HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-05-2021 Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee Meeting MinutesFairhope Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee Meeting Minutes
Date : 10/5/2021
Committee Member Attendees: Gary Gover; Chris Knight; Rosalie Stromme; Bill Hall; Katie
Bolton; Jason Small; Chris Riley
Committee Member Absentees: John Kavanagh; Michelle Melton
Guests in attendance: Councilman Jay Robinson; Richard Johnson
Meeting called to order at 4:03pm by Bill Hall.
Motion carried to approve 9/7/2021 minutes.
Council representative: Committee welcomed Jay Robinson in attendance representing city
council interests.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee Meeting room: Temporary meeting place of Pedestrian and
Bicycle Committee for October/November/December 2021 shall be designated as the Giddens
Auditorium in the Library building.
***Action item: Bill Hall to forward the P&B Committee Mission Statement revision to Lisa
Hanks to have City Council approve the flexibility of meeting time and place to be one of
convenience based on accessibility and participation.
Safe-Routes-to-School Task Force: Gary Gover, as the Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee
representative on the Eastern Shore Trailblazers Safe Routes Task Force, stated that a Steering
Committee has been formed by Charlene Lee but it has not yet assembled participants for an
initial meeting.
Central Business District Parking Subcommittee: Jason Small, as the Pedestrian and Bicycle
Committee representative on the Parking Subcommittee, stated that this subcommittee did
have its first meeting as requested by Hunter Simmons but Jason was unable to attend due to
scheduling conflict .
Full Comprehensive Land Use public forum held in September: Katie Bolton attended the Land
Use forum and reports that areas of focus include building a fishing lake and disc golf course on
land near the intersection of Route 13 and Twin Beech Road as well as creating 4 more play/ball
fields around the Recreation Center. Grants from the Walton Foundation in Bentonville may be
available but ongoing maintenance after the projects could be completed is an issue .
Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee Input for city projects:
a) Working Waterfront Project --Chris Knight, Chris Riley and Richard Johnson report that
the $5.5 million project is moving forward for development of schematics in November
2021 covering placement of bulkheads, light fixtures, trash receptacles, ramps and
benches. ***Action Item: Chris Knight to write a memo requesting committee review of
schematics.***
b) Triangle Project -Grant application was rejected.
c) Fairwood Blvd Sidewalk Bike Bath -Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant was
denied by ALDOT .
d) Complete Streets Project : ***Action Item: Gary Gover to follow up with Jessica Walker
regarding any resolution.***
Infrastructure Wish List: Prioritized Wish List (see attached) has been submitted to Richard
Johnson for implementation wherever/whenever feasible . Maintenance on existing sidewalks
should be handled through the 311 procedures.
Equality Avenue Sidewalk Improvement: Mayor Sullivan has requested that this city
improvement be more aesthetically artistic than striping on pavement; Junior City Council is
working on a design.
Bike Racks Installation: All bike racks which had already been purchased have been installed;
there are no more bike racks in Public Works warehouse . Recommendation was made by
committee members to Richard Johnson to purchase 12 more bike racks after budget is
approved. Katie Bolton stated that more bike racks are needed at the soccer complex. Rosalie
Stromme reported that Mandy Bezeredi, Director of Coastal Alabama campus, stated that the 3
bike racks currently onsite (Amphitheater, Centennial Hall and Boron) are sufficient for current
student use; no new racks are needed on the campus at this time .
Fels to Pier Sidewalk Expansion: Richard Johnson had not prepared an estimated cost for this
expansion.
***Action item: Rosalie Stromme to contact Richard Johnson to obtain an approximate dollar
estimate which would then determine if there are any grant money opportunities available for
this proposed project.***
Bicycle Friendly & Safe Community Application and Pier Street Bicycle Repair Station
Installation: Motion carried to table these two items from future committee agendas until
funding can be sourced .
✓
New Business:
a) De La Mare Avenue Handicap Van Parking Space : Richard Johnson has requested from
Mayor Sullivan that a handicap van parking space be designated midblock and is
awaiting mayoral decision on this issue . The concern is that in designating one handicap
van parking space means that an adjoining parking space will be lost to allow for safe
unloading of passengers . ***Action Item: Richard Johnson to follow up with mayor on
status of this request; offer was made to Richard Johnson to have Ped & Bike
Committee write a memo strongly supporting this parking space allocation. ***
b) E-Bikes with speeds up to 28mph are being operated on city sidewalks creating possible
dangerous interactions with pedestrians. ***Action item : Gary Gover to research legal
issues regarding e-bike usage and laws from other municipalities which have
encountered this new technology.***
c) Roundabouts: Richard Johnson explained that crosshatched sidewalks are not a
requirement in Alabama for roundabouts because pedestrian and bicyclists do not have
the right of way in these type of traffic intersections. They must yield to cars/trucks and
cross only when safe to do so.
Next scheduled meeting : November 2, 2021 at 4pm in the Giddens Auditorium .
Meeting adjourned at 5:10pm .
Respectfully submitted,
Rosalie Stromme, Secretary