Meeting Minutes for July 17, 2007

• Jim Rothwell – COSI
• Emily Campbell – COSI
• Jim Goodenow – Veterans Memorial

• Nick Shultz - EMH&T
• Larry Creed - EMH&T
• Terry Stewart - City of Columbus

Terry Stewart welcomed everyone to the meeting at 10:10 am.

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 briefly discussed the project goals including:

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

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

Mr. Creed briefly discussed the project steps including:

• Developing a plan to improve mobility and related livability issues in Franklinton by:
  • 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 information on the upcoming Closing Workshop to be held on Thursday, July 26 and handed out fliers for distribution by COSI and Veterans Memorial.

Mr. Creed opened the floor for discussion and feedback from COSI and Veterans Memorial staff

Area Development

• Ms. Campbell suggested the SR 315 research and technology corridor plan may have lost momentum due to the loss of Mary Jo Hudson.
• Mr. Rothwell mentioned the City has plans for the realignment of State Street near Mill Street. The project has lost momentum because bids came in twice as high as anticipated. He is not sure what the current status of the project is.
• COSI does not have any long-range development plans. All plans are short-term and involve the renovation of existing spaces.
• Veterans Memorial has recently established a steering committee for long-term development goals.
• Mr. Goodenow objected to the idea of a roundabout at the West Broad Street/Belle Street intersection due to queuing as a result of the process of paying for parking upon entry.
• COSI and Veterans Memorial are not supportive of reducing number of lanes on West Broad Street near their facilities, but could be a possibility further west.

Pedestrian Traffic

• Mr. Goodenow felt jaywalking between COSI and Veterans Memorial is common on West Broad Street. He recommended considering a grade separated pedestrian bridge.
• Mr. Goodenow desires direct access between Veterans Memorial and COSI, with the Arena District and North Bank Park. He recommended considering a pedestrian bridge over the Scioto River that leads to North Bank Park, or river boats.
• While pedestrian activity is low, COSI would like to encourage walking as a mode of transportation to access their facility.

Vehicular Traffic

• COSI and Veterans Memorial are both accessed almost entirely by personal vehicle, via West Broad Street
• Buses unload on Washington Boulevard for COSI, but when downtown events block this road, buses must use Belle Street
• Backups on West Broad Street occur frequently for both locations.
• Evening events create major traffic issues for both venues, namely on West Broad Street.
• COSI uses patrol officer control on Belle Street at their parking lot access drive
• Veterans Memorial uses patrol officer control at West Broad Street/Belle Street intersection.
• The majority of COSI memberships are held by people from the north and east suburbs, creating an imbalance in traffic distribution.
• Ms. Campbell suggested a destination sign on SR 315 for COSI and Veterans Memorial that lists Town Street/Rich Street, as well as West Broad Street, as viable exits.
• COSI speculated that a shuttle service that operates during special events may reduce traffic congestion.

Parking

• COSI does not own their parking lots. They are City owned and operated by Riverfront Parking. Contact is: Guy Worley, CEO of Capitol South Corporation and Columbus Downtown Development Corporation.
• COSI has 3 parking lots with approximately 700 spaces per lot, for a total of about 2,100 parking spaces.
• Veterans Memorial has 950 parking spaces and has personal control over them.
• COSI occasionally gets overflow parking from Veterans Memorial events; however, Veterans Memorial rarely gets overflow parking from COSI events.
• Mr. Rothwell thought the new firefighters union being built at the old train station may need additional parking areas.
• Mr. Goodenow suspects future development within the Veterans Memorial site will create parking decks and will not reduce parking spaces.
• Mr. Rothwell mentioned there is a grass lot to the west of Spaghetti Warehouse that is occasionally used for overflow parking.

Miscellaneous

• Mr. Rothwell is concerned about abandoned buildings, code enforcement issues, and safety issues (panhandling, prostitution). However, when the shelter was closed down, many of these issues dissolved.
• COSI is interested in strengthening ties to the community.
• COSI has community events subsidized for Franklinton citizens. Recently had 4,000 attend an event.
• COSI offers discount memberships to people with financial difficulties who are on special programs, such as WICK and Medicaid.