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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-09-11CYCLING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES September 11, 2012 CITY OF KITCHENER Cycling Advisory Committee met on this date commencing at 4:06 p.m. Present: B. Forwell (Vice- Chair), D. Class, M. Boos, P. Dedes, P. Walberg, Y. Fernandes, B. Laube, M. Arges Staff: J. Joseph (Committee Administrator), R. Schirm, W. Sleeth Regrets: Ms. M. Sehl (Chair), Ms. J. Romero, S. Burek, M. Parris Guests: P. Samarakoon 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF June 12, 2012 That the minutes of the June 12, 2012 meeting be approved with minor word changes noted by P. Walberg, M. Boos, and D. Class. Motion by: Y. Fernandes Seconded by: M. Arges 2. WATERLOO BIKESHARE PROPOSAL PRESENTATION P. Samarakoon from Grand River Public BikeShare (GRPBS) delivered a presentation on the pilot bikeshare system that is planned to be launched in the City of Waterloo during Spring 2013. The presentation contained information on bikeshare benefits, technologies, station locations, partnerships with other local non - profit groups, and next steps. P. Samarakoon asked the committee whether they would be interested in passing a resolution to support the GRPBS initiative. R. Schirm reminded the committee that a resolution was passed previously to support bikesharing in general. A discussion was held by the committee in- camera, and it was recommended that P. Samarakoon reference the general resolution that was passed in support of bikeshare made by the committee. There was a general consensus that since future phases would include stations in Kitchener, an update would need to be provided at that time on the results of the pilot. It would then be decided if the committee would pass a formal resolution in support of GRPBS. 3. UPDATE ON CAC'S 5 PRIORITY PROJECTS J. Joseph, R. Schirm, and W. Sleeth updated the committee on the CAC's 5 priority projects for the current year, provided in further detail below. Wilson Avenue: Trail improvements are scheduled to be completed by the end of October. P. Dedes asked if the committee needed to be consulted on any of the CYCLING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES September 11, 2012 CITY OF KITCHENER designs. W. Sleeth stated that the design standards have been set. No parking signage is to be added to the trail entrances to discourage vehicles from blocking the entry points. The surface of the trail will be granular, with sections certain sections being paved. Margaret Avenue: The report to Community and Infrastructure Services Committee passed and a service request has been submitted. The cycle lanes will be installed before winter. CMP Sign Pilot Project: The locates for the signs have been identified, and a service request has been submitted. The signs are planned to be installed before winter. Iron Horse Trail Rail Crossing: W. Sleeth stated that the recent media coverage over the delay of the construction has put pressure on CN Rail to quicken the process. The agreement is currently being reviewed by CN's legal group. Nyberg Contraflow: Staff are reassessing the feasibility of a contraflow bicycle lane on Nyberg through conversations with the Region of Waterloo and the City's legal department. A temporary solution has been addressed through the CMP Sign Pilot Project by redirecting cyclists down Bedford Road to Sydney. 4. REPORT CARD TO COUNCIL M. Arges suggested that all committee members complete the report card with an appropriate scoring, and the results would be aggregated and included in the final presentation to Council. Some committee members who were not involved in the report card's development expressed concerns over assigning a grade, referencing the subjectivity of the process. M. Arges and D. Class reminded the committee that a resolution was passed to support the report card as is. P. Dedes suggested that the report card should not be delivered as a stand -alone document but rather in conjunction with the presentation which would allow for further explanation and clarification to Council. J. Joseph stated that he was not involved in the development of the report card and would follow -up with R. Schirm for further clarification, reporting back to the committee with an update via email. 5. UPDATE ON CORONER'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS J. Joseph informed the committee that the staff report to Council on the Coroner's recommendations was passed. Correspondence has been sent to the Province of Ontario, the Region of Waterloo, and the neighbouring municipalities and townships. P. Dedes commended the committee for responding to the report CYCLING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES September 11, 2012 CITY OF KITCHENER and taking appropriate action to help ensure the recommendations are explored and implemented. 6. DISCUSSION ON THE CAC'S MANDATE The committee discussed the CAC's mandate briefly and decided that a decision should be made at the next meeting in October. J. Joseph stated that he would distribute the three options already discussed at a previous meeting via email. Some committee members also inquired about adjusting the terms of reference to allow for summer meetings. J. Joseph responded saying he would follow -up with clerks on the feasibility of modifying the terms of reference. 7. COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, AND ONLINE PRECENSE J. Joseph referenced the popularity of the Bike2Work Blog (5000 website hits in 2 months) as an example of the benefits of having a stronger online presence in regards to cycling. J. Joseph stated that he is exploring the feasibility of a marketing and branding strategy based around a `BikeKitchener' logo and website. This idea has been received support internally from Corporate Communications, and sample logos and website content (i.e. cycling maps, by- laws related to cyclists, news and upcoming events, bicycle parking information, safety tips, rules of the road, etc) are currently under development. J. Joseph will seek feedback from the committee in the coming months on the logo and content of the new website. 8. OTHER BUSINESS B. Forwell inquired about the purchase of a tent for special event purposes. J. Joseph stated he would look into a few options and choose the most appropriate option. 9. ADJOURNMENT That the meeting be adjourned at 6:08 p.m. Motioned by: Mr. B. Forwell Seconded by: Mr. P. Dedes