HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-16-2015 - 6l 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 16, 2015
Action Agenda
Item No. 6-1
SUBJECT: Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Report
DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N)
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
1. Plan to Address Board of County Abigaile Pittman, 245-2567
Commissioners Petition Regarding Tom Altieri, 245-2575
OUTBoard/Bicycle Safety Craig Benedict, 245-2585
2. OUTBoard Report on Bicycle and Pedestrian
Safety in Orange County
3. Excerpt from Draft OUTBoard Minutes
PURPOSE: To receive the Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) Draft Bicycle
and Pedestrian Safety Report.
BACKGROUND: The issue of bicycle safety has been a topic of interest by various
County groups over the past several years, including discussions by the OUTBoard, the
Board of Commissioners (BOCC), and citizen groups that have consulted with authorities at
the Sheriff's Department, the Highway Patrol, and the North Carolina Department of
Transportation (NCDOT). Discussions regarding bicycle safety have increased over the
past year following incidents between motorists and bicyclists. There has been interest in
developing policies and procedures for enhancing bicycle safety, reviewing State laws,
promoting the development of safer bike lanes, and clearly identifying
agencies/departments for addressing the problems.
At the BOCC's November 6, 2014 regular meeting, a petition regarding bicycle safety was
made by Commissioners Renee Price and Barry Jacobs requesting Planning staff to review
policies related to pedestrian bicycle access and begin working with cyclist groups, law
enforcement and transportation officials to develop a culture of sharing the road. In
response, Planning developed its plan to address the petition, which was provided to the
BOCC as an Information Item at its February 3, 2015 meeting (Attachment 1). The Staff
Plan addresses representation from the BOCC, citizen participation, public outreach, task
objectives, and ultimately a report back to the BOCC in June with recommendations/a plan.
These tasks were addressed through the work of an OUTBoard subcommittee group
consisting of three OUTBoard members and four interested citizens over the course of
approximately three months. The full OUTBoard discussed the issues relative to the
development of the report at its March, April and May meetings.
2
The subcommittee's final Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Report (Attachment 2) was
reviewed and edited by the OUTBoard at its May 20, 2015 meeting. Excerpts from the
OUTBoard's draft Minutes are provided in Attachment 3. The OUTBoard unanimously
voted to approve the Report with minor edits discussed in the meeting, and forward the
Report to the BOCC with a request for endorsement and implementation of the
recommended policies and procedures for advancing bike and pedestrian safety in the
County. Because counties in North Carolina do not maintain roads, the Draft Report looks
more towards policies, procedures and public education rather than enforcement.
The following is a list of the recommended policies and procedures in the Report-
1. Create a Task Force to put together an action plan for implementing the list of
actions suggested in Charge 5 (of the Report) and have the action plan reviewed by
the OUTBoard and presented to the BOCC. Have one member of the BOCC serve
as a member of the Task Force.
2. Charge the Task Force with providing a list of roadways or areas in Orange County
that need improvements for the OUTBoard to review, and send to the BOCC or to
staff for approval.
3. Have staff create a list of goals for improving the roadways identified by the Task
Force, including desired timelines and approximate costs.
4. Instruct staff to review with the OUTBoard roads that are scheduled for resurfacing
and recommend wide shoulders or other appropriate improvements on roads
identified as rural bikeways.
5. Ask NCDOT to adhere to their Complete Streets manual and to their written policies
concerning rumble strips when installing them on rural roads (see Appendix B of the
Report).
6. Receive semi-annual updates and annual written reports from staff regarding
progress of the above noted action items and goals for the past and the upcoming
year.
NC Bicycle Laws
For additional background and information, NCDOT has produced a guide intended to
serve as a tool and reference document for education and enforcement of bicycle and
pedestrian laws-
http://ncdot.gov/bikeped down load/bikeped laws Guidebook- ull.pdf .
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no immediate financial impact associated with this item
except through future implementation items that would require an investment authorized by
the BOCC at a later date.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board:
1. Accept the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Report; and
2. Direct staff to:
3
a. Review the list of recommended actions in Charge 5 of the Report with regard
to financial costs, staffing capabilities, and required coordination with other
agencies/entities; and
b. Return to the Board of Commissioners in fall 2015 with information relevant to
implementing the lists of actions suggested in Charge 5 of the Report.
ATTACHMENT 1 4
PLAN TO ADDRESS BOCC PETITION
REGARDING OUTBOARD/BICYCLE SAFETY
Proposed Structure
• Venue: Full OUTBoard rather than a subcommittee due to staff and
administrative capacity, and to ensure better attendance.
• BOCC Representation: Unless others are identified, Commissioners Price and
Jacobs will be noticed of meetings as the BOCC representatives to attend and
participate in discussion when bicycle safety is an item on the OUTBoard's
agenda.
• Citizen Participation: All citizens are welcome to attend and participate in
discussion. If participation is high, guidelines may need to be established to
ensure that all have equal opportunity to participate, to stay on topic, and to
ensure that any other required items are addressed by the OUTBoard during the
course of its meetings. Mrs. Bonnie Hauser will receive personal notification as a
citizen that has expressed appreciable interest in the topic. If there are any
others that County Commissioners would like to identify to receive personal
invite, please make staff aware. All OUTBoard meetings are notified consistent
with public meeting law.
• Public Outreach:
o Notify identified stakeholders
• Public notice via Carla Banks and News of Orange
• Create brochure and use as a handout at meetings and to any interested
parties
• Task Objectives:
o Review County authority and State law
• Provide copy of County-endorsed bicycle routes (map)
• Get updated on topic and recent activities
• Define current problem statement
• Create broad categories for addressing problem (education; law
enforcement; NCDOT; etc.)
• Suggest/recommend policies, procedures, etc. for addressing problem
• Identify agencies, County departments, etc. for addressing problem
• Calendar: Will attempt to resolve task over the course of three (3) OUTBoard
meetings, and wrapped up by the end of May, 2015: Mtg. 1 — Intro, County
authority and State law, update and recent activities; Mtg. 2 — Problem
statement, categories for addressing problem, recommended policies and
procedures, and identify agencies/departments for addressing problem; Mtg. 3 —
Review recommendations/plan developed by staff, comment, and staff
finalization and forwarding to BOCC.
• BOCC Next Steps: Staff will report back to the BOCC in June with
recommendations and seek direction for next steps or closure.
5
ATTACHMENT 2
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
At the Mar. 18 meeting of the OUTBoard, the Staff(Abigaile Pittman) presented the
Staff's plan to address the Board of County Commissioner's Petition of November 12,
2014, instructing Staff to address Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety in Orange County.
The Petition outlined the following objectives:
• Review County authority and State law
• Provide copy of County-endorsed bicycle routes (map)
• Get updated on topic and recent activities
• Define current problem statement
• Create broad categories for addressing problems (education; law
enforcement; NCDOT; etc.)
• Suggest/recommend policies, procedures, etc. for addressing problem
• Identify agencies, County departments, etc. for addressing problem
The OUTBoard was charged with preparing a report to the Board of County
Commissioners, deliverable at the BOCC's first meeting in June 2015.
In order to come up with a report that could be discussed, revised, and approved by the
OUTBoard at its May 20 meeting, a subcommittee of the OUTBoard and interested
citizens was formed. The subcommittee included OUTBoard members Alex Castro, Heidi
Perry, Tom Magnuson, and citizens John Rees, Jeff Charles, Gail Alberti, and Cliff
Leath. The report attached is the final draft for the May OUTBoard meeting.
6
Orange United Transportation Board Report to the
Orange County Board of County Commissioners
on Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety in Orange County
Charge 1. Review County Authority and State Law.
In view of NC House Bill 232("An act to direct the Department of Transportation to study
the bicycle safety laws in this state and make recommendations as to how the laws may
be revised to better ensure the safety of bicyclists and motorists on the roadways."),
which was passed by the House and is currently going through the state Senate, the
OUTBoard recommends waiting to hear the outcome of that bill before putting a lot of
time into reviewing the State laws. (NOTE: Because much of our report pertains to rural
parts of the county, the focus is mainly on cycling, though through education efforts, the
importance of walking on the correct side of the road and visibility at night can be done
through posters and more.)
However, regardless of the outcome of HB 232, people who drive or cycle in Orange
County could be better educated on the current laws, and methods of doing that should
be put into place now. (See Charge 5, no 1)
Charge 2. Provide copy of County-endorsed bicycle routes (map).
Many if not most rural recreational cyclists find riding routes via online services such as
Map My Ride,' or through cue sheets provided by clubs such as the Carolina Tarwheels.
Even NC DOT is currently in the process of making the statewide bicycling maps
available electronically at WalkBikeNC.2 The website is currently under development, but
will be an interactive site where cyclists will be able to find, create, or comment on routes
around our state.
1. It would be useful to have an online map available for Orange County that
pointed out potentially hazardous spots or areas of high traffic to cyclists. This
information could be included in the print version of the Orange County cycling
map when it is updated. The state laws for cyclists should be included both on an
online map website and on the updated print map.
2. We recommend the county also look into providing an app version of the map
(in addition to an online version of the map) for the use of cyclists who do not
have easy access to a printed map and who are accessing routes through small
mobile devices.
Charge 3. Give update on topic and recent activities.
The most recent and possibly most affecting recent activity is state House Bill 232 which
was passed by the House in early April and described above. The Senate has referred
the bill to the committee on rules and regulations. The OUTBoard would recommend
waiting until the outcome of this bill is known before creating too many printed materials
with the state laws on them. If the bill is passed by the Senate as currently proposed, the
committee that will be formed will be asked to provide recommended legislation to the
Senate and House by the end of 2015.
7
In a recent related activity, the OUTBoard was presented with a list of resurfacing
projects at its April meeting, and it endorsed the DCHC MPO's requests for wide
shoulders as a part of the resurfacing on the following roads: Old NC 86 from Farm
House Drive to New Hope Church Road, Arthur Minnis Road from Old NC 86 to Rocky
Ridge Road, New Hope Church Road from Old NC 86 to NC 86. In addition, the
OUTBoard endorsed the Staff's request for wide shoulders on Walker Road from NC 57
to New Sharon Church Road, and on Lake Orange Road from NC 86 to the End of
Maintenance on that road.
Charge 4. Current problem statement.
The problem is how to ensure the safety of all users of roads in our county. The majority
of the cyclists and motorists are respectful of each other on our county roads. There are
some in each of these categories, however, who allow feelings of entitlement to the road
to overtake their good sense, and it is in those situations that conflicts between the two
groups can occur.
The OUTBoard would like to see the county embrace, promote, and fund programs that
could help mitigate these conflicts. First and foremost in these efforts would be a
program to educate the public on the laws, and to humanize the potential conflict
situations that occur in a way that fosters respect, understanding, and coexistence on the
road.
Charge 5. Addressing the issues.
To improve the safety of bicycling and walking in Orange County, the OUTBoard
recommends the following actions be adopted and implemented by the Board of County
Commissioners:
1. Have current state laws posted at high-traffic rural spots. Two that were
mentioned were Maple View and Honeysuckle Tea House. In addition, locations
such as car dealerships, gas stations, schools, churches, and car repair shops
should be approached. With permission from the establishment's owners, posters
could be posted in several locations. These posters would include state laws for
both cyclists and motorists. Include on the posters the importance of respect for
all on the road.
2. Become a partner with NCDOT in their"Watch for Me NC" bicycle and
pedestrian safety campaign. They provide a large amount of information
including posters, bumper stickers, handouts with laws, reflective gear, and even
bike lights. Combine this with a enforcement, education, and awareness program
for cyclists and motorists.3
3. Provide law enforcement officers with education tools explaining road cycling
and the state's laws— such a program has been developed by the statewide
advocacy group BikeWalk NC. It could be shown in a classroom setting with or
without assistance from local League of American Cyclists Certified Cycling
4
instructors.
8
4. Arrange for a bike ride or other type of"field trip" with Orange County
Commissioners, law enforcement, Orange County staff, and local cycling
advocates to allow all to see both the possibilities and the obstacles that exist for
cycling on rural county roads.
5. Have a county-wide contest to produce PSA posters or videos as a way to
bring in citizen participation. Prepare a series of PSAs to air on local radio and
television stations and in the local newspapers, and as posters around Orange
County, as have been promoted in other locations: See sample posters in
Appendix A. Contact the Journalism school at UNC to see if they would be
interested in helping create these spots and helping us determine the correct
venues for placing them.
6. Meet with the regional director of Active Routes to School and with school PE
instructors to be sure they are aware of the Bike and Pedestrian Safety program
available on NCDOT's website. s
7. Support BikeWalk NC in its efforts to produce a statewide online education
class6 that could be utilized in Driver's Ed classes, and in classes for driving
offenders that are seeking to reduce points on their insurance. A component for
the younger age groups who are mainly pedestrians is also planned.
8. Utilize national resources such as the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration,' People for Bikes,$ and the Alliance for Biking and Walking9 for
materials that can be used locally.
9. Create and promote an interactive wiki map that cyclists and motorists can use
to identify spots that need attention to improve safety. (The map could be
referenced on all of the posters and other PSAs.)
10. Examine bicycling in Orange County as an economic development tool by
sending a local staff person (or someone from Orange County Visitors Bureau) to
the Bicycle Tourism conference in San Diego, CA, being held Nov. 4-7 in 2015.10
11. Pursue a tourism (or other) grant to fund bicycling safety and share the road
public service announcements on popular local AM/FM radio stations.
12. Include a line item in the budget for county funding to use as grant-matching
funding.
13. Improve bicycle infrastructure in the community. Instruct staff to review with the
OUTBoard roads that are scheduled for resurfacing and recommend 4-foot
shoulders on roads identified as rural bikeways.
14. Explore lowering speed limits on some rural county roads to 40 mph. Begin with
a pilot on Dairyland Road. This reduction in speed was recently approved by
NCDOT for a small section of Old 86 (from Calvander to the Carrboro Town
Limit).
9
15. Discuss with the NC DOT (District Seven Engineer) the implementation of
roadways safety shoulders (costing $500,000 or less) at blind hills and curves on
highly used bike routes. One of the following locations could be used as a pilot
for this safety measure:
• Sugar Ridge area of Orange Grove Road
• "S" curve on Dairyland Road between Bethel Hickory Grove and Union
Grove Church Roads
• Dairyland Road segment between Green Rise Road and new gas line
• Old Greensboro Highway segment between Niche Gardens and Collins
Creek Roads
• Old Greensboro Highway segment between Phil's Creek and Jones
Ferry Roads
16. Enhance the use of our bikeways by:
a. Supplementing the existing Orange County Bicycle Map with online-
accessible "Cue Sheets" for specific preferred bicycling road. Assistance
in the development of these sheets should be sought from the local
bicycle organizations like the Carolina Tarwheels
b. Adding MUTCD-approved signage at "choke points" identified by area
cyclists alerting drivers to the likelihood of cyclists, such as "watch for
cyclist" or"bikes may use full lane"
c. Including multi-use paths in the vicinity of and within County Parks and
along Cane Creek reservoir perimeter.
17. Hold a Community Event. To provide a safe cycling experience for novice to
expert riders, a different selected segment of a rural road would be closed to all
but local motorist traffic and converted to a dedicated bikeway on a weekend day
once a month from April to October for a period of about two to four hours. To
hold this event:
a. a one-weekend day pilot would be organized to prove and refine the
concept.
b. Coordination between existing local bicycle clubs, rural residents, the
State Department of Transportation, Sheriff's Department and Orange
County government would develop the specific parameters of the
proposed bikeway. Cue Cards for the ride would be developed and made
available on-line and as handouts. The event would need to be widely
publicized, and local churches along the dedicated route could chose to
stage events to introduce riders to their fund raising events offering items
such as baked goods, refreshments etc. Significant historic sites could be
signed and other points of interest highlighted. Experienced riders wishing
to stage a race or time trial event would go first, and thereafter the
segment would be open to all cyclists. Volunteers could be positioned
along the route to coordinate assistance as needed.
18. Add links on the county's website to resources for cyclists from BikeWalkNC.org
and from NCDOT's bike program. Include links to laws and to safety videos.112
10
Charge 6. Suggest/recommend policies, procedures for advancing bike and
pedestrian safety in the county.
1. Create a Task Force to put together an action plan for implementing the list of
actions suggested in Charge 5, and have the action plan reviewed by the
OUTBoard and presented to the BOCC. Have one member of the BOCC serve
as a member of the Task Force.
2. Charge the Task Force with providing a list of roadways or areas in Orange
County that need improvements for the OUTBoard to review, and send to the
BOCC or to staff for approval.
3. Have staff create a list of goals for improving the roadways identified by the
Task Force, including desired timelines and approximate costs.
4. Instruct staff to review with the OUTBoard roads that are scheduled for
resurfacing and recommend wide shoulders or other appropriate improvements
on roads identified as rural bikeways.
5. Ask NCDOT to adhere to their Complete Streets manual and to their written
policies concerning rumble strips when installing them on rural roads (see
Appendix B)
6. Receive semi-annual updates and annual written reports from staff regarding
progress of the above noted action items and goals for the past and the
upcoming year.
Charge 7. Identify agencies, departments, groups that might work to move
this forward.
All of the following, in addition to every Orange County resident, are stakeholders who
should work together to make our roads safer.
1. Law enforcement agencies (Sheriff's Department, Highway Patrol)
2. School representatives
3. Orange County Visitor's Bureau
4. NCDOT staff
5. County and regional planning staff
6. Elected representatives
7. County businesses
g. Bicycle advocacy groups
g. Those who work with driver's education classes and traffic offenders
Map My Ride: httP://www.mapmvride.com
2 WalkBikeNC statewide map program:
https://apps.ncdot.qov/newsreleases/imaqe.ashx?id=2992&orig=1
3 Watch For Me NC program: https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=l 1035
4 The powerpoint for the presentation can be seen here:
ttp://www.bikewalknc.orq/learn/education®resources®for®police/.
5 The program guide for Let's Go NC is here:
http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/safetveducation/letsgonc/
6 A similar model for a statewide online education class created for Illinois can be seen
here: http://www.bikesafet-Vquiz.com/
7 National Highway Traffic Study: http://www.nhtsa.qov/Bicvcles
8 People for Bikes: http://www.peopleforbikeg.org/
9 Alliance for Biking and Walking: httP://www.bikewalkallianpp.org/
10 National Bicycle Tourism Conference: http://www.bicvcletournetwork.orq/
11 Bike Laws: http://www.bikewalknc.or-q/important-nc-traffic-laws-applicable-to-bicvclists/,and
http://www.ncdot.qov/BIKEPED/
"Sample safety videos (from other states):
https://www,youtube.com/watch?v=A3QN5U567.jE
https://www.-voutube.com/watch?v=iXC2UFRJ5Y4
Appendix• Possible ideas for • ' posters
STUDENT. POLAR EXPLORER. PERSONAL TRAINER.
SISTER. '�' DAD. DAUGHTER.
RIDES A BIKE. , RIDES IT.M,a
RIDES A BIKE.
I(Inlye�pF��]r�rMO�N' People bikes qe�a a"•"'- r- �� �i Rrytlan Pblll�ps—Perwnal Trzlner e
�, i.,ii,i r. �.� n.van�ePle bikes ��� P.opl.sorbik..
FIREFIGHTER. TOP SURGEON. FAMILY.
DAD. GRANQFATHER. LAVES DOWN THE STREET,
RI RI E, RIDES BllA
0 OWN, CIVI HIM SOME ;I
OPIRVING II
BIKE
CHEF DAUGHTER. ATTQRNEY.
DAUGHTER. BUSINESS OWNER. GRANQFATHER.
RIDES A BIKE. RI E.
I I" FOR
II
BIK
Sample video PSAs can be found here:
Rlxr.cu oRG
p•
13
Appendix B:NCDOT Documents pertaining to rumble strips and bicycle
traffic
R-44
• The beginning of a rumble strip/stripe pattern should be delineated in accordance with
MUTCD criteria(Section 9C 06)on any facility that bicycles are legally allowed to
operate.
• The NCDOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation will be provided an
opportunity to comment on any project implementing rumble strips/stripes on facilities
subject to this practice.
• Turn bay rumbles may continue to the beginning of the full width lane,if the paved
shoulder width remains the same as the through-lane shoulder width.
• NCDOT recognizes and is sensitive to the fact that noise may be an issue.However,if
there is a documented safety problem where no other reasonable cost effective solution is
available then rumble strips should be installed.This approach has been supported
through other Departmental actions.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR BICYCLE TRAFFIC
The following should be considered for all facilities where bicycles are legally allowed to
operate:
• It is desirable to provide a nominal width of four(4)feet of useable shoulder between the
outside edge of the shoulder rumble strip/stripe to the edge of pavement. However,even
though a four foot nominal width is desired,it will not preclude the installation of a
proven safety countermeasure where there is the presence of treatable lane departure
events. Also,the condition of the shoulder itself should be considered in determining
whether or not to provide the four foot nominal riding width for bicycle traffic.
• The width of shoulder rumble strips/stripes may vary between 8 and 16 inches.The
engineer should determine design and placement.
• Gaps in milled patterns,varying between 6 and 12 feet,may be provided to allow
bicyclists to move between the through lane and the right shoulder to avoid vehicles,
debris,etc.,but the pattern should be a minimum of a 5:1 rumble-to-gap ratio.The
Engineer should determine design and placement.
• No gaps should be provided on the left(median)side of divided highways.Gaps should
not be provided on interstate or freeway facilities.
• Consideration should be given to the alignment of the roadway in the direction of travel
from the perspective of bicyclists.
• Consideration should be given to the grade and speed at which bicyclists may be
traveling.
Effective 3-5-12 Page 2 of 2
14
become sunken below the pavement surface,utility covers should be at least four feet beyond the rumble strips to the edge of the paved
installed mush with the adjacent street surface and/or adjusted when shoulder. Where guardrail,curb or other continuous obstructions
streets are reconstructed or resurfaced. exist.additional wldih(2 feet extra width)may be needed to provide
adequate clearance for bicyclists.
Shoulder Rumble Strips
• Bicycle gaps(recurring short gaps)should be designed in the
A shoulder rumble strip is a safety feature for motorists installed on a continuous rumble strip pattern to allow for ease of movement
paved shoulder near the outside edge of the travel lane. It is made of bicyclists from one side of the rumble to the other. A typical
of a series of millod or raised elements intended to alert inattentivro pattern is gaps of 10 to 12 feet between groups of the milled-in
drivers{through vibration and sound)that their vehicles have left elements at 60 feet Intervals-
the travel lane. Rumble strips are placed as a countermeasure for
drover error,rather than street deficlencres,and are typically used Decreased width of rumble strip and/or decreased offset width to
on high speed facilities in rural areas. They are less applicable on the edge lino(travel lane)may provide additional space usable to
urban and suburban street types. Where trey are used.rumble strips blcycllsts-
on shoulders should be designed to lessen impacts on other users
;speclfleally bicyclists},Shoulder rumble strips with a narrow offset Rumble craps have typically been used Iu rural areas where run-
of 9 inches or less from the edge of the pavement marking[travel off-load crash rban pins exist,and their use on urban freeways
laney have been shown to be the most effective.because the(Inver is and possibly urban parkways should be determined on the meal of
alerted soonor and it provides a slightly larger recovery area after bring he street Lipson other)and context- Rumple strips are generally
not necessary on other complete street types. Irrslallatlon will he
alerted-
considered on rural roads where posted speed limits and/or statutory
Characteristics of and concerns about rumble strips that IImIt their speeds are at 55 miles per hour and above. Installation will be
usefulnessor appllcatlon Include low traffic speeds.noise for adjacent considered along specific rural roads where signlhcanf numbers of run-
residences.limited pavement width,presence of curb aria gutter, oft-road-crashes that Include any form of motorist Inattentlon has been
signlficard turning movements,and other conflicts for motorists, Identified-
pedestrians and hrcyc lists-
Bicycllsts are affected by rumble stri ps. As legal street and road users,
bicyclists may be In the travel lane,but where paved shoulders are
available and clear,bicyclists will often use them to avoid Conflicts with
faster moving vehicles In the travel lane. As described In Chapters 3
and 4,paved shoulders.if wide enough.can be an appropriate Iacility
type for bicyclists on some higher speed roadways.such as parkways
or rural roads. There are a number of measures that should be
considered to accommodate bicyclists when Installing rumble stri ps:
•
Wide outside paved shoulders improve safety for all highway and
road users.Where existing cross-section exists or Is available.allow
Chapter 9 18o Narih Carolina Compleir Strsets Planningand Design Gwdclinei
15
ATTACHMENT
1 EXCERPT FROM DRAFT MINUTES
2 ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION BOARD
3 MAY 20,2015
4 REGULAR MEETING
5
6 AGENDA ITEM 5.13: BICYCLE SAFETY
7
8 Heide Perry: Goal is to have a draft document/resolution at the end of the meeting to present to BOCC.
9
10 Art Menius: Appreciates Heidi work on the document, balancing the interest of bicyclist and motorist, and
11 acknowledged written statement received from Bonnie Hauser.
12
13 Heidi Perry: Reviewed document with edits below in red font:
14 Charge 1. However, regardless of the outcome of HB 232, people who drive or who cycle in Orange County
15 could be better education on the current laws, and methods of doing that should be put into place now.
16 Charge 3. If the bill is passed by the Senate, as currently proposed,the committee that will be formed will
17 be asked to provide recommended legislation to the Senate and House by the end of 2015.
18 Charge 3. Old NC 86 from Farm House Drive to New Hope Church Road, Arthur Minis Road from Old NC
19 86 to Rocky Ridge Road, New Hope Church Road from Old NC 86 to NC 86.
20 Charge 4. A�with mnct situations the problem is how to ensure the safety of the roads of our county.
21 Charge 4. First and foremost in these efforts would be a program to education the public on the laws, and
22 to humanize the potential conflict situations that occur in a way that fosters respect, understanding, and
23 coexistence on the road. See Appendix 1 for examples of these types of efferts being dene On other areas.
24 Charge 5. 1. Have current state laws posted at high-traffic rural spots (See Appendix-4.
25 4. Arrange for a bike ride or another type of"field trip" with Orange County Commissioners, law
26 enforcement, Orange County staff, and local cycling advocates to allow all to see both the possibilities and the
27 obstacles that exist for cycling on rural county roads.
28 7. Support BikeWalk NC in its efforts to produce a statewide online education class that could be
29 utilized in Driver's Ed classes, and in classes for driving offenders that are seeking to reduce points on their
30 insurance,. even has-a.A component for the younger age groups who are mainly pedestrians is also planned.
31 16.a. Supplementing the existing Orange County Bicycle Map with online-accessible "Cue
32 Sheets"for specific preferred bicycling road.
33 16.b. Adding MUTCD-approved signage at "choke point" identified by area cyclists alerting
34 drivers to the likelihood of cyclist, such as"watch for cyclist" or"bikes may use full lane."
35 16c. Including multi-use paths in the vicinity of and within County Parks and along Cane Creek
36 reservoir perimeter.
37 Charge 6. 5. Ask NCDOT to adhere to their Complete Streets manual and to their written policies
38 concerning rumple strips when installing them on rural roads(see Appendix 3 B).
39
40 Bonnie Hauser: Submitted a written statement regarding the Report. She stated she met with Lauren Blackburn,
41 from NC Dot, Bike/Pedestrian Division and discussed:
42 • Vocabulary for bikers and motorist and it being more urban based;
43 • Urban centers are the biggest problems;
44 • Secondary roads have higher speed with no bike lanes;
45 • Road designs or laws that support sharing the road safely and it will take a long time to fix.
46
47 Important for Commissioners understand the problem. We have to understand that if it is addressed just
48 as a Bike/Ped thing we will not fix the problem.
49 It takes$500,000/mile to add bike lanes and there are 900 miles of road in rural Orange County.
50 Much of this is not in county jurisdiction it is state jurisdiction.
51 She would like the OUTBoard to acknowledge rural roads separately from things done in urban areas and
52 that rural roads need special attention.
53
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ATTACHMENT
54 Alex Castro:Asked what kinds of things on rural roads would be useful.
55
56 Bonnie: 1. 2-foot shoulders are not helping. It is adding bicyclist to the road and not allowing motorists to pass
57 safely.
58 2. Many of the lines are not properly/evenly drawn and this really needs to be looked at.
59 3. Asked Chuck Edwards, NCDOT, to look at 5 dangerous hills and curves, and he is going to pilot 4-6 foot
60 wide safety shoulder on the road where there is a poor line of sight and where motorists can pass safely and
61 bicyclists have somewhere to go.
62 4. We could pilot a concept for a new kind of complete streets model for secondary roads.
63
64 Alex Castro: Referred to page Charge 5, item 15.
65
66 Bonnie Hauser: Bike problem not solved which is why this has been added to provide insight.
67
68 Ted Triebel: Motion to approve this report, with the edits, and to forward it to the BOCC for their information and
69 endorsement.
70
71 Alex Castro: 2nd the Motion
72
73 Vote: Unanimous
74
75 Bonnie Hauser: Is this going to go to the Commissioners?
76
77 Alex Castro:Yes