1 | Nampa Steering Committee Meeting Minutes, 8/5/2010 Nampa Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Steering Committee Meeting September 14, 2010 Attendees Kristi Watkins, City of Nampa (SR2S Coordinator) Steve Kehoe, citizen Mitch Kiester, City of Nampa Mark David, City of Nampa Linda Nicholson, NNU Lynda Clark, City of Nampa Lincoln Hagood, Colliers International Darrin Johnson, City of Nampa (Parks and Rec.) Rodney Ashby, City of Nampa (Long Range Planner) Michael Fuss, City of Nampa Harmon Hurren, School Board Pam White Kevin Myers, Owner, Flying M Coffee Garage Phil Petersen LaRita Schandoff, Bike and Pedestrian Committee Chair Nick Foster, Kittleson & Associates, Inc. Sherie Moore, Alta Planning + Design Mike Tressider, Alta Planning + Design Items Discussed 1. Review list of goals identified by the committee and review consolidated goal statements. The goals identified at the previous meeting were worked goal statements. Committee comments were: Remove any goal numbers (i.e. Goal 1), so there was no misconception that the goals were listed according to priority Move the goal related to mode shift to a benchmarking section Combine the goals related to improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities and design standards The revised goal statements- Goal: Become a Truly Bicycle and Pedestrian Friendly Community Foster a pro-bicycle and pro-pedestrian awareness in individuals, private sector organizations, and all levels of government, to achieve a culture shift where foot-powered transportation is embraced. The City should apply for national recognition through the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community program with an initial award level goal of BRONZE. Alta Planning + Designxxxxxxx1 transportation | recreation | innovationxxxxxxxx 2 | Nampa Steering Committee Meeting Minutes, 8/5/2010 Goal: Engage Local Businesses and the Community Encourage local businesses and the community to be involved in the creation and adoption of the bicycle master plan. Foster a pro-bicycle and pro-pedestrian awareness in individuals, private sector organizations, and all levels of government that results in a long-term commitment to the construction and maintenance of trail and pedestrian facilities. Goal: Improve Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Develop a set of facility design standards that accommodate a range of abilities, while increasing bicycle and pedestrian safety. Goal: Promote Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Establish educational programs that teach safe bicycling and walking skills to all ages, and promote safer driving behaviors among motorists, in order to reduce injuries and deaths Goal: Promote Economic Development Connect to existing and planned routes in neighboring jurisdictions to form a regional trail network. Link local businesses, places to stay, and places of interest in a well-connected and desirable system that attracts bicyclists and bicycle related businesses. Goal: Regional Coordination Increase regional planning, implementation and maintenance coordination to create a seamless trail network that is consistent in character and usability. 2. Status of entities/persons identified to be included on the Steering Committee 3. Chamber of Commerce – non-responsive Canyon County - non-responsive Irrigation District - present Phil Petersen –present Recap of the stakeholder interview progress About half of the stakeholder interviews have been conducted o Generally, interviewees are not aware of what is available o Interviewees are not aware of bicycle laws (particularly the “Idaho Stop” law) 4. Overview of the pedestrian facility inventory project 5. SR2S The inventory has been completed by volunteers. The marked-up maps were given to Alta to digitize The inventory project does not include collecting sidewalk widths due to time constraints, but sidewalk widths will be addressed in the plan’s design standards The inventory project is focused on major streets Inventory results could benefit the SR2S program Children’s helmets are to be given out on Nampa Play Day (Sept. 25), volunteers are needed Alta Planning + Designxxxxxxx1 transportation | recreation | innovationxxxxxxxx 3 | Nampa Steering Committee Meeting Minutes, 8/5/2010 International Walk to School Day is an in-service day for Nampa schools. School participate on an voluntary basis and activities may occur on different days. Activities planned o October 12th – Birch Elementary School (Trek on Tuesday walking club) o October 14th – Reagan Elementary School Southside sidewalk project moving slowly. It is out to bid, with implementation planned for next spring. Then, enhanced crosswalks at all 19 area schools and flashing beacons at Birch Elementary. 6. Overview of the bicycle and pedestrian documentation project in Nampa Sept. 11-17. LaRita and volunteers to conduct counts this week (9/16 and 9/17). Potential count sites were identified as: The Rail With Trail path, including the planned 1.1 mile, Paul’s Market – 12th/Sherman and Midland, North of Lake Lowell. 7. Liability discussion The State of Idaho offers the following legal protection: o o Potentially offsetting some or all of a landowners liability are the State-enacted Recreational Use Statutes (RUSs). All 50 states have RUSs, which provide protection to landowners who allow the public to use their land for recreational purposes. A person injured on land made available to the public for recreational use must prove that the landowner deliberately intended to harm him or her. States created RUSs to encourage landowners to make their land available for public recreation by limiting their liability provided they do not charge a fee. Companies, institutions, and individuals that agree to a pathway on their property would have limited liability due to these statutes. In Idaho the following laws and statutes apply: Recreational Pathway, Rails-to-Pathways Program, Government Use Statutes Recreational Pathways System, or Similar Liability Act (RUS) Statute Tort Idaho Code § 67-4236 (2000) Indemnification of owners of land adjacent to trails Idaho Code §§ 36-1601 to Allows State to indemnify the owner of -1604 (2000) private land adjacent to trail, for damage caused by trail users, for which the owner was unable to recover from the user who caused the damage Idaho Code § 6-901 et seq. (2000) Canals and Drainages: The Irrigation District maintains that piped irrigation/drainage facilities are more amenable to trails, as drowning incidents are substantially limited. There is a high frequency of maintenance vehicles on maintenance roads. It was noted that On average three children under the age of ten drown in ditches each year. Proper design is required to accommodate the Irrigation District’s needs and to make trail users safe The City would like to meet with the Pioneer and Boise Project districts at some point Alta Planning + Designxxxxxxx1 transportation | recreation | innovationxxxxxxxx 4 | Nampa Steering Committee Meeting Minutes, 8/5/2010 8. Would the City be taking on an “attractive nuisance” liability by encouraging use of paths along canals? Upcoming Public Meeting in October At the meeting public meeting formats were discussed. Mobile workshops and an open house were considered. The City had concerns about the Open House format, as historically they had poor turn-outs to these public meetings. Mobile workshop presentations are time intensive and would require city staff and volunteers to make the presentations over a period of time. An Open House date was tentatively set for the last week of October, but mobile workshops remained under consideration. After further deliberation in the days following the meeting, the City and Consultant, agreed to pursue the mobile presentations and Listening Station format in leiu of an Open House. The Consultant would prepare the mobile presentation (PowerPoint) and Listening Station materials (Display Boards), and the city would prepare a survey. The Consultant would make the first public presentation, which would also serve as a training opportunity for city staff and the volunteers that would be going out into the community. 9. Next Steering Committee date: November 9, 2010 10. Misc notes: Are areas without sidewalks, where vehicular volume is low, really deficient? Maybe, it depends on the situation 12th Street: The uncontrolled crosswalk at Nampa High will be eliminated since there is a nearby signal An enhanced crossing near Paul’s Market is planned as a local area improvement in the transportation plan Alta Planning + Designxxxxxxx1 transportation | recreation | innovationxxxxxxxx