SVBC San Mateo County Committee meeting minutes - July 5, 2012

Meeting was held at Sabor Colibri in Redwood City

Chairperson: Andrew Boone
Participants: Margaret Pye, Mike Harding, Adina Levin, Paul Wendt
Staff: Colin Heyne
Guests: John Ebueter, San Mateo; Maureen Logan, Menlo Park
Secretary: Mike Harding

Meeting began at 6:30 PM

1) Introductions were made.
2) Mike Harding will take minutes.
3) Minutes of the June meeting were approved.
4) SVBC Staff Report: Colin Heyne

Safe Routes to School programs will require hiring one or two new staff members. In San Mateo Co., Woodside, Ravenswood, Brisbane, Belmont and Redwood City districts, plus perhaps private schools in Atherton, are asking for programs. The contract is now on hold, awaiting details to be worked out. SVBC staff alone can’t do programs in 23 towns in SMCo, so volunteers are needed. The hope is to make the program self-sustaining in the long term.

The Dutch Embassy is holding bike workshops in San Jose and other California cities under the name of the Bike Embassy, to work with city governments. Andrew Boone will talk up a workshop in Palo Alto.

The SVBC Annual Dinner will be in October in Palo Alto at the Golf and Country Club.

5) Old Business

• San Carlos Holly St/US 101 interchange, Margaret Pye. The meeting of the Transportation Commission featured little discussion, but endorsed version 1-H, the separated bike-ped path and undercrossing. The Eastside (of Old County) Community was strongly in favor of 1-H.
• Woodside Rd-84/US101 interchange: Andrew Boone: Since this project is a long-term process, we should individually study the design alternatives and forward our comments to John Langbein, who is the most knowledgeable.
• Stanford University’s $10.4M for recreation trails: Adina Levin: The next Santa Clara Board of Supv. meeting is Aug 7th, which will set the decision process. In the meantime, Stanford is designing an all-campus jogging trail. Also, a local paper published an opinion piece from a Stanford resident stating that it was appropriate to use the money for on-campus projects. Our task is to write letters to the B of S refuting this and show up at the meeting.
• The East Palo Alto bike-ped bridge over 101 near University was not discussed.
• East Palo Alto-Newell Rd bridge: This bridge over San Francisquito Creek, built in 1911, does not allow clearance for possible flood water, threatening nearby homes. The design for its replacement is two lanes, 32’ wide, and has no bike or pedestrian lanes. Palo Alto is managing the project, with 88% funding from Caltrans (it crosses the county line). Andrew plans to campaign for bike lanes, with the Mitigated Negative Declaration (in lieu of EIR) the focus.
• Atherton’s threatened lawsuit over traffic on Marsh Rd. from increased Facebook traffic was settled by a $350K unrestricted grant from Facebook. In addition, there was $100K for a study of bike access at the Marsh-Middlefield intersection. The possibility of covering the creek adjoining Marsh Rd was discussed; this idea was rejected 30 years ago. Maureen Logan proposed talking to the interim Traffic Dept Engineer; she could set up a meeting.

6) City Reports

Menlo Park: Andrew: The next Downtown Block Party is August 15th, for which SVBC will do bike parking. Adina: Kathy Shrenk, the new school bike-ed co-coordinator wants to have a kid bike safety event at the Party. There will also be a bike-ed table next to the Bike Commission table. The Valparaiso Av. school safety route study will be presented at the next Commission meeting, where she will be introduced.

Palo Alto: Andrew: The Bike Commission will vote at the next meeting on the new Bike Plan.

Discussion Not on Agenda: City Council elections are coming up and we should find out what candidates think of bikes. It was suggested that each pick a city: Belmont, Redwood City, and Menlo have elections; San Carlos and San Mateo don’t. Though SVBC can’t endorse candidates, it can gather information for members.

Margaret Pye will chair the meeting on August 2nd.