Meeting Minutes for June 7, 2007

• Larry Geis #1570 – Columbus Police Division
• Kelly Angel – ODOT District 6 (SRTS)
• Bock Devennish – Columbus Police Division (Traffic)
• Mark Dravillas – Columbus Development Department
• Mike Smeltzer – Columbus Public Health Department
• Steve Simmons – Columbus City Schools

• Nick Shultz - EMH&T
• Larry Creed - EMH&T
• Dilip Karpoor - MORPC
• Terry Stewart - City of Columbus
• Nick Popa - City of Columbus

Terry Stewart welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance

Mr. Stewart explained that the City of Columbus is planning a traffic calming, community mobility, multi-modal traffic project for Franklinton. He stated that implementation may start as early as next year and introduced the project team consisting of the City of Columbus, EMH&T, Inc., MORPC, McKenna Associates, Inc. and Walkable Communities, Inc. from Florida.

Mr. Stewart introduced Larry Creed, Project Manager for the Franklinton Project from EMH&T.

Mr. Creed briefly discussed the project goals including:

• A balanced transportation infrastructure
• Reduce traffic violations, speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians
• Strengthening connection between land uses and the transportation system
• Promoting distinct and vibrant neighborhoods
• Satisfying “Safe Routes to School” criteria

Mr. Creed briefly discussed the project steps including:

• Balancing transportation infrastructure
  • Reducing traffic violations, ticketed and non-ticketed (speeding, failure to yield)
  • Strengthening connection between land users and the transportation system
  • Promoting distinct and vibrant neighborhoods
  • Satisfying “Safe Routes to School” criteria
• Encourage public involvement
  • Meeting with stakeholders
  • Public open houses
  • Charrettes
  • Walk audits
  • Overview to mayor, council, and service director
  • Internet website: www.columbusmobility.info
    • Meeting notifications
• Data Collection – (Currently in process)
  • Obtain existing data
    • Traffic counts
    • Pedestrian crash data
    • Land planning documents
    • Perform traffic counts (volume, speed, and classification)
    • Inventory of existing area characteristics, including, but not limited to:
      • Sidewalk, curb, curb ramps, pedestrian features, traffic calming measures
      • Intersection traffic control devices, lane control, turn restrictions, ped controls
      • One-way operations, designated parking areas, bus stops, speed limits
• Analysis and Recommendations
  • Identify problems and develop solutions
  • Review constructability feasibility
  • Prepare cost estimates and prioritize
  • Present recommendations to public, stakeholders, and city departments
• Final Reporting
  • Prepare report describing purpose, methodology, findings and recommendations
  • Provide typical drawings of recommended improvements

Mr. Creed provided upcoming events including:

• Tuesday, June 19, 2007 – Public Open House
  • Gladden Community House, 183 Hawkes Avenue
  • Key Stakeholders Meeting – 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
  • Public Open House – 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
• Friday, July 13, 2007 – Opening Charrette
• Saturday, July 14, 2007 – Walk Audit
• Thursday, July 26, 2007 – Closing Charrette

• MORPC to finalize and include contact list
• EMH∓T to distribute via email as follow-up after stakeholders meetings
• EMH&T to post on website
• MORPC to prepare a few copies for use at Open House

Mr. Creed introduced Kelly Angel with the Ohio Department of Transportation, District 6, Safe Routes to School Program. Ms. Angel described the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program and stated the program is in the draft stages. She handed out literature that provided information pertaining to the program. The program is intended for K-8 schools and the area of influence is within a two-mile radius of the school. The program intends to distribute $19 million over a 5 year period which can be obtained by preparing letters of interest to ODOT. Funding is intended to be distributed for planning (currently available) and for construction. Ms. Angel explained that funding is not provided strictly for crosswalk and sidewalk applications, but for other items that promote walking/biking to school, such as tennis shoes (as done in Cleveland) or bicycle helmets. Success of the program is dependent upon the 5 “E’s” which include:

• Education
• Engineering
• Encouragement
• Enforcement
• Evaluation

Mr. Creed opened up the floor to discussion

Steve Simmons offered that bike racks are needed because they are frequently stolen when placed in the right-of-way. The racks do not get stolen when located on school property; however, if the racks are city property, then they must be placed in the right-of-way. Ms. Angel suggested that SRTS funds can be used to purchase bike racks, or for bike safety programs that are already in place at some city public schools.

Larry Geis expressed concerns about speeding on West Broad Street, especially at the bus stops near the Spaghetti Warehouse and near the Firehouse where motorists tend to pass stopped busses. West Broad Street at Central Avenue is a hot spot for pedestrian accidents. Mr. Dravillas suggested considering a West Broad Street median.

Mr. Simmons described safety programs in place in Florida that seemed to be very effective. They position vehicles at crosswalks that resemble parole officer vehicles and cone off an area prior to the crosswalk to slow motorists down. It was also suggested that crosswalk improvements on Livingston Avenue could be used as reference.

Mr. DeVennish expressed concerns of entrapment with tactics used to ticket crosswalk violations. Clear and defined guidelines need to be established to determine when a ticket is warranted in order to prevent officers from writing tickets simply to fill quota.

General consensus among the attendees was that education was the major obstacle in the success of any program that is implemented. Pedestrians, as well as drivers, need to be informed. Possible education efforts could include:

• Public service announcements on television or radio
• Safety programs provided by the schools should include instruction on how to walk home safely Send fliers home with students and have parents read, sign, and return it
• Walking school bus (group of students pick up other students on their way to school)

Public involvement with education efforts is needed and may be difficult to obtain. Possibilities include:

• Providing refreshments for volunteers
• Targeting the senior citizen community for help
• Mr. Smeltzer with the Health Department offered to help with public education
• Mr. Simmons offered to create a virtual route for student walkers, as done for busses, if possible

Mr. Simmons noted that students are required to walk to school if they live within a two-mile radius of their school, unless extenuating circumstances exist, such as lack of crosswalks; however, this is a very rare situation. Steve Wallace was mentioned as the person responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of marked crosswalks within the area.

Few kids walk to school in this area and are driven to school primarily to prevent them from being victims of criminal action, rather than for traffic safety concerns. Of particular concern is the lack of maintenance around the railroad tracks with tall weeds that create safety issues

Mr. Simmons stated that Franklinton is within what is considered to be the “Central District” and students have the option to be bussed out of the district to another Columbus City Public School, as well as to be bussed into a school within Franklinton from another district.

Mr. Simmons will provide a timeline for scheduled school building replacement and rehabilitations.

General consensus was that a measure of effectiveness would need to be defined, and surveys could help.