City Council Minutes 2024 05 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes May 21, 2024 Page 6 of 11 keeping four lanes but reducing their width to increase the width of the bike lanes. He reviewed the costs for each. Staff is recommending the restriping to two lanes. The two-lane plan includes an acceleration lane for those turning west out of the Recreation Center. A right turn lane is still included at Pine Street, but removed at Church Lane and Tyler. Very few people are making right turns at those intersection and removing the turn lane reduces the chance of accidents with cyclists. Left turn lanes are added at Griffith, Harper and Via Capri. This plan also includes improvements at Via Appia and South Boulder Road. It maintains the dedicated left and right turn lanes, increases the right turn lane queue, has a dedicated bus pull out area, and adds a bike queue box. He noted complaints about the no right on red at this intersection. That design is being maintained for safety for cars and pedestrians as there have been accidents at that intersection. This plan increases pedestrian and bicycle safety by reducing speeds from 6-8 mph over the speed limit to around 3 mph over the posted speed limits; adds buffered bike lanes; shortens crosswalks or risk areas on average from 30 to 100 feet wide to 20 feet wide. The most important goal in the plan is getting people across the street safely. He reviewed the pros and cons of this plan. Likely pros: speeds will be reduced by up to 5 mph, this decreases accident severity for cars, bikes, and pedestrians; crossings will be shortened for bicycles and pedestrians for increased comfort, safety, and less stress; buffered bike lanes will improve safety and open usage to a wider audience; Recreation Center left turn will be significantly safer; added left turn safety for the Harper, Griffith, and Via Capri; improved bus interaction at South Boulder Road area; improved right turn queue at South Boulder Road; and improved crossings near transit stops that don't have flashing beacons. Possible cons: the slow car you can't get around it; additional 30 seconds added to trip through the entire corridor when reduced from 40 mph to 30 mph; no gaps in traffic for those accessing Via Appia; removal of right turn lanes at Church and Tyler. If the plan doesn't work there are other options to consider including changing the striping back or installing four-way stops, roundabouts, beacons, or HAWK signals. Director Kowar reviewed the data on level of service, turning ability on to Via Appia, traffic counts and speeds, and design standards. He noted the goal is to allow for all ages and abilities to be able to use the street safely. Level of service is increased for all users with the two-lane plan. Many people don't cycle or walk on Via Appia as it does not feel safe. He stated more and more people want to be out on bikes, including ebikes, and the road needs to be designed for that.