Southwest Partnership
Safe, Vibrant, and Walkable Streets Committee
Thursday, October 28th 2016
7pm
1138 Hollins St (moved to 1100 Hollins St due to power outage)
Present
Chris Redwood
Robert Meyers
Bif Browning
Danielle Pelaez
Caitlin Doolin
Schlonte McGee
Julie Rivera
Elizabeth Weber
Thanks to Robert Meyer for hosting the meeting after the power went out at 1138 Hollins St.
DOT Biking Update (Caitlin Doolin)
Construction on the West Baltimore Bike Boulevard project will begin in the spring. The delay is because the project is tied to the W. Baltimore St bike loop which has had some delays. Caitlin will return to the neighborhoods before construction starts to give a refresher presentation on the project. She will also share the final designs with the Committee.
Docks have been removed from the Hollins Market bike share station to provide more room for parking. Flexiposts will be added to stop drivers from attempting to park in the station’s spots. The station will be going live at 1pm on 10/28.
20 bike share stations will go live on 10/28, and the 30 other stations identified as being part of phase one will go live in the spring. Hollins Market and the BioPark station are going live now, and Union Square, the Townes and Terraces, and Carroll Park are going live in the spring. There is also a stop planned for Franklin Square Park, but there will need to be a review of where it goes based on the historic nature of the park. The West Baltimore MARC station is a priority for Phase 2. The Committee discussed the logistics of using the bike share. A suggestion was made that there be a dedicated kiosk in Hollins Market to increase interest.
The process of moving the bike share station will take a while–the big issue is that they need to identify sources of power. DOT will be contacting property owners.
DOT is working on two other projects that will impact biking and walking in the Southwest Partnership area. They have applied for a design assistance grant for the Arlington Greenway project, which will be announced on Monday 10/31. This project would add improvements to Arlington Ave between W Baltimore St and Washington Blvd that would make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, including bike blvd improvements, pedestrian scale lighting, and a way for bicyclists to travel over the B&O tracks.
They have also submitted a grant application for design work on the MLK sidepath, which will also be announced Monday. The Local Development Council of the Casino Impact Area has committed $70,000 for the project, which will involve replacing the unsafe surfaces of the side path as well as improving the blind intersections.
Chris asked if the plan was to keep the brick. Caitlin explained that they haven’t looked too closely into surfacing materials. The bricks that currently line the sidepath are veneer brick, which is thin and chips easily. Replacing it with real paving brick would be very expensive. Stamped concrete (red concrete stamped with a brick pattern) or concrete with a brick lining are also options.
Bif suggested solar panels on the bike paths.
Chris asked about the community engagement process for the two projects–DOT will work with Pigtown Main Street and the SWP will work on community engagement.
Project Updates
Many ongoing projects have been stalled due to funding. Chris will update new members via email.
Public trash cans are (finally) being installed on W Baltimore St in response to the Committee’s request of 18 months ago, and mechanical street sweeping will resume in December.
Julie Rivera is working on a trash clean up project–interested community members should contact her directly at julie@swpbal.org.
Elizabeth looked into banners–it costs $100 to have double banners installed on lightposts, and $25 every six months to have them reinstalled. Depending on the costs of the banners themselves installing banners along Carey St seems doable. The Committee discussed potential designs.
Announcements
Schlonte will be holding the first block captain training with the Mount Clare neighborhood on 11/28. Interested community members should contact him at schlonte@swpbal.org
There will be a tree planting in Franklin Square Park on 10/29 from 10-1, and a planting on the triangle lot on James/Arlington/Cross Sts. on 11/5 from 10-1.
The last Sunday Sounds in the Park will be Stewbone on 10/30 in Union Square Park.
