Overview:
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission of Bloomington held a meeting on March 20th, 2023 that focused on topics:
- 2023 Traffic Calming and Greenways Program
- 7-Line Project Update with the installation of All-Way Stop Control
- Election of Officers – Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary
The meeting was attended by four commissioners in person and one commissioner on Zoom, along with the city engineer and several staff members. Additionally, there were twenty-two participants on the Zoom platform. The meeting took place at City Hall in Council Chambers (Room #115), and was conducted both in person and virtually on Zoom. The use of Zoom allowed for wider participation and engagement from community members who were unable to attend in person.
- Four commissioners who were in person – Paul Ash, Ann Edmonds, Jaclyn Ray, Zach Huneck
On Zoom:
- One commissioner – Mitch Rice
- City Engineer – Andrew Cibor
- Staff – Hank Duncan, Ryan Robling , Steve Cotter
- Twenty-two participants
Topics that were discussed are:
1. 2023 Traffic Calming and Greenways Program:
They discussed the 2023 Traffic Calming and Greenways Program during the new business portion of the meeting. Hank Duncan, a staff member, provided an update on the staff-led projects for the program. He mentioned that two projects are currently being planned, one on East Morningside Drive and the other on West Allen Street. The East Morning side project will stretch from Park Ridge East to State Road 46 East Third, while the West Allen Street project will be a small connector block to the Bee Line and Walnut. The commission was informed that the website would be updated soon with information on these projects, including public comment forms and surveys. As for the resident-led projects, the deadline for submitting a letter of intent is March 24th, with all applications due by April 14th. They emphasized the importance of public input in these projects and will hold pre-application meetings with all applicants to discuss their proposals.
Personal thoughts and reflection:
It’s encouraging to see a city like Bloomington taking steps towards implementing traffic calming measures and greenways. These projects can help make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, while also providing more green space for residents to enjoy. The fact that the commission is actively seeking public input on both staff-led and resident-led projects is also commendable. It shows that the city values the opinions of its citizens and wants to ensure that the projects being planned are in line with the needs and desires of the community.
Overall, this update on the 2023 Traffic Calming and Greenways Program is a positive development and highlights the importance of local government initiatives aimed at improving the safety and quality of life of its residents.
2. 7-Line Project Update & All-Way Stop Control Installation:
They discussed the success of the 7 line project during the meeting, which was presented by Andrew Cibor, the city engineer . He began by providing some background information on the project, stating that it started as a desire to build on the success of the be line and construct a high comfort East-West spine through the community for various active transportation modes. This was identified in the city’s transportation plan, and the City Council approved a bicentennial bond, a series of bicentennial bonds focused on trail projects, with this project being one of those.
He went on to explain that the project was ultimately constructed in 2021, and opened soon after. During the Project Development phase, the city’s Parking Commission, Traffic Commission, and ultimately City Council reviewed an ordinance that required some code changes to the traffic. The two significant policy changes that touched on were a significant reduction of on-street parking along the Seventh Street corridor, and the removal of a series of stop signs on Seventh Street as well.
He also shared that the 7 line project was identified among the top 10 new bike lane projects of 2022 by the People for Bikes organization, ranking number 5 on the list. This was a significant achievement for the city, as the other projects on this list tended to be in major cities around the East or West coast, while the city has a population of 85,000.
He then delved into some data and details regarding the project’s success. He presented bicycle count data, which showed a significant increase in the number of people using the protected bike lane compared to the standard bike lane that was in place before the project. He noted that this demonstrated that more people were comfortable using a protected bike lane than a standard one, and highlighted the importance of building a network, as the project also included additional bike lanes and the Seventh Street Greenway.
Another significant increase in bike usage was observed in a section of Seventh Street where there were previously no bike lanes at all. He noted that this data was less robust than the previous data, as it was collected over a 4-hour window on two specific days, one day before the project and one day after. However, it was still clear that the number of people traveling on bikes or scooters had significantly increased in this section.
While the project was mainly focused on the bicycle mode, He also highlighted the fact that it was essential to consider the high use transit corridor. He briefly discussed some of the improvements made to the bus stops and shelters in the area, which had increased accessibility and comfort for transit users.He proposed to reinstall a four-way stop at the intersection of 7th Street, which would improve pedestrian access and safety in the area. He noted that this would require a slight narrowing of the protected bike lane, but he believed that it would have minimal impact on bicycle traffic.
Personal thoughts and reflection:
It’s interesting to hear about the policy changes that were required to make the project a success, such as the reduction of on-street parking and the removal of stop signs. These changes can be controversial and require careful consideration, but it’s clear that they were necessary for the project’s success.
The proposal to reinstall a four-way stop signs to improve pedestrian access and safety is also a positive development. It’s important to consider the needs of all transportation modes and ensure that projects are as safe and accessible as possible for everyone.
Overall, this presentation highlights the importance of investing in transportation projects that prioritize active transportation and how such projects can have a significant impact on the community.
How did the meeting resolve?
The discussion is about whether to reinstate stop signs along 7th Street.The city engineer anticipated that some bicyclists may not come to a complete stop at stop signs, and that drivers often don’t come to a complete stop either. He recommended that all five stop signs should be reinstated, but noted that it is up to the commission to make a modified recommendation if desired.
The proposal to reinstall the four-way stop at the intersection of 7th and Dunn was approved, but the proposal to reinstall all of the four-way stops along 7th Street was not approved.
Smart city technology opportunities for Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety:
Several worries concerning pedestrian and bicycle safety in the city have been raised during the discussion. One way of addressing these problems is to implement smart city technology.One way to address these concerns is through the use of smart city technology like Smart traffic system .The City of Helsinki in Finland has implemented a smart traffic system that includes sensors and real-time data analysis to adjust the timing of traffic lights based on the volume of pedestrians and cyclists.
The system detects the volume of vehicles, including pedestrians and bicycles, at junctions using cameras and sensors. The acquired data is then processed in real time, and traffic signals are changed to accommodate traffic flow.This smart traffic system might be useful in resolving bicycle and pedestrian safety problems in our city.
Smart city technologies may also be utilized to increase public engagement in bicycle and pedestrian safety decision-making. The City of Madrid in Spain, for example, has created a participatory budgeting procedure in which people can submit recommendations for public projects, including those associated to bicycle and pedestrian safety.
Meeting minutes, Brochure or Handout from the meeting:
https://bloomington.in.gov/onboard/meetingFiles/download?meetingFile_id=11604
Picture attending the virtual meeting:
References:
- https://greatcities.uic.edu/uic-neighborhoods-initiative/participatory-budgeting/
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-Hierarchical-Framework-for-Intelligent-Traffic-in-Li-Hassan/9c72c698be54d39f13766c797c6d065c250ef67a
- https://www.hel.fi/static/liitteet/kaupunkiymparisto/julkaisut/julkaisut/julkaisu-16-19-en.pdf
- https://bloomington.in.gov/tcgp
- https://bloomington.in.gov/boards/bicycle-pedestrian-safety/meetings/2023
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