where the stops would be along the route. The areas are chosen based on ridership and access to other routes. Alderman Wynne asked about time savings and if thought was given to decrease number of stops even further. Mr. Andrews stated that they were trying to have stops be about ½ mile apart and due to the busses being the normal flow of traffic that the average time saved was about 15 minutes per trip. Locations aren t currently set in stone and will be taken to the public before final decision is made. Alderman Fleming asked about the size of the stations. Mr. Andrews stated that the station size is customizable depending on which amenities are included in the stop. They have a few different variations to fit various needs. J. Ford asked if the concrete pad could be used by regular traffic. Mr. Andrews stated that yes normal traffic would not be affected by the pad. Citizen comment D. Joseph asked about amount of trash receptacles, also brought up making sure that connecting bus schedules are adjusted to ensure ease of use and minimal waits while transferring from one route to another. Mr. Andrews commented that the route times haven t been established yet but it will take into account current services will be taken into account, as well the customization the stops could afford additional trash receptacles. J. Ford asked for clarification of peak times. Does peak reference peak departures at O Hare or is peak defined as during rush hour. Mr. Andrews stated that peak times refers to typical rush hour times but he recognizes the potential of mirroring peak times at O Hare Second topic for update: Northshore Coordination Plan Mr. Andrews: The purpose of the plan is to improve and optimize the coordination of various services provided in the Northshore area. Pace is working with the CTA to better coordinate service and eliminate duplication of services where possible. Also looking into what has changed in the various areas since the last restructuring back in They are looking at connections between routes, and identify through a market analysis new markets that they may be able to serve. They are not looking at expanding services this is a cost neutral study to identify how to maximize current services and eliminate redundancies.

6 trans-parking-minutes draft The study includes Evanston, Skokie, Lincolnwood, Wilmette, and the North Side of Chicago. Study began last year (2016) using rider and non-rider data. A steering committee was established (Evanston is one of the members) to get feedback and guidance. Public open houses were used to gather data from the communities. In 2017 they started to actually look at alternatives. Using these proposed alternatives they been making recommendations to the Steering Committee to get feedback and are now in the process up updating the recommendations based on that feedback prior to going back to the public with that information. Ongoing public houses were highlighted with the next one taking place in Evanston in September 19, Once feedback for the public houses is gathered the plan is to go back to the steering committee with a final plan and a final report by the end of year. They are looking at a multiyear implementation for any proposed changes. Alderman Wynne asks what the best case scenario is for a timeline. Mr. Andrews states that changes will start in 2018 but not sure how extensive changes will be so it s hard to say until plan is finalized. Alderman Wynne asks if there is no new service and that Pace was looking to eliminate redundancies, would those resources be reallocated to expand existing routes? Mr. Andrews stated that yes this is the goal to reshuffle current services and find most efficient ways to cover the entire Northshore. If a redundancy is eliminated then those resources would be recycled and may result in more frequent services for other lines or additions to existing lines (ie. Sunday service). L. Young asked about the coordination at nodes as being a part of the survey. Mr. Andrews says that haven t looked at the scheduling yet but that is a very important part that is being considered before any changes go into effect. Citizen Comment D. Joseph wanted to express admiration about how well Pace handles how they communicate changes with the public. Citizen comment asking about Divvy Stations at the Milwaukee station in Chicago (Jefferson Park). Mr. Andrews no Divvy stations are proposed for the Jefferson Park station at this time. K. Knapp commented that at the two proposed Evanston Stations that there are Divvy Stations in close proximity. Station locations could be relocated based on changes to service.

7 trans-parking-minutes draft 7. Central Street Bridge Parking Proposal Senior Project Manager Sat Nagar went over the scope of the project and the reason for bringing it to the committee. There already is existing parking on the Central Street Bridge, however, the bridge is not in the best shape so the City is looking to obtain funding to reconstruct the bridge. As a part of getting the needed funding it was discovered that there no existing ordinance regarding the parking on the bridge. By State of Illinois code an ordinance is needed before any reconstruction can begin. The reconstruction would widen the bridge to allow for easier pedestrian and bike traffic. But to begin there needs to be an official ordinance that states that parking is allowed on the bridge. Paul Schneider with Stanley Consultants is a member the contractor hired by the city to conduct the phase 1 engineering study. The process began as a result from some emergency repairs being needed on the bridge back in The proposed plan would account for widening of the bridge which would allow the bridge to remain open during reconstruction for emergency vehicles. They are looking for a recommendation from the committee to pass the ordinance by council. Alderman Revelle with a motion to recommend, Alderman Wynne with a 2 nd Alex Añón does not agree with allowing with parking on the bridge and discussion resumes. He doesn t think there is enough room for bike traffic. He asked what the parking situation is there. Mr. Schneider states that there is already parking allowed on the south side. Mr. Añón states but you are looking to allow parking on the north side. Not necessarily, the ordinance would just say that parking is allowed on the bridge then the City would determine where people could park on the bridge. Mr. Añón still feels that it is too tight of a space. Citizen comment Citizen says that she always rides her bike on Central and feels that there is not enough room currently to accommodate bike riders. Parking Division Manager Jill Velan just wanted to clarify that no changes to parking were being presented; they are looking to keep the existing parking and not making any changes. Alderman Fleming wanted to make sure that the committee was clear in the direction that we would allow parking on the bridge but also be clear that we were not increasing the allowed parking on the bridge and that we have the proper ordinances to follow up on where people can park on the bridge.

8 trans-parking-minutes draft Citizen comment to be sure to take into account traffic speed of the drivers once the construction is complete. Mr. Schneider spoke about how this came up during planning, how the westbound side was wide enough that some drivers thought that it was two lanes on that side so that is something that is being taken into account. Citizen comment D. Joseph stated that if we charged for parking on the bridge that may help with overcrowding on bridge and more people would move over to the free parking. Alderman Revelle with a motion to recommend, Alderman Wynne with a 2 nd. Vote called and taken. Motion passed 4-1 A. Añón voting no. 8. Adjournment Motion to adjourn made by Ald. Fleming and seconded by Ald Wynne at 7:13 P.M. Vote called and taken. Motion passed unanimously. The next Committee Meeting is September 27, 2017.

9 Memorandum To: From: Alderman Melissa Wynne, Commission Chair Members of the Transportation/Parking Commission Erika Storlie, Deputy City Manager/Director of Administrative Services Rickey A. Voss, Fleet Manager Subject: Ordinance Amending Title 10, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Chapter 11, Traffic Schedules, Section 18(P): Resident Only Parking District Date: August 10, 2017 Recommended Action: Staff recommends that the Transportation/Parking Commission request that the City Council consider the adoption of an ordinance amending City Code Section (P), Resident Only Parking District R, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily adding: 22 diagonal parking spaces on the east side of Sheridan Square as Residential Parking Only as a 24-hour restriction. Livability Benefit: Built Environment: Provide compact and complete streets and neighborhoods Summary: In 2015, the Transportation/Parking Commission took into consideration to restrict parking on Sheridan Square due to concerns expressed by some residents in the area. Residents had expressed their concerns that due to the location of one of the City s lakefront attractions, it had become increasingly more difficult for the residents to find adequate parking, especially on the weekends and/or holidays. There was also a concern that the diagonal parking located on the east side of the street provides an opportunity for increased anti-social behavior as some residents have expressed their concerns. The current parking restriction on Sheridan Square is daily from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. except for resident vehicles displaying Residential Parking District R permit. Staff was directed to investigate and formulate some recommendations on how to reconfigure the parking, permit use and other possible solutions. The following is a list of possible solutions. The following pilot program was instituted in hopes of resolving some of the issues. Designate 44 diagonal parking spaces on the east side of Sheridan Square as Residential Parking Permit Only as a 24-hour restriction for Residential Parking

10 District R and continue the restricted overnight parking from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for the remainder of Residential Parking District R. The creation of a 3-hour parking zone on the remainder of Sheridan Square, exempting those that display a permit for Residential Parking District R. Designate the 16 diagonal parking spaces at the beach area to be regulated by time limit parking with no Residential Parking District R daytime exemption. Signs were installed In June 2015 based on the recommendations and removed at the end of the pilot program on December 1, During the program, staff conducted space usage counts at various times to determine the approximate utilization rate in the 44 spaces designated for permit users only. As late as October 2015, the average rate of occupancy was 21 spaces from 8:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. leaving an average of 23 open spaces. Based on observations and numerous complaints and concerns regarding the failure of the City to provide adequate parking for visitors of lakefront, staff recommended the following changes in Designate 22 diagonal parking spaces on the east side of Sheridan Square as Residential Parking Only as a 24-hour restriction for Residential Parking District R and continue the restricted overnight parking from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for the remainder of Residential Parking District R. No additional restrictions are recommended. After the reduction staff believes we were able to satisfy the concerns of both the residents of the parking district and others that enjoy parking at the beach and park at all other times. If the Transportation/Parking Commission recommends approval, staff will move forward with the appropriate documentation to present an amended ordinance to the City Council. Page 2 of 2

11 Memorandum To: From: Alderman Melissa Wynne, Commission Chair Members of the Transportation/Parking Commission Erika Storlie, Deputy City Manager/Director of Administrative Services Rickey A. Voss, Fleet Manager Subject: Ordinance Amending Title 10, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Chapter 11, Traffic Schedules, Section 9(H): Prohibited Parking at Certain Times Date: August 10, 2017 Recommended Action: Staff recommends that the Transportation/Parking Commission request that the City Council consider the adoption of an ordinance amending City Code Section (H), Prohibited Parking at Certain Times to read: Kedzie Street, North Side, Sheridan Road east to dead end; 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., May 1 to September 30 and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. October 1 to April 30. Livability Benefit: Built Environment: Provide compact and complete streets and neighborhoods Summary: There have been several complaints from residents on Kedzie Street east of Sheridan Road that the signage along the north side of the street is not consistent with the other lake front park areas north of the location and have requested that the ordinance be change to reflect the same restrictions. Due to the parking prohibition from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. effective May 1 to September 30 on streets along the lake front north of Kedzie Street, the park adjacent to their homes becomes crowded after 9 p.m. If the Transportation/Parking Commission recommends approval, staff will move forward with the appropriate documentation to present an amended ordinance to the City Council.

12 Memorandum To: From: Alderman Melissa Wynne, Committee Chair Members of the Transportation/Parking Committee Erika Storlie, Deputy City Manager/Administrative Services Director Jill Velan, Parking Division Manager Subject: Ordinance Amending Title 10, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Chapter Passenger Loading Zones and Public Carrier Stops and Stands Designated, Schedule V11, Section (B): Loading Zones Date: September 25, 2017 Recommended Action: Staff recommends that the Transportation/Parking Commission request that the City Council consider the adoption of an ordinance amending City Code Section (B), Loading Zones, Changing the hours of the school loading zone on the west side of Custer 75 feet north of Madison Street from an all-day loading zone to morning and afternoon loading to coincide with the school s hours of operation. Livability Benefit: Built Environment: Provide compact and complete streets and neighborhoods Summary: Recently the early childhood school that is located at the corner of Custer and Madison requested that the school loading zone servicing there school be evaluated for a reduction in scope and hours. Currently the school loading zone is for the entire day which is no longer needed by the school. This request is being made to try and create additional daytime parking options for the area between the morning and evening school loading zone needs. Staff will work with the school to determine the appropriate hours needed for the morning drop-off and evening pick-up. If the Transportation/Parking Commission recommends approval, staff will move forward with the appropriate documentation to present an amended ordinance to the City Council.

13 Memorandum To: From: Alderman Melissa Wynne, Chairman Members of the Transportation & Parking Committee Katherine Knapp, Transportation & Mobility Coordinator Subject: Transportation & Mobility Updates for the September 27, 2017 Transportation & Parking Committee meeting Date: September 22, 2017 Summary: This memorandum provides a brief update on items related to the work conducted by the Transportation & Mobility Coordinator: Bicycle Program Updates: a) Sheridan Road Educational Infographic: o In coordination with Northwestern University s Police Department, Transportation Services Office, and sustainnu Office the Sheridan Rd. infographic was shared with incoming students and members of Northwestern s cycling community in September. Additionally, the infographic has been shared with local advocacy and nonprofit organizations in an effort to extend the infographic s reach across the community. In October, the infographic will be shared electronically through the City s primary communication channels in coordination with the completion of this year s construction. A copy of the infographic is provided below in Attachment 1. b) Main Street Bike Parking: o In an update to the memo provided to the Committee in June, 2016, the City will begin installing the new concrete pads and 40 new bike parking facilities in October in front of the Main St. CTA Purple Line station. The City has received $70,000 in funding to install the bike parking facilities. $56,000 (80%) is funded through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program and $14,000 (20%) is funded by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). RTA s contribution represents the local match for the project and will be reimbursed to the City upon the completion of the project. The City Council authorized City staff to submit funding application on February 23, 2015, and approved the intergovernmental agreement with RTA on March 14, 2016.

14 c) Divvy Program: o Since Divvy s launch in Evanston at the end of June, 2016, approximately 25,000 trips started from an Evanston-based station. August ended with 1,025 active Evanston based Divvy annual members and over 2, hour passes having been sold. Provided below are the key metrics through August, 2017: Trips Starting in Evanston Evanston Based Riders Total Miles Traveled by Evanston Riders Total Calories Burned by Evanston Riders Total Pounds of CO2 Potentially Off-Set ~25,000 trips 1,025 active annual members, +2, hour passes ~54,400 miles +2,300,000 calories +36,000 lbs Policy Updates: a) Share the Road Symbol o Staff has developed a draft Share the Road symbol based on the comments provided by the Committee at their July meeting. In an effort to build familiarity with the design, staff is recommending that the symbol fist be used on local education materials ahead of its possible use as a marking or sign. Additionally, staff is currently working with the Evanston Police Department in the development of The Top 10 Bicycling Tips. Once established, these tips will be integrated into an educational piece that will work in tandem with the Share the Road symbol. The draft symbol is included below in Attachment 2. b) Transportation Website Updates o Staff is finalizing the updated Getting Around Evanston and Transportation & Mobility Planning webpages. The updated webpages will improve the organization of the City s transportation information and re-integrate the Bike Evanston profile back into the City s online platform. The revised webpages will go live in late September. c) Bus Project Updates o Pace Bus and the Chicago Transit Authority held a combined open house for the North Shore Study and Market Analysis and the Pulse Dempster Line Study on September 19, from 5-7 PM at the Levy Senior Center. The meeting was well attended; and, participants were able to discuss the projects directly with project team representatives and were invited to leave written comments both on the poster boards and via comment cards. Attachment: Attachment 1 Sheridan Road Educational Infographic Attachment 2 Draft Share the Road Symbol

15 Attachment 1 Sheridan Road Educational Infographic

16 Attachment 2 Draft Share the Road Symbol