HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Committee Minutes 1.9.2024 (pending approval)
Attendees:
Al Hartman Jeff Armstrong Jim Collins, Transportation Director
Evelyn Meuret Lynnsey Erickson, Council Jane Weber, Secretary
Jim Stapel
Also Present: OPD Representative – Lt. Kraemer Excused: Sean Lynch & Deb Martin
The meeting was called to order by Al Hartman who then explained protocol for public comment.
Public Comment
Chairperson Hartman confirmed the citizens present were there for an agenda item and not for open public
comment and then requested roll.
Roll Call & Approval of Minutes
After roll call, Evelyn Meuret made a motion to approve the minutes from the November meeting,
seconded by Lynnsey Erickson. Motion carried after roll-call vote.
Old Business
N/A
New Business
1) Clean up Parkng Ordinances (Punhoqua Street) Jim stated this item is to clean up an outdated
Ordinance over near the new 4-Seasons building that is no longer relavant.
Jim Staple made a motion for approval, seconded by Jeff Armstrong. Motion carried after roll-call vote.
2) Clean up outdated Prohibited Right-Hand Turn Ordiances (New York Ave, North Main &
Harrison) Jim stated this agenda item is similar to Item 1 in that the current condition and signage
doesn’t reflect the ordiance so this will clean that up.
Jim Staple made a motion for approval, seconded by Evelyn Meuret. Motion carried after roll-call vote.
3) Request for NO Parking on Congress Ave. Chairman Hartman invited the two members from
the public to approach the podium to give comment:
Sue & Tom Werblow (422 Congress) said this item was put on the agenda per their request. Sue
feels after the new school (Vel Phillips) was completed, traffic increased in their neighborhood. She
said some staff of the school park on Congress vs. using the school parking lot. The request is to
Transportation Committee
Meeting Minutes
January 9, 2024
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restrict parking on Congress by Jackson as it seems to be an accident waiting to happen. Tom agreed
as visibility is dangerous and it can be easily rectified by moving the parking down one driveway.
They also wanted to mention that they were very impressed with the quick action and
communication of Transportation Director Collins. Sue said shortly after she called, he was out
taking measurements and overserving the situation.
Jim said he did observe the current situation and does agree by simply moving the parking from 50
to 104’ feet past that first driveway, it will be better viziability by the intersection. He also reached
out to the school district so the staff is reminded about the school parking lot vs. street parking
option.
Jim Staple made a motion for approval, seconded by Evelyn Meuret. Motion carried after roll-call vote.
4) Review of potential layout of Bowen Street (East Parkway to Otter Street) Steve Plachinski and
Jessica Lancelle from AECOM were in attendance to give a presenation of the Bowen Street project
slated for 2027 construction. Public input is important during this phase of the project with the
ultimate goal to maintain traffic operation and improve safety. One area they were asked to focus on
was the area by Bowen and Mill between School Ave. and Waugoo Ave. The alternate they
suggested would extend the driveways of three homes near that intersection to ultimately create a
larger green space and safer pedestrian area. They wanted to remind the Committee this is the early
stage of the project so they are looking for feedback and questions. Jeff Armstrong asked about the
driveway extensions and if the home owners would be responsible for maintaining. Justin
(Engineering) said that new area would still be public right-of-way. Jeff said one possible frustration
would be the loss of parking for those home owners, although Evelyn pointed out that they would
almost be doubing their current driveway length. Al Hartman asked if the proposed bump-outs
would eliminate the bike lane option. Steve (AECOM) said if the city went with the bump outs, the
area would probably get marked with bike sharrows instead. Jeff asked how the bump-outs impact
traffic calming goals; Steve said traffic tends to move slower if they are traveling closer together.
Lynnsey asked if there was any way to have designationed turn lanes; Steve stated it would be
difficult but they could take a look. Jim Stapel asked if they did a study of converting from 2-way to
1-way in the area. Justin said he doesn’t forsee that as an option due to the challenging of the active
railroad tracks in the area. Jim S. also asked if they will be getting feed-back from bars and
restaurants; Steve said they will be included in public meetings. Al said it boils down to several
things before making an informed decision:
*What to do by Mill and input of those three home owners. *Is traffic calming needed in the area?
*Bike lanes vs. bump-outs? *Is loss of parking on west side to install bump-outs an issue? Jim Collins
agrees with Al, these answers would impact the committees decision so additional information is needed
befoe it comes back to the Transportation Committee for support.
5) BID/City Parking Lot Proposal DBD (Downtown Business District) requested to convert some
permited stalls as they feel there are too many in the city owned lots. The initial program would
convert about 100 stalls. The downtown businesses could purchase a designated stall for $50 per
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month ($500/year). Jim Stapel wanted to mention these proposed spots are strategically located on
the outskirts of the lots to aide in snow removal efforts. He feels this proposal will increase revenue
for the city and that these initial stalls will be leased quickly by business owners. Evelyn asked if it is
all city owned lots; Jim stated just the downtown district which is South of Main to the 500 block.
Jim C. said the program makes a lot of sense and the permits will be handled as a first-come-first-
serve basis and run calendar month. The goal of the program would be March 1st after council
approval. He said the timing is good as the current agreement in the 400 E. Lot is expiring soon.
Jim Staple made a motion for approval, seconded by Lynnsey Erickson. Motion carried after roll-call vote.
Staff Statements
❖ Morning Tripper Route – Jim said Oshkosh Area School District signed the agreement to add a
morning school tripper to better serve the Oshkosh North student demand. The buses have been
very crowded in the morning and we received complaints from regular riders trying to get to work.
The goal is to start this new tripper service on January 23rd.
❖ Wisconsin Street Speed Study update – In this months packet, Jim included the results of the
speed study for the Wisconsin Street area. As a result after OPD provided tracking the average
speed is 27 mph so well within “normal” range. Al said after the last few meetings, he has made a
point to drive in this area and he noticed not a lot of cars parked and traffic flow seemed normal.
❖ Ruschfield/Mockingbird Way Speed Study – Also in this months packet, the results of a speed
study in the Ruschfield/Mockingbird area that was requested by a citizen was included. That data
came back as an average 22 mph, well within “normal range.
❖ Transit Development Plan Update – Jim said they are currently working on some potential route
modifications as part of the study. The Operations Manager has been working closely with the
drivers to get also get their input.
❖ Ridership Update – The year-to-date ridership numbers show a 15% increase although paratransit
ridership is slightly down. Jim also wanted to mention the GO Connect pilot program will be
extended an additional year per the signed agreement with Winnebago County. Jim said the new
student pass program has been very successful overall and it seems the photo ID requirement
eliminated non-students from using the service and the kids that are riding are using the service for
the right reasons.
Chairman Hartman asked if there are any future agenda requests for the next meeting; to which there were
none.
Evelyn Meuret made a motion to adjorn, seconded by Jeff Armstrong. Meeting adjourned at 5:03 pm after
a roll-call vote.
Attachment: Bowen Street Reconstruction Presentation
Transportation Committee Presentation_2024-01-09.pdf