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 Good morning and welcome to this meeting of the City Council Mobility Committee.

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 We do have a quorum present, so I'm calling the meeting to order at nine o'clock.

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 We're going to move some items around from the posted agenda just out of courtesy to

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 folks who are visiting, both to report in and members of the public, but we'll start

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 with items for individual consideration.

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 A, consider the approval of the Mobility Committee meeting minutes of April 9th, 2019.

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 I will recommend approval.

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 And I guess I can second in this case, so I'll second.

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 All those in favor?

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 Aye.

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 Aye.

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 Minutes are approved.

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 So we're going to move on to item C, Receive a Report and Hold a Discussion Regarding

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 Updates from the Denton County Transportation Authority.

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 Hello.

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 Nicole Recker, VP of Marketing and Administration for DCTA.

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 I'm going to provide some general updates today, and then I'm going to follow up on

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 a few of the items that we've been talking about the last few months at this meeting.

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 So our Board of Directors, based on the legislative change, is making a shift, and it started

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 making that shift on May 23rd of last month, and so we are moving toward having five voting

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 members on our board, three of those from our member cities and two from Denton County,

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 so a representative from Denton, Highland Village, and Lewisville.

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 Right now, the city reps have been identified, but the two reps from the county are still

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 under consideration, and we should know more in the coming weeks.

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 And then we will have non-voting board members as well, and those non-voting board members

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 will be determined by this new board as they discuss bylaws.

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 So expect to see some changes there that may alter some of the updates that I'm able to

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 bring here based on the new board's direction, and so we're really excited to hear kind of

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 what their ideas are and how they'd like us to move forward.

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 You may have heard us talk about the North Texas Mobility Corporation, or NTMC, DCTA set

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 up a local government corporation starting in January with the sole purpose of bringing

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 over all of our transit management of Denton County employees, so all of the employees

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 that operate our bus service, and so we successfully launched that on June 2nd.

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 We moved over 180 employees from TMDC to NTMC, and really what that has allowed us to do

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 is have a little bit more localized control over strategy and operations of our bus services,

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 and so we really believe that it's going to have an improved passenger experience, improved

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 efficiencies.

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 We're already seeing that.

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 We're already hearing that from our passengers, so I would expect to see continued improvement

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 in our bus service just simply from that transition, but you will see a new acronym in the transit

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 world, which is NTMC.

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 We're super excited, and we've only heard positive things thus far, so right now we're

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 just really focusing on improving operations and that overall passenger experience.

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 We've also been talking about mobility as a service, or what you might have heard called

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 MOS, and that's kind of a trending business model in the transit industry of on-demand

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 services that you can book in real time via a mobile app, and so we started talking about

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 this the beginning of the year, end of last year that we were going to go out for RFP.

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 We went out for RFP in January of this year, and we're able to take to our board last month

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 a selection of 31 firms that provide a variety of on-demand services, and so that could be

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 ride share, bike share, scooter share, autonomous vehicles, software platforms that would enable

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 us to create zones within our service area to provide on-demand services, and so right

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 now we're working with those 31 firms and looking at DCTA service area to see where

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 maybe an on-demand service is a better fit than a fixed route service, and so we'll continue

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 to work with them, but we really anticipate leveraging this much larger tool belt of services

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 come January of 2020, so it's going to take us a little while to kind of go through our

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 entire service area and really model what's going to work best as well as pairing that

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 with the new board direction, but we're excited to do a really big push in January 2020 of

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 a lot more on-demand services and fewer fixed route services.

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 We really feel like that's going to meet the needs of the communities that we serve and

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 also the passengers that we serve.

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 Yes?

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 I have a question just about that.

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 So on the on-demand services, when you do use that service, can you request the size

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 bus that you need, say if you are taking your class or a larger group?

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 So typically those on-demand services are smaller vehicles, and we do that simply because

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 it's more cost effective, but also we're moving people a little bit quicker because it's not

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 on the fixed route and so a small bus allows us to be a little bit more agile.

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 If we are doing something that was for a larger group, we would recommend contacting us and

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 coordinating that ahead of time, but the majority of these small vehicles, I mean, they fit

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 12 to 15 comfortably, and if it was something where you had more passengers, the whole dynamic

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 aspect of the on-demand service is that we would be able to dispatch two vehicles to

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 you based on the size of your group rather than hoping that everybody fits on one fixed

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 route service to get you where you need to go.

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 Okay.

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 Thank you.

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 You're welcome.

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 If I could follow up, is the situation more that you've got buses running empty so that

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 you might more appropriately cover the needs with on-demand or is the situation that there's

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 demand greater than fixed route where on-demand could be a supplement, and could that be a

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 possible way to learn what works better by adding rather than subtracting?

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 I think that fixed route service is a really good foundation for a transit service.

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 You have a fixed route service that's built based on the most popular destinations people

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 go to, so the grocery stores, the pharmacies, doctor's offices, but there are some areas

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 that passengers or community members need to go to that a fixed route just doesn't serve.

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 Maybe that's because the road infrastructure doesn't accommodate a really large bus.

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 Maybe it's because we can't get to every single place on one fixed route or it would be an

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 hour from start to finish.

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 By having a fixed route service handle those most popular destinations, you can layer on

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 top an on-demand service that provides a much more customized origin destination option

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 for passengers.

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 And so I would really say it's more to customize where a passenger needs to go rather than

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 an empty bus or a full bus.

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 Thank you.

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 Councilwoman Briggs brought up a bus stop amenity request, a question about the Krogeron

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 University, and I just wanted to follow up on that request because I know we've talked

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 about that several times.

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 We also talked about what indicates whether or not we put a bus shelter or a bench at

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 a stop.

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 And we did provide some information, our standards.

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 There are some thresholds that we meet, so if there are 15 average boardings per day,

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 we provide a bench.

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 If there's 25 or more average boardings per day, we provide a shelter.

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 So we did some analysis, there are two stops at the Kroger on University, and all of those

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 stops were under the threshold of even a bench.

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 And so one of the things that we have been talking about internally is that we are going

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 to completely reset some standards.

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 So we're going to look at our standards and say what really should qualify for a bench

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 and for a shelter.

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 We believe the threshold right now is a little bit too high.

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 And then also look at where are our current amenities and how can we increase those amenities.

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 So we're doing a really big deep dive on that.

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 We just kicked that off a couple weeks ago.

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 Our plan is to kind of build out a moving plan that looks at all of the stops, especially

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 once we look at kind of bringing those more on-demand services on board.

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 We won't need as many stops, and so we might be able to reallocate some of those amenities.

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 And so I would say that 2020 will see a big shift in all of the bus stops that we have

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 and where are we able to put bus stops, where are we able to put the benches, the shelters.

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 A lot of it has to do with accessibility.

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 So if we do put a bench or a shelter, we have to have the space and the access to a sidewalk.

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 So if there isn't a sidewalk, how do we address that?

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 Hopefully we'll be able to bring this group an entire plan that talks about not only a

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 modification to our overall standards, but also a plan for how we plan on executing more

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 and implementing more of those bus shelters and bus benches.

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 And then we participated in multiple events with the City of Denton.

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 And so the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival is just a recap.

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 We did carry fewer riders on our shuttle from Med Park and Presby than we did in the past,

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 as well as the A train.

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 But we still carried a pretty good number of folks.

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 We carried a little over 1,300 passengers from the Med Park shuttle, and we carried

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 a little over 150 passengers from the Presby and a little over 2,000 from the A train.

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 So even though our numbers were down year over year, attendance to the event was down

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 year over year, and those percentages coincide.

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 So we met with Mario, as well as the event, to kind of talk about those numbers and determine

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 what the best plan was, and we planned to regroup at the beginning of the year and talk

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 about the 2020 event.

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 But overall, I mean, we feel like it was really successful, and, you know, anytime you do

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 something for the first time, the Presby shuttle was a first go-around.

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 You know, ridership is not always the highest, and so we hope to see higher ridership next

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 year, but it's definitely a partnership that we're really proud to be a part of and that

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 we look forward to next year.

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 And then we also did a Rails to Trails event, which was a follow-up from the April event

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 that was for the opening Trails Day that got rained out.

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 So we held an event on June 1st, and we partnered with Denton, Corinth, Lake Dallas, Highland

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 Village, and Lewisville.

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 At the Denton stop, we saw over 100 people come through, lots of folks on their bicycles,

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 walkers, and we did offer a free A-Train promotion, which we're still waiting on the results,

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 but we are planning to have a follow-up call with all of the participants here in the coming

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 weeks to talk about lessons learned, but so far, everything that we've heard has been

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 extremely positive about getting people out on the trails.

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 We're really looking forward to that wrap-up call to see is this something that we could

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 maybe do on an annual basis, but it was a great way to get folks from all of the cities

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 throughout the county along the A-Train corridor, get them out there experiencing the rail.

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 And thank you to Councilwoman Briggs for all of your help with that as well.

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 Do you have a question?

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 Well, I just want to comment, thank you guys for stepping up and making that what it was.

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 We participated, my family and I, and the boys really enjoyed it, and I think it's an

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 amenity that we have that connects our cities that a lot of people just have no clue.

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 Like, we cross the train tracks and we see every now and again, but we don't make the

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 connection that it's actually a connection from city to city to city, and it's a really

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 nice wide path.

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 My only question is, when I was on it, I noticed that it really wouldn't be accessible at night

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 because there's no lighting.

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 Is there a plan for lighting in the future?

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 So we do have some funding that's specific for trail safety, and so every year we look

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 at ways to enhance trail safety, so whether that's emergency call boxes, lighting, fencing,

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 and so every year that is part of our plan.

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 And I will say that as a follow-up from that event, one of the things that we heard is

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 that at some of the stations it's difficult to find out how to get from the station to

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 the trail, and so we are currently using some of those safety dollars to look at wayfinding

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 to help people kind of get to and from the trail and the station, but those are -- lighting

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 is always one of the number one things that we're talking about when it comes to trail

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 safety, so we'll continue to look at those and use those safety dollars to improve the

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 trail.

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 Thank you.

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 It was a really great event.

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 Great.

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 That concludes my update.

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 If there are no questions.

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 Go ahead, John.

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 On the Arts and Jazz, is it strictly from the Med Park, is it strictly bus service or

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 are you supplementing the train service so that you're encouraging people to -- while

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 the train is running its normal route, that they would take that -- I know that runs on

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 an hour and a half to clean.

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 Yes.

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 It's a supplemental shuttle service, so what we do is we encourage folks to either park

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 at Med Park and use the shuttle from Med Park to the event or to take the train in instead

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 of using your car, get off the train, and then use the shuttle.

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 Okay.

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 I'd like to just follow up and just ask status or timing on an item we brought up several

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 meetings ago, or a few meetings ago, on the possibility of using maybe the Discovery Park

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 route to give transit dependent detonates access to the Razor Ranch development, whether

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 just to use the amenities or for work?

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 Is that still sort of on the table?

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 So the issue with providing the fixed route bus service kind of in and closer to Razor

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 Ranch is that Razor Ranch only has one entrance and one exit that is light protected, and

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 I believe that the City of Denton is doing a study and looking at ways to add additional

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 -- like additional light.

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 Now we're talking about things that aren't right.

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 So we've completed the Warren study for head to trail at US 380 and gone through the process,

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 received approval from TechStat, and we're moving forward with design at this point.

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 We do have funds from the Razor Ranch development fees, so we're -- we have enough that we can

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 move forward with the signal there.

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 What's the sort of rough timetable?

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 I mean, I don't mean that in a very, you know, precise way, but timeframe, timeframe.

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 Typically design takes about a couple months, and then we are going with a contract for

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 a signal contractor tonight, and if that goes through, we have a $5 million cap, and we

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 can accommodate that within that contract amount.

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 That's great.

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 I look forward to, you know, sort of consciously -- in general, consciously integrating transit

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 with economic development, you know, when we do it.

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 So that's super.

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 Thank you.

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 Okay.

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 So I appreciate the report, and we'll move on.

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 You're free to attend if you're fascinated.

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 Or if you have other pressing matters to serve our community, feel free to attend to those.

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 I'm going to move on now to item H. Oh, by the way, I saw we had other members of the

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 public.

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 It looks like you figured out -- you're helping each other with the blue card deal.

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 Yeah.

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 And you can bring the cards up any time.

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 But we'll take one more item, and then we'll go to the Forest Ridge item.

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 Just -- we're going to receive a report and hold -- this is item H, receive a report and

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00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:04,040
 hold a discussion regarding the parking enforcement on the city streets around the University

225
00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,880
 of North Texas from University Transportation Services.

226
00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:11,360
 I'll just highlight for those who follow these sort of things, it's not a pending matter.

227
00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:12,360
 We're not giving direction.

228
00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:17,840
 We're going to receive a report and hold the discussion.

229
00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:20,800
 Good morning.

230
00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:24,920
 My name is Chris Phelps.

231
00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,400
 I'm the Director for Transportation Services at UNT.

232
00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:34,040
 With me today I have Brandy Branton, our Associate Vice President over Transportation Services

233
00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:38,800
 and Stan Nixon, Assistant Director for Transportation Services.

234
00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,320
 We wanted to take this opportunity -- we appreciate the invitation out this morning.

235
00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:49,480
 Unfortunately, last month we were, I think, in the midst of commencement, so we were out

236
00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:50,960
 helping that event.

237
00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:52,680
 So we appreciate the opportunity to come here.

238
00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:59,680
 I'd like to use this as an opportunity to begin a conversation with the committee.

239
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,080
 I think this is my first time here.

240
00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:07,520
 We do have a number of working relationships with folks at the --

241
00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:08,520
 You're welcome.

242
00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:09,520
 Thank you.

243
00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:10,520
 Thank you.

244
00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,600
 We have a number of working relationships with folks here in the room.

245
00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:14,680
 We're very appreciative of that.

246
00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:20,240
 We want to give you kind of an overview of what we do with transportation services and

247
00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:26,360
 then kind of begin that conversation of where you think that's appropriate.

248
00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:30,400
 At this committee level, as we go forward with the city, we've had some initiatives

249
00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:34,240
 in the past several months, and I think there's a great opportunity for us to give you an

250
00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:40,000
 overview of what we do, help you understand what we do and how we can work together to

251
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:47,160
 help both our community, for our residents and our students and our visitors and guests

252
00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:52,060
 that are coming.

253
00:17:52,060 --> 00:17:53,680
 What do we have in way of resources?

254
00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:57,920
 I think we all hear about parking as a general thing.

255
00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:05,120
 We currently have more than 13,000 spaces to accommodate parking on campus, both at

256
00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:07,820
 the main campus and Discovery Park.

257
00:18:07,820 --> 00:18:18,440
 Last year, we added over 500 spaces out near Apogee Park or Apogee Field to assist with

258
00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,400
 student parking, resident parking.

259
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:26,240
 Big major project going on at the former Fouts Field location.

260
00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:27,520
 The stadium is down.

261
00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,360
 We're, I think, paving today.

262
00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:31,640
 There's asphalting going on.

263
00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:37,880
 That will add an additional 1,000 spaces to our inventory.

264
00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,080
 Campus populations, roughly 45,000 folks.

265
00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:49,940
 The mix of what we have in terms of hourly visitor permitted valet, the options transportation,

266
00:18:49,940 --> 00:18:54,600
 is enough to meet the needs of our community.

267
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:59,720
 We'll talk about, and with the addition of Fouts, the 1,000 spaces will meet the needs

268
00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,440
 for some time to come.

269
00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:07,280
 So when you hear about parking is a challenge at UNT, that is true.

270
00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:11,320
 There are some location issues, certainly not an inventory issue.

271
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:16,480
 We have parking for folks on campus, and we have a variety of options to help them pay

272
00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:17,760
 for that parking.

273
00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:22,560
 So we've gone from a more traditional mode where it's a permit, so we have folks who

274
00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:27,720
 do distance learning or other types of learning where they may be more infrequent visitors

275
00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:28,720
 to campus.

276
00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:34,160
 We have different options to help that because a permit may not be the best fit for their

277
00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:38,320
 needs, and so we want to be sensitive to that.

278
00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,640
 Talking about some of the alternatives that we have, Zipcar.

279
00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:49,480
 We encourage folks nowadays with our partnership with DCTA that gets you in and around town.

280
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:50,480
 You don't need a car.

281
00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:56,320
 We have four Zipcars that you can rent by the hour, anywhere from about $5.50 an hour

282
00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,800
 to $9.50 an hour, which includes your fuel, your insurance, the whole ball of work.

283
00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:06,160
 So if you've absolutely, positively got to go somewhere that you can't get on a DCTA

284
00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:08,360
 bus, use the Zipcar.

285
00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:13,200
 They can be rented by the hour, by the day, by the weekend, and whatnot.

286
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,200
 Parking at Med Park.

287
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:20,000
 Appreciate Nicole's talk there about using Med Park as a park owner.

288
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:25,980
 We use that with a partnership with DCTA as a way for folks to, if they're coming up I-35E,

289
00:20:25,980 --> 00:20:31,760
 they can park at Med Park, ride the Colorado Express in, and it takes you directly to the

290
00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:32,760
 Union.

291
00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:37,400
 So if you don't want to pay for parking on campus or deal with the location issues, stop

292
00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,080
 at Med Park, ride the bus in.

293
00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,580
 It's convenient.

294
00:20:40,580 --> 00:20:42,400
 It's all-day service.

295
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:43,400
 Use the A-Train.

296
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:48,440
 We're a quick trip from downtown with the VO Ride partnerships that we've got.

297
00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,920
 We've got some options using the quick bicycle ride down.

298
00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:54,920
 Public transportation within the city of Denton.

299
00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:56,860
 We'll talk a little bit more here.

300
00:20:56,860 --> 00:21:00,920
 The students pay a transportation fee for bus service.

301
00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:07,360
 That is a fee, and we'll talk later about that, but as part of that fee, as we've negotiated

302
00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:12,960
 with DCTA, is they can use their student ID to access any fixed route within the city

303
00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,400
 of Denton to go where they need to go.

304
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,520
 And then, of course, VO Ride.

305
00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:19,520
 Parking behaviors.

306
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:24,640
 I've been in transportation a very long time, most of it in public transportation.

307
00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,720
 I'll tell you what our data shows, people don't like change.

308
00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,360
 We've had a lot of change at UNT in the last several years.

309
00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:37,320
 1,200 parking spaces lost due to the new buildings and infrastructure that's going in.

310
00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:44,160
 These are great things, but surface lots on the interior campus are a dying breed.

311
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:45,820
 It's prime real estate.

312
00:21:45,820 --> 00:21:48,160
 As we develop the campus, these are where things go.

313
00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,260
 So parking goes to the periphery.

314
00:21:50,260 --> 00:21:53,440
 People don't like to pay for parking on campus.

315
00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:58,080
 As you look at paying for parking, we all pay for parking irrespective of where we go.

316
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:03,520
 If I go shopping at the grocery store, I'm paying for parking, it's wrapped up as part

317
00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,100
 of the overhead.

318
00:22:05,100 --> 00:22:10,240
 Because of the way in which state statute is written, we cannot wrap up our parking

319
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,760
 fees into a fee or a tuition.

320
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,880
 Only those people who use our services can be charged for it.

321
00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:21,680
 So if you come to campus, don't own a car, don't park on campus, you don't have to pay

322
00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,440
 for our services.

323
00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:28,860
 But the people who do, they have to pay for that.

324
00:22:28,860 --> 00:22:30,200
 So there's that understanding why.

325
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:31,200
 And emotional.

326
00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:32,200
 Yes, sir?

327
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:33,200
 We have a question.

328
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:34,200
 Yes, ma'am.

329
00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,960
 I just wanted to ask the question before I forget and why you just said it.

330
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:42,640
 So you mentioned earlier that there's a transportation fee.

331
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:43,640
 Yes.

332
00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:44,640
 And is that for all students?

333
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:45,640
 Yes.

334
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:54,200
 It is for all students not covered by a waiver or exemption and attend class on campus.

335
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:58,440
 And so that parking fee is something different than the transportation fee.

336
00:22:58,440 --> 00:22:59,440
 Correct.

337
00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:00,440
 Correct.

338
00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:01,440
 And that's covered in state statute.

339
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:06,640
 The fee is something the students, they vote on, and they pay for out of their student

340
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:07,640
 fees.

341
00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:11,040
 And so it's a very specific part of legislation.

342
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:15,580
 The student transportation fee can only be used for buses that may not be used for parking.

343
00:23:15,580 --> 00:23:16,700
 Parking funds go both ways.

344
00:23:16,700 --> 00:23:17,700
 I can use it for parking.

345
00:23:17,700 --> 00:23:18,700
 I can use it for bikes.

346
00:23:18,700 --> 00:23:20,120
 I can use it for buses.

347
00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:22,160
 But it doesn't work the reverse.

348
00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:27,920
 So it's a very tailored specific fee that is allowed under current legislation.

349
00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:28,920
 Okay.

350
00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,400
 I was just trying to get that straight.

351
00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:32,400
 Yeah.

352
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:33,400
 It is a lot of people don't know.

353
00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:34,400
 And it is very specific.

354
00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,640
 I'll talk a little bit more about the transportation fee and what we've got there.

355
00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:42,200
 And I was going to wrap up on behaviors being emotional.

356
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,040
 It's an emotional event for folks.

357
00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,160
 I mean, we're all users of services.

358
00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:51,720
 As you go somewhere and you pull in and you get that front spot, you feel pretty good.

359
00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:55,440
 But I would venture how many of you have ever called into the store manager and said, "Hey,

360
00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:56,440
 I got a front spot.

361
00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:57,440
 Thank you."

362
00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:58,440
 No, we don't.

363
00:23:58,440 --> 00:23:59,440
 We go on about our day.

364
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:05,880
 But we hear from folks vocalizing issues about the parking challenges on campus.

365
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,520
 And so we've got some ways that we have begun outreach.

366
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,320
 We'll continue to do outreach, build partnerships.

367
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,360
 We want our students and our guests to be successful.

368
00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:17,880
 So we need to make sure that we're making sure that they have the information they need

369
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:22,120
 to make those choices as they go forward.

370
00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:24,840
 Parking enforcement, we do it.

371
00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:31,160
 It's one of the services outside of the others, but we do enforce parking on campus.

372
00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:32,640
 Why?

373
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:34,880
 Tens of thousands of people are on campus every day.

374
00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:40,400
 When you look at densities at UNT proper as compared to regular Denton County, I think

375
00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:45,240
 it's somewhere in the numbers, I think Denton County population density is probably 1400

376
00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:46,320
 people per mile.

377
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:50,320
 You get into UNT, it's upwards of 25, 26,000 people.

378
00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:57,160
 So there's a lot of people in a very congested area and that creates a lot of challenges.

379
00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:02,440
 80% of the people, we go with the old 80/20 rule, 80% of the people go forward with their

380
00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:03,440
 day.

381
00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:04,440
 They have a good day.

382
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:05,440
 They're successful.

383
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:08,480
 The 20% are the ones that create problems for the rest of us.

384
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:15,840
 And unfortunately, we work to ensure that the people who pay for the services they want

385
00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,440
 get access to those services.

386
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,080
 So folks aren't taking advantage of that.

387
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:29,240
 We do some things to help become more of a service and less of an enforcement.

388
00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:35,040
 This year, with the new academic year, we've made a change to our enforcement structure.

389
00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:37,440
 It's a more staggered approach.

390
00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:47,480
 So the first two citations you get are either $0 or very minimal nuisance, kind of $10 charge.

391
00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,640
 That's our opportunity to kind of say, hey, here's the rules.

392
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:51,640
 Here's the regs.

393
00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:52,640
 Here's what you need.

394
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,480
 Outreach so that folks know if they have questions, they can reach us.

395
00:25:55,480 --> 00:26:01,360
 As you progressively move on through getting the same one, the third, fourth, and fifth

396
00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:03,760
 time, the fees get greater and greater.

397
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:09,800
 And hopefully, this will encourage folks that didn't know, OK, hey, whoops, I now have some

398
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:10,800
 information.

399
00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:12,560
 I can contact someone.

400
00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,640
 And those that know, they know.

401
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:16,840
 We work with our customers.

402
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,240
 We spend an amount of time, especially first time in college.

403
00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,640
 These are the kids fresh out of high school.

404
00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:24,920
 It's a brand new world for them.

405
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:32,120
 So we spend a lot of times doing outreach for them to help them navigate that transition

406
00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:33,120
 into life.

407
00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:38,560
 And part of in our department, we kid that they're in class studying whatever topics

408
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:43,000
 are of interest to their major or personally, but we're kind of helping them in that transition

409
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:44,000
 into life.

410
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:48,040
 So you get that citation, call us.

411
00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:49,040
 Let us hear from you.

412
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,000
 Let us know what's going on.

413
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:58,880
 Warning stickers, we've made a change this last year where we do put some warning stickers

414
00:26:58,880 --> 00:26:59,880
 on vehicles' windows.

415
00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:00,880
 They're bright green.

416
00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,400
 You can't miss them if you see them driving around.

417
00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:08,760
 That's basically a sticker that says, hey, we've noticed you have a problem on your parking

418
00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:09,760
 account.

419
00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,960
 You have 48 hours to give us a call.

420
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,120
 Let us hear from you so that we can help you with whatever it is.

421
00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:22,520
 As a last resort, we have to tow someone or impound somebody's vehicle, but we want to

422
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,520
 make these efforts that folks say, hey, please call us.

423
00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:29,820
 And again, a lot of these are students that are making decisions.

424
00:27:29,820 --> 00:27:31,200
 They don't know the consequences.

425
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:32,200
 They're embarrassed.

426
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,240
 They're -- you know, they hope it will go away.

427
00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:40,040
 And the worst thing we can do is impound their property, and it's just -- it spirals out.

428
00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,140
 So we hope that some of these things say, hey, we're kind of serious.

429
00:27:43,140 --> 00:27:44,840
 We really want to hear from you.

430
00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:50,000
 And I think that's been a success this last year in the implementation of that in terms

431
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:56,920
 of people coming in to talk to us, and that's huge for us to have that opportunity to visit.

432
00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:57,920
 Folks are busy.

433
00:27:57,920 --> 00:27:58,920
 They've got a lot going on.

434
00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:03,480
 I understand this is the last thing you want to do, but we want to help you be successful.

435
00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:08,580
 And then proactive education through orientations, through residence halls, through community

436
00:28:08,580 --> 00:28:12,000
 events, coming out and doing things like this.

437
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:18,800
 We want to reach out to folks, let them know the education so that here's what you can

438
00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:19,800
 do.

439
00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:23,440
 Here's the resources for you.

440
00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:25,140
 Where do my parking dollars go?

441
00:28:25,140 --> 00:28:26,140
 So I got to pay to park.

442
00:28:26,140 --> 00:28:28,200
 What do I get for that?

443
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,920
 Local improvements, new parking lots.

444
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:37,400
 We've got $14 million going in at Founts, 3 1/2, we talked about at Apogee, Highland

445
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:38,400
 Street Garage.

446
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:44,840
 We've got a bond mortgage on that, so in 2042, I think we're paid off on that.

447
00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:49,800
 So that's a $22 million facility that needs to be paid for.

448
00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:55,000
 Operating and maintenance, lot maintenance, lights, striping, potholes, curb stops.

449
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:59,740
 Police services, we fund 80% of the UNT Police Department, so public safety.

450
00:28:59,740 --> 00:29:04,400
 So your dollars get public safety on campus, which is very important.

451
00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:06,520
 Event support, I mentioned commencements.

452
00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:11,640
 We do an enormous amount of event support on campus.

453
00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:16,700
 We're a destination for not only students, but guests and visitors that may be coming

454
00:29:16,700 --> 00:29:22,480
 to hear a guest speaker going to a graduation ceremony or other type of events.

455
00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:31,240
 So we're there as a destination, so we want to help folks, helps go.

456
00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:33,760
 So again, my parking dollars, this is where they go.

457
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,900
 Notice this is not transportation dollars, it's parking dollars.

458
00:29:37,900 --> 00:29:44,640
 Our next steps, we want to improve our partnerships with the City of Denton, with all of our stakeholders.

459
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:46,380
 This is part of that today.

460
00:29:46,380 --> 00:29:51,320
 How can we help work with you so that you have the information that you need so when

461
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:55,420
 you hear from constituents, you hear from business owners, you hear from interested

462
00:29:55,420 --> 00:29:59,860
 parties in the public about parking at UNT, you know where to go.

463
00:29:59,860 --> 00:30:05,520
 We've enjoyed working with the staff, we look to increase that and make our staff available

464
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:10,180
 to you all so that we're a resource for you as well.

465
00:30:10,180 --> 00:30:13,420
 Transportation fee sustainability, this is the bus fee.

466
00:30:13,420 --> 00:30:23,240
 It was created in January 2003, at $3.50 per credit hour, and it has remained that fee

467
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:24,800
 ever since.

468
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:29,160
 So as you look at, you think, okay, well, what's happened over time, well, you look

469
00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:33,200
 at what you paid for stuff in 2003 versus today, there's an obvious change.

470
00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:39,160
 Bus drivers are making more money, buses are more expensive to buy, cost of doing business

471
00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:40,160
 has increased.

472
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:45,000
 Yes, it's based on a student credit hour, so you say, okay, well, there's some growth.

473
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:49,760
 We've reached and long past that point where growth provides sustainability for that.

474
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:56,240
 So we have begun a discussion, we'll be continuing a discussion with student leadership on campus

475
00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,720
 about what that sustainability looks like.

476
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,700
 Do we need to take a look at what services do you want?

477
00:31:02,700 --> 00:31:08,120
 What do you as students want in terms of transportation and then what do you want to pay for?

478
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:12,820
 And make sure that the fee aligns with those expectations.

479
00:31:12,820 --> 00:31:19,840
 And increased spaces on campus, reduces competition for parking, managing expectations, better

480
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:22,180
 bus service with new station.

481
00:31:22,180 --> 00:31:26,720
 We've got a bus station going out at Fouts, there's a transfer, dedicated transfer station

482
00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:33,120
 with amenities, covered waiting, it'll have Wi-Fi, it'll have monitors for bus arrival

483
00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:34,120
 information.

484
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:40,160
 It's dedicated, so it's not competing right now like it does with pedestrians and traffic.

485
00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,480
 So that will help that.

486
00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:51,160
 We've begun to look at some long range planning with DCTA, the COG on some bigger projects

487
00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:58,280
 that I think would complement not only the university but the neighborhood as we manage

488
00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:01,920
 that destination as being a source for where people go.

489
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:06,040
 So there's some things out there.

490
00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:15,320
 As we look at transportation changes, it's being competitive in the marketplace and we're

491
00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:20,120
 fortunate in this area to be blessed with a lot of population, a lot of growth, a lot

492
00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:28,640
 of people coming here, and we want to continue to lead on being competitive and being a choice

493
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:29,640
 for folks.

494
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:36,400
 So we think with the options that we've got, it helps students, faculty, staff, guests

495
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:43,160
 and visitors manage their trip out, and we'd like to continue working with you.

496
00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:50,920
 So a very generic overview, you may have some specific questions, and we're happy to begin

497
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:51,920
 that conversation.

498
00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:54,640
 I'm happy to answer any questions you might have today.

499
00:32:54,640 --> 00:33:00,840
 Again, we're here, we are a resource for you, please let us know how we can help you.

500
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:06,200
 So I know it's very general, but I'd like to answer any questions that you might have.

501
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,320
 Yes, sir.

502
00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:14,120
 You said that you lost 1,200 parking spaces on campus in the last couple of years due

503
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:15,120
 to new buildings.

504
00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:16,120
 Yes.

505
00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:21,520
 And you've added 500 out by Apogee where you've also added new facilities and there was already

506
00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:28,600
 issues on game day, people parking in neighborhoods that we've been working on for years, and

507
00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:35,380
 then you're adding 1,000 at Fouts, so you're adding 1,500 for a loss of 1,200, so you're

508
00:33:35,380 --> 00:33:41,480
 a little ahead of the game plan, but the way I took your comment on, well, this 1,000 is

509
00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:45,040
 going to keep us going for the next several years.

510
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:51,560
 So and you have to keep in mind, too, part of that answer is location issue.

511
00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,840
 I have parking, it may not be exactly where folks want it.

512
00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:59,360
 So if you take Welch Street, which is closest to the east side of campus, I'm very limited

513
00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:01,600
 on what parking I have over there.

514
00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,880
 West side of campus, Apogee area, I have plenty of parking.

515
00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:09,720
 Even with the loss of those parkings, I had unused parking in those locations.

516
00:34:09,720 --> 00:34:15,400
 People's natural behavior is, okay, I've got to go from home to class, I go from here

517
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:17,920
 to here, and they hop in their car and they go.

518
00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:22,840
 Expectation is I'm going to park as close as I can to the building where I'm going.

519
00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:28,280
 That's not entirely, depending on the time of day, day of the week, that may or may not

520
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,300
 be a good option for you.

521
00:34:30,300 --> 00:34:34,840
 So we've got to educate folks on behavior that says, okay, you're dealing with thousands

522
00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,800
 of people coming, you need to go to the west side of campus.

523
00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:43,520
 We have buses going from there every few minutes that you could park at Fouts, you're there,

524
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:47,160
 and you're on the east side of campus quicker than you will swirling around.

525
00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:52,320
 So part of what you've heard over years is people venting the frustration that this area

526
00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:54,560
 of town doesn't have enough parking.

527
00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,520
 Well I've got unused resources on this part of town.

528
00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:01,600
 I've built kind of a bridge to get you there, and we're working with DCTA.

529
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:05,440
 Right now we have a circulator that goes clockwise.

530
00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,840
 Now we're beginning to look at, okay, maybe I need a counterclockwise one as well.

531
00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:12,160
 So if I'm parking at Fouts and I need to go to the library, I don't have to take the long

532
00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:13,160
 way around.

533
00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:14,160
 I can take the short way around.

534
00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:15,840
 So I think there's still some things we've got in there.

535
00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,360
 So that's the long answer.

536
00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,280
 The short answer is I've had underutilized resources.

537
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:27,400
 I do need more parking, but hopefully by providing some of these solutions, we can affect behavior

538
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:32,540
 change that says, okay, yeah, that's farther out, but I can go park there, no problem.

539
00:35:32,540 --> 00:35:38,480
 Get on the bus, and be there in no time flat, rather than having to play a game on swirling

540
00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:43,600
 these lots, hoping that there's a spot in there for me, and that kind of frustration.

541
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:44,600
 So.

542
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:45,600
 Council Member Briggs.

543
00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:46,600
 Yes, ma'am.

544
00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:47,600
 I have a few questions.

545
00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:48,600
 Yes, ma'am.

546
00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,920
 The first question is how much is a parking permit these days?

547
00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:52,920
 It depends.

548
00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:53,920
 Okay.

549
00:35:53,920 --> 00:36:00,480
 I've got free out at Med Park, upwards of, I have, for all intents and purposes, I have

550
00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:05,880
 A reserve lots that are, will be $700 beginning this next year.

551
00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:07,320
 For the semester?

552
00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:08,320
 For the year.

553
00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:09,320
 For the year?

554
00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:10,320
 For a year.

555
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:14,160
 So a general academic student permit is going to be $275.

556
00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:17,720
 So if you're looking at a student permit who's commuting in or living on campus, it's going

557
00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:22,060
 to be $275 for 12 months.

558
00:36:22,060 --> 00:36:23,060
 That's quite a lot.

559
00:36:23,060 --> 00:36:24,060
 It is.

560
00:36:24,060 --> 00:36:25,060
 And.

561
00:36:25,060 --> 00:36:27,560
 I'm just trying to figure out why they're not parking on campus, and they're parking

562
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:33,780
 in our, further into the neighborhoods, and that might be a reason.

563
00:36:33,780 --> 00:36:35,520
 So I just, I have a few more questions.

564
00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:36,520
 Sure.

565
00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:42,600
 So you mentioned you have 13,700 spaces with an additional 1,000 coming on.

566
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:46,880
 Of the current 13,000, does that include the city public streets?

567
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:47,880
 No.

568
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:48,880
 Or is that just on the.

569
00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:49,880
 That's our property.

570
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:51,520
 Our property itself.

571
00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:52,520
 Okay.

572
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:59,560
 So does that, and you said that you have enough to handle for that day, so that means that

573
00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:04,080
 all students on campus and commuters have a place to park on campus if they would just

574
00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:05,080
 use them.

575
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:06,080
 Yes.

576
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:07,080
 Yes.

577
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:08,080
 They do.

578
00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:09,080
 But it comes back to paying for it.

579
00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:12,120
 And that's, that's part of that, you know, I don't want to, people pay for things that

580
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:17,560
 are valued to them, they perceive that maybe this should be in there, that's, it's, there's,

581
00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:18,600
 there's a lot to it.

582
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:24,280
 We're taking some steps, one, to work and build in some structures that make paying

583
00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:26,760
 for the permit easier to do.

584
00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:30,480
 We've got some hourly options that say, hey, I'm only on campus a couple times a week,

585
00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:34,480
 maybe I pay for a couple hours of parking via my park mobile app.

586
00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:39,680
 But even on the permit side, okay, looking at making sure that right now our permit is

587
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:41,080
 once per year only.

588
00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,560
 We have no semester by semester permits.

589
00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:48,400
 And so once you're in, you're in for the whole year, so maybe we need to take a look

590
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,040
 at more semester type permits.

591
00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:55,560
 We're looking at some ways, how can I pay for my permit instead of right now, as an

592
00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,800
 auxiliary unit, we receive no funding from the university.

593
00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:03,400
 So we have to generate all of our funds on our, on our own.

594
00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,680
 And right now that when you come to buy a permit, it's, it's a transaction, you pay

595
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:12,280
 me all right now and then I give you a permit, as opposed to maybe I can transfer that to

596
00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:13,280
 your student account.

597
00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:19,420
 And I think that will help students who are paying whatever for their housing, tuition

598
00:38:19,420 --> 00:38:24,100
 fees and whatnot on their student account, it's, it's all wrapped up into one payment

599
00:38:24,100 --> 00:38:26,360
 plan I've already got instead of having another one.

600
00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:30,680
 But right now we're, we're a separate shop and you have to pay me separate from, from

601
00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:31,840
 the rest of the university.

602
00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:35,800
 So we're looking at some things that we know and it is our conversations that we've had

603
00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:36,800
 with students.

604
00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:42,200
 Students know they need to be in a permit because of citations and things like that.

605
00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:47,040
 It's how do we, how do we make that economic or that financial choice a little bit easier

606
00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:48,460
 for them to make?

607
00:38:48,460 --> 00:38:51,120
 So I'm just a couple more comments.

608
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:56,480
 So to, to follow up on that.

609
00:38:56,480 --> 00:39:00,960
 So when I was there at UNT 17 years ago, I mean, it was still paid as a paid lot.

610
00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:08,840
 So you could either pay by the meter, which I normally did, and that was within the campus

611
00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:14,280
 or get a permit back then, as well as now I still hear, well, I don't want to pay that

612
00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:16,080
 because they're overselling permits.

613
00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:20,760
 They're selling so many permits per space and I can't ever find a place when I do purchase

614
00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:21,760
 one.

615
00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:23,800
 Is that, is that factual or?

616
00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:28,080
 So in general for let's take commuters and that, yeah, we over, we oversell in the reserved

617
00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:29,080
 premium lots.

618
00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:35,080
 They are generally not, but in the, the commuter lots, the ones, not everybody's on campus

619
00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:36,580
 at the same time.

620
00:39:36,580 --> 00:39:42,840
 So you begin to take a look at when are people coming and, and that function of the day of

621
00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:47,840
 the week, Tuesday, Thursdays are the busiest day function of where, where, where am I going

622
00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:48,840
 to park?

623
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:50,280
 Everybody says, okay, I've got a nine o'clock class.

624
00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,000
 I'm going to go park on, on Welch street.

625
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:57,640
 Well, I tell you by nine o'clock, you're out of luck because a lot of other people have

626
00:39:57,640 --> 00:39:58,640
 made it here.

627
00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:03,280
 Again, go to that resource and it's planning your plan B if you will, okay.

628
00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,000
 Go here, I've got parking there all day.

629
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,100
 We'll get you in and get you to class on time.

630
00:40:10,100 --> 00:40:14,720
 But it's that behavior modification that we've got to reach in that messaging that says, yes,

631
00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:19,400
 that may be a little bit further on your trip, but in net result of time, you're going to

632
00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:20,400
 be faster.

633
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:24,200
 You're going to be more, more productive and less stressed and where you're going.

634
00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:30,000
 So as I went to UNT many years ago, it hasn't changed and I parked on Oak and Hickory, but

635
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:31,720
 I didn't get, I didn't get tickets.

636
00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:35,280
 I was part of that, but it worked for me.

637
00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:39,540
 But I talked to a lot of students and it doesn't work for them and they need an option and

638
00:40:39,540 --> 00:40:44,840
 we're working to give them some flexibility that may allow them to get a permit, get on

639
00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:50,200
 campus and use some of these options that we've got because traditional on street parking

640
00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:53,640
 or it's, I've got it here for you.

641
00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:57,440
 The challenge is getting them to understand, okay, this is a value to me and making sure

642
00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:02,840
 that they have the means by which to pay for that and not in a one size fits all permit.

643
00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:07,200
 And so part of that's taking a look at, okay, I'm graduating in the fall.

644
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:11,120
 So we now have a fall semester permit or I'm only going to be here in the spring and not

645
00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:12,120
 the summer.

646
00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:13,980
 So I'm not paying for things I don't need.

647
00:41:13,980 --> 00:41:16,040
 I don't need parking in the summer.

648
00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:17,600
 Why should I pay for parking in the summer?

649
00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:21,640
 So we're looking at some things that make that a little bit more of a benefit to them

650
00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:26,540
 instead of here's your annual permit that may not be a full benefit to you.

651
00:41:26,540 --> 00:41:29,100
 So that helps with price sensitivity.

652
00:41:29,100 --> 00:41:35,720
 It helps with making those choices and there's a lot of them when you're a student between

653
00:41:35,720 --> 00:41:40,160
 books and fees and classes and all those things.

654
00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:43,080
 So we're trying to get those services out there.

655
00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:49,800
 But it has, some of these are just, I don't want to say urban legends and legacy issues.

656
00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:50,800
 Never parking over here.

657
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:51,800
 It's always this way.

658
00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:55,400
 Yeah, there's some things that are similar, but there are some things that are not similar

659
00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:59,960
 at all that are very different and we need to get past that emotion and say okay, here's

660
00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:02,560
 what we can do for you and help you get there.

661
00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:03,560
 So one last comment.

662
00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:06,360
 So we have the two parking garages.

663
00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:09,260
 How do those work for your students?

664
00:42:09,260 --> 00:42:14,400
 So they are hourly.

665
00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:22,540
 The Highland Street Garage, which is the seven story structure, we sell permits by semester.

666
00:42:22,540 --> 00:42:25,640
 So spring, fall and summer.

667
00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,960
 You can buy an annual one or you can pay by the hour.

668
00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:30,640
 And so it's $2 an hour.

669
00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:38,940
 The Union Circle Garage is park mobile and so you can park there on any of the three

670
00:42:38,940 --> 00:42:39,940
 floors.

671
00:42:39,940 --> 00:42:42,200
 So it's hourly parking.

672
00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:43,200
 Park mobile.

673
00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:44,800
 The Highland Street Garage actually has a booth attendant.

674
00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:47,920
 It has credit card machines and you can pay that way.

675
00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:53,200
 The Union Circle Garage is park mobile, so it's pay by app.

676
00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:54,200
 And just the last comment.

677
00:42:54,200 --> 00:43:00,520
 Can we get this presentation in the backup or online uploaded to the agenda?

678
00:43:00,520 --> 00:43:01,520
 Yes, ma'am.

679
00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:04,120
 I'm happy to leave this here and get that to you all.

680
00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:05,120
 Thank you so much.

681
00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:06,120
 Yes.

682
00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:07,120
 I've got a couple of questions.

683
00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:08,120
 Yes, sir.

684
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:11,900
 So I don't know if you've got a number for this, but what would you say is the peak parking

685
00:43:11,900 --> 00:43:14,720
 demand?

686
00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:20,520
 Our numbers say, so on a daily basis, anywhere from 20,000, 22,000 transactions a day, okay.

687
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:25,160
 But I've got folks here all day, all night.

688
00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:31,160
 But our busiest day is a Tuesday, Thursday because of classes and instead of coming three

689
00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:35,340
 days a week or five days a week, they're utilizing that Tuesday, Thursday.

690
00:43:35,340 --> 00:43:42,680
 That timing of that is really from 8 o'clock until about 1.32-ish and then we drop off.

691
00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:47,360
 And, you know, I didn't talk about, we actually have a number of folks going to class.

692
00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:52,040
 Out of that class is until 11 o'clock at night, labs and whatnot.

693
00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:56,740
 We actually have an evening permit for folks that's about $125.

694
00:43:56,740 --> 00:44:02,680
 So after 5.30 at night, I have tons of parking available, so we have a very discounted rate

695
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:04,000
 for that too.

696
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:06,400
 But in terms of peak, that's our peaks.

697
00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:14,000
 So when you say that 13,700 is enough to meet the demand, you know, is that taking into

698
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:21,000
 account not just people missing the opportunity to park in better geography where it's available,

699
00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:22,000
 but also their timing?

700
00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:26,720
 In other words, you've got 22,000 people, they're not all there at the same time.

701
00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:27,720
 Correct.

702
00:44:27,720 --> 00:44:35,560
 But it sounds like, you know, how do you fit 22,000 parkers into 13,700 spaces?

703
00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:37,680
 Is it that they're-- Different times a day.

704
00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:38,680
 Yes.

705
00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:42,120
 So look, I've got reserve lot right in the core of campus, lot number four that I hear

706
00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:43,720
 about frequently.

707
00:44:43,720 --> 00:44:45,400
 It's half empty.

708
00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:46,520
 It's a reserve lot.

709
00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:49,640
 It's totally full and I have a waiting list.

710
00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:55,480
 So we did some surveys of our permit holders last year and said, okay, we'd like to increase

711
00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:57,000
 the utilization of this lot.

712
00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:02,580
 Could we interest you in a timeshare permit, an AM reserve permit, a PM reserve permit?

713
00:45:02,580 --> 00:45:03,580
 What could we do?

714
00:45:03,580 --> 00:45:07,400
 The overwhelming responses were do nothing at all, keep it the same.

715
00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,160
 So people are willing to pay for that space.

716
00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:14,360
 So when they come to campus, irrespective of day or time, they don't have to worry about

717
00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:15,360
 it.

718
00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:19,400
 And that frustrates, you know, some on the campus because here's a prime spot.

719
00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:20,400
 It's empty.

720
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:21,400
 It's sold out.

721
00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:25,360
 And in fact, I've got people waiting to get on it, but yet you come any day of the week,

722
00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:27,400
 it's going to be about half full.

723
00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:32,380
 And that's because of, you know, teaching schedules and classes and we have a wide variety

724
00:45:32,380 --> 00:45:36,840
 of people that do not have what I would call traditional Monday through Friday, eight to

725
00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:37,840
 five hours.

726
00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:39,440
 They're very, very widespread.

727
00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:41,400
 So that's how you do that.

728
00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:46,600
 That's how it's just a numbers, time of day, peaks and location.

729
00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:51,600
 But what you hear is in the peak periods of the day, no parking, I couldn't get to class.

730
00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:54,440
 I hear it from faculty, staff and students.

731
00:45:54,440 --> 00:46:00,280
 And I've had people swirling a lot that I'm like, man, if you just went across the street,

732
00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:02,680
 I got a whole spot for you, but that's the challenge.

733
00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:08,600
 We had to go out and communicate and that's the challenge is when you talk to people about

734
00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:10,480
 parking, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know how to park.

735
00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:12,180
 It's not the actual physical act of it.

736
00:46:12,180 --> 00:46:18,160
 It's the, okay, here's your challenges and how do we get you where you need to be?

737
00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:19,160
 And then that's just behavior.

738
00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:23,020
 In North Texas, it's I'm going to hop in my truck, I'm going to go to the front door,

739
00:46:23,020 --> 00:46:24,020
 get out and go in.

740
00:46:24,020 --> 00:46:32,920
 So how are you going to better communicate this kind of globally needed message of to

741
00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:36,520
 park in the east, you should park in the west and ride.

742
00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:37,860
 Yes, yes.

743
00:46:37,860 --> 00:46:38,860
 It's outreach.

744
00:46:38,860 --> 00:46:42,660
 So I'll tell you right now, we are in the midst of freshman orientation.

745
00:46:42,660 --> 00:46:47,920
 So we see to the tune of several thousand folks graduate and leave every year.

746
00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:53,580
 So the turnover, it starts with that freshman class and really drilling into them, here's

747
00:46:53,580 --> 00:46:55,100
 what you need to do.

748
00:46:55,100 --> 00:46:59,320
 Don't listen to your friends, don't believe what you read on Reddit, here's what you need

749
00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:00,640
 to do to be successful.

750
00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:01,940
 Park West, young man of mine.

751
00:47:01,940 --> 00:47:02,940
 Yes, yes.

752
00:47:02,940 --> 00:47:09,660
 And start with that and make sure that our services, i.e. our buses, met demand so folks

753
00:47:09,660 --> 00:47:13,820
 go over and they go, yeah, that was pretty easy, I'm a believer in that.

754
00:47:13,820 --> 00:47:15,060
 And they begin to do that.

755
00:47:15,060 --> 00:47:21,860
 For faculty and staff, it is about relationships and building partnerships and we've got our

756
00:47:21,860 --> 00:47:29,540
 work cut out for us and we're building those with faculty senate, staff senate, colleges,

757
00:47:29,540 --> 00:47:34,580
 we go all over campus to talk about anytime, anyplace, we go to residence halls.

758
00:47:34,580 --> 00:47:41,180
 We're eager and willing to go anytime, anyplace to get that message out there and it's over

759
00:47:41,180 --> 00:47:46,260
 the last couple of years, we've seen a number of successes with our messaging.

760
00:47:46,260 --> 00:47:53,100
 Some of the things that my RA, resident assistant, the folks on their floor, they get a ticket

761
00:47:53,100 --> 00:47:55,060
 and they go to their RA and say, hey, what do I do with this?

762
00:47:55,060 --> 00:47:56,060
 I don't worry about it.

763
00:47:56,060 --> 00:47:58,860
 Well, we kept hearing from students, my RA said don't worry about it.

764
00:47:58,860 --> 00:48:03,300
 So we went to RA training and said, okay folks, here's what we're hearing.

765
00:48:03,300 --> 00:48:06,260
 Last year, I didn't hear that at all from students, so that worked.

766
00:48:06,260 --> 00:48:10,820
 So it's those little incremental steps that I think in time will get there.

767
00:48:10,820 --> 00:48:16,500
 But, you know, over time, I think it's about communicating that and that's the challenge

768
00:48:16,500 --> 00:48:19,780
 and is everybody communicates differently?

769
00:48:19,780 --> 00:48:24,500
 People hear certain things, people don't, you know, and right now with orientations

770
00:48:24,500 --> 00:48:29,820
 as students come in, they leave with gobs of information, gobs, they're just overwhelmed.

771
00:48:29,820 --> 00:48:34,320
 Mine's in there somewhere at the bottom and we've got to do, make sure we hit that back

772
00:48:34,320 --> 00:48:38,460
 and that, you know, it's a challenge because students and faculty, staff, each of you look

773
00:48:38,460 --> 00:48:44,180
 at the number of emails you get, not just maybe at work, but just personally, it's inundated.

774
00:48:44,180 --> 00:48:48,260
 And how do we get through that noise to make sure, hey, this is meaningful and appropriate

775
00:48:48,260 --> 00:48:50,100
 and yes, it applies to you.

776
00:48:50,100 --> 00:48:54,500
 I've got just one last one for you.

777
00:48:54,500 --> 00:48:55,500
 Perception versus reality.

778
00:48:55,500 --> 00:48:56,500
 Yes.

779
00:48:56,500 --> 00:49:03,820
 On the garages, Highland and near the Union.

780
00:49:03,820 --> 00:49:07,860
 Perception, there's plenty of spaces, but it costs too much.

781
00:49:07,860 --> 00:49:15,900
 So the university is not kind of pricing correctly on the demand curve, you know, that if you

782
00:49:15,900 --> 00:49:19,780
 priced it a little lower, you'd fill it up more and you might do better on the revenue

783
00:49:19,780 --> 00:49:20,780
 as well.

784
00:49:20,780 --> 00:49:22,780
 Is that reality?

785
00:49:22,780 --> 00:49:26,620
 Reality is the garage, especially the Highland Street garage, is busier now than it's ever

786
00:49:26,620 --> 00:49:27,660
 been.

787
00:49:27,660 --> 00:49:30,660
 It was underutilized for many years.

788
00:49:30,660 --> 00:49:36,220
 And in the last two years, now I've been with UNT in this role now for 24 months, so I can

789
00:49:36,220 --> 00:49:37,220
 go back to that.

790
00:49:37,220 --> 00:49:40,060
 I can tell you, you know, where it was before.

791
00:49:40,060 --> 00:49:41,940
 But it's busier now than it ever is.

792
00:49:41,940 --> 00:49:46,740
 So we have about 900 and some odd spaces in the garage.

793
00:49:46,740 --> 00:49:51,140
 We sell 600 permitted access cards to people.

794
00:49:51,140 --> 00:49:52,140
 So about two-thirds.

795
00:49:52,140 --> 00:49:54,620
 And we leave a third for transients.

796
00:49:54,620 --> 00:49:59,540
 Last year was the first year we sold out of our allocation of access cards.

797
00:49:59,540 --> 00:50:03,380
 And we sell those to students, faculty, staff, contractors, vendors, whoever wants to pay,

798
00:50:03,380 --> 00:50:07,580
 you know, $650, we'll take your money and you can park in the garage.

799
00:50:07,580 --> 00:50:09,820
 We sold out of that allocation, first time ever.

800
00:50:09,820 --> 00:50:12,220
 Garage opened in 2011, okay?

801
00:50:12,220 --> 00:50:17,820
 We have a new visitor tour center just catty-corner from us, fabulous building.

802
00:50:17,820 --> 00:50:20,340
 This is their first stop, is the garage.

803
00:50:20,340 --> 00:50:25,940
 We've got a new dining hall, restaurant area going in right across the street from us.

804
00:50:25,940 --> 00:50:34,340
 So I think those realities that there is plenty of parking, we're not pricing it right, are

805
00:50:34,340 --> 00:50:40,260
 gone because that whole corner is going through a dramatic change.

806
00:50:40,260 --> 00:50:45,500
 And we'll see that complete sometime next fall or a year from fall.

807
00:50:45,500 --> 00:50:46,900
 So thank you.

808
00:50:46,900 --> 00:50:52,260
 Well, personally, I really appreciate you coming and sharing this perspective and giving

809
00:50:52,260 --> 00:50:54,900
 us a chance to start a dialogue.

810
00:50:54,900 --> 00:50:55,900
 And we'd like to continue.

811
00:50:55,900 --> 00:50:56,900
 We'd like to continue.

812
00:50:56,900 --> 00:50:57,900
 It is reciprocating.

813
00:50:57,900 --> 00:50:58,900
 Councilor Ryan?

814
00:50:58,900 --> 00:51:03,900
 Just one more question/comment.

815
00:51:03,900 --> 00:51:08,340
 Technology is very important, and I hear the different ways and I'm listening to him getting

816
00:51:08,340 --> 00:51:09,340
 a little confused.

817
00:51:09,340 --> 00:51:14,100
 Okay, at this garage you have an attendant or you have a pass and this one you use the

818
00:51:14,100 --> 00:51:16,380
 app and here you have to have this.

819
00:51:16,380 --> 00:51:20,460
 And I remember, it's been a lot longer than 17 years since I was at UNT, but it's been

820
00:51:20,460 --> 00:51:26,540
 a while back and I would get confused as to what lot I could park in.

821
00:51:26,540 --> 00:51:31,500
 When I think of who has a lot of parking, I think of the airport, the DFW airport, and

822
00:51:31,500 --> 00:51:33,260
 they utilize the toll tag.

823
00:51:33,260 --> 00:51:38,740
 Have you talked to them to see if there's a way to integrate that?

824
00:51:38,740 --> 00:51:42,020
 Maybe your toll tag number can be tied in if you've got a permanent pass that it would

825
00:51:42,020 --> 00:51:43,980
 read as you go in.

826
00:51:43,980 --> 00:51:50,160
 So we have, in a Highland Street garage, for example, we have the ability to use the transponder

827
00:51:50,160 --> 00:51:51,160
 on the toll tag.

828
00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:59,220
 We have the same equipment that NTTA has and we have that capability.

829
00:51:59,220 --> 00:52:04,180
 Integration is not something on their table.

830
00:52:04,180 --> 00:52:08,580
 I'd love to be able to.

831
00:52:08,580 --> 00:52:13,060
 It works at the airport because it's political and it's made to work and I think if we want

832
00:52:13,060 --> 00:52:16,660
 to apply some dialogue and we're happy to have that, it's just not been there.

833
00:52:16,660 --> 00:52:19,820
 We have the technology to do that, to make it easy.

834
00:52:19,820 --> 00:52:23,700
 I think it makes for a great experience, but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes

835
00:52:23,700 --> 00:52:26,140
 to make that seamless as you go to the airport.

836
00:52:26,140 --> 00:52:28,180
 I love that.

837
00:52:28,180 --> 00:52:31,820
 I couldn't remember where I lived, unless it was Denver or somewhere, I could go through

838
00:52:31,820 --> 00:52:34,820
 a fast food and it read your toll tag and paid that way and I thought, "Man, what would

839
00:52:34,820 --> 00:52:37,660
 they think of next?"

840
00:52:37,660 --> 00:52:39,260
 But the technology's there.

841
00:52:39,260 --> 00:52:44,260
 How do we integrate that with our partners to make sure that we're providing a great

842
00:52:44,260 --> 00:52:45,260
 experience?

843
00:52:45,260 --> 00:52:49,060
 So while that's not possible right now, the technology's there.

844
00:52:49,060 --> 00:52:52,500
 It's a matter of building that relationship and doing that.

845
00:52:52,500 --> 00:52:59,500
 So in terms of what we have now, in terms of the services and the variety, our biggest

846
00:52:59,500 --> 00:53:03,740
 bang right now is to make sure that we're not flooding everyone with too many options

847
00:53:03,740 --> 00:53:06,980
 and too confusing and that some of that what we've got.

848
00:53:06,980 --> 00:53:14,400
 And so we'll begin to make it simpler so it's easy to understand, less confusion and then

849
00:53:14,400 --> 00:53:18,060
 take a look at some of those higher level ones where we use technology that folks already

850
00:53:18,060 --> 00:53:23,660
 have and we work on that because I think anything we can do to make it simpler, easier and enhance

851
00:53:23,660 --> 00:53:27,000
 that experience, we'd love to do.

852
00:53:27,000 --> 00:53:32,020
 You know, I actually, I'm grateful to the members of the public for your indulgences.

853
00:53:32,020 --> 00:53:37,340
 You hit a couple of other, you hit these items before we get to the next one that you probably

854
00:53:37,340 --> 00:53:38,340
 came about.

855
00:53:38,340 --> 00:53:44,820
 But the main thing I had in mind to ask you about, first to a fact check, is who is responsible

856
00:53:44,820 --> 00:53:51,220
 for parking enforcement in the two hour parking on Hickory Street adjacent to UNT?

857
00:53:51,220 --> 00:53:52,220
 It depends.

858
00:53:52,220 --> 00:53:53,220
 Who's supposed to enforce that?

859
00:53:53,220 --> 00:53:54,220
 It depends.

860
00:53:54,220 --> 00:53:55,220
 Generally us.

861
00:53:55,220 --> 00:53:59,140
 In the Frey Street Business District, we have an interlocal agreement with the city to enforce

862
00:53:59,140 --> 00:54:03,140
 that and we do do that.

863
00:54:03,140 --> 00:54:07,900
 There's another perception reality question you probably can, you can probably formulate

864
00:54:07,900 --> 00:54:10,020
 it for me and save me the trouble.

865
00:54:10,020 --> 00:54:14,620
 Yeah, it's that we don't and it doesn't turn over enough and that's a density issue

866
00:54:14,620 --> 00:54:17,540
 there's some students who understand how to move, park around.

867
00:54:17,540 --> 00:54:22,100
 We do electronic chalking when we go to a car so we're not actually, and believe it

868
00:54:22,100 --> 00:54:27,860
 or not, the old tire chalks you used to see, that's now damaging your property and some

869
00:54:27,860 --> 00:54:28,860
 cities don't allow it.

870
00:54:28,860 --> 00:54:30,500
 So we do electronic chalking.

871
00:54:30,500 --> 00:54:35,860
 So we do go through there and again, it's right there in the heart of campus.

872
00:54:35,860 --> 00:54:39,220
 It's a huge, huge busy area.

873
00:54:39,220 --> 00:54:46,180
 But we do enforce that and we have worked with the business district, the city staff,

874
00:54:46,180 --> 00:54:49,620
 we're anxious and willing to have that conversation to improve that.

875
00:54:49,620 --> 00:54:53,260
 I think we've got some changes coming up with the bike lanes and some of the hickory work

876
00:54:53,260 --> 00:54:58,300
 that's going on with Avenue A. The parking there I think may help that.

877
00:54:58,300 --> 00:55:03,460
 I think it's communicating with those stakeholders that here's what we are doing and letting

878
00:55:03,460 --> 00:55:08,460
 them know, again, when I have a question, who do I call and how do I get some answers

879
00:55:08,460 --> 00:55:09,460
 for that.

880
00:55:09,460 --> 00:55:14,140
 And I think that's an initiative we're happy to work on and make sure those business owners,

881
00:55:14,140 --> 00:55:16,660
 some of us, some of them know us.

882
00:55:16,660 --> 00:55:21,340
 I would suspect some do not and some have had some turnover and staff.

883
00:55:21,340 --> 00:55:25,500
 So just to go out there and make sure they know who's out there helping them and if they've

884
00:55:25,500 --> 00:55:30,140
 got concerns and I've had some relationships with business owners, they'll call me, they'll

885
00:55:30,140 --> 00:55:31,140
 email me.

886
00:55:31,140 --> 00:55:33,220
 I get to know them and we work that out.

887
00:55:33,220 --> 00:55:37,900
 So but that's another relationship I think we can do a better job on with that area.

888
00:55:37,900 --> 00:55:42,300
 And so we'd love to continue partnering with you all on that.

889
00:55:42,300 --> 00:55:46,460
 But again, as you hear those things and you go, oh, man, let me know, I'm going to leave

890
00:55:46,460 --> 00:55:49,100
 some cards for you all today.

891
00:55:49,100 --> 00:55:50,100
 Share those.

892
00:55:50,100 --> 00:55:51,100
 They do me no good.

893
00:55:51,100 --> 00:55:52,700
 So pass them out.

894
00:55:52,700 --> 00:55:54,700
 And we really want to be a partner.

895
00:55:54,700 --> 00:55:59,980
 And as you hear those things, I want to know so that we can go back and if it's a more

896
00:55:59,980 --> 00:56:05,380
 strategic discussion we need to have on, you know, enforcement, some things like that,

897
00:56:05,380 --> 00:56:06,380
 let's start that discussion.

898
00:56:06,380 --> 00:56:13,260
 If it's communication, let's begin that and go out there and let people know who we are.

899
00:56:13,260 --> 00:56:14,260
 Thank you.

900
00:56:14,260 --> 00:56:15,260
 Anything else?

901
00:56:15,260 --> 00:56:16,260
 Okay.

902
00:56:16,260 --> 00:56:17,260
 Thank you all.

903
00:56:17,260 --> 00:56:18,260
 I appreciate your patience and the questions.

904
00:56:18,260 --> 00:56:22,940
 I do look forward to coming back.

905
00:56:22,940 --> 00:56:30,180
 Yeah, I'm sure staff will use that card, but it's a good use.

906
00:56:30,180 --> 00:56:31,180
 Great.

907
00:56:31,180 --> 00:56:38,740
 I'm going to close that item, and I'm going to open item F and just to say a little bit

908
00:56:38,740 --> 00:56:45,060
 in advance the way we'll work this is we'll have staff give a presentation, then I'll

909
00:56:45,060 --> 00:56:50,420
 open the floor to citizen comments, and then we'll deliberate, okay?

910
00:56:50,420 --> 00:56:55,700
 So item F, receive a report and hold the discussion regarding updates on the Forest Ridge Neighborhood

911
00:56:55,700 --> 00:57:02,020
 Street Improvement Projects.

912
00:57:02,020 --> 00:57:03,780
 Good morning, Chair, Committee members.

913
00:57:03,780 --> 00:57:10,220
 My name is Preet Tamdeshmukh, I'm the Deputy City Engineer, and I will be going over a

914
00:57:10,220 --> 00:57:15,460
 brief presentation just to give a background of what has happened, where are we, and what's

915
00:57:15,460 --> 00:57:20,260
 going on with this particular item.

916
00:57:20,260 --> 00:57:33,980
 So just a quick location area, this is a segment of Forest Ridge just south of Hobson Lane,

917
00:57:33,980 --> 00:57:40,260
 and currently only this particular segment between Hobson and Timber Green has a median.

918
00:57:40,260 --> 00:57:45,700
 The rest of Forest Ridge all the way down to Ryan Road does not have a median.

919
00:57:45,700 --> 00:57:53,060
 This particular segment is about 46 feet wide, it has a 6-foot median and 20-foot travel

920
00:57:53,060 --> 00:57:58,020
 lane/parking bike area on both sides of the median.

921
00:57:58,020 --> 00:58:03,820
 South of Timber Green it transitions into a 43 for a little short period and then dies

922
00:58:03,820 --> 00:58:07,820
 down to a 40 and 38, it's a combination.

923
00:58:07,820 --> 00:58:12,420
 So it's a narrower segment south of this particular area.

924
00:58:12,420 --> 00:58:21,700
 So the way this project came about was, there was back in late last year, early this year,

925
00:58:21,700 --> 00:58:26,260
 there was talk about Forest Ridge being, and this whole neighborhood actually, let me go

926
00:58:26,260 --> 00:58:34,100
 back, Highview Circle, Highview Court, and Forest Ridge were on the street reconstruction

927
00:58:34,100 --> 00:58:40,060
 schedule, they were scheduled to be reconstructed this summer.

928
00:58:40,060 --> 00:58:46,900
 And when this discussion started, there were residents and the HOA requested city staff

929
00:58:46,900 --> 00:58:55,020
 to attend an HOA meeting in February, and based on the meeting and based on discussion,

930
00:58:55,020 --> 00:59:01,180
 it was determined that most of the HOA members did not want the median, wanted the median

931
00:59:01,180 --> 00:59:05,140
 to be removed as part of this reconstruction project.

932
00:59:05,140 --> 00:59:09,660
 While the city crews were out there doing the repayment, they just wanted the median

933
00:59:09,660 --> 00:59:10,660
 to go away.

934
00:59:10,660 --> 00:59:15,060
 A little bit of background, the median is currently maintained by the HOA, which is

935
00:59:15,060 --> 00:59:19,700
 voluntary, which are very few members that pay into the HOA.

936
00:59:19,700 --> 00:59:23,820
 They maintain the landscaping within the median.

937
00:59:23,820 --> 00:59:29,180
 During the meeting and after, or before the meeting, we did receive a letter from the

938
00:59:29,180 --> 00:59:33,500
 HOA president saying that they are all in favors.

939
00:59:33,500 --> 00:59:38,560
 There were several signatures in the petition that wanted to get rid of the median.

940
00:59:38,560 --> 00:59:41,020
 So we had to go through a process.

941
00:59:41,020 --> 00:59:45,260
 Here's the schedule for that particular reconstruction project.

942
00:59:45,260 --> 00:59:51,100
 We are currently working on the Highview Court and Highview Circle area.

943
00:59:51,100 --> 00:59:57,020
 We're going to wrap up construction for that particular area by the end, by beginning of

944
00:59:57,020 --> 00:59:58,020
 August.

945
00:59:58,020 --> 01:00:02,180
 We're beginning construction on the Forest Ridge segment in the middle of July.

946
01:00:02,180 --> 01:00:04,540
 So that's where our timeline is currently.

947
01:00:04,540 --> 01:00:09,220
 We don't want to change the schedule, we're going to move forward and as part of that,

948
01:00:09,220 --> 01:00:12,500
 we started that conversation early on this year.

949
01:00:12,500 --> 01:00:17,820
 So we put out a survey after the HOA meeting to find out what the residents wanted.

950
01:00:17,820 --> 01:00:23,940
 This survey was put out April 13th for a whole week and it was submitted, a link was submitted

951
01:00:23,940 --> 01:00:29,620
 to the HOA for them to forward it to the residents.

952
01:00:29,620 --> 01:00:34,500
 So based on some of the questions you can see here, there were questions like do you

953
01:00:34,500 --> 01:00:39,180
 live in Forest Ridge, what street do you use to get out of the neighborhood?

954
01:00:39,180 --> 01:00:44,780
 As you can see, most of the people get out on the north side on Hobson, quick connection

955
01:00:44,780 --> 01:00:49,140
 to either Teasley or 1830 and 377.

956
01:00:49,140 --> 01:00:53,620
 The second question was do you want the median to be removed?

957
01:00:53,620 --> 01:00:55,900
 And this is slightly misleading, right?

958
01:00:55,900 --> 01:01:03,100
 If you look at the surface, it says no, 44%, doesn't matter, and then yes for 33.

959
01:01:03,100 --> 01:01:07,020
 When you dig down a little bit deeper into some of the answers that they picked at a

960
01:01:07,020 --> 01:01:15,100
 later stage for these 23%, 4% didn't really pick a street layout, 1% picked a no median

961
01:01:15,100 --> 01:01:22,300
 option so that becomes 45 and then 18% that picked a no median option, I'm sorry.

962
01:01:22,300 --> 01:01:26,660
 The total median removing vote went up to 51%.

963
01:01:26,660 --> 01:01:33,460
 So that's the-- little bit of background on the survey that was conducted and then a--

964
01:01:33,460 --> 01:01:34,460
 >> Sure.

965
01:01:34,460 --> 01:01:35,460
 >> Question?

966
01:01:35,460 --> 01:01:39,500
 >> So was the survey that was conducted by the same people, the high percentage that

967
01:01:39,500 --> 01:01:41,880
 do not live on that street?

968
01:01:41,880 --> 01:01:44,340
 >> The survey respondents, yes.

969
01:01:44,340 --> 01:01:49,340
 >> Are from that-- okay, just making sure, thank you.

970
01:01:49,340 --> 01:01:50,340
 >> Correct.

971
01:01:50,340 --> 01:01:51,820
 And then these are the options.

972
01:01:51,820 --> 01:01:59,820
 If you look at it, 43% picked the option that had medians in there so-- and then 21 picked

973
01:01:59,820 --> 01:02:00,820
 the option number 3.

974
01:02:00,820 --> 01:02:04,860
 I'll go through the options and then we can talk about different things.

975
01:02:04,860 --> 01:02:06,500
 This is the existing condition.

976
01:02:06,500 --> 01:02:09,940
 As I mentioned, it's a 46 feet wide segment.

977
01:02:09,940 --> 01:02:16,500
 It has parking lane in the southbound direction on the west side of the street.

978
01:02:16,500 --> 01:02:21,220
 There is one travel lane, median in the middle, another travel lane in the northbound direction

979
01:02:21,220 --> 01:02:27,380
 and then there's a bike lane so parking is prohibited on the northbound-- in the northbound

980
01:02:27,380 --> 01:02:28,380
 direction.

981
01:02:28,380 --> 01:02:29,380
 >> Actually, sorry.

982
01:02:29,380 --> 01:02:35,860
 If I can just go back a minute 'cause I know this median issue is a lively one.

983
01:02:35,860 --> 01:02:41,140
 Was there any kind of a open end on why, like why does somebody want it, why does somebody

984
01:02:41,140 --> 01:02:44,140
 not want it or is it just general?

985
01:02:44,140 --> 01:02:51,060
 >> It was general and in the past, we've received concerns and while talking about option 5,

986
01:02:51,060 --> 01:02:55,760
 I'll go over what concerns people had about the medians and removing them.

987
01:02:55,760 --> 01:02:59,180
 So I'll touch on that while they're requesting.

988
01:02:59,180 --> 01:03:03,060
 So as you see, there is a bike lane.

989
01:03:03,060 --> 01:03:09,940
 This area is no parking currently but one of the issues that we've constantly heard

990
01:03:09,940 --> 01:03:16,260
 in the HOA meeting as well is a lot of people still continue to park especially services.

991
01:03:16,260 --> 01:03:19,980
 There are services such as lawnmower, plumbing and stuff like that.

992
01:03:19,980 --> 01:03:23,820
 They will come in, leave their vehicles and block this bike lane.

993
01:03:23,820 --> 01:03:27,180
 So the bike lane is sometimes not available.

994
01:03:27,180 --> 01:03:29,220
 People have to swerve into traffic.

995
01:03:29,220 --> 01:03:35,620
 So it is not-- that was part of the-- first part of the issue that we're trying to address

996
01:03:35,620 --> 01:03:39,440
 and then on option 5, I'll touch on other issues.

997
01:03:39,440 --> 01:03:45,260
 So the first option we presented, what can we do to change once we take the median out

998
01:03:45,260 --> 01:03:47,620
 if we go that route?

999
01:03:47,620 --> 01:03:48,620
 What are our options?

1000
01:03:48,620 --> 01:03:55,060
 So leave the parking on one side, add a bike lane with a one-foot buffer.

1001
01:03:55,060 --> 01:03:56,740
 It would be mostly striping.

1002
01:03:56,740 --> 01:04:02,260
 It's not possible to install physical barriers so this is more of a striped buffer.

1003
01:04:02,260 --> 01:04:07,500
 Have the two drive lanes in north side direction, again, a one-foot striped buffer and then

1004
01:04:07,500 --> 01:04:09,000
 a bike lane.

1005
01:04:09,000 --> 01:04:11,860
 This was not a well-liked option.

1006
01:04:11,860 --> 01:04:19,900
 A lot of people did not like this option primarily because of the narrow buffer and no physical

1007
01:04:19,900 --> 01:04:21,580
 barrier with the bike lane.

1008
01:04:21,580 --> 01:04:24,320
 That was one of the bigger issues.

1009
01:04:24,320 --> 01:04:28,740
 This is another option that people didn't really appreciate much is the two-way left-turn

1010
01:04:28,740 --> 01:04:33,940
 lane in the middle with bike lane on one side, parking on the other side and then two lanes

1011
01:04:33,940 --> 01:04:35,660
 for travel.

1012
01:04:35,660 --> 01:04:38,100
 That was the second option.

1013
01:04:38,100 --> 01:04:44,860
 Here is the option that was presented at the community meeting and this was well-liked.

1014
01:04:44,860 --> 01:04:51,780
 I'll talk about a little bit what happened between the option three and what we're recommending.

1015
01:04:51,780 --> 01:04:57,140
 It is a slightly modified version of this but to the betterment.

1016
01:04:57,140 --> 01:05:05,340
 Here what was happening is the bike lane/walking path would remain the same level as the street.

1017
01:05:05,340 --> 01:05:06,780
 There will be buffer.

1018
01:05:06,780 --> 01:05:12,120
 This would be a median/bolt-down curb.

1019
01:05:12,120 --> 01:05:13,820
 We were looking at different options.

1020
01:05:13,820 --> 01:05:19,340
 This would be a semi-physical barrier but this will remain at the same level as the

1021
01:05:19,340 --> 01:05:20,460
 street.

1022
01:05:20,460 --> 01:05:25,700
 There will be two travel lanes and then parking on one side.

1023
01:05:25,700 --> 01:05:35,180
 Option four, try to create a walking area with just striping and a buffer on one side,

1024
01:05:35,180 --> 01:05:41,980
 shifting the parking closer to traffic lanes so you'll still have that parking lane.

1025
01:05:41,980 --> 01:05:44,580
 There will be a buffer lane for walking people.

1026
01:05:44,580 --> 01:05:51,940
 There will be two travel lanes, again two foot buffer and then ultimately a six foot

1027
01:05:51,940 --> 01:05:54,700
 wide bike lane.

1028
01:05:54,700 --> 01:06:01,100
 This option, even though there is a walking area, was not liked that much because this

1029
01:06:01,100 --> 01:06:03,100
 is not a physical separation.

1030
01:06:03,100 --> 01:06:05,260
 It is still on the street level.

1031
01:06:05,260 --> 01:06:10,660
 There will be parked cars, opening doors and stuff like that so this is not the most ideal

1032
01:06:10,660 --> 01:06:13,020
 alternative.

1033
01:06:13,020 --> 01:06:19,860
 Option five, I've mentioned briefly before, there were concerns by residents that live

1034
01:06:19,860 --> 01:06:27,380
 between Highview Circle on the north end where it connects and then south end that have access

1035
01:06:27,380 --> 01:06:30,980
 and driveway access onto Forest Ridge.

1036
01:06:30,980 --> 01:06:35,740
 They have to make a U-turn depending on the direction they're traveling.

1037
01:06:35,740 --> 01:06:39,920
 Once they try and make a U-turn, they swerve a little bit to the right just so that their

1038
01:06:39,920 --> 01:06:45,660
 cars and trucks can make that U-turn and while doing that, a lot of times there are other

1039
01:06:45,660 --> 01:06:51,760
 cars that are behind them trying to sneak in expecting this car to park here or pull

1040
01:06:51,760 --> 01:06:56,460
 into the other driveway and they get into an unsafe situation.

1041
01:06:56,460 --> 01:07:02,940
 It was brought to our attention, several residents complained about this issue and this was the

1042
01:07:02,940 --> 01:07:08,260
 other aspect they were looking at for removal of the median.

1043
01:07:08,260 --> 01:07:13,660
 There were different options and one of the options was what if we created sort of a little

1044
01:07:13,660 --> 01:07:20,260
 bulb out or a median extension and then restricted the bike lane so the bike lane would go away

1045
01:07:20,260 --> 01:07:25,620
 and cars would start using that or they would use the bike lane area to do that and this

1046
01:07:25,620 --> 01:07:28,420
 was not a popular option as well.

1047
01:07:28,420 --> 01:07:33,780
 This is not something that the residents liked.

1048
01:07:33,780 --> 01:07:38,180
 So recommended option, I want to go back and forth a little bit between the recommended

1049
01:07:38,180 --> 01:07:42,500
 and option number three which was what was presented at the community meeting and well

1050
01:07:42,500 --> 01:07:43,500
 liked.

1051
01:07:43,500 --> 01:07:51,380
 One of the things I do want to point out is in this option we have parking on both sides.

1052
01:07:51,380 --> 01:08:01,060
 In going with option three if we went with this option there was likelihood that the

1053
01:08:01,060 --> 01:08:06,660
 services folks, the lawn mowers, the plumbers would still try and park and get into this

1054
01:08:06,660 --> 01:08:12,240
 area driving around into the bolted curbs and stuff and still parking and using this

1055
01:08:12,240 --> 01:08:13,240
 area.

1056
01:08:13,240 --> 01:08:18,940
 There was one of the concerns that was brought up because there's only parking on this side

1057
01:08:18,940 --> 01:08:24,980
 but that side they literally have to drag their equipment across the street and this

1058
01:08:24,980 --> 01:08:27,220
 is something that they would not prefer.

1059
01:08:27,220 --> 01:08:29,900
 So that was one of the issues.

1060
01:08:29,900 --> 01:08:37,240
 The other issue was this alternative does not pull this bike lane or this walking area

1061
01:08:37,240 --> 01:08:40,980
 above or out of the street level.

1062
01:08:40,980 --> 01:08:45,780
 The recommended option if you look at it we are completely raising it six inches above

1063
01:08:45,780 --> 01:08:46,900
 the ground.

1064
01:08:46,900 --> 01:08:57,460
 It creates a fully separated area for biking and walking.

1065
01:08:57,460 --> 01:08:59,180
 This area also is wider.

1066
01:08:59,180 --> 01:09:05,980
 It's about eight feet and then this parking would create a buffer for cars traveling here.

1067
01:09:05,980 --> 01:09:10,260
 One of the things that was brought up in the community meeting was speeding and if we allow

1068
01:09:10,260 --> 01:09:18,020
 parking on both sides that would really create a sort of a traffic calming if cars are parked

1069
01:09:18,020 --> 01:09:20,020
 on both sides.

1070
01:09:20,020 --> 01:09:26,780
 Traffic vehicles travel slower than no parking areas.

1071
01:09:26,780 --> 01:09:28,820
 So that's our recommended option.

1072
01:09:28,820 --> 01:09:35,740
 At this time we're here to receive direction so that we can move forward with construction.

1073
01:09:35,740 --> 01:09:41,860
 We already have a consultant on board to redesign this and move forward in the next month or

1074
01:09:41,860 --> 01:09:47,340
 so, less than a month, and once we get direction from this committee we can move that direction

1075
01:09:47,340 --> 01:09:50,300
 and get it constructed.

1076
01:09:50,300 --> 01:09:51,300
 Any questions?

1077
01:09:51,300 --> 01:09:52,300
 Any concerns?

1078
01:09:52,300 --> 01:09:57,580
 Well, I'd like us to hold our questions and let's hear from citizens.

1079
01:09:57,580 --> 01:09:59,340
 So I'll call you in the order.

1080
01:09:59,340 --> 01:10:00,340
 I've got them here.

1081
01:10:00,340 --> 01:10:04,540
 If you'll come up to the podium, state your name and address, you'll have three minutes

1082
01:10:04,540 --> 01:10:08,140
 and your time begins once you give your name and address.

1083
01:10:08,140 --> 01:10:09,140
 Okay.

1084
01:10:09,140 --> 01:10:10,140
 Ready?

1085
01:10:10,140 --> 01:10:11,140
 All right.

1086
01:10:11,140 --> 01:10:12,140
 So, Carol Womack.

1087
01:10:12,140 --> 01:10:26,740
 Your card notes that you do wish to speak in opposition.

1088
01:10:26,740 --> 01:10:32,340
 My name is Carol Womack and I'm at 6 Highview Court.

1089
01:10:32,340 --> 01:10:40,100
 I guess my feelings, I'm a little away from it, I don't have any trouble with it.

1090
01:10:40,100 --> 01:10:42,620
 I mean, I want to leave it alone.

1091
01:10:42,620 --> 01:10:45,080
 That's what I want.

1092
01:10:45,080 --> 01:10:55,020
 I think some of this stuff, it may be one person that has problems with it.

1093
01:10:55,020 --> 01:10:56,020
 Maybe three.

1094
01:10:56,020 --> 01:11:03,540
 Maybe, you know, I'm far a stretch, but I just don't think we have had a long time on

1095
01:11:03,540 --> 01:11:06,620
 Highview Court getting that done.

1096
01:11:06,620 --> 01:11:14,220
 And I guess the workers and everybody has done the best they can, but it has been extended.

1097
01:11:14,220 --> 01:11:19,140
 And in that case, I guess it's just a personal thing because now they're going to do Highview

1098
01:11:19,140 --> 01:11:25,340
 Circle and if they take the medium out, it's not going to be through in August.

1099
01:11:25,340 --> 01:11:28,340
 Probably in August '22.

1100
01:11:28,340 --> 01:11:30,820
 And I just am very opposed to it.

1101
01:11:30,820 --> 01:11:31,820
 I think it's silly.

1102
01:11:31,820 --> 01:11:33,820
 I really do.

1103
01:11:33,820 --> 01:11:42,380
 And having questions, this is not my forte.

1104
01:11:42,380 --> 01:11:45,220
 Questions?

1105
01:11:45,220 --> 01:11:54,460
 So have you, do you have any troubles or experience with what our staff mentioned on making U-turns?

1106
01:11:54,460 --> 01:11:56,580
 Or do you not attempt to do a U-turn?

1107
01:11:56,580 --> 01:11:57,580
 I don't have to.

1108
01:11:57,580 --> 01:12:04,660
 I just come down Highview Circle and then there's Forest Ridge and I turn usually left to get

1109
01:12:04,660 --> 01:12:05,660
 on Hobson.

1110
01:12:05,660 --> 01:12:10,140
 Or if I go the other way, I just head down toward Ryan.

1111
01:12:10,140 --> 01:12:14,380
 So you know, I don't have any problem with it.

1112
01:12:14,380 --> 01:12:17,460
 I just think it's a waste.

1113
01:12:17,460 --> 01:12:18,460
 Okay.

1114
01:12:18,460 --> 01:12:19,460
 Thank you.

1115
01:12:19,460 --> 01:12:20,460
 Okay.

1116
01:12:20,460 --> 01:12:24,500
 Anything else?

1117
01:12:24,500 --> 01:12:25,500
 Thank you.

1118
01:12:25,500 --> 01:12:26,500
 Ann Brown?

1119
01:12:26,500 --> 01:12:33,380
 I'd like to go last and let my neighbors go next.

1120
01:12:33,380 --> 01:12:36,940
 Well, I'm going in the stack order.

1121
01:12:36,940 --> 01:12:37,940
 That's fine with me.

1122
01:12:37,940 --> 01:12:39,420
 The next person to have is Lamont Brown.

1123
01:12:39,420 --> 01:12:44,580
 Do you agree to, we'll see who wants to go next.

1124
01:12:44,580 --> 01:12:45,580
 That's fine.

1125
01:12:45,580 --> 01:12:46,580
 Here I have it.

1126
01:12:46,580 --> 01:12:50,380
 Okay, Mr. Brown, just state your name and address and your time will begin.

1127
01:12:50,380 --> 01:12:51,660
 I'm Lamont Brown.

1128
01:12:51,660 --> 01:12:56,380
 I live at 5 Highview Court.

1129
01:12:56,380 --> 01:13:02,020
 First I want to thank the Mobility Committee for allowing us to be here and to hear the

1130
01:13:02,020 --> 01:13:03,540
 voices of the citizens.

1131
01:13:03,540 --> 01:13:07,860
 So thank you very much for that.

1132
01:13:07,860 --> 01:13:14,500
 Living on Highview Court, whether it's ingress or egress, whether we go Hobson or Ryan Road,

1133
01:13:14,500 --> 01:13:22,300
 we touch this affected area every time we leave our home or come back.

1134
01:13:22,300 --> 01:13:29,860
 So we see it and feel it more than anyone else living in the entire Forest Ridge area.

1135
01:13:29,860 --> 01:13:36,240
 We cannot leave Forest Ridge without going by this affected area that you're talking

1136
01:13:36,240 --> 01:13:38,300
 about.

1137
01:13:38,300 --> 01:13:45,700
 It is my opinion that the survey is flawed, to say the least.

1138
01:13:45,700 --> 01:13:51,380
 I don't know anywhere that there has been a survey where a group that did not vote for

1139
01:13:51,380 --> 01:13:59,780
 or against was grouped with another group that did vote for or against to tilt it in

1140
01:13:59,780 --> 01:14:02,820
 the way that it is now showing in this report.

1141
01:14:02,820 --> 01:14:09,860
 I also take exception to a statement, and maybe it was misstated, so I'm giving a lot

1142
01:14:09,860 --> 01:14:18,780
 of benefit of the doubt there, where in the presentation previous it was stated that option

1143
01:14:18,780 --> 01:14:21,740
 number 5 was not liked very much.

1144
01:14:21,740 --> 01:14:29,640
 Well, if you put back on the screen where all of the options were chosen, option 5 was

1145
01:14:29,640 --> 01:14:39,460
 picked 43 percent, option 1 15 percent, option 2 14, option 3 21, and option 4 7 percent.

1146
01:14:39,460 --> 01:14:47,660
 So out of that, I don't see where it can be concluded that most people did not like

1147
01:14:47,660 --> 01:14:49,180
 option 5.

1148
01:14:49,180 --> 01:14:52,020
 I am with Ms. Walmuck.

1149
01:14:52,020 --> 01:14:59,080
 I felt like the median should stay, but I'll say this, if it must be removed, I certainly

1150
01:14:59,080 --> 01:15:01,300
 hope that there is no parking.

1151
01:15:01,300 --> 01:15:07,620
 We've only lived there 22 years, and I was not aware that there was parking on the east

1152
01:15:07,620 --> 01:15:09,060
 side of Forest Ridge.

1153
01:15:09,060 --> 01:15:11,540
 I thought it was two bike paths.

1154
01:15:11,540 --> 01:15:20,000
 It's not marked as parking that I have ever seen, and so I would certainly want the parking

1155
01:15:20,000 --> 01:15:26,180
 options, if possible, omitted from anything that happens.

1156
01:15:26,180 --> 01:15:30,260
 My number one preference, as I just stated, is that we leave the median.

1157
01:15:30,260 --> 01:15:33,160
 I think it's a lot of character to Forest Ridge.

1158
01:15:33,160 --> 01:15:38,560
 One of the reasons that we purchased in that area 22 years ago was because of the character

1159
01:15:38,560 --> 01:15:39,740
 of that.

1160
01:15:39,740 --> 01:15:44,980
 And so if we'd wanted to go to a subdivision that allows parking on the street, there are

1161
01:15:44,980 --> 01:15:50,700
 others in the city of Denton where we could have chosen that as a particular option.

1162
01:15:50,700 --> 01:15:55,940
 So I think it's really removing the character from that end of Forest Ridge, and I would

1163
01:15:55,940 --> 01:15:59,260
 hope that you would choose not to do that.

1164
01:15:59,260 --> 01:16:01,840
 Thank you for your time.

1165
01:16:01,840 --> 01:16:02,840
 Thank you.

1166
01:16:02,840 --> 01:16:03,840
 Oh, yeah.

1167
01:16:03,840 --> 01:16:04,840
 Questions?

1168
01:16:04,840 --> 01:16:05,840
 No?

1169
01:16:05,840 --> 01:16:06,840
 Okay.

1170
01:16:06,840 --> 01:16:17,800
 And maybe after we take all the citizen comments, if you want to respond, you know, staff,

1171
01:16:17,800 --> 01:16:22,020
 to any of the sort of factual questions or assertions.

1172
01:16:22,020 --> 01:16:33,240
 So Wendy McQuade, just state your name and address, and your time will begin.

1173
01:16:33,240 --> 01:16:34,240
 My name is Wendy McQuade.

1174
01:16:34,240 --> 01:16:36,620
 I live at 9 Highview Court.

1175
01:16:36,620 --> 01:16:38,300
 I'm a total introvert.

1176
01:16:38,300 --> 01:16:41,860
 I am not one that likes to get up and talk.

1177
01:16:41,860 --> 01:16:43,840
 I feel very strongly about this issue.

1178
01:16:43,840 --> 01:16:47,300
 I am taking time off from work to be here.

1179
01:16:47,300 --> 01:16:56,100
 So I hope that, you know, that that passion kind of comes out in this time.

1180
01:16:56,100 --> 01:17:00,660
 Thank you for letting citizens and residents of this area come and speak with you today

1181
01:17:00,660 --> 01:17:02,940
 about this issue.

1182
01:17:02,940 --> 01:17:09,500
 I have lived in Forest Ridge almost as long as I've lived in Denton, which is since 2013,

1183
01:17:09,500 --> 01:17:10,500
 Forest Ridge.

1184
01:17:10,500 --> 01:17:11,720
 I love the neighborhood.

1185
01:17:11,720 --> 01:17:13,120
 I love the bike lanes.

1186
01:17:13,120 --> 01:17:18,980
 I love that the residents are out and about walking their dogs, walking their kids in

1187
01:17:18,980 --> 01:17:25,420
 strollers, jogging, running, biking, and there's all happening on Forest Ridge Drive in those

1188
01:17:25,420 --> 01:17:27,580
 bike lanes.

1189
01:17:27,580 --> 01:17:29,420
 I love the medians.

1190
01:17:29,420 --> 01:17:32,580
 I think it does give the neighborhood character.

1191
01:17:32,580 --> 01:17:38,540
 It's one of the things that really drew me in and made me want to live there.

1192
01:17:38,540 --> 01:17:43,620
 But as upset as I am about the whole survey, I am an HOA member.

1193
01:17:43,620 --> 01:17:44,780
 Yes, it's voluntary.

1194
01:17:44,780 --> 01:17:45,940
 I pay.

1195
01:17:45,940 --> 01:17:47,100
 Many people pay.

1196
01:17:47,100 --> 01:17:51,340
 I would like to know how many people actually responded to that survey.

1197
01:17:51,340 --> 01:17:56,500
 I would like to know how many people are residents in Forest Ridge and what that percentage is.

1198
01:17:56,500 --> 01:18:01,460
 So percentages don't tell me anything about how many people are actually having their

1199
01:18:01,460 --> 01:18:04,040
 input heard on that survey.

1200
01:18:04,040 --> 01:18:05,540
 My input was not heard.

1201
01:18:05,540 --> 01:18:09,700
 I had no idea about that survey.

1202
01:18:09,700 --> 01:18:15,580
 Before I get too mad about that, I'm gonna really focus on what I hate about this proposed

1203
01:18:15,580 --> 01:18:17,580
 option.

1204
01:18:17,580 --> 01:18:18,980
 I'm a cyclist.

1205
01:18:18,980 --> 01:18:22,260
 I had two dogs until recently.

1206
01:18:22,260 --> 01:18:24,980
 I use those lanes all the time.

1207
01:18:24,980 --> 01:18:33,500
 If we have parking on both sides of Forest Ridge now, so as a cyclist and as a dog walker,

1208
01:18:33,500 --> 01:18:39,640
 I basically can't use the southbound bike lane because people park in it, and it forces

1209
01:18:39,640 --> 01:18:45,180
 me to walk out into a lane of traffic where people are not expecting cyclists who are

1210
01:18:45,180 --> 01:18:51,020
 going slower than 30 miles an hour or, as many residents in Forest Ridge know, much

1211
01:18:51,020 --> 01:18:56,260
 faster than that in terms of how fast people drive.

1212
01:18:56,260 --> 01:19:01,140
 If we're allowing to keep parking over there, we put parking on the other side, we're narrowing

1213
01:19:01,140 --> 01:19:06,940
 the sidewalk, which is now no longer getting called a bike lane and a pedestrian area.

1214
01:19:06,940 --> 01:19:11,900
 It's now a sidewalk, so we're losing a bike lane, we're putting parking in, and now you

1215
01:19:11,900 --> 01:19:15,960
 have no visibility of anybody on that side of road.

1216
01:19:15,960 --> 01:19:21,620
 So I walk and bike and jog over to South Lakes Park from my house.

1217
01:19:21,620 --> 01:19:25,980
 I use that northbound bike lane to get over there.

1218
01:19:25,980 --> 01:19:33,340
 I use the medians between Highview Circle and between Highview Circle on Forest Ridge

1219
01:19:33,340 --> 01:19:38,980
 as midway stopping points so I don't get hit by a car and my dog doesn't get hit by a car

1220
01:19:38,980 --> 01:19:44,820
 from people coming flying over the hill between the two, the north and the southbound ends

1221
01:19:44,820 --> 01:19:46,540
 of Highview Circle.

1222
01:19:46,540 --> 01:19:51,340
 So I think there's a huge visibility issue here that nobody's talking about.

1223
01:19:51,340 --> 01:19:55,800
 I think there are a handful of residents on Forest Ridge who have vehicles that are too

1224
01:19:55,800 --> 01:20:01,380
 big to make a U-turn from a property that they purchased knowing that those medians

1225
01:20:01,380 --> 01:20:09,380
 were there, and they don't want to use Highview Circle to turn around to get oriented the

1226
01:20:09,380 --> 01:20:14,720
 way that they need to to get into or out of their property and headed the right direction

1227
01:20:14,720 --> 01:20:17,300
 on Forest Ridge.

1228
01:20:17,300 --> 01:20:20,840
 But I really don't like this sidewalk option.

1229
01:20:20,840 --> 01:20:25,600
 As a cyclist, I know that getting doored is a problem.

1230
01:20:25,600 --> 01:20:30,860
 Now we have cars that are right next to an eight-foot sidewalk with no buffer between

1231
01:20:30,860 --> 01:20:34,260
 passenger side doors opening and the sidewalk.

1232
01:20:34,260 --> 01:20:40,580
 The sidewalk is as narrow as it is now, the bike lane is now, and at popular times of

1233
01:20:40,580 --> 01:20:47,220
 the day, I have had to move into oncoming traffic lanes to avoid people who are walking

1234
01:20:47,220 --> 01:20:52,580
 their dogs or pushing strollers or jogging or biking because that is not wide enough

1235
01:20:52,580 --> 01:20:57,140
 to be a two lane for bikes and pedestrians.

1236
01:20:57,140 --> 01:20:59,080
 Eight feet is not going to cut it.

1237
01:20:59,080 --> 01:21:07,660
 If I want to cross from the east side of Forest Ridge over and back to my house, nobody's

1238
01:21:07,660 --> 01:21:09,860
 going to see me with parked cars there.

1239
01:21:09,860 --> 01:21:12,620
 It's a huge hazard, and I have lots more to say.

1240
01:21:12,620 --> 01:21:16,100
 I know I wrote a letter to you guys, and I appreciate your time.

1241
01:21:16,100 --> 01:21:29,820
 >> Thank you very much.

1242
01:21:29,820 --> 01:21:31,860
 If you will state your name and address, your time will begin.

1243
01:21:31,860 --> 01:21:33,620
 >> My name is Anne Brown.

1244
01:21:33,620 --> 01:21:39,380
 I live at 5 Highview Court, and I walk all the time and have for 22 years.

1245
01:21:39,380 --> 01:21:46,020
 So I'm very experienced in going up and down Forest Ridge, every way out of Highview Circle

1246
01:21:46,020 --> 01:21:49,060
 and every way back into it.

1247
01:21:49,060 --> 01:21:53,900
 I was called yesterday by Bill Smith, who said, "Please say everything you think and

1248
01:21:53,900 --> 01:21:55,940
 say I think the same thing."

1249
01:21:55,940 --> 01:22:00,820
 So I'm Anne Brown and Bill Smith.

1250
01:22:00,820 --> 01:22:01,820
 Wendy is so right.

1251
01:22:01,820 --> 01:22:05,380
 The medians make a huge difference.

1252
01:22:05,380 --> 01:22:09,460
 When you drive into Forest Ridge, it looks elegant.

1253
01:22:09,460 --> 01:22:11,220
 It has planting.

1254
01:22:11,220 --> 01:22:16,580
 It looks like a selected neighborhood.

1255
01:22:16,580 --> 01:22:21,900
 So we all like that, and they're going to keep the tree and that first median.

1256
01:22:21,900 --> 01:22:28,220
 However, the second median offends somebody because he has to make a U-turn.

1257
01:22:28,220 --> 01:22:30,620
 And my husband asked him, "Did you know that when you bought the house?"

1258
01:22:30,620 --> 01:22:31,980
 And he said, "Yes."

1259
01:22:31,980 --> 01:22:37,620
 So apparently for all the years he's lived there, he's been offended by that when I have

1260
01:22:37,620 --> 01:22:42,780
 a car that's very long and I don't have any trouble making a turn.

1261
01:22:42,780 --> 01:22:47,140
 So I don't think his vote should hold as much weight.

1262
01:22:47,140 --> 01:22:52,180
 Now all the people who live on Highview Circle, like Ms. Womack said, travel that area all

1263
01:22:52,180 --> 01:22:54,380
 the time.

1264
01:22:54,380 --> 01:22:59,780
 And probably I do more because I go to the grocery store every day.

1265
01:22:59,780 --> 01:23:03,500
 But walking is crucial to that neighborhood.

1266
01:23:03,500 --> 01:23:10,500
 Seeing your animals, elderly people walk, yesterday a lady with her bike and a little

1267
01:23:10,500 --> 01:23:17,580
 baby carrier behind the bike, and four kids in line behind her, all probably under five,

1268
01:23:17,580 --> 01:23:19,820
 were riding in the bike lane.

1269
01:23:19,820 --> 01:23:23,100
 And I happily stood aside so they could pass.

1270
01:23:23,100 --> 01:23:30,660
 I cannot imagine a raised sidewalk being called a pedestrian bike lane.

1271
01:23:30,660 --> 01:23:37,140
 I would think those little kids might take one wrong move and fall off that six inch

1272
01:23:37,140 --> 01:23:39,180
 that they're proposing.

1273
01:23:39,180 --> 01:23:43,220
 That just seems foreign to put that in forestry.

1274
01:23:43,220 --> 01:23:45,540
 So level, keep level.

1275
01:23:45,540 --> 01:23:50,640
 Make your lines or your buffers with yellow lines or whatever.

1276
01:23:50,640 --> 01:23:55,180
 But the last thing I want to mention is parking.

1277
01:23:55,180 --> 01:23:59,500
 We move there because we hate people who park on the street.

1278
01:23:59,500 --> 01:24:01,580
 They clutter up your street.

1279
01:24:01,580 --> 01:24:07,220
 They make it hard to -- you know, it isn't that we can't get around them.

1280
01:24:07,220 --> 01:24:08,980
 It's just unsightly.

1281
01:24:08,980 --> 01:24:12,020
 And Forest Ridge is very beautiful.

1282
01:24:12,020 --> 01:24:15,660
 And don't mess it up with saying it's okay to park over here.

1283
01:24:15,660 --> 01:24:17,500
 It's okay to park over there.

1284
01:24:17,500 --> 01:24:24,100
 Because there's a big difference between parked cars, like kids who rent a house and have

1285
01:24:24,100 --> 01:24:29,540
 four college students who all have a car and park all those cars on the street.

1286
01:24:29,540 --> 01:24:31,020
 That's unsightly.

1287
01:24:31,020 --> 01:24:35,060
 On Forest Ridge, it doesn't matter if the landscape people are there.

1288
01:24:35,060 --> 01:24:37,140
 We're happy to walk around them.

1289
01:24:37,140 --> 01:24:39,340
 They come once a week.

1290
01:24:39,340 --> 01:24:42,320
 They're a plumber, understand that.

1291
01:24:42,320 --> 01:24:45,060
 So I don't mind all the people who are doing their business.

1292
01:24:45,060 --> 01:24:49,140
 It's the parking that I find very offensive.

1293
01:24:49,140 --> 01:24:50,140
 >> Thank you.

1294
01:24:50,140 --> 01:24:56,260
 You're okay with the idea of let's staff address some of the things that come up and then we'll

1295
01:24:56,260 --> 01:24:58,380
 pick it up?

1296
01:24:58,380 --> 01:25:07,900
 >> So I do want to bring up that the -- according to the website Forest Ridge, there are 396

1297
01:25:07,900 --> 01:25:10,340
 single-family home sites within that area.

1298
01:25:10,340 --> 01:25:17,660
 The survey had 112 respondents, and the results are based on 112 people responding to the

1299
01:25:17,660 --> 01:25:21,780
 survey.

1300
01:25:21,780 --> 01:25:25,980
 >> How many HOA members were in that petition that you got?

1301
01:25:25,980 --> 01:25:31,940
 >> So there are 11 HOA members that are in the petition, and most of them live on Forest

1302
01:25:31,940 --> 01:25:37,140
 Ridge on the other side, where they have to make that U-turn to get into their properties.

1303
01:25:37,140 --> 01:25:41,100
 >> So 11 out of, like, 300 and something in the neighborhood?

1304
01:25:41,100 --> 01:25:42,100
 >> Correct.

1305
01:25:42,100 --> 01:25:43,100
 But all of them live on Forest Ridge.

1306
01:25:43,100 --> 01:25:44,100
 >> Yeah.

1307
01:25:44,100 --> 01:25:49,220
 Most of them.

1308
01:25:49,220 --> 01:25:50,220
 >> Okay.

1309
01:25:50,220 --> 01:25:51,220
 >> I've got lots of --

1310
01:25:51,220 --> 01:25:52,220
 >> Yeah.

1311
01:25:52,220 --> 01:25:53,220
 Who wants to go first?

1312
01:25:53,220 --> 01:25:54,220
 I'm inclined to give John --

1313
01:25:54,220 --> 01:25:55,220
 >> Yeah.

1314
01:25:55,220 --> 01:25:56,220
 Go ahead.

1315
01:25:56,220 --> 01:26:02,500
 >> I'll go ahead first, because I was at the neighborhood meeting where this was presented

1316
01:26:02,500 --> 01:26:07,900
 and the results were presented, and as well as myself, there were several staff members,

1317
01:26:07,900 --> 01:26:12,220
 including Ethan Cox, and one of the questions I had is what's going to happen -- I don't

1318
01:26:12,220 --> 01:26:21,740
 know -- can you put back the option 3 that was proposed as the -- at that time?

1319
01:26:21,740 --> 01:26:22,740
 Yeah.

1320
01:26:22,740 --> 01:26:28,580
 With this, there's concern when you put that two-foot median in there over drainage, you're

1321
01:26:28,580 --> 01:26:35,220
 not really protecting it, and when the trash trucks come down that street to pick up on

1322
01:26:35,220 --> 01:26:40,660
 that northbound side, which is the side with the 13 homes, where is there -- is there -- they

1323
01:26:40,660 --> 01:26:44,500
 going to put the trash in the bike lane area, or are they going to put it out in the street,

1324
01:26:44,500 --> 01:26:50,780
 in which case now you've lost about three foot of your travel lane, so as we looked

1325
01:26:50,780 --> 01:26:58,980
 at the numbers, the 12-foot wide drive lanes could easily be reduced to 11, which in turn

1326
01:26:58,980 --> 01:26:59,980
 slows traffic.

1327
01:26:59,980 --> 01:27:03,740
 I mean, that's a natural -- if you've got a narrower lane that you're driving down,

1328
01:27:03,740 --> 01:27:05,800
 you're naturally going to drive slower.

1329
01:27:05,800 --> 01:27:10,100
 I don't foresee there's going to be that many more people parking there than what currently

1330
01:27:10,100 --> 01:27:15,780
 do, but right now there are, again, a lot of services that park on that northbound that

1331
01:27:15,780 --> 01:27:19,800
 aren't supposed to be parked there to begin with, and so that would continue, would people

1332
01:27:19,800 --> 01:27:25,540
 try and hop that little median to park in that 12-foot area, in which case you completely

1333
01:27:25,540 --> 01:27:34,180
 lost that area, which is what happens commonly now, as well as the trash.

1334
01:27:34,180 --> 01:27:38,380
 I'd ask that it be elevated and that it be done in concrete as opposed to asphalt as

1335
01:27:38,380 --> 01:27:46,140
 well, because of people walking their dogs, concrete stays cooler in -- am I on a three-minute

1336
01:27:46,140 --> 01:27:47,140
 limit too?

1337
01:27:47,140 --> 01:27:48,140
 I didn't realize that.

1338
01:27:48,140 --> 01:27:49,140
 That doesn't apply.

1339
01:27:49,140 --> 01:27:51,740
 I could think of situations where I might like it too.

1340
01:27:51,740 --> 01:27:56,300
 I rarely have a lot to say, so it seems strange I'd be put on a time limit.

1341
01:27:56,300 --> 01:28:02,980
 I guess it's the first time I've ever hit that three-minute limit.

1342
01:28:02,980 --> 01:28:10,520
 But the concrete would be cooler as a path to drive down as well, so as far as taking

1343
01:28:10,520 --> 01:28:16,420
 out the median or not, I can really go either way, but I will say, as I was going home one

1344
01:28:16,420 --> 01:28:22,580
 day, there was an accident at that median, and because it was someone that was in the

1345
01:28:22,580 --> 01:28:27,380
 parking lane pulled out, the person coming had no place else to go, couldn't get stopped

1346
01:28:27,380 --> 01:28:28,380
 in time.

1347
01:28:28,380 --> 01:28:32,740
 Well, now everybody that's before the previous break is stuck.

1348
01:28:32,740 --> 01:28:35,420
 You can't go until they had those two cars.

1349
01:28:35,420 --> 01:28:40,220
 Fortunately, I was in my three-quarter ton at the time and was able to drive over the

1350
01:28:40,220 --> 01:28:42,020
 median, but then I'm taking a chance.

1351
01:28:42,020 --> 01:28:54,180
 Can I get back around before -- and so the idea that the sidewalk is not -- that elevated

1352
01:28:54,180 --> 01:28:59,500
 sidewalk adds a definite element of safety that we've been looking at trying to do on

1353
01:28:59,500 --> 01:29:00,500
 bike paths.

1354
01:29:00,500 --> 01:29:05,660
 And part of it is a misconception that we call it a sidewalk on the slide here as opposed

1355
01:29:05,660 --> 01:29:15,120
 to a pedestrian path, because that's the current width of it, is eight foot.

1356
01:29:15,120 --> 01:29:18,980
 The thought of adding the parking on the other side is because it's naturally done right

1357
01:29:18,980 --> 01:29:22,840
 now by certain people, certain groups.

1358
01:29:22,840 --> 01:29:28,140
 If we wanted to shift it, I can see that, but I know that once this is done and this

1359
01:29:28,140 --> 01:29:32,180
 road is in good condition, the number of speeding complaints we're going to get is going to

1360
01:29:32,180 --> 01:29:33,180
 go up.

1361
01:29:33,180 --> 01:29:37,540
 So by narrowing it to that 11 foot, that will definitely help with that.

1362
01:29:37,540 --> 01:29:41,900
 So I'll see what y'all have to say, and I may come back with some other.

1363
01:29:41,900 --> 01:29:43,340
 Councilmember Briggs.

1364
01:29:43,340 --> 01:29:46,580
 I am not in favor of getting rid of the median.

1365
01:29:46,580 --> 01:29:51,560
 I think that when I saw the first picture of what was there currently, I feel like we

1366
01:29:51,560 --> 01:29:56,400
 are trying to bring other city roads to look like that.

1367
01:29:56,400 --> 01:30:00,580
 I thought, well, that's the complete street that we're doing.

1368
01:30:00,580 --> 01:30:02,820
 We're adding greenery.

1369
01:30:02,820 --> 01:30:06,020
 We have a bike lane, a safe area.

1370
01:30:06,020 --> 01:30:08,660
 We're dividing the traffic to keep it safe.

1371
01:30:08,660 --> 01:30:13,700
 And I thought, well, why are we changing something we currently have that we're trying to get

1372
01:30:13,700 --> 01:30:16,700
 other streets to look like?

1373
01:30:16,700 --> 01:30:23,380
 And I personally, what I heard you say was that the main issues were people pulling into

1374
01:30:23,380 --> 01:30:32,500
 the bike lane and also, let's see.

1375
01:30:32,500 --> 01:30:35,500
 So it was mostly just keeping people out of the bike lane, right?

1376
01:30:35,500 --> 01:30:39,120
 They were either parking there or, you know, pulling into there.

1377
01:30:39,120 --> 01:30:45,980
 So why don't we just make that side a protected bike lane, put spigots, do something to keep

1378
01:30:45,980 --> 01:30:51,060
 people out of that lane so that it is protected for pedestrians and bicycles.

1379
01:30:51,060 --> 01:30:56,380
 I was there yesterday driving and I saw three or four people walking and biking.

1380
01:30:56,380 --> 01:31:02,760
 And I think by adding parking lanes and taking the median out, we are discouraging people

1381
01:31:02,760 --> 01:31:05,420
 from feeling safe in that neighborhood.

1382
01:31:05,420 --> 01:31:08,260
 We have South Lakes Park just at the opposite end.

1383
01:31:08,260 --> 01:31:14,260
 We want to make sure that people can get there safely and continue to use their trail.

1384
01:31:14,260 --> 01:31:19,440
 I think that we're going backwards with this recommended option.

1385
01:31:19,440 --> 01:31:22,220
 And so that's personally how I feel.

1386
01:31:22,220 --> 01:31:27,660
 And I did not get one email in support of this from the 11 people that did sign the

1387
01:31:27,660 --> 01:31:28,660
 petition.

1388
01:31:28,660 --> 01:31:34,220
 And it would have been nice to hear from some of them and the reasoning that they did want

1389
01:31:34,220 --> 01:31:35,220
 it.

1390
01:31:35,220 --> 01:31:38,400
 I mean, I make U-turns all the time.

1391
01:31:38,400 --> 01:31:48,660
 So I just don't feel like we should completely make this less safer for pedestrians and cyclists

1392
01:31:48,660 --> 01:31:51,140
 for people who don't want to make a U-turn.

1393
01:31:51,140 --> 01:31:58,220
 Well, I'll chip in a bit here.

1394
01:31:58,220 --> 01:32:03,540
 First of all, I've done a lot of consumer research in my career and it's not the same

1395
01:32:03,540 --> 01:32:08,900
 thing as like an election, you know, where 51% is like massive, you know, that I wouldn't

1396
01:32:08,900 --> 01:32:09,900
 say you have consensus.

1397
01:32:09,900 --> 01:32:15,020
 You know, you just say different people feel different ways.

1398
01:32:15,020 --> 01:32:19,880
 So you know, I don't find that kind of determinative.

1399
01:32:19,880 --> 01:32:26,500
 The Forest Ridge is one of the most attractive neighborhoods in Denton just from having block

1400
01:32:26,500 --> 01:32:33,780
 walk that, you know, I wouldn't mind living there for sure.

1401
01:32:33,780 --> 01:32:36,660
 And I agree that that's part of the appearance of it.

1402
01:32:36,660 --> 01:32:39,180
 It's a very green appearing area.

1403
01:32:39,180 --> 01:32:41,420
 And so I think the medians contribute.

1404
01:32:41,420 --> 01:32:47,180
 And then, you know, kind of along the lines of what Councilmember Briggs just said, it

1405
01:32:47,180 --> 01:32:49,980
 just seems like a massive overcorrection.

1406
01:32:49,980 --> 01:32:53,380
 You know, it's hard to tell when to get through all the options.

1407
01:32:53,380 --> 01:32:55,020
 What was it we were trying to fix in the first place?

1408
01:32:55,020 --> 01:33:03,380
 You know, it seemed like a relatively narrow issue with, you know, just probably introducing

1409
01:33:03,380 --> 01:33:05,180
 more issues than you're correcting.

1410
01:33:05,180 --> 01:33:08,380
 So I actually landed in very much the same place.

1411
01:33:08,380 --> 01:33:15,140
 If the issue is people driving, you know, violating the bike lane, do more to protect

1412
01:33:15,140 --> 01:33:16,140
 the bike lane.

1413
01:33:16,140 --> 01:33:24,140
 Now, I imagine John's going to have something to say now, so I'm happy to hear it.

1414
01:33:24,140 --> 01:33:25,900
 Now that you're just going on and on these days.

1415
01:33:25,900 --> 01:33:29,300
 Because I do drive it every day.

1416
01:33:29,300 --> 01:33:36,300
 If we simply were to raise the bike lane up, and that's the best way to protect it, it's

1417
01:33:36,300 --> 01:33:40,080
 better than the little plastic sticks going along there.

1418
01:33:40,080 --> 01:33:46,540
 The best way to protect a pedestrian and bike path is to elevate it.

1419
01:33:46,540 --> 01:33:50,380
 If you just did that, now you are down and you left the median, you're down to a 12-foot

1420
01:33:50,380 --> 01:33:51,380
 lane.

1421
01:33:51,380 --> 01:33:54,460
 If anything happens in that lane, there's no place to go.

1422
01:33:54,460 --> 01:34:00,980
 And then what do you do with on Tuesdays when all the trash and recycle carts go out there,

1423
01:34:00,980 --> 01:34:06,220
 somebody puts it out a little too far, you've narrowed that lane where it's, it could be

1424
01:34:06,220 --> 01:34:11,140
 dangerous just driving down through there.

1425
01:34:11,140 --> 01:34:13,500
 I wasn't in favor of taking out the median in the beginning.

1426
01:34:13,500 --> 01:34:20,340
 I still would, you know, if there was an option that you could keep it, and still keep safety.

1427
01:34:20,340 --> 01:34:25,260
 But I'm keeping safety is the biggest, you know, part of this whole thing.

1428
01:34:25,260 --> 01:34:31,220
 And this gives you a total of 38 feet across there.

1429
01:34:31,220 --> 01:34:35,820
 That if there is an incident or a need to swerve out of the way of a parked car, out

1430
01:34:35,820 --> 01:34:39,940
 of the way of somebody that's walking across the street, out of the way of anything, you've

1431
01:34:39,940 --> 01:34:46,940
 got that option that you don't have with the median, you don't have that much space.

1432
01:34:46,940 --> 01:34:51,060
 I mean, if we needed to not put the parking on the north side, that's fine, but people

1433
01:34:51,060 --> 01:34:52,060
 are going to do it anyhow.

1434
01:34:52,060 --> 01:34:59,140
 And you still need some type of path in there for, or some type of a width in there for

1435
01:34:59,140 --> 01:35:04,140
 your trash and recycle, or they're going to end up putting it on the bike path, in which

1436
01:35:04,140 --> 01:35:08,660
 case now we've narrowed that walking path and we're back to the same issues of, you

1437
01:35:08,660 --> 01:35:12,380
 know, when you're talking about safety, this to me is the safest of the options.

1438
01:35:12,380 --> 01:35:17,100
 Can we hear from staff on -- oh, you look like you're ready to address -- on the trash

1439
01:35:17,100 --> 01:35:21,620
 recycling question.

1440
01:35:21,620 --> 01:35:26,220
 So I want to emphasize one of the biggest concerns that we had.

1441
01:35:26,220 --> 01:35:32,220
 If you look at some of these homes here, between Highview Circle and Highview, there is no other

1442
01:35:32,220 --> 01:35:38,220
 way for them to get in and out of this neighborhood than to make these U-turns.

1443
01:35:38,220 --> 01:35:44,860
 And one of the safety concerns is if we protect this bike lane as is in its current condition,

1444
01:35:44,860 --> 01:35:49,900
 this becomes a narrower path that Councilman Ryan pointed out, but at the same time it

1445
01:35:49,900 --> 01:35:53,600
 does not provide enough space for making this U-turn.

1446
01:35:53,600 --> 01:36:01,680
 So we are getting into a safety concern if we start protecting this area, elevating it,

1447
01:36:01,680 --> 01:36:04,860
 or doing anything else to this particular bike lane.

1448
01:36:04,860 --> 01:36:13,620
 The other concern with the trash is if we protect this bike lane, the trash has to be

1449
01:36:13,620 --> 01:36:17,780
 -- the trash truck, there's no way to get that within the bike lane.

1450
01:36:17,780 --> 01:36:22,180
 So if there's some kind of protection, they'll have to leave the trash in the travel lane.

1451
01:36:22,180 --> 01:36:24,380
 There's currently no space for that.

1452
01:36:24,380 --> 01:36:29,940
 Or leave the trash just out within the bike lane itself for the trash truck to come and

1453
01:36:29,940 --> 01:36:30,940
 pick it up.

1454
01:36:30,940 --> 01:36:33,820
 So there are a couple of safety concerns there.

1455
01:36:33,820 --> 01:36:38,020
 That's what they do currently.

1456
01:36:38,020 --> 01:36:48,620
 Go ahead, Dr. Todd.

1457
01:36:48,620 --> 01:36:53,700
 So just to be clear, one of the original petitioners, one of the concerns they brought up is a concern

1458
01:36:53,700 --> 01:36:57,940
 I also run into running down the street I live on, which is on Montecito.

1459
01:36:57,940 --> 01:37:02,940
 And it's that when people make the U-turn, it's not that you can't make it.

1460
01:37:02,940 --> 01:37:03,940
 You absolutely can.

1461
01:37:03,940 --> 01:37:04,940
 And you're absolutely right.

1462
01:37:04,940 --> 01:37:06,460
 It's been done for years.

1463
01:37:06,460 --> 01:37:11,000
 But what happens is invariably people try to swing a little bit to the right, which goes

1464
01:37:11,000 --> 01:37:17,460
 into that little parking area/bike lane/parking pedestrian lane.

1465
01:37:17,460 --> 01:37:20,400
 They begin to make a little bit of a right before they make the left.

1466
01:37:20,400 --> 01:37:25,940
 So they get enough room to make the U-turn, which when somebody's behind them appears

1467
01:37:25,940 --> 01:37:29,380
 that they're either turning into a driveway or turning into a street, and they start to

1468
01:37:29,380 --> 01:37:32,680
 pull around, and it causes that incident.

1469
01:37:32,680 --> 01:37:36,780
 So that's the nervousness that's coming from some of these homeowners.

1470
01:37:36,780 --> 01:37:37,980
 It's one of many things.

1471
01:37:37,980 --> 01:37:41,380
 There are multiple other options, and I agree it would have been nice to have heard from

1472
01:37:41,380 --> 01:37:42,380
 them directly.

1473
01:37:42,380 --> 01:37:45,880
 One of the things I don't want to lose in the conversation either is that we are trying

1474
01:37:45,880 --> 01:37:49,760
 to maintain a construction schedule.

1475
01:37:49,760 --> 01:37:54,140
 We have a lot of rehab money that has been promised to be put in this area.

1476
01:37:54,140 --> 01:37:57,220
 We're trying to keep that on schedule and on task.

1477
01:37:57,220 --> 01:38:01,540
 And while we want to try to address as many concerns as we absolutely can on either side

1478
01:38:01,540 --> 01:38:06,940
 of this issue, we are still trying to make steady progress on improvements in these areas.

1479
01:38:06,940 --> 01:38:12,740
 If I can just make one comment, isn't it possible to just treat the area of the intersection

1480
01:38:12,740 --> 01:38:19,760
 differently with respect to protecting the bike lane that doesn't have to dictate what

1481
01:38:19,760 --> 01:38:21,860
 you do along the whole length of it?

1482
01:38:21,860 --> 01:38:22,860
 It is.

1483
01:38:22,860 --> 01:38:26,660
 We've been confronted with this particular issue from the beginning is everybody has

1484
01:38:26,660 --> 01:38:31,160
 an opinion, and any option we take is going to have some tradeoffs, whether it's a safety

1485
01:38:31,160 --> 01:38:37,700
 issue or somebody is not -- they're not happy with what we come up with.

1486
01:38:37,700 --> 01:38:40,620
 It's going to be on both sides, and that's why we're seeking direction here is to get

1487
01:38:40,620 --> 01:38:45,980
 the best possible scenario that we can go forward and giving this to you all in the

1488
01:38:45,980 --> 01:38:47,860
 format of what are the tradeoffs?

1489
01:38:47,860 --> 01:38:53,900
 There's safety concerns, realistically, you have a lot of traffic cutting through that

1490
01:38:53,900 --> 01:38:58,780
 area on Forest Ridge, just like you do off of Montecito, that weren't there 30 years

1491
01:38:58,780 --> 01:39:03,700
 ago, 20 years ago, people trying to get back and forth to Ryan and their daily commutes

1492
01:39:03,700 --> 01:39:05,580
 and up to Hobson.

1493
01:39:05,580 --> 01:39:11,900
 There are concerns that we're realistically looking at going forward that is just a fact

1494
01:39:11,900 --> 01:39:16,100
 of how much commuter traffic is moving through this area as just the natural course of the

1495
01:39:16,100 --> 01:39:20,380
 day, trying to get to schools, trying to get to work, wherever they're headed, that wasn't

1496
01:39:20,380 --> 01:39:22,660
 present 20, 30 years ago.

1497
01:39:22,660 --> 01:39:26,700
 I think Councilman Briggs has been trying to get in there.

1498
01:39:26,700 --> 01:39:28,820
 What's the classification of this road?

1499
01:39:28,820 --> 01:39:31,100
 It should be a residential neighborhood.

1500
01:39:31,100 --> 01:39:34,860
 It's being used as a collector and somewhat arterial.

1501
01:39:34,860 --> 01:39:41,460
 I feel like the new proposed recommendations are more arterial and not residential for

1502
01:39:41,460 --> 01:39:42,460
 me.

1503
01:39:42,460 --> 01:39:48,900
 But I'm still, I'm not in favor, I feel like adding four lanes of vehicles is going

1504
01:39:48,900 --> 01:39:56,980
 to take away from the safety of children and people walking on the street.

1505
01:39:56,980 --> 01:40:00,540
 So that's where I am.

1506
01:40:00,540 --> 01:40:04,860
 You're interested in hearing from our bike and pedestrian coordinators as well?

1507
01:40:04,860 --> 01:40:09,260
 Would you mind just sharing some perspective?

1508
01:40:09,260 --> 01:40:14,260
 Your review of the options?

1509
01:40:14,260 --> 01:40:18,100
 Yeah, I think there's been some really good discussion about this.

1510
01:40:18,100 --> 01:40:22,580
 I am a little concerned about the width of that shared use path.

1511
01:40:22,580 --> 01:40:27,980
 Eight feet is really the absolute minimum and I was just looking up some standards.

1512
01:40:27,980 --> 01:40:32,420
 Ashtow does say in rare circumstances, eight feet may be used.

1513
01:40:32,420 --> 01:40:40,460
 So now it's not a super dense neighborhood and I don't see it being used as a thruway

1514
01:40:40,460 --> 01:40:41,460
 for many cyclists.

1515
01:40:41,460 --> 01:40:47,460
 I see it as people in the neighborhood using those facilities.

1516
01:40:47,460 --> 01:40:54,780
 So if there were a way to increase that width somehow, I would really feel a lot better.

1517
01:40:54,780 --> 01:40:59,780
 You know, as far as people passing, if you have two pedestrians approaching one another

1518
01:40:59,780 --> 01:41:07,140
 on a bicycle or something, coming eight feet is quite tight.

1519
01:41:07,140 --> 01:41:08,220
 That's my thought there.

1520
01:41:08,220 --> 01:41:17,860
 But there are advantages to keeping it on the road too.

1521
01:41:17,860 --> 01:41:22,540
 Any thoughts about dooring?

1522
01:41:22,540 --> 01:41:27,660
 It's much more likely to occur on the driver's side.

1523
01:41:27,660 --> 01:41:36,540
 On the passenger side, less so, we would have at least some kind of a curb, right, transition,

1524
01:41:36,540 --> 01:41:41,220
 so that would buy some space.

1525
01:41:41,220 --> 01:41:43,020
 That doesn't concern me a great deal.

1526
01:41:43,020 --> 01:41:46,220
 It would be great to have a buffer of something on that side.

1527
01:41:46,220 --> 01:41:54,140
 But on the pedestrian side, it's much less of a concern than on the driver's side.

1528
01:41:54,140 --> 01:41:57,820
 You know, I don't think we have -- go ahead.

1529
01:41:57,820 --> 01:42:00,460
 I just want to verify.

1530
01:42:00,460 --> 01:42:04,020
 Right now it's eight foot wide by path that's unprotected.

1531
01:42:04,020 --> 01:42:09,660
 In the rest of the length of Forest Ridge, it's eight foot wide unprotected.

1532
01:42:09,660 --> 01:42:16,300
 It is used not heavily by thru bicyclists, but there are quite a few from Ryan Road up

1533
01:42:16,300 --> 01:42:19,780
 to Hobson up to South Lake to go around the park.

1534
01:42:19,780 --> 01:42:24,980
 I see that fairly frequently, especially on the weekends.

1535
01:42:24,980 --> 01:42:29,740
 That's why I'm okay with the eight foot as far as the dooring issue goes.

1536
01:42:29,740 --> 01:42:33,500
 If you practice what you're supposed to, which is keep right, you're going to be closer to

1537
01:42:33,500 --> 01:42:38,140
 the homes if you're going north, and if you're coming south, you've got a visual of that

1538
01:42:38,140 --> 01:42:42,260
 person in that car, and if you see somebody kind of motioning like they're going to open

1539
01:42:42,260 --> 01:42:47,140
 the door, you're going to naturally be able to -- because you can only park in one direction.

1540
01:42:47,140 --> 01:42:51,780
 There's not going to be that -- it's not like -- you talked about you walk through the neighborhood.

1541
01:42:51,780 --> 01:42:54,140
 There's not that many people that do park on the street.

1542
01:42:54,140 --> 01:43:01,300
 It's mainly going to be your service trucks, you know, a few residents do in certain areas,

1543
01:43:01,300 --> 01:43:06,940
 and it's actually on the other side of Forest Ridge that we have a home that has normally

1544
01:43:06,940 --> 01:43:08,780
 two or three vehicles parked up front.

1545
01:43:08,780 --> 01:43:12,940
 That's pretty much all the parking that goes on on a regular basis on that street.

1546
01:43:12,940 --> 01:43:17,340
 So it's not like we're going to have a lot going on, it's just -- it gives you some safety

1547
01:43:17,340 --> 01:43:19,980
 for a place to go.

1548
01:43:19,980 --> 01:43:24,620
 It gives you the option that you don't have somebody trying to drag a lawn mower across

1549
01:43:24,620 --> 01:43:27,140
 the street.

1550
01:43:27,140 --> 01:43:31,420
 >> In my understanding, though, that currently with the eight foot current sidewalk, a lot

1551
01:43:31,420 --> 01:43:36,140
 of people do walk their dogs and ride their bikes in the street currently.

1552
01:43:36,140 --> 01:43:42,920
 >> Well, right now what happens is they try and stay in that path, but if there is a vehicle

1553
01:43:42,920 --> 01:43:48,700
 or, again, on Tuesdays is our trash pickup, any of those times, they have to swerve around

1554
01:43:48,700 --> 01:43:49,700
 those vehicles.

1555
01:43:49,700 --> 01:43:53,140
 They have to go out in the street to get around them because it's an unprotected -- so even

1556
01:43:53,140 --> 01:43:59,140
 though it's supposed to be a no parking, it's still a parking -- it's still used as parking

1557
01:43:59,140 --> 01:44:01,140
 for service vehicles.

1558
01:44:01,140 --> 01:44:04,500
 >> And so there's a way to handle that.

1559
01:44:04,500 --> 01:44:09,220
 If it's no parking, then it's a violation, which means that they could get a ticket.

1560
01:44:09,220 --> 01:44:13,300
 And so that's one thing that we're not doing, we're not enforcing that no parking.

1561
01:44:13,300 --> 01:44:18,900
 And if that's something we need to do, then we should be doing that on that.

1562
01:44:18,900 --> 01:44:20,780
 I mean, I don't --

1563
01:44:20,780 --> 01:44:23,780
 >> Well, okay, I've mentioned the lawn care.

1564
01:44:23,780 --> 01:44:31,240
 You also have UPS, FedEx, those that can legitimately park there because they're making a delivery.

1565
01:44:31,240 --> 01:44:33,980
 Even in a no parking zone, you can't -- they can stop in the middle of the street if they

1566
01:44:33,980 --> 01:44:39,860
 wanted to, and based on state law, we can't enforce it, that we can't give them a ticket

1567
01:44:39,860 --> 01:44:42,020
 as long as they're just -- they're making a delivery.

1568
01:44:42,020 --> 01:44:44,140
 >> And so this is your district?

1569
01:44:44,140 --> 01:44:45,140
 >> Yes.

1570
01:44:45,140 --> 01:44:48,260
 >> And did you hear or have you spoken to any of the --

1571
01:44:48,260 --> 01:44:50,340
 >> I've heard from both sides.

1572
01:44:50,340 --> 01:44:55,820
 Again, if there was some way to do it to keep the median, I would like to do that, but when

1573
01:44:55,820 --> 01:45:05,900
 I look at all of the safety aspects of it, yeah, and, you know, it was my recommendation

1574
01:45:05,900 --> 01:45:10,180
 to take it down from the 12-foot to the 11-foot because I think that that adds to that safety

1575
01:45:10,180 --> 01:45:11,180
 factor.

1576
01:45:11,180 --> 01:45:18,380
 I don't know if staff can give us any examples of where we have a 12-foot lane versus an

1577
01:45:18,380 --> 01:45:20,420
 11-foot lane.

1578
01:45:20,420 --> 01:45:25,940
 I can think of right off the bat when I'm driving down Hobson and I'm trying to stay

1579
01:45:25,940 --> 01:45:32,060
 at -- it's a 30-mile-an-hour zone, and I'm trying to stay at 32 or 33, and I've got people

1580
01:45:32,060 --> 01:45:39,300
 on my tail constantly, and then as soon as I get onto Teasley, and it's 45, and I'm doing

1581
01:45:39,300 --> 01:45:44,220
 a couple over, and they're passing me like it's no tomorrow because of that feel of the

1582
01:45:44,220 --> 01:45:50,740
 wider lane, the feel of being -- you know, of the median in the middle that protects

1583
01:45:50,740 --> 01:45:56,900
 you from oncoming traffic, you know, those are things that increase speed as opposed

1584
01:45:56,900 --> 01:46:00,900
 to decreasing speed is the wider lane in the median.

1585
01:46:00,900 --> 01:46:07,140
 >> Do we have accident statistics from this area that would kind of give us guidance on

1586
01:46:07,140 --> 01:46:08,740
 the safety issues?

1587
01:46:08,740 --> 01:46:15,860
 >> No, I don't think we have accident statistics, but there are several near misses which are

1588
01:46:15,860 --> 01:46:24,420
 not documented, so I don't think we really track a lot of those that are near misses.

1589
01:46:24,420 --> 01:46:25,420
 >> What is the price?

1590
01:46:25,420 --> 01:46:30,740
 What is the cost of this project?

1591
01:46:30,740 --> 01:46:31,740
 >> That's a good question.

1592
01:46:31,740 --> 01:46:35,880
 I don't have on top of my head the actual cost for reconstruction for this particular

1593
01:46:35,880 --> 01:46:37,980
 segment.

1594
01:46:37,980 --> 01:46:43,700
 If we go ahead with the recommended option, I think the pricing will be increased about

1595
01:46:43,700 --> 01:46:51,860
 $50,000 or $60,000 just to have that extra concrete, and that's about it.

1596
01:46:51,860 --> 01:46:56,340
 >> Again, I'm out on -- I'm not in favor of the recommended option.

1597
01:46:56,340 --> 01:46:58,380
 I think it is the less safe option.

1598
01:46:58,380 --> 01:47:02,260
 >> I don't know if we've convinced each other of anything.

1599
01:47:02,260 --> 01:47:08,900
 >> I don't see how it's less safe if you elevate the path where vehicles can't get where people

1600
01:47:08,900 --> 01:47:11,620
 are walking and riding their bike.

1601
01:47:11,620 --> 01:47:16,340
 >> I asked Bike Denton to comment and review the presentation, and they said the recommended

1602
01:47:16,340 --> 01:47:22,220
 option was not the safest for them as cyclists, so I'm not a professional by any means, so

1603
01:47:22,220 --> 01:47:29,780
 I reached out for help, and there's a whole thing that I can send you on that that she

1604
01:47:29,780 --> 01:47:34,260
 -- >> What was their recommendation?

1605
01:47:34,260 --> 01:47:35,260
 >> Three.

1606
01:47:35,260 --> 01:47:36,260
 >> Okay.

1607
01:47:36,260 --> 01:47:43,620
 >> The -- what it says on there, the recommendation is a protected bike lane, but three is actually

1608
01:47:43,620 --> 01:47:50,700
 the most protected because it's separated from a -- by a median, so --

1609
01:47:50,700 --> 01:47:59,180
 >> So just -- again, I don't want to get away from one item in particular, and that's -- there

1610
01:47:59,180 --> 01:48:04,700
 is a tradeoff on the timing and the cost when it comes to -- if we don't have a consensus,

1611
01:48:04,700 --> 01:48:11,780
 which I can appreciate, it's not trying to push a scenario that sounds like there's strong

1612
01:48:11,780 --> 01:48:17,500
 opinions on multiple fronts and different ways of getting to a solution.

1613
01:48:17,500 --> 01:48:25,520
 The reality is this roadway is NRCIP for being rehabbed, so it needs to be redone, has been

1614
01:48:25,520 --> 01:48:29,160
 waiting for quite a few years to be redone.

1615
01:48:29,160 --> 01:48:34,420
 If we don't make a choice on its ultimate configuration, what we can do is we can go

1616
01:48:34,420 --> 01:48:35,780
 forward with the rehab.

1617
01:48:35,780 --> 01:48:39,100
 People just have to understand that whenever there is a decision made to go forward with

1618
01:48:39,100 --> 01:48:43,900
 either a reduction in street width or a change in the cross section or whatever ultimately

1619
01:48:43,900 --> 01:48:50,100
 goes out there, we'd be back out to do construction again at a later date to keep the pavement

1620
01:48:50,100 --> 01:48:54,220
 rehab going forward and just put it back in place as it is.

1621
01:48:54,220 --> 01:48:59,540
 Some items we can go forward with striping, statistically across the country what we have

1622
01:48:59,540 --> 01:49:06,020
 seen is that as lanes are narrower, the feeling of being able to go faster is decreased, you

1623
01:49:06,020 --> 01:49:09,980
 feel less comfortable going faster, so certainly there are statistics that bear that out, and

1624
01:49:09,980 --> 01:49:12,340
 we can provide that.

1625
01:49:12,340 --> 01:49:16,340
 There's a -- the best way you can provide that feeling is to provide some kind of physical

1626
01:49:16,340 --> 01:49:21,820
 barrier, whether it's bulb outs at intersections or it's sidewalks or something that makes

1627
01:49:21,820 --> 01:49:27,100
 the motorists feel a little less safe going faster because the road is narrower.

1628
01:49:27,100 --> 01:49:33,780
 The more you widen it out, even if it's pavement and striping, the feeling's not quite as strong

1629
01:49:33,780 --> 01:49:38,660
 to make you want to slow down, hence why on Teasel Lane it's signed for 35 and 45 and

1630
01:49:38,660 --> 01:49:45,380
 people are doing 60, 65, and 70, it's -- they drive it like it's a highway, so trying to

1631
01:49:45,380 --> 01:49:49,180
 marry all those things up together is definitely a challenge, as you can tell, staff's done

1632
01:49:49,180 --> 01:49:53,300
 as much as we can to try to come up with a multiple of options, try to get some feedback

1633
01:49:53,300 --> 01:49:54,300
 and opinion.

1634
01:49:54,300 --> 01:49:59,020
 I feel like staff has done a very good job of trying to look at all sides and there's

1635
01:49:59,020 --> 01:50:03,780
 not a good answer that makes everybody happy, there just isn't.

1636
01:50:03,780 --> 01:50:10,740
 So where we are today is how do we get one program moving forward and then potentially

1637
01:50:10,740 --> 01:50:14,860
 come back with another option, or if we can come to a consensus on options to move -- on

1638
01:50:14,860 --> 01:50:19,220
 an option to move forward, then we can keep the rehab portion of the CIP moving forward

1639
01:50:19,220 --> 01:50:20,220
 as well.

1640
01:50:20,220 --> 01:50:26,580
 Well, can -- if we narrow the set, I would say you've got 2.4 votes here for keeping

1641
01:50:26,580 --> 01:50:29,780
 the median because you're like -- you're not like --

1642
01:50:29,780 --> 01:50:35,620
 Well, there's -- unless we're looking at it dramatically expanding the cost of this,

1643
01:50:35,620 --> 01:50:43,100
 we would have to actually buy more right away in order to not have the median, I mean, to

1644
01:50:43,100 --> 01:50:49,940
 keep the median and create the safety aspect because another option is on the northbound

1645
01:50:49,940 --> 01:50:55,860
 side where it's currently no parking, that you now have a -- that we protect it and we

1646
01:50:55,860 --> 01:51:01,380
 now have a bike path and a pedestrian path there and keep it no parking so you've actually

1647
01:51:01,380 --> 01:51:05,420
 got 16 foot overall that part of it can be used for bikers and part of it can be used

1648
01:51:05,420 --> 01:51:11,860
 for walking because that is one thing that is missing until you get down to south of

1649
01:51:11,860 --> 01:51:18,900
 El Paseo. I think it is where the sidewalks start to pick up. There's no sidewalks on

1650
01:51:18,900 --> 01:51:21,380
 north of El Paseo on Forest Ridge.

1651
01:51:21,380 --> 01:51:27,060
 You could -- you could potentially add the sidewalks in so you've got an elevated pathway

1652
01:51:27,060 --> 01:51:32,940
 for the pedestrian that still have a five-foot bike lane so it reduces into the cross section

1653
01:51:32,940 --> 01:51:38,340
 but you still provide the passing area for limited spans of time when somebody might

1654
01:51:38,340 --> 01:51:44,980
 be dropping off, that is an option we can put into play.

1655
01:51:44,980 --> 01:51:48,460
 Is there time to come back and, you know, show us a couple more --

1656
01:51:48,460 --> 01:51:53,380
 We're definitely pushing other items around in the overall construction schedule the more

1657
01:51:53,380 --> 01:51:57,660
 we talk. Now, if you go down one of those pathways, what we could do is we can continue

1658
01:51:57,660 --> 01:52:01,700
 down the repaving aspect but we'd have to be cutting into the asphalt, potentially working

1659
01:52:01,700 --> 01:52:07,580
 on easements, maybe right away to put sidewalks in. Just as you get into the segment, the older

1660
01:52:07,580 --> 01:52:12,100
 portion of Forest Ridge, the right-of-way is a little different in the way it's established

1661
01:52:12,100 --> 01:52:16,620
 and it's width and it's set up as the southern portion of Forest Ridge. So there are definitely

1662
01:52:16,620 --> 01:52:20,740
 some challenges, as Councilmember Ryan was talking about, bringing these other options

1663
01:52:20,740 --> 01:52:25,380
 to the table. What we were trying to achieve with these options was how do we continue

1664
01:52:25,380 --> 01:52:30,100
 to move forward, a street CIP that has been doing a great job over the last two years

1665
01:52:30,100 --> 01:52:36,620
 of catching up and not putting a big hiccup in the way. I mean, really what would happen

1666
01:52:36,620 --> 01:52:40,780
 is we'd have to move other projects up to the forefront and delay this after we're done

1667
01:52:40,780 --> 01:52:45,660
 with Highview Circle, which can be done. It's absolutely an option. It just means we're

1668
01:52:45,660 --> 01:52:50,900
 going to be in the neighborhoods here for a bit longer. We'll go away and then we'll

1669
01:52:50,900 --> 01:52:56,940
 come back and some folks will be just as frustrated that you went away and you came back. As if

1670
01:52:56,940 --> 01:53:00,980
 we just stayed put and we were able to make some decisions going forward.

1671
01:53:00,980 --> 01:53:12,380
 Can you put the recommended option back up? Yeah, what I'm talking about is on the right-hand

1672
01:53:12,380 --> 01:53:21,740
 side there where it says parking lane, just make that a bike lane there because they're

1673
01:53:21,740 --> 01:53:24,700
 naturally going to end up parking in it like they do right now.

1674
01:53:24,700 --> 01:53:26,460
 So bike lane and sidewalk.

1675
01:53:26,460 --> 01:53:29,700
 Bike lane and sidewalk.

1676
01:53:29,700 --> 01:53:34,480
 My request would be to make the other side also a biking lane so then you have just the

1677
01:53:34,480 --> 01:53:42,380
 two cars in the middle and then you have two bike lanes and then a sidewalk for pedestrians.

1678
01:53:42,380 --> 01:53:47,260
 And you'll increase speed so I'll forward to you all the emails I get on speeders on

1679
01:53:47,260 --> 01:53:53,260
 that road because once you don't have something there, and I can tell you there is one that

1680
01:53:53,260 --> 01:53:57,520
 the house on the other side, I think there's only one that actually faces Forest Ridge

1681
01:53:57,520 --> 01:54:06,860
 in this area on the other side, and they do have cars parked out there on a regular basis.

1682
01:54:06,860 --> 01:54:11,940
 And that's the one area that everybody slows down for because you've got a narrower path

1683
01:54:11,940 --> 01:54:13,740
 to get through there.

1684
01:54:13,740 --> 01:54:16,580
 Because the median's there.

1685
01:54:16,580 --> 01:54:21,620
 Yes, between the median and, and if you didn't have the median you'd have oncoming traffic,

1686
01:54:21,620 --> 01:54:30,020
 but having having that parking lane when someone is parked there naturally slows people down.

1687
01:54:30,020 --> 01:54:35,300
 And actually, just to be clear, you're, when you're saying if you go back to the recommended

1688
01:54:35,300 --> 01:54:36,300
 for a moment.

1689
01:54:36,300 --> 01:54:41,340
 You know, when customer Ryan is saying change parking lane to bike lane that's without

1690
01:54:41,340 --> 01:54:55,180
 median if you put the median back in there, if you don't have, I mean right now there's

1691
01:54:55,180 --> 01:55:01,820
 20 foot on each side, if you get below that 20 foot and something is blocking one lane

1692
01:55:01,820 --> 01:55:05,060
 or the other you have no, nowhere to go.

1693
01:55:05,060 --> 01:55:10,500
 But that's also been true for forever, right?

1694
01:55:10,500 --> 01:55:18,140
 Yeah, and just, but it's been a safety concern for quite some time.

1695
01:55:18,140 --> 01:55:21,980
 So that's so that's why I asked for statistics and there isn't anything like it might be

1696
01:55:21,980 --> 01:55:28,620
 an abstract in low speed accidents usually don't create that much damage that our police

1697
01:55:28,620 --> 01:55:32,260
 department's even going to show up so unless you could get the insurance company to tell

1698
01:55:32,260 --> 01:55:37,420
 you where accidents occur, you know, not every accident in the city goes through our police

1699
01:55:37,420 --> 01:55:42,900
 department only those generally that have injury or her substantial and I think part

1700
01:55:42,900 --> 01:55:48,700
 of I mean a bolster what counselor Ryan saying part of what is occurring here is really those

1701
01:55:48,700 --> 01:55:54,780
 near misses having been in one of those scenarios on Montecito where the exact same thing happened

1702
01:55:54,780 --> 01:55:58,740
 where I was right behind somebody who was turning left didn't turn a signal on they

1703
01:55:58,740 --> 01:56:01,600
 started to go right looked like they were pulling over.

1704
01:56:01,600 --> 01:56:05,900
 So I accelerated to go around and they immediately turn left to turn to their driveway and there's

1705
01:56:05,900 --> 01:56:11,320
 no median over there but it's a nice wide street luckily I was going slow enough I hit

1706
01:56:11,320 --> 01:56:16,060
 the brakes and wouldn't able to didn't run into anybody so there was no incident but

1707
01:56:16,060 --> 01:56:21,580
 it's a near miss and that's a street without the media.

1708
01:56:21,580 --> 01:56:23,580
 It's hard to quantify that statistic.

1709
01:56:23,580 --> 01:56:30,580
 Yeah, I'm not you know overwhelmed by the necessity to, you know, to personally to rejigger

1710
01:56:30,580 --> 01:56:37,420
 the whole thing, I could see some argument for relooking at just the intersection part,

1711
01:56:37,420 --> 01:56:42,620
 you know, to modify that to make the turns possible, and I don't know what all the solutions

1712
01:56:42,620 --> 01:56:48,300
 are but they're very clever, you know, kind of moderating and tapering and guiding it

1713
01:56:48,300 --> 01:56:53,180
 to avoid this business of people move over and then they, you know, pull in.

1714
01:56:53,180 --> 01:57:02,500
 So, you know, my, my reaction is, or my input is take a look at the intersection, but not

1715
01:57:02,500 --> 01:57:04,420
 change the lanes.

1716
01:57:04,420 --> 01:57:12,260
 And, you know, you don't have, you don't have consensus here, but I, but I'd be if there's

1717
01:57:12,260 --> 01:57:14,220
 you're telling us like wow we're under the gun.

1718
01:57:14,220 --> 01:57:17,000
 It's the first time it's come before me.

1719
01:57:17,000 --> 01:57:20,820
 So I don't, you know, feel like I like if we're seeing it at the last minute that's

1720
01:57:20,820 --> 01:57:25,220
 kind of a problem, I guess, but, you know, I'm willing to take a second look at something

1721
01:57:25,220 --> 01:57:29,460
 that's got this much dissent and community concerns on.

1722
01:57:29,460 --> 01:57:34,420
 So, so, you know, I'd be interested in a couple of options that respond to what you've

1723
01:57:34,420 --> 01:57:35,780
 heard today.

1724
01:57:35,780 --> 01:57:40,580
 And so the whack and I also don't mind meeting more frequently than we have if we need to

1725
01:57:40,580 --> 01:57:44,380
 get back to, you know, with reaction sooner.

1726
01:57:44,380 --> 01:57:48,580
 So let me just offer this as a suggestion.

1727
01:57:48,580 --> 01:57:54,100
 Given the amount of options I'm hearing and the consideration for alternatives that all

1728
01:57:54,100 --> 01:58:00,140
 involve considerable amount of design, which will not get done on the timeline that Streets

1729
01:58:00,140 --> 01:58:05,180
 was attempting to try to get to, my request would be that if we, if we want to look at

1730
01:58:05,180 --> 01:58:10,780
 this in a different light, we absolutely can, we're perfectly happy to do that.

1731
01:58:10,780 --> 01:58:15,940
 But we need to reduce the expectation that Forest Ridge is redone this year.

1732
01:58:15,940 --> 01:58:20,540
 It would be really next year before Forest Ridge is redone from a pavement standpoint.

1733
01:58:20,540 --> 01:58:26,780
 And I'm not sure from a pavement assessment standpoint, I don't know condition-wise, Danny,

1734
01:58:26,780 --> 01:58:29,780
 you might be able to figure this out.

1735
01:58:29,780 --> 01:58:36,900
 Yeah, I mean, it was low enough that it was part of the 2012-2014 bond programs.

1736
01:58:36,900 --> 01:58:42,300
 If we delay a year, does that really give us too much heartburn?

1737
01:58:42,300 --> 01:58:43,300
 Probably not.

1738
01:58:43,300 --> 01:58:48,100
 We're definitely going to be all over the neighborhood for a couple of years now, back

1739
01:58:48,100 --> 01:58:53,340
 and forth, doing multiple things, but we can come back just understanding that it's going

1740
01:58:53,340 --> 01:59:00,480
 to take longer to get over there to do this piece.

1741
01:59:00,480 --> 01:59:04,580
 Hurry up and do something, you know, people don't like and strike me as, you know, a great

1742
01:59:04,580 --> 01:59:05,580
 answer.

1743
01:59:05,580 --> 01:59:12,500
 So I think that might, so I think taking the time to get it right might be the right, it

1744
01:59:12,500 --> 01:59:17,140
 might be the right way to go.

1745
01:59:17,140 --> 01:59:18,780
 Comments?

1746
01:59:18,780 --> 01:59:25,180
 I go back to my original thing, I just don't see a safe option, and you can say it's been

1747
01:59:25,180 --> 01:59:33,060
 that way for, you know, since 1980, but in 1980, there was probably a tenth of the amount

1748
01:59:33,060 --> 01:59:37,180
 of traffic that there is on this road right now.

1749
01:59:37,180 --> 01:59:41,020
 On the other sections where there is not a median, and there is somebody walking in that

1750
01:59:41,020 --> 01:59:46,660
 biking lane, and because I drive it again every day, if there's not oncoming traffic,

1751
01:59:46,660 --> 01:59:52,420
 I have a tendency, and I generally drive that at around 25 miles an hour, I have a tendency

1752
01:59:52,420 --> 01:59:57,540
 to move over into the oncoming lane just to give them enough space.

1753
01:59:57,540 --> 02:00:00,860
 If they're walking a dog and that leash is long enough for that, I had a dog lunge at

1754
02:00:00,860 --> 02:00:07,300
 me yesterday and I was far enough over that, you know, there wasn't going to be any incident.

1755
02:00:07,300 --> 02:00:16,100
 But the natural tendency is if you see somebody, you know, to try and veer over, and the way

1756
02:00:16,100 --> 02:00:19,740
 it is right now, there's no place to go with that median in there.

1757
02:00:19,740 --> 02:00:22,340
 There's no place to get out of their path.

1758
02:00:22,340 --> 02:00:28,820
 It's stop, that's it.

1759
02:00:28,820 --> 02:00:30,060
 I'm still feeling the same.

1760
02:00:30,060 --> 02:00:36,620
 I look at the picture where it says existing condition and I see the drive lanes, the separation

1761
02:00:36,620 --> 02:00:42,540
 with the median, the greenery, and then the bike lane, and I think that if we had something

1762
02:00:42,540 --> 02:00:50,380
 to protect that bike lane or separate it, I'm just thinking if we wanted to redo the

1763
02:00:50,380 --> 02:00:53,580
 whole thing, can we make the median a little bit smaller?

1764
02:00:53,580 --> 02:00:56,740
 I just look up there and I see two parking lanes with cars.

1765
02:00:56,740 --> 02:01:02,020
 I see four lines of cars and a little bit of area here for the bike lane completely

1766
02:01:02,020 --> 02:01:04,780
 goes away and now it's just a sidewalk.

1767
02:01:04,780 --> 02:01:09,920
 That is not going to be safe and it's not going to encourage people from the neighborhood

1768
02:01:09,920 --> 02:01:12,260
 to walk and not drive.

1769
02:01:12,260 --> 02:01:16,580
 They're going to drive to the park now because they're not going to feel safe riding their

1770
02:01:16,580 --> 02:01:17,580
 bikes.

1771
02:01:17,580 --> 02:01:23,780
 And I think that is far from where I am personally in my philosophy.

1772
02:01:23,780 --> 02:01:28,420
 And so that's just where I continue to stay.

1773
02:01:28,420 --> 02:01:33,820
 So I think the reality is we're going to futz around with it some more and I think we ought

1774
02:01:33,820 --> 02:01:36,980
 to come back to the community some more.

1775
02:01:36,980 --> 02:01:43,220
 This reminds me a little bit of, God forbid, the Hickory Street bike lane thing.

1776
02:01:43,220 --> 02:01:48,820
 It took a lot of runs at it, but I think we're ending up in a really good place.

1777
02:01:48,820 --> 02:01:56,540
 And goodness knows that stretch of road is needed resurfacing really badly and I hear

1778
02:01:56,540 --> 02:02:02,100
 about it more frequently than any other, but I'm really glad that we took the time to get

1779
02:02:02,100 --> 02:02:03,540
 to the right answer for the community.

1780
02:02:03,540 --> 02:02:06,580
 I think this is going to take some time.

1781
02:02:06,580 --> 02:02:11,460
 Okay, Councilmember Briggs, then Councilmember Wright.

1782
02:02:11,460 --> 02:02:18,500
 Because this recommended option is a new option, is it possible to have another meeting and

1783
02:02:18,500 --> 02:02:22,760
 show them what this is with the parking and the sidewalk?

1784
02:02:22,760 --> 02:02:26,740
 I would say based on the direction that we've heard today, we would want to kind of clean

1785
02:02:26,740 --> 02:02:32,140
 the slate, so to speak, and come back with some alternatives that would better reflect

1786
02:02:32,140 --> 02:02:40,340
 both sides of this, but I would also just put on the record that we're delaying the

1787
02:02:40,340 --> 02:02:45,260
 reconstruction as well so that we don't throw money after this, might go repave it, and

1788
02:02:45,260 --> 02:02:50,180
 then turn around and have to do another project which would cost more money to redo whatever

1789
02:02:50,180 --> 02:02:51,180
 we're going to do.

1790
02:02:51,180 --> 02:02:57,280
 So my preference would be is we're more than happy to go down the pathway of exploring

1791
02:02:57,280 --> 02:03:02,020
 some alternatives that might add to the cost of the project, but I really don't want to

1792
02:03:02,020 --> 02:03:07,100
 spend more money this time, then turn right around next year and ask for more money to

1793
02:03:07,100 --> 02:03:08,900
 come back and redo something again.

1794
02:03:08,900 --> 02:03:10,540
 It would just be a delay.

1795
02:03:10,540 --> 02:03:15,860
 The residents will have to understand as well that we're not going to get to Forest Ridge

1796
02:03:15,860 --> 02:03:22,660
 until this issue is settled and we'll repurpose crews to go do other things in the queue.

1797
02:03:22,660 --> 02:03:24,380
 I don't think anybody wants to do it twice.

1798
02:03:24,380 --> 02:03:25,380
 Right.

1799
02:03:25,380 --> 02:03:30,100
 I don't hear any advocacy for doing it twice, but I do hear a lot of concern with getting

1800
02:03:30,100 --> 02:03:35,020
 it right for the community and, you know, getting us, you know, we're usually not that

1801
02:03:35,020 --> 02:03:38,580
 contentious of a group of three, you know.

1802
02:03:38,580 --> 02:03:43,500
 So I think it's possible that we'll get, you know, that we'll find our way to something

1803
02:03:43,500 --> 02:03:47,860
 that will work for everyone, but it's going to take a little more work to get there.

1804
02:03:47,860 --> 02:03:53,540
 In hearing Councilmember Briggs' comments, again, if on this scenario you took out the

1805
02:03:53,540 --> 02:03:59,740
 parking lane on the northbound side, on the right-hand side, and made that a bike lane,

1806
02:03:59,740 --> 02:04:03,660
 and you could even do that as a 10-foot and then do a 6-foot sidewalk, that little bit

1807
02:04:03,660 --> 02:04:08,380
 of a change I don't think is going to hurt engineering much, but now you've got both.

1808
02:04:08,380 --> 02:04:11,620
 I mean, you've got everything except for median that's currently there, and you've added a

1809
02:04:11,620 --> 02:04:16,540
 safety aspect of that sidewalk that protects pedestrians that is an element that's currently

1810
02:04:16,540 --> 02:04:18,820
 not there.

1811
02:04:18,820 --> 02:04:21,780
 So have you got an input to help you on the next round?

1812
02:04:21,780 --> 02:04:28,140
 Yes, I think we've got the primary direction, which is we'll replace another element of

1813
02:04:28,140 --> 02:04:31,460
 the CIP ahead of Forest Ridge from a paving standpoint.

1814
02:04:31,460 --> 02:04:35,860
 That isn't the primary, that's a side effect.

1815
02:04:35,860 --> 02:04:41,020
 No, it really is, because we've heard from the neighborhood, multiple citizens of the

1816
02:04:41,020 --> 02:04:44,940
 neighborhood, how bad that road is and it needs to be redone, but I really don't want

1817
02:04:44,940 --> 02:04:48,180
 to go redo it, only if turn around and redo it again.

1818
02:04:48,180 --> 02:04:50,700
 I think that would be a waste of taxpayer money as well.

1819
02:04:50,700 --> 02:04:51,700
 That's true.

1820
02:04:51,700 --> 02:04:53,900
 Let me offer this.

1821
02:04:53,900 --> 02:04:59,340
 You know, there are so many options that are being discussed, and you all being here, and

1822
02:04:59,340 --> 02:05:04,500
 everything being designed at the podium, and it always makes it a challenge, so why don't

1823
02:05:04,500 --> 02:05:13,500
 we offer this up, looking at sort of the blended option of adding that bike lane where that

1824
02:05:13,500 --> 02:05:19,460
 parking lane is, and see what the engineering requirements of that, cost differences, timing

1825
02:05:19,460 --> 02:05:23,780
 differences, and let's bring that back to you all along with some of the other things

1826
02:05:23,780 --> 02:05:28,100
 that have been discussed here, and I don't know, we can talk through it as far as staff,

1827
02:05:28,100 --> 02:05:30,940
 how long that will take, but we need to bring that to you.

1828
02:05:30,940 --> 02:05:36,100
 I'm sensitive to the fact that this is, this project is behind, it's just going to cost

1829
02:05:36,100 --> 02:05:40,140
 more, we're going to add more frustration to not only the existing homeowners, but just

1830
02:05:40,140 --> 02:05:46,740
 coming back, you know, so I just want to make sure that you all have all options on the

1831
02:05:46,740 --> 02:05:54,620
 table, and so you can see, if we go down a path of delaying it further because of we're

1832
02:05:54,620 --> 02:06:00,620
 just, we need to redesign the whole thing, at least you all know, and we can accommodate

1833
02:06:00,620 --> 02:06:02,580
 accordingly as best we can.

1834
02:06:02,580 --> 02:06:06,100
 So you'll come back with that option, you'll come back with your best shot at fixing the

1835
02:06:06,100 --> 02:06:09,420
 issues around the intersection, but keeping the meeting as well?

1836
02:06:09,420 --> 02:06:12,460
 And the other thing, correct, and then we'll also, the other thing too, I think we need

1837
02:06:12,460 --> 02:06:17,180
 to also fold in that if the direction is moving forward that we go back to the public as far

1838
02:06:17,180 --> 02:06:22,060
 as a public meeting, when we would do that, especially in the summer months, we just need

1839
02:06:22,060 --> 02:06:25,220
 to fold that in as part of the time frame, because again, if it's going to require more

1840
02:06:25,220 --> 02:06:31,380
 time, we're not going to make the July kickoff of construction, so that's a given, but how

1841
02:06:31,380 --> 02:06:35,900
 much further will it delay and what will it impact overall operations and construction

1842
02:06:35,900 --> 02:06:36,900
 and budgets, et cetera.

1843
02:06:36,900 --> 02:06:38,500
 You need to know that.

1844
02:06:38,500 --> 02:06:40,180
 Fair enough.

1845
02:06:40,180 --> 02:06:46,740
 My request just came from the survey said they wanted one option and then the recommended

1846
02:06:46,740 --> 02:06:51,340
 option that had never been seen before, and so by saying that's the one that we choose

1847
02:06:51,340 --> 02:06:59,020
 without it actually being the one that was chosen is problematic, and so, and then also

1848
02:06:59,020 --> 02:07:03,700
 I also offer, you know, if it's the median and it's the beauty and it's the greenery,

1849
02:07:03,700 --> 02:07:07,340
 then if we could, you know, maybe reduce the parking lane a little bit and then they have

1850
02:07:07,340 --> 02:07:16,340
 those really pretty lane separators with plantings that the HOA could, you know, do, there's

1851
02:07:16,340 --> 02:07:23,620
 a way to add some greenery back in somewhere that the HOA would continue to maintain might

1852
02:07:23,620 --> 02:07:28,220
 be, you know, a way, because that's part of the main concern is getting rid of the unique

1853
02:07:28,220 --> 02:07:32,300
 beautiful character aspect of it, and I'm sensitive to that, too, because there's not

1854
02:07:32,300 --> 02:07:36,500
 a lot of neighborhoods with that left, so thank you.

1855
02:07:38,340 --> 02:07:40,340
 Good enough.

1856
02:07:40,340 --> 02:07:45,340
 I know it's not what you wanted, but clear enough to get to the next step?

1857
02:07:45,340 --> 02:07:46,340
 Yes, sir.

1858
02:07:46,340 --> 02:07:47,340
 Okay, thank you.

1859
02:07:47,340 --> 02:07:50,340
 Do we have, are we out of this room already?

1860
02:07:50,340 --> 02:07:55,340
 No, I think the council meeting starts at 1.30, so we do have some time.

1861
02:07:55,340 --> 02:08:00,340
 Yeah, and that's just photos, so it's 3 o'clock, I think, is our actual meeting, meeting.

1862
02:08:00,340 --> 02:08:01,340
 Great.

1863
02:08:01,340 --> 02:08:06,340
 Thanks for, you know, all the effort, and it's just some things are difficult, you know.

1864
02:08:06,340 --> 02:08:09,340
 That's why we're here.

1865
02:08:09,340 --> 02:08:13,340
 Thanks to members of the public for sharing your thoughts with us.

1866
02:08:13,340 --> 02:08:20,340
 So I'm going to close item F, and it looks like we've got item D then.

1867
02:08:20,340 --> 02:08:22,340
 Is that all right?

1868
02:08:22,340 --> 02:08:23,340
 Is there a problem?

1869
02:08:23,340 --> 02:08:31,340
 Yeah, I think if we can get to item I, so that we can have John present.

1870
02:08:31,340 --> 02:08:32,340
 Oh, yeah, yeah.

1871
02:08:32,340 --> 02:08:33,340
 Yep, very good.

1872
02:08:33,340 --> 02:08:35,340
 Okay, so I'll open item I.

1873
02:08:35,340 --> 02:08:52,340
 This is a report and hold a discussion regarding TxDOT on system projects in the Denton area.

1874
02:08:52,340 --> 02:09:01,340
 Not fast enough.

1875
02:09:01,340 --> 02:09:06,340
 I know you were about to take a nap up there.

1876
02:09:06,340 --> 02:09:34,340
 (inaudible)

1877
02:09:34,340 --> 02:09:46,340
 (inaudible)

1878
02:09:46,340 --> 02:09:50,340
 Okay, ready to go?

1879
02:09:50,340 --> 02:09:51,340
 Whenever.

1880
02:09:51,340 --> 02:09:54,340
 It's only a couple billion dollars worth of projects.

1881
02:09:54,340 --> 02:10:00,340
 Hopefully it won't be as contentious as the last item.

1882
02:10:00,340 --> 02:10:04,340
 Because I don't broach any dissension about anything I'm working on.

1883
02:10:04,340 --> 02:10:08,340
 So just kidding.

1884
02:10:08,340 --> 02:10:12,340
 All right, 2181 North South project.

1885
02:10:12,340 --> 02:10:18,340
 Berkshire Hathaway still has not selected a replacement firm for MCM.

1886
02:10:18,340 --> 02:10:26,340
 The issue is they're trying to put the contractor that they select responsible for all of the work that MCM did previously.

1887
02:10:26,340 --> 02:10:36,340
 And those contractors that are shortlisted from the original bid from TxDOT, if they're going to assume responsibility for the work MCM did,

1888
02:10:36,340 --> 02:10:39,340
 then they're going to assume they have to do it all over again.

1889
02:10:39,340 --> 02:10:45,340
 And it's about a 17 million dollar difference between what Berkshire thinks the contract should be and what the contractors are bidding.

1890
02:10:45,340 --> 02:10:59,340
 So we think that unfortunately Teasley slash 2181 will stay in its existing condition at least through the summer.

1891
02:10:59,340 --> 02:11:01,340
 That's my Brian. Thank you.

1892
02:11:01,340 --> 02:11:10,340
 I had sent an email off and this was back probably in February or March requesting that we at least get some temporary sidewalks in.

1893
02:11:10,340 --> 02:11:15,340
 Are those in? Yes, so they call it a ped path.

1894
02:11:15,340 --> 02:11:24,340
 And what TxDOT did was the areas that were exposed, they covered up and then they used a they're going to call it an improved surface.

1895
02:11:24,340 --> 02:11:26,340
 It's more like a gravel.

1896
02:11:26,340 --> 02:11:32,340
 But there is a pathway all the way along the corridor for the Ryan High School students.

1897
02:11:32,340 --> 02:11:36,340
 And that's been in place for about two months.

1898
02:11:36,340 --> 02:11:44,340
 So short story, we still have a contractor on 2181 and we anticipate that stand that way through summer.

1899
02:11:44,340 --> 02:11:47,340
 Best case scenario.

1900
02:11:47,340 --> 02:11:49,340
 You're 377 Fort Worth Drive.

1901
02:11:49,340 --> 02:11:53,340
 We're going to jump straight to the TxDOT report.

1902
02:11:53,340 --> 02:12:04,340
 Currently, we're having some utility issues with the cities working very closely with TxDOT in the area of the trailer park.

1903
02:12:04,340 --> 02:12:12,340
 And that's currently kind of throwing us off on because we're doing all the utility work first and a lot of those utilities are city utilities.

1904
02:12:12,340 --> 02:12:23,340
 And there's some issues that we came across in the trailer park area.

1905
02:12:23,340 --> 02:12:24,340
 I don't have my glasses.

1906
02:12:24,340 --> 02:12:25,340
 I can't see this.

1907
02:12:25,340 --> 02:12:26,340
 It's too small.

1908
02:12:26,340 --> 02:12:30,340
 So I'm just going by Braille right now.

1909
02:12:30,340 --> 02:12:35,340
 So the issues with the railroad, we've gotten them to start --

1910
02:12:35,340 --> 02:12:39,340
 Let me make it bigger for you.

1911
02:12:39,340 --> 02:12:40,340
 There you go.

1912
02:12:40,340 --> 02:12:41,340
 Wow, technology.

1913
02:12:41,340 --> 02:12:42,340
 Now I can see it.

1914
02:12:42,340 --> 02:12:43,340
 One more click and I can read it.

1915
02:12:43,340 --> 02:12:44,340
 Okay.

1916
02:12:44,340 --> 02:12:47,340
 Now I just got to get lower.

1917
02:12:47,340 --> 02:12:50,340
 I've got other strengths.

1918
02:12:50,340 --> 02:12:55,340
 So again, it's the issues are with the storm sewer line through the trailer park.

1919
02:12:55,340 --> 02:12:59,340
 There are a lot of constructability and conflict issues, but we're working through that.

1920
02:12:59,340 --> 02:13:08,340
 We have gotten a better relationship with Union Pacific Railroad on their construction documents related to being able to do the shoefly.

1921
02:13:08,340 --> 02:13:09,340
 So that's resolved.

1922
02:13:09,340 --> 02:13:12,340
 And the contractor is actually working on that.

1923
02:13:12,340 --> 02:13:17,340
 So they continue to be a November 2020 completion date.

1924
02:13:17,340 --> 02:13:22,340
 And so far, we think we're still on track for that.

1925
02:13:22,340 --> 02:13:29,340
 Your 35E Mayhill project, I'm going to cover a couple of things here.

1926
02:13:29,340 --> 02:13:32,340
 First, this project has got a November 2020 let date.

1927
02:13:32,340 --> 02:13:36,340
 It's fully funded at the $53.4 million.

1928
02:13:36,340 --> 02:13:38,340
 It's already been environmentally cleared.

1929
02:13:38,340 --> 02:13:46,340
 And we're looking at having the -- we have a schematic that we'll bring over to the city at the next mobility.

1930
02:13:46,340 --> 02:13:49,340
 We have an on-system task force meeting every two or three weeks.

1931
02:13:49,340 --> 02:13:52,340
 We'll bring that to them to look at to make sure we're good to go.

1932
02:13:52,340 --> 02:14:01,340
 We minimize the right-of-way footprint so we can avoid James Wood dealership because of the cost of the right-of-way.

1933
02:14:01,340 --> 02:14:09,340
 And we're in the process of acquiring the right-of-way for this project as we speak.

1934
02:14:09,340 --> 02:14:12,340
 Then your 35E Luke 28 Brinker Mayhill.

1935
02:14:12,340 --> 02:14:22,340
 On this project, I'll discuss a couple of things. One, the next switch of traffic, they call it phase two, step two,

1936
02:14:22,340 --> 02:14:27,340
 is to take all the traffic and put it back up on the new southbound main lanes.

1937
02:14:27,340 --> 02:14:31,340
 And that will happen in the July/August timeframe.

1938
02:14:31,340 --> 02:14:36,340
 You see that they've got the beams placed for the Brinker southbound.

1939
02:14:36,340 --> 02:14:39,340
 And they're now doing the deck construction.

1940
02:14:39,340 --> 02:14:44,340
 And they've got the beams placed for the 288.

1941
02:14:44,340 --> 02:14:48,340
 And they continue to work in that area.

1942
02:14:48,340 --> 02:14:55,340
 And then by the time late July/early August comes around, they should have both of those bridges completed

1943
02:14:55,340 --> 02:15:01,340
 and the traffic moved up to and in the proper bridge locations.

1944
02:15:01,340 --> 02:15:10,340
 So in this area, I wanted to talk, I got a question from staff about some sound walls in the original project

1945
02:15:10,340 --> 02:15:19,340
 that for the Unicorn Lake area and that area, I don't forget the name of the residence,

1946
02:15:19,340 --> 02:15:25,340
 but it's that Italian-looking thing over there by Unicorn Lake.

1947
02:15:25,340 --> 02:15:32,340
 Yes. So Mario asked me to cover this, and I apologize.

1948
02:15:32,340 --> 02:15:36,340
 This is, it's like watching paint dry.

1949
02:15:36,340 --> 02:15:43,340
 But there is a process that the state has to go through when they establish where those sound walls will be.

1950
02:15:43,340 --> 02:15:49,340
 They initially determine who is an impacted or benefited receiver along the corridor.

1951
02:15:49,340 --> 02:15:54,340
 And then they do a noise study associated with those receivers.

1952
02:15:54,340 --> 02:16:01,340
 They have a projected noise envelope for the traffic in 2045 or 2040,

1953
02:16:01,340 --> 02:16:04,340
 whatever that design year that they're designing the facility for.

1954
02:16:04,340 --> 02:16:12,340
 And then they take those calculations and they determine in a corridor segment,

1955
02:16:12,340 --> 02:16:17,340
 there may be 10 or 12 impacted receptors.

1956
02:16:17,340 --> 02:16:24,340
 And of those 10 or 12 impacted receptors, maybe only eight are what would be benefited from the wall.

1957
02:16:24,340 --> 02:16:28,340
 And then they do a calculation. It's feasible and reasonable.

1958
02:16:28,340 --> 02:16:31,340
 And I always get those backwards, but it doesn't matter.

1959
02:16:31,340 --> 02:16:34,340
 You just switch the definitions if I get them wrong.

1960
02:16:34,340 --> 02:16:43,340
 But the feasible, or the reasonable, feasible is you can lower the noise by five decibels by putting up some type of attenuator.

1961
02:16:43,340 --> 02:16:48,340
 I'm not going to say a wall because there's more than one way to attenuate sound.

1962
02:16:48,340 --> 02:16:55,340
 But if an attenuation can reduce the noise to a benefited receptor by at least five decibels,

1963
02:16:55,340 --> 02:16:59,340
 then it is a feasible concept to put a wall there.

1964
02:16:59,340 --> 02:17:06,340
 If the wall costs more than $25,000 per benefited receptor, then it is not reasonable.

1965
02:17:06,340 --> 02:17:13,340
 And the wall, while it's feasible and warranted, isn't built because it's not reasonable from a cost standpoint.

1966
02:17:13,340 --> 02:17:17,340
 And that's a dollar amount that the Federal Highway Administration has established.

1967
02:17:17,340 --> 02:17:21,340
 And it's a nationwide policy and you can't violate it.

1968
02:17:21,340 --> 02:17:33,340
 And the reason you can't violate it is they don't want more fluid communities being able to buy more environmental justice than poor communities.

1969
02:17:33,340 --> 02:17:38,340
 So environmental justice precludes you buy more environmental protection.

1970
02:17:38,340 --> 02:17:43,340
 So if it doesn't hit the reasonable factor, the wall can't be built.

1971
02:17:43,340 --> 02:17:54,340
 In this particular case, although I just gave you a long definition, the neighborhood in question was not inside the noise envelope that was determined to be a benefited receptor.

1972
02:17:54,340 --> 02:17:59,340
 So they were never warranted, even consideration for a wall.

1973
02:17:59,340 --> 02:18:07,340
 So that was the long answer to a very silly process.

1974
02:18:07,340 --> 02:18:10,340
 Any questions on that? Because I know I got questions on that.

1975
02:18:10,340 --> 02:18:19,340
 And I thought I wrote a very good dissertation to Mario, but he said that he still wanted me to explain it.

1976
02:18:19,340 --> 02:18:20,340
 >> Councilmember Briggs.

1977
02:18:20,340 --> 02:18:27,340
 >> You may have mentioned it, but when will this project be wrapped up?

1978
02:18:27,340 --> 02:18:30,340
 >> I didn't.

1979
02:18:30,340 --> 02:18:32,340
 It's an asterisk.

1980
02:18:32,340 --> 02:18:35,340
 And the reason it's an asterisk is because they're already a year behind.

1981
02:18:35,340 --> 02:18:37,340
 And this is Tech Stops report.

1982
02:18:37,340 --> 02:18:44,340
 And while they used to give me a date here that says September 2019, I even took it because they give me this word document.

1983
02:18:44,340 --> 02:18:51,340
 And I put an asterisk there too because they had not met any schedule that they provided to date.

1984
02:18:51,340 --> 02:18:59,340
 So if I told you September, I wouldn't tell you what year, because we're already a year and a half behind on this project.

1985
02:18:59,340 --> 02:19:02,340
 So soon.

1986
02:19:02,340 --> 02:19:05,340
 >> Okay.

1987
02:19:05,340 --> 02:19:11,340
 >> But when will the paving underneath Loop 288, Loop 288 Lillian Miller itself be done?

1988
02:19:11,340 --> 02:19:12,340
 >> Councilmember Ryan.

1989
02:19:12,340 --> 02:19:13,340
 >> I'm just acknowledging him.

1990
02:19:13,340 --> 02:19:18,340
 >> That will be the very last thing they do.

1991
02:19:18,340 --> 02:19:23,340
 Because they have to get the bridges done and get the traffic back up.

1992
02:19:23,340 --> 02:19:25,340
 And so they can build the Texas U-turns.

1993
02:19:25,340 --> 02:19:34,340
 And so the paving of 288 underneath 35 will be the last of the phases of this project.

1994
02:19:34,340 --> 02:19:36,340
 Look, we're using it as traffic calming, right?

1995
02:19:36,340 --> 02:19:39,340
 You don't want people burning through there.

1996
02:19:39,340 --> 02:19:42,340
 So he leaves the potholes there so they'll drive slower through the intersection.

1997
02:19:42,340 --> 02:19:47,340
 >> So it's traffic calming all the way back to target.

1998
02:19:47,340 --> 02:19:48,340
 >> They're working on that.

1999
02:19:48,340 --> 02:19:56,340
 The problem is, is once OHL started working on that bridge, in all seriousness, once they started working on that bridge, they own the pavement underneath it.

2000
02:19:56,340 --> 02:19:59,340
 And it's their responsibility to maintain it.

2001
02:19:59,340 --> 02:20:02,340
 The state can't come in and maintain it like they were before.

2002
02:20:02,340 --> 02:20:08,340
 And OHL has been significantly non-responsive to anything the state's tried to do.

2003
02:20:08,340 --> 02:20:13,340
 And right now, these guys are paying the state $7,500 a day for the privilege of doing this project.

2004
02:20:13,340 --> 02:20:15,340
 That's what their liquidated damages are now.

2005
02:20:15,340 --> 02:20:22,340
 So we can't get them to do anything out of cycle or out of goodwill or anything.

2006
02:20:22,340 --> 02:20:26,340
 They're going to fight us hammer and tong all the way through the process.

2007
02:20:26,340 --> 02:20:27,340
 And then we're going to go to claims.

2008
02:20:27,340 --> 02:20:33,340
 And I've never in my life gone to a claims in Austin after the project was done because I didn't care.

2009
02:20:33,340 --> 02:20:35,340
 But this one I care about.

2010
02:20:35,340 --> 02:20:43,340
 I'm going to show up and make sure that the people in Austin don't just split the difference and give them back some money because these people are criminals in my heart.

2011
02:20:43,340 --> 02:20:45,340
 I believe them as criminals.

2012
02:20:45,340 --> 02:20:49,340
 And they're at Madrid, Spain, so they're probably part of the mafia, too.

2013
02:20:49,340 --> 02:20:51,340
 Strike that for the record.

2014
02:20:51,340 --> 02:20:52,340
 And this is recorded.

2015
02:20:52,340 --> 02:20:54,340
 Those opinions are mine and not the city's.

2016
02:20:54,340 --> 02:20:56,340
 I apologize.

2017
02:20:56,340 --> 02:20:58,340
 So I don't know when it's going to be completed.

2018
02:20:58,340 --> 02:21:01,340
 Okay.

2019
02:21:01,340 --> 02:21:04,340
 All right, your 35EW emerge.

2020
02:21:04,340 --> 02:21:09,340
 We will know this summer whether we get the full $242 million.

2021
02:21:09,340 --> 02:21:24,340
 We are currently designing this is an ultimate and we have an ultimate exhibit that we'll bring to the next on system task force meeting with the city to make sure we're not doing anything we shouldn't do.

2022
02:21:24,340 --> 02:21:34,340
 And if we do end up getting the full 242, then we'll press on and do a schedule and have your time frame because it'll be funded.

2023
02:21:34,340 --> 02:22:01,340
 If we don't get the 242 that we dropped back down to the hundred and $50 million option, which you calm is on contract to do that as well which will be adding a second lane on 35W to 35 doing the braids when between 380 and split and putting the frontage roads in their permanent locations and then making some improvements to the 380 intersection, we just won't go all the way up to 77.

2024
02:22:01,340 --> 02:22:06,340
 And we won't build all the main lanes in their permanent location.

2025
02:22:06,340 --> 02:22:35,340
 So we'll know by summer, which way we're going, but we are identifying the number of parcels. And we currently think they're about 44 depending upon, because even if we do the interim we're still going to buy the right away for the ultimate so we're just trying to determine what that footprint is in its ultimate configuration.

2026
02:22:35,340 --> 02:22:46,340
 That's the project that we're going to go over. So we should know by summer, whether we get the full 242, or we're going to be doing some type of the interim improvement.

2027
02:22:46,340 --> 02:23:03,340
 35 North, this is that project that is portioned up to 77 is also included in that wishbone project to the, to the north and because we're going to be getting cleared in the June timeframe it's in time for if we get the funding for the two full dollar amount.

2028
02:23:03,340 --> 02:23:14,340
 Then we can go ahead and construct that with just the different limits in the CSJ, but that dollar amount is for the entire length of the project, and we this is not funded.

2029
02:23:14,340 --> 02:23:34,340
 There's a segment that the North Texas region has determined they're gonna let the commission deal with because the commission wants 35 six lanes, I've said this each time I'm here from the real to the red, and we're feel confident that the commission will pick that up.

2030
02:23:34,340 --> 02:23:37,340
 North of 77.

2031
02:23:37,340 --> 02:23:52,340
 On that I'm sure I've asked you about this in the past, frankly I don't remember what, what, what the response was but at what point would they determine whether sound barriers would be appropriate for this.

2032
02:23:52,340 --> 02:24:08,340
 Right now, yes the environmental clearance that makes that determination so when you get environmentally cleared you're clearing what's this called the schematic and the schematic shows where the sound walls.

2033
02:24:08,340 --> 02:24:22,340
 So what happens in a schematic is they put where they anticipate sound laws to be in the schematic. And then when you do the environmental clearance those sound walls either survive the noise analysis, or they're removed because they don't.

2034
02:24:22,340 --> 02:24:38,340
 In the early iterations which was the case on 35 eight there were some sound walls around the North Texas area that were in there one of the earlier schematics but once the feds did their noise analysis they didn't want it for whatever reason, feasible reasonable.

2035
02:24:38,340 --> 02:24:43,340
 And so the ultimate environmental clearance document showed walls.

2036
02:24:43,340 --> 02:24:47,340
 Only in those areas that survived that gauntlet.

2037
02:24:47,340 --> 02:24:58,340
 Once that is done, we have a schematic, if we're going to a June environmental clearance, which means the feds give us what's called a finding of no significant impact or Fonzie.

2038
02:24:58,340 --> 02:25:11,340
 We had that schematic that's approved shows the walls that are in there now so we can bring that to the ones that survived or made it through the, the noise analysis.

2039
02:25:11,340 --> 02:25:18,340
 Yeah, I'd love to know what has made it through the process so far you got it.

2040
02:25:18,340 --> 02:25:28,340
 And so on this one with the 380 because we've talked about it before the that intersection 35 and 380.

2041
02:25:28,340 --> 02:25:44,340
 Before it gets to the north side, how messed up that is right that's on the previous so on this one here. Okay, the interim project says we're going to make all these improvements that's what really started the ball rolling is you can't get basically

2042
02:25:44,340 --> 02:25:58,340
 the 35 year W and get through this corridor because you got all the traffic from 35 W that loops over and comes in from the right. The same time you got people trying to get off at 380 and there's this cluster right in the middle.

2043
02:25:58,340 --> 02:26:17,340
 And so what happened is they both wanted exit in here at the same point and in our plans we have what's called a braided ramp. And I think we flipped the stack on the braid, because I think the developer, we had the exit ramp going over for whatever reason originally, which doesn't make sense to me and then the on ramp at grade.

2044
02:26:17,340 --> 02:26:37,340
 So we flipped it so that the exit comes in a grade so that the developable land for razor range has better access and then we'll take on ramp up and over. So well that'll solve a lot of your problems with the inner improvements but that's, that's what this project tries to do is solve all of those problems and reality.

2045
02:26:37,340 --> 02:26:48,340
 Just stopping at 380 doesn't solve the problem because you still have 288 and 77 that are issues. So we're trying to push the envelope.

2046
02:26:48,340 --> 02:27:07,340
 Further to solve the problems to basically the northern city limits of didn't and after that, we'll let the Commission deal with 35. Okay, so, so when that change was made, it was made as a pre step to what's coming next. So it made it worse in the meantime.

2047
02:27:07,340 --> 02:27:14,340
 Correct. Okay, but it's going to be better when what

2048
02:27:14,340 --> 02:27:33,340
 right here it says that we will start this project whichever which are the inner ultimate January 2023 which is why I was fixing to tell you that we're not going to wait that long to look at 380 and 35, the intersection itself because that's problematic as well.

2049
02:27:33,340 --> 02:27:49,340
 So we're not going to be able to do anything about the weave for some time, but we do think there's some things we can do to the actual intersection of 380 and 35 to fix that better.

2050
02:27:49,340 --> 02:27:55,340
 You're gonna tell us that now. No, we don't know what it is.

2051
02:27:55,340 --> 02:28:05,340
 We got to work with the city, because y'all manage all your intersection signals so we have this county and the city and the state work together on.

2052
02:28:05,340 --> 02:28:07,340
 Yeah, that's one we definitely.

2053
02:28:07,340 --> 02:28:20,340
 I definitely hear about constituents. So I got a, I got a certain church on 380. And I'm a usher and my usher Lee lives out there and every Sunday, and I keep reminding him we're in a house of worship.

2054
02:28:20,340 --> 02:28:25,340
 The first thing he starts doing is wearing me out about 380.

2055
02:28:25,340 --> 02:28:34,340
 He's he's praying is what he's doing is praying for using the Lord's name. Yes.

2056
02:28:34,340 --> 02:29:03,340
 All right, so this is the other project we're working on this is the main lanes. This is the ultimate now this is frontage roads main lanes grade separations, flipping a stacks, etc. on the 35 project 35 W from basically where it leaves off from the Tarrant County project forward project, all the way to the just out to that railroad track everybody's leaving the railroad track I'm not sure how that's going to work where you have this wall.

2057
02:29:03,340 --> 02:29:11,340
 In between here, but we're talking about getting a environmental clearance done in March we had a public meeting.

2058
02:29:11,340 --> 02:29:26,340
 I think this is oh we had it on the frontage roads which is the next project so we are anticipating getting the schematic done in May, which will then allow us to move forward into the environmental clearance that's the that's the schematic not the environmental clearance.

2059
02:29:26,340 --> 02:29:34,340
 And we have a sister project, which is the frontage roads.

2060
02:29:34,340 --> 02:29:57,340
 But what this corridor needs is the frontage roads of capacity on the main lane still is okay. What the problem is is there's no continuous frontage roads here and so your predictability and reliability of corridor is diminished because of the lack of the frontage and your economic development

2061
02:29:57,340 --> 02:30:05,340
 is prohibited so if you look down between 114 and Eagle Parkway.

2062
02:30:05,340 --> 02:30:09,340
 That was our first phase and we just put a southbound and northbound frontage road.

2063
02:30:09,340 --> 02:30:14,340
 And we're just finishing the northbound frontage road probably in a month or so.

2064
02:30:14,340 --> 02:30:27,340
 We just already see how much economic developments going along 35 W, where there are frontage roads so the intent is to get the frontage roads cleared, which we're looking at July.

2065
02:30:27,340 --> 02:30:45,340
 That's the schematic March of next year for the environmental clearance for just the frontage roads. Right. And then what will happen is, HTTP on the previous job will take what Jacobs which used to be CHM to is doing the work, and then they'll implement it put that into their plans

2066
02:30:45,340 --> 02:30:53,340
 and then we'll start constructing sections of the frontage road, and it's a, you know, a small dollar amount.

2067
02:30:53,340 --> 02:31:07,340
 And we'll be ready to let sometime in 2023 because there's quite a bit of right away that has to be acquired we had a public meeting on May 16, and there were 54 in attendance.

2068
02:31:07,340 --> 02:31:19,340
 And most of them were just asking how long is it going to take before we get this thing constructed so there's a lot of movement on the 35 W leg.

2069
02:31:19,340 --> 02:31:30,340
 Second entrance into the city's downtown area, and we're progressing as quickly as you can on a state highway of this nature.

2070
02:31:30,340 --> 02:31:32,340
 38 East.

2071
02:31:32,340 --> 02:31:45,340
 This is segment segment that is most dear to the city of Denton includes pedestrian improvements that the city was instrumental in getting included in the project.

2072
02:31:45,340 --> 02:31:49,340
 We're looking at a February 2021.

2073
02:31:49,340 --> 02:32:14,340
 Ready to let date. We have the two CSJs for the two different parcels there's about 24 in the green, and about 100 in the blue, and we're in the process of acquiring those parcels, and you're looking at that being done, because we're pretty far along on the right

2074
02:32:14,340 --> 02:32:28,340
 already in February of next year, which means they're saying one year for utilities, and I'm saying that's not feasible, because the blue corridor part of 380 is infested with utilities on that corridor.

2075
02:32:28,340 --> 02:32:30,340
 And so we question here.

2076
02:32:30,340 --> 02:32:41,340
 That's what I'm sorry on on this project, if you go further out, 380 and you cross that line, there's significant improvements being done is that the same project that's coming this way.

2077
02:32:41,340 --> 02:32:51,340
 You mean in Collin County. Yeah, like if you had if you had towards Frisco, the Dallas North hallway there's a lot of construction there happening is that.

2078
02:32:51,340 --> 02:33:01,340
 So, yes, that's that that's that's the utilities, some of the utilities are already moving but there's a lot of work going on pre pre construction on 380.

2079
02:33:01,340 --> 02:33:20,340
 Because, East of this line 380 is already six lanes. Now we have six lanes in this segment as well to get to 77 377, but it's doesn't it's not the correct proper cross section so we'll be adding the 10 foot shoulders back and there's a lot of things we're

2080
02:33:20,340 --> 02:33:30,340
 going to be doing so this segments a lot easier to do. This is the four lane segment that we're taking the six, and they were building five great separations at the major cross streets.

2081
02:33:30,340 --> 02:33:40,340
 Legacy till navel for 23 and 720 will be great separation so that you won't have to stop on 380 those cross streets.

2082
02:33:40,340 --> 02:33:50,340
 So, I'm not sure what you're looking at but the construction of the roadway itself starts in February 2021.

2083
02:33:50,340 --> 02:33:57,340
 It looks like they're already doing the separation looks like they're building the inner inner lanes.

2084
02:33:57,340 --> 02:34:01,340
 From what I can. Are you sure it's in Denton County.

2085
02:34:01,340 --> 02:34:14,340
 It may it may be it's maybe further up. Okay, I'm saying, I'm just wondering if the whole project is the same and they're so in Collin County, there's no, they may be making some improvements to the existing 380.

2086
02:34:14,340 --> 02:34:29,340
 Now, but there's no consensus as to what they want 380 to look like the cities don't want it to move out of their jurisdiction as a bypass, and they don't want it coming through as a freeway because it destroys their commercial corridor.

2087
02:34:29,340 --> 02:34:45,340
 And so the county's pushing a freeway cities are pushing arterials cogs pushing a reliever out and so nobody agrees. And so in that vacuum, we're just coming in and doing our job and being done.

2088
02:34:45,340 --> 02:34:53,340
 Okay, but I don't. I'm not even allowed to go into Collin County.

2089
02:34:53,340 --> 02:35:01,340
 They've got warrants for you. I've beat their butt at every turn of the worm on finding things.

2090
02:35:01,340 --> 02:35:05,340
 You can strike that for the record if you want.

2091
02:35:05,340 --> 02:35:09,340
 Luke 288 project that won't die.

2092
02:35:09,340 --> 02:35:15,340
 We're in the process of getting environmentally cleared in April 2020.

2093
02:35:15,340 --> 02:35:21,340
 We are really pushing on this project and the reason we are.

2094
02:35:21,340 --> 02:35:30,340
 Here's because all of the little white dots you see those are gas wells that we're having the serpentine through.

2095
02:35:30,340 --> 02:35:32,340
 And that's not the problem.

2096
02:35:32,340 --> 02:35:34,340
 If you look at the schedule.

2097
02:35:34,340 --> 02:35:51,340
 We've got it environmental cleared April 2020 right away, December 2024 and the reason we're putting it out that long is because those gas wells have transmission lines that are like a spider web underneath the ground.

2098
02:35:51,340 --> 02:36:04,340
 And whenever you buy the right away, you have to. You can't have those lines inside textiles facilities because they're not franchise.

2099
02:36:04,340 --> 02:36:09,340
 What I'm talking about, but only certain utilities can be within the right away.

2100
02:36:09,340 --> 02:36:23,340
 And so that means they got to move on and when they move, there's a significant cost for the right away. When you buy the right away from these well guys, they know they got to pay for their own utilities.

2101
02:36:23,340 --> 02:36:29,340
 So part of their argument with the with the right away is that they want their compensation for the utility.

2102
02:36:29,340 --> 02:36:38,340
 And typically that's the state doesn't give in on it, but they've had a couple of projects elsewhere in the state where they got crushed by the gas well guys.

2103
02:36:38,340 --> 02:36:49,340
 And so they're anticipating a lot of work haven't been done to negotiate and get through the right away if that time frame is expedited, then we can get to the utilities.

2104
02:36:49,340 --> 02:37:14,340
 And they'd say in two years year and a half, which I think they should probably have more time on that. Because of all of the gas wells we're gonna be dealing with and so right now we're talking about ready to let in 2026, and we'll be lucky to hit that time frame, and we're intending on building the northbound frontage road of controlled access facility.

2105
02:37:14,340 --> 02:37:25,340
 That it sets y'all's the city didn't developable expectations because that road won't move once it's in place, it'll be in its permanent place.

2106
02:37:25,340 --> 02:37:31,340
 So that's 288.

2107
02:37:31,340 --> 02:37:37,340
 I started that job I didn't have kids, and when it gets done, I think they'll be retired and they'll be supporting me.

2108
02:37:37,340 --> 02:37:39,340
 Hopefully that's the plan.

2109
02:37:39,340 --> 02:37:41,340
 Not on 288.

2110
02:37:41,340 --> 02:37:48,340
 So FM 1515 this is a project where pre temp beat the state down.

2111
02:37:48,340 --> 02:38:01,340
 Got him to submit to all the wild and crazy things he wants to do on this road. They finally just said we surrender, and there'll be a traffic circle.

2112
02:38:01,340 --> 02:38:03,340
 What is it.

2113
02:38:03,340 --> 02:38:11,340
 I didn't even have to say it.

2114
02:38:11,340 --> 02:38:13,340
 Sorry.

2115
02:38:13,340 --> 02:38:16,340
 So have a traffic circle at Western.

2116
02:38:16,340 --> 02:38:29,340
 Around about at Western and around about at the airport and mostly that's so that when trucks get down there and get lost, they can turn around and come back without having to do a 14 point turn in your airport parking lot.

2117
02:38:29,340 --> 02:38:37,340
 We've worked out how we're going to fix how 1515 ties into Bonnie Bray, I think, didn't agree to that.

2118
02:38:37,340 --> 02:38:58,340
 There is a fix. Yes. Okay, so we're cooking with gas on this one. And so we're looking at December 2020 for an environmental clearance so these are guesses as to how long the right away and utilities will take if these get expedited, then you're ready to let project that can move up, and we think it will be expedited.

2119
02:38:58,340 --> 02:39:13,340
 Have we fixed the on ramp off ramp line at right now you come up right next to the right next to the bridge and then you got to go down, down before you can get back on to 35.

2120
02:39:13,340 --> 02:39:18,340
 That's part of the other project that's tying in, I think we fix and line it.

2121
02:39:18,340 --> 02:39:23,340
 I didn't understand what he said so.

2122
02:39:23,340 --> 02:39:32,340
 He's talking about these two ramps being offset. Oh yeah, that's part of the wishbone. Okay, project.

2123
02:39:32,340 --> 02:40:01,340
 Yes, that, that'll be corrected in the, in the, when we're making those improvements to 35 W. And they'll be consistent with what is in the approved schematic. And we have an exhibit that we went over where we were we were looking all that when we were looking at to make the improvements to 1515 and Bonnie Bray so we can probably bring that back and let you look at it to the mobility if you if you're looking at that.

2124
02:40:01,340 --> 02:40:08,340
 And then 1173.

2125
02:40:08,340 --> 02:40:22,340
 So we've got Garver on contract, they're moving into the final schematic approval on this project it is consistent with cities thoroughfare plan to move it up to Barthold road.

2126
02:40:22,340 --> 02:40:26,340
 And then this will come off system.

2127
02:40:26,340 --> 02:40:40,340
 And then the new alignment will be here. And any improvements we make to the wishbone project if we get to get the $242 million will include this accommodation for 1173.

2128
02:40:40,340 --> 02:40:56,340
 And for 28, I got some good news here a little bit when we met with Michael Morris, and we told him that we were looking at for 28 being a limited access facility, and that text that only wanted it to be an arterial.

2129
02:40:56,340 --> 02:41:04,340
 He scoffed, and he says we're not going to make the same mistake on for 28 as we've made on 380 that he concurs.

2130
02:41:04,340 --> 02:41:15,340
 He's wanting to partner with on this project and he only wants it to be limited access facility so we will use him to convince text that what we want to do.

2131
02:41:15,340 --> 02:41:25,340
 So, we have a very strong ally and this is one of the projects that we're pitching to get additional funding from the MPO for your potential bond program in November.

2132
02:41:25,340 --> 02:41:27,340
 Question customer breaks.

2133
02:41:27,340 --> 02:41:37,340
 Limited access facility only means frontage roads main lanes so that you don't have people making you turns.

2134
02:41:37,340 --> 02:41:42,340
 We have a medium mediums.

2135
02:41:42,340 --> 02:41:56,340
 Okay, and, and on that design will be working with the city as well because I, I know that there's a lot of cyclists that use this road to come in, and you know they go to the country and then come back so so it's actually a.

2136
02:41:56,340 --> 02:42:13,340
 Cities the one is pushing on this project and it's a, and I don't know why the county didn't pick up on this, because you know we've got the outer loop coming in and coming south on the, because we are extending the DNT north all the way to the Grayson County line that

2137
02:42:13,340 --> 02:42:28,340
 starts in January February that construction so there's going to be strong push for the outer loop from the Collin County area, which they're already advancing to get over to 35.

2138
02:42:28,340 --> 02:42:43,340
 And so this first segment over to 428 well is why we think 428 lack more like a spur, because nobody's going to want to come down all the way to 380, and then trod through 380 to get back to didn't when they could just come across the loop and come down

2139
02:42:43,340 --> 02:43:01,340
 the access facility main line and I'm right into town, or to the loop if you don't want to come all the way in. So, 428 is a city suggested based upon the development y'all see going on in that area but you've got a strong partner now in the MPO and text

2140
02:43:01,340 --> 02:43:14,340
 that will come along beside you. Once Michael tells them they have to. And this may be a city question but that intersection there at 428 in the loop is still getting a signal.

2141
02:43:14,340 --> 02:43:38,340
 Correct, it's a separate project it's part of the second phase of small transportation currently under design.

2142
02:43:38,340 --> 02:43:50,340
 The intersections that we want to tie in is where we really come into the conversation and that's where we'd be talking about pedestrian access and cyclists and how we bring those elements into the frontage road arena.

2143
02:43:50,340 --> 02:43:56,340
 So, that would definitely be a partnership of both all along the project.

2144
02:43:56,340 --> 02:44:15,340
 So just to make sure I'm tracking that this this cycling aspect would be along the frontage road then. So what happens in a, in a typical scenario, and if you look at 380 headed out towards Decatur, you'll see that the feds have required two things to be included in most every facility

2145
02:44:15,340 --> 02:44:26,340
 and I've seen one get away from it, and that is a 14 foot outside lane. The assumption is that's for cyclists want to ride which cyclists have told them that's not what you want to be.

2146
02:44:26,340 --> 02:44:41,340
 And then sidewalks usually a five to six foot sidewalk so we had a minimum, those roads will have that, but the city was fairly successful in the 380 to get that widened using a grant from the Council of Governments, and so, as the conversation

2147
02:44:41,340 --> 02:45:04,340
 goes with the schematic for this roadway progresses, city of Denton and the MPL have been very strong about regional below and pedestrian web, and I'm certain that this will continue to be a priority for all those entities.

2148
02:45:04,340 --> 02:45:18,340
 That's it. That's the last one. Can you remind me who Michael Morris is? Sorry, I should know because it seems to settle all issues when you put his name up there. He's nobody.

2149
02:45:18,340 --> 02:45:47,340
 Can you extract that from the record please. Michael Morris is the Director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments and he is the Director of the Regional Transportation Council which is the planning body that plans for both the Dallas District and the Fort Worth District, all the way out to 2045 so he handles a lot of the funding issues related to North Texas.

2150
02:45:47,340 --> 02:46:03,340
 Okay, thank you. He sits on the board that I serve on in the Dallas region mobility and he's also is with you guys right. He's a staff director of the Regional Transportation Council he staff, but not really he's the boss.

2151
02:46:03,340 --> 02:46:05,340
 Highly influential.

2152
02:46:05,340 --> 02:46:08,340
 Okay, I got you. Thank you.

2153
02:46:08,340 --> 02:46:17,340
 That's it. Okay.

2154
02:46:17,340 --> 02:46:26,340
 Sorry, can I ask you one question. So the Dallas drive the on ramp under that bridge has been closed for a really long time.

2155
02:46:26,340 --> 02:46:33,340
 Is that going to be reopened or is that that will be opened when the old job is done.

2156
02:46:33,340 --> 02:46:38,340
 So that's also contingent on, is there a reason.

2157
02:46:38,340 --> 02:47:07,340
 There's nowhere to go, because the bridge isn't there. And so once they get the bridge redone, then they'll be able to open Dallas drive back and it'll be as it was before, it'll be barrier protected. So you can't go from Dallas drive to 288, the, the on ramp to get on the 35 east southbound takes you past the barrier that precludes you from getting to 288 so you won't have that that mad dash that people were doing in the past.

2158
02:47:07,340 --> 02:47:20,340
 Get over, but didn't open temporarily did, because what happened was that was part of the AGL project for the interim ultimate. And then we got the money for the brinker 288 project.

2159
02:47:20,340 --> 02:47:31,340
 And in order to build what we're building, we had to close it again. Okay, and pre temp fought hammer and tong to find some way to keep it open and, and he lost that battle.

2160
02:47:31,340 --> 02:47:33,340
 Okay, but it will reopen.

2161
02:47:33,340 --> 02:47:46,340
 Whenever, September, October, 2019 ish.

2162
02:47:46,340 --> 02:47:54,340
 I'm going to Spain at some point and I'm gonna make a point to go to Madrid to go there offices of picking them.

2163
02:47:54,340 --> 02:47:58,340
 Because, anyway, I may not get to come back.

2164
02:47:58,340 --> 02:48:03,340
 So that's it. I think I've said more than I know.

2165
02:48:03,340 --> 02:48:22,340
 But it's again just to overcap I just want to make sure you understand your staff is working with text on close to two and a half billion dollars worth of improvements to projects that significantly impact the city didn't quality of life because it doesn't matter what you do for

2166
02:48:22,340 --> 02:48:28,340
 living doesn't matter what you don't do for a living. You're going to do it on a road somewhere.

2167
02:48:28,340 --> 02:48:38,340
 And that's a lot of money that your staff is working with others to get put on the ground, you get 5% of that, I wish.

2168
02:48:38,340 --> 02:48:52,340
 I missed it sure sure because the last time we talked about Teasley 2181. The contractor was close.

2169
02:48:52,340 --> 02:48:57,340
 It was like Jay go and who y'all got working on.

2170
02:48:57,340 --> 02:49:20,340
 Zachary was down to those guys and they said, y'all shortlisted give us a bit, and it came in. One of them was 17 years like 17 and a half million dollars more than I thought it should be, because what the Berkshire Hathaway did was say, you are responsible for the work MCM did and I said if we're going to be responsible what they did we're going to assume it's all crappy, and we're going to start over.

2171
02:49:20,340 --> 02:49:36,340
 And so that's the impacts and the state doesn't have any leverage on Berkshire as the holding company or the surety to make them expedite in any type, fashion or form.

2172
02:49:36,340 --> 02:49:42,340
 So as a project just on hold, because there's no one to do it. Absolutely.

2173
02:49:42,340 --> 02:49:58,340
 This isn't the first time this has happened and didn't can you the last time it was on 407 at 35, and I got the pleasure watching a tree that was in the median grow to about four inches in diameter before the project.

2174
02:49:58,340 --> 02:50:01,340
 So there's no control the state gets.

2175
02:50:01,340 --> 02:50:13,340
 Let me say this way, the Texas Department of Transportation has no authority on the over these contractors once the project is led in the surety bond companies, because the legislature won't give them any authority.

2176
02:50:13,340 --> 02:50:20,340
 So every time we complain, because we get the state rep to state senators complain about how long it's taking these roads to get done.

2177
02:50:20,340 --> 02:50:30,340
 We keep telling them, you don't give the state any authority to enforce these contractors to act, you all have that kind of authority, the state does not.

2178
02:50:30,340 --> 02:50:39,340
 And every time we try to get something done to the legislature, AGC comes in, they got a bigger lobbying firm, and they crush us.

2179
02:50:39,340 --> 02:50:44,340
 So who has authority over them.

2180
02:50:44,340 --> 02:51:03,340
 Well, nobody. So what happens is let's say you got a, let's say you got OHL a brinker 28835 they did it as a plus B, and they get the low bid at $32 million, and it's supposed to take 735 days right plus or minus.

2181
02:51:03,340 --> 02:51:21,340
 They go to work. And the only thing the state can do is withhold their payments until they correctively do some things as long, excuse me, but then at some point like OHL is now, they are 111 days out of contract.

2182
02:51:21,340 --> 02:51:41,340
 And those are $75 a day $7500 a day that they owe the state. And so, they're going to basically treat this as a contract as opposed to construction job now, and they're doing everything they can to argue delay that the city or the county or state costs so they can chip away at that penalty.

2183
02:51:41,340 --> 02:51:58,340
 And the only thing the state can do is terminate them like they did on Teasley, right, and tell them to go away, which is cutting off yarn at the time. So we had to do it on MCM because they literally went bankrupt, they're just gone.

2184
02:51:58,340 --> 02:52:26,340
 Or, you stayed and fight with them for a year and a half past the contract schedule because we can't do anything other than assess the liquidated damages. And there's a bill, which I think you'll hopefully it passed, that says that if those liquidated damages penalties are assessed, that they don't just go back into Tech Stops Coffers, they got to go back to the district where they were assessed because it's our delay in impact to the economy that suffered.

2185
02:52:26,340 --> 02:52:30,340
 And so, that was in our last meeting they had a bill.

2186
02:52:30,340 --> 02:52:45,340
 I hope it passed because that means that we absolutely have a legitimate argument to go down to the claims court and start arguing that they shouldn't be be granted any kind of waivers but there is no actual control once the contractor has the contract.

2187
02:52:45,340 --> 02:52:51,340
 They have that footprint for that number of days and they can do whatever they want.

2188
02:52:51,340 --> 02:52:58,340
 Plus or minus. Okay, something to think about when we contemplate our legislative agenda.

2189
02:52:58,340 --> 02:53:11,340
 So the city has absolutely no way to go back in and say like this is our hands are tied really can we can we try to get the road back at this time and then do it ourselves.

2190
02:53:11,340 --> 02:53:24,340
 It might might just be as quick. So, there are certainly options we can explore any and all involve quite a bit of expenditure of funds that have already been there as far as the way this project was put together.

2191
02:53:24,340 --> 02:53:31,340
 The city's commitment was funding to the project for water and wastewater utility relocations.

2192
02:53:31,340 --> 02:53:44,340
 It was just a component of text that's overall project. We'll be glad to explore other alternatives and see if there's some other way that we can keep the project moving forward but it is a very complicated matter.

2193
02:53:44,340 --> 02:54:02,340
 When it comes to a contract that's been breached by one party or the other, and then you get into a scenario where text that's really their hands are tied by what they when enforceable items they actually have, and they just don't have it, they've not been given it by the legislature.

2194
02:54:02,340 --> 02:54:19,340
 So the cost initially was close to $40 million. So, it's not something you just want to unilaterally take on, because it would be a daunting task, plus everything out there that's, it's in the ground.

2195
02:54:19,340 --> 02:54:25,340
 That's the issue there's stuff that's in the ground a lot of it's your your your utilities.

2196
02:54:25,340 --> 02:54:27,340
 Good.

2197
02:54:27,340 --> 02:54:41,340
 I think what these contractors are saying. They don't know what, what the quality of work actually was done so they would want to start over is what they're saying we would, even if we were to try to work some deal with the state.

2198
02:54:41,340 --> 02:54:55,340
 We would want to go out and assess everything that was done. Is it viable, would it how much of it is not viable that we'd want to maintain certainly the utilities at rim we had to say and what was good or not good as far as the installation.

2199
02:54:55,340 --> 02:54:59,340
 Are there other components of this from compaction.

2200
02:54:59,340 --> 02:55:10,340
 How well do they backfill on these trenches and we've dealt with that on some city streets we'd want to know all that before we go and so they actually hired subs to do that work and a lot of these subs that weren't getting paid.

2201
02:55:10,340 --> 02:55:18,340
 And so, I mean, it's it's it's a quagmire.

2202
02:55:18,340 --> 02:55:23,340
 Sorry to bring that up, I've just, I someone messaged me and asked me and I.

2203
02:55:23,340 --> 02:55:37,340
 Thank you. We, we, like I say your staff meets with tech stock district, and the area office every two to three weeks. And this is one of the projects that we, you know, beat them about the head and shoulders to try to get them to move on.

2204
02:55:37,340 --> 02:55:44,340
 Right. Thank you very much. How about a five minute break and then see if we can knock off the remaining items by 12.

2205
02:55:44,340 --> 02:55:55,340
 We're back from break resuming our ability committee meeting.

2206
02:55:55,340 --> 02:56:02,340
 We're going to pick up just go through the items that are left and we'll get as far as we can by 1230.

2207
02:56:02,340 --> 02:56:16,340
 So let's go all the way back up to item B, receive a report, hold the discussion and give staff direction regarding the connected citizens program and ways mobile application.

2208
02:56:16,340 --> 02:56:32,340
 Good afternoon, committee council. My name is Stephanie Yates marketing and outreach coordinator.

2209
02:56:32,340 --> 02:57:01,340
 God bless you marketing outreach coordinator with the city event in the public affairs department. Today I'm going to be providing a brief update on the ways connected citizens program as well as going over some of the key features and benefits of the partnership, and some current and future initiatives that the city is exploring to continue to evolve ways as a communication tool to improve mobility throughout the city.

2210
02:57:01,340 --> 02:57:29,340
 So I'm pretty sure you're aware, I'm about four months ago we introduced the ways connected citizens program it launched in February of 2019, and the partnership with ways, it allows it's a two way data share the free tool for everyone to use and it allows partners to go in and update city plan construction and improvement projects that will impact traffic, as well as allow users to

2211
02:57:29,340 --> 02:57:45,340
 directly through the app, input any type of road congestion road closures stall vehicles any type of any inconveniences that may happen on the roadway through the app, and it provides an overview of current road conditions throughout the city.

2212
02:57:45,340 --> 02:57:59,340
 And it's also a partnership that is not only in Dan, but South Lake Frisco Plano so as people drive throughout the DFW area they're able to continue to see updated road conditions.

2213
02:57:59,340 --> 02:58:18,340
 So once we got the word that we're going to be going forward with the partnership. We issued the really robust communication campaign through press releases DTV work together with the public affairs department to put together a really awesome quick video that was included in our social

2214
02:58:18,340 --> 02:58:34,340
 media campaign, and we're continuing different aspects of our social media campaign as well. It is included in the city of didn't news feature as well as the web page, and it was featured in a number of different local publications including the didn't record

2215
02:58:34,340 --> 02:58:54,340
 article. So some of the key features of ways that we use to really expand on our partnership is through the daily construction and closure reporting the two way road information sharing and emergency help features so I'll dive a little bit into each of these

2216
02:58:54,340 --> 02:59:09,340
 three key features just to explain a little bit more about how they are very helpful in getting mobility improvements throughout the city. So the first one daily construction and closure reporting our capital projects department staff will report plan

2217
02:59:09,340 --> 02:59:24,340
 closure data into the ways app, and that includes capital projects road utility projects, recreation and public safety projects, anything that is planned that is a full closure for at least a minimum of one day will be included on here so a lot of the

2218
02:59:24,340 --> 02:59:42,340
 projects that you see on the FCR are uploaded into the ways application for drivers to be able to view and plan their commutes accordingly. We also have reports for plan city events so UNT, TWU commencements, those highly impact traffic, we also include

2219
02:59:42,340 --> 03:00:00,340
 festivals like the arts and jazz festival that's included in there when it's that time of year concerts, and we include select surrounding franchise utility and entity closures such as tech site, Union Pacific and admins when it is tied to a city project on their

2220
03:00:00,340 --> 03:00:29,340
 behalf. What do you need? Oh, sorry guys. Alrighty. The next key feature is the two way road sharing information. So this is the really unique feature that gets a lot of people going about ways so unlike Google Maps you can go

2221
03:00:29,340 --> 03:00:44,340
 in and you can give updates on your commute of down signal lights, vehicles, vehicle accidents, anything that would slow down one commute from one side of the city to the next.

2222
03:00:44,340 --> 03:01:07,340
 It can be inputted, most things can be inputted into the ways application and staff has access to this closure and reporting information and that has been really vital and a huge part of the partnership that we have with ways. So that's the two way data sharing feature that is very popular.

2223
03:01:07,340 --> 03:01:23,340
 The next feature is the emergency help. So emergency request can be submitted through the ways application so if you find yourself in your commute and you have an emergency, you can call 911 directly through the application and it will be dispatched to the city's police

2224
03:01:23,340 --> 03:01:43,340
 department, ambulance and fire department. So some of the continued improvements that the city is exploring, one would be the road closure alerts and updates. So being that the parameters around what can be inputted into ways is a little

2225
03:01:43,340 --> 03:02:03,340
 strict. We're working to see exactly how we can take the information that is input in there to really improve infrastructure planning and management. So whenever we see some of the plan closures that they have in there, we can then route that information over to our capital projects

2226
03:02:03,340 --> 03:02:18,340
 department and our engineers and let them know some areas of contention or congestion when it comes time to plan projects. And then the emergency help features, so our police department is actually is actually exploring a new computer aided dispatch system called

2227
03:02:18,340 --> 03:02:35,340
 CAD to where they will be able to go in and put accident information into the ways app to let folks know before they go out on their commute that this area is the area you want to avoid because of an accident that is actually in that area.

2228
03:02:35,340 --> 03:02:55,340
 And then of course promotion and education, so Waze continues to add different features and I mean just really awesome ways to improve mobility. So we want to continue to push the messaging of this application and the partnership with the city out to different residents that use the app.

2229
03:02:55,340 --> 03:03:07,340
 So it'll be a continuous promotion education that we do on our end through the public affairs department. So if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

2230
03:03:07,340 --> 03:03:30,340
 In our citizen on engagement meeting we talked about this little bit and some discussion on not just this road is closed, but an alternate route. Right. We talked about maybe how that would be beneficial. If that could be pulled up somewhere so that it's the quickest alternate route.

2231
03:03:30,340 --> 03:03:46,340
 When a road is closed. Is that, is that something that we could do through the ways. So currently that's not a feature that we can do through ways but when we were in the committee meeting we were talking about linking, because a lot of the information that we input

2232
03:03:46,340 --> 03:04:01,340
 in there as a city is exactly what people will find on the SCR so on improving didn't, if we're able to link the detour maps that are included with the project mailings that could be one avenue that we can push that detour information out to residents, but currently it is a little

2233
03:04:01,340 --> 03:04:12,340
 restrictive in that we aren't allowed to input detour information, they will automatically generate an alternate route through the, through the system, but we just don't have that capability as of today.

2234
03:04:12,340 --> 03:04:22,340
 Okay, and on their routes that they read, they regenerate because we have several different ones that may be closed. So they will pick up all the roads that that we've inputted.

2235
03:04:22,340 --> 03:04:24,340
 Yes, yes.

2236
03:04:24,340 --> 03:04:32,340
 And then reroute around the closures throughout the city.

2237
03:04:32,340 --> 03:04:43,340
 I'm just thrilled that we got this far, you know, I know it was in the works for a long time. I think it's, you know, just so on target tool.

2238
03:04:43,340 --> 03:04:56,340
 The communication that that I looked at talked about getting through traffic. I would just offer an opinion that, you know, the, the real dialogue is, is about construction.

2239
03:04:56,340 --> 03:05:18,340
 You know, and no need for us to hide from that message. It's not like people won't notice, you know, like, that there's that I think the logo of improving Denton really speaks to that, you know, that there's a lot going on because we're improving Denton, and, you know, ways will help us all get through it together, you know, that's kind of messaging that I would encourage.

2240
03:05:18,340 --> 03:05:22,340
 I also want to ask, Stephanie, is this the first time you've presented?

2241
03:05:22,340 --> 03:05:27,340
 Yes.

2242
03:05:27,340 --> 03:05:30,340
 Any other comments? You made it.

2243
03:05:30,340 --> 03:05:33,340
 Thank you.

2244
03:05:33,340 --> 03:05:35,340
 All right.

2245
03:05:35,340 --> 03:05:54,340
 So yeah, thank you. So it looks like we'll close that item and open item D receive a report about the plan roadway updates for Parkway Street slash Oakland Street from Carroll Boulevard to withers Street.

2246
03:05:54,340 --> 03:06:01,340
 I do not have a presentation on this but I think it's more of a very generic talk.

2247
03:06:01,340 --> 03:06:22,340
 Parkway is a really small segment of street which stretches between Calhoun Mill on one end through Carroll Boulevard, Elm and Locust and then it turns around becomes Oakland Drive and then meets the campus so we're talking about the TW campus.

2248
03:06:22,340 --> 03:06:36,340
 Currently it is a very wide roadway between Carroll and all the way where it connects to withers. It is about 43 feet wide, two lanes in each direction.

2249
03:06:36,340 --> 03:06:49,340
 And when we look at the traffic volumes currently does not really warrant that kind of capacity, but particularly given this short stretch as it goes in.

2250
03:06:49,340 --> 03:06:59,340
 Staff conducted studies with warrant analysis for Elm and Locust signals and determined that it does not really meet the word.

2251
03:06:59,340 --> 03:07:10,340
 Back in the day when this particular intersection signals were installed. It had quite a bit of traffic commuting back and forth and that's the reason it was installed.

2252
03:07:10,340 --> 03:07:20,340
 Current demands, change in land use, change in traffic patterns, do not warrant a traffic signal at Elm and Locust along Parkway.

2253
03:07:20,340 --> 03:07:42,340
 So what we've done is submitted the analysis to tech start requesting that we will remove those traffic signals go back to stop signs. And then, in addition to that, we're also planning on a reduction in capacity which is a road diet, going from a four lane section to a three lane section.

2254
03:07:42,340 --> 03:07:51,340
 What that would help us do and let me see if I can pull quickly pull a picture for that particular item.

2255
03:07:51,340 --> 03:08:02,340
 What that would allow us to do is actually use the additional capacity or the width that's available there to add in bike lanes on either side.

2256
03:08:02,340 --> 03:08:21,340
 So right from Carol all the way to withers where it turns around. We plan on adding a bike lane on either side, creating a two way median lane, and then having two lanes of travels which are enough.

2257
03:08:21,340 --> 03:08:27,340
 These intersections at Elm and Locust will be converted into stop sign along Parkway.

2258
03:08:27,340 --> 03:08:40,340
 Given the volumes along Elm and Locust, and then the Parkway volumes, similar to other streets that cross Elm and Locust south of the downtown area.

2259
03:08:40,340 --> 03:08:48,340
 It will continue working Mulberry has a similar situation. I think there are stop signs on Mulberry.

2260
03:08:48,340 --> 03:09:01,340
 So that is the request at this point is, if we can move forward with, if we can move forward with a road diet along this particular segment.

2261
03:09:01,340 --> 03:09:11,340
 We have received concerns. I do want to point out we have received concerns at this particular section of Congress and Oakland Street.

2262
03:09:11,340 --> 03:09:22,340
 Due to this curve, there are two travel lanes and people traveling along these travel lanes and people that are trying to leave Congress.

2263
03:09:22,340 --> 03:09:26,340
 There is a really sight distance issue.

2264
03:09:26,340 --> 03:09:35,340
 So if you're in these lanes traveling northbound and someone from Congress wants to make a left, there's no area for them to have a refuge.

2265
03:09:35,340 --> 03:09:44,340
 So what that would do, what the proposed option will do is actually create this refuge area for anyone that's leaving Congress.

2266
03:09:44,340 --> 03:09:50,340
 Travel from one side, get into the refuge area and then merge safely onto the other side.

2267
03:09:50,340 --> 03:09:57,340
 So it's a two step process for addressing some of the existing concerns.

2268
03:09:57,340 --> 03:10:17,340
 And there's also concerns about crossing pedestrians crossing this particular section here. And what we think will help is that the new configuration will really help to use that median two wheel left turn area for pedestrians to take a break while they can look in either direction and continue crossing.

2269
03:10:17,340 --> 03:10:28,340
 So the proposal today is to provide direction for staff to move forward with this alternative.

2270
03:10:28,340 --> 03:10:34,340
 That's what the bricks I saw first.

2271
03:10:34,340 --> 03:10:39,340
 I'm glad I'm very, very for the road diet.

2272
03:10:39,340 --> 03:10:44,340
 But if you could just help me understand a little bit better, maybe go zoom into the sections.

2273
03:10:44,340 --> 03:10:51,340
 So we're removing the traffic signals and will it be a four way stop or just a two way stop.

2274
03:10:51,340 --> 03:10:56,340
 It will be a two way stop. Okay, along Parkway.

2275
03:10:56,340 --> 03:11:11,340
 Okay. And so because people go down Elm and Locust, then we're putting bike lanes in which is encouraging more biking.

2276
03:11:11,340 --> 03:11:18,340
 There won't be any specific like crossing signal to help to help them cross.

2277
03:11:18,340 --> 03:11:39,340
 There wouldn't be any crossing signal, but we can look at other options. I mean, if, if the, we have, we currently have the single infrastructure, so we can move forward but something as to help them provide a separate signal or a flashing light that would help.

2278
03:11:39,340 --> 03:11:50,340
 If they, if the bikers show up and then bike lane, we can detect them and the flashers can go on. We have existing conduits. So if needed, we can add more safety.

2279
03:11:50,340 --> 03:11:56,340
 And then I guess I, the, the light up at, is it?

2280
03:11:56,340 --> 03:12:09,340
 There McKinney will pause the traffic enough so that there'll be plenty of time to cross. That's the whole idea is there are gaps in traffic that are created by the signal up at McKinney.

2281
03:12:09,340 --> 03:12:17,340
 That would help traffic that's trying to cross Parkway. I'm sorry, trying to cross Elm.

2282
03:12:17,340 --> 03:12:42,340
 Okay. And that's going to be the same way at the on the other side, the available site distance on the other side is way down the street. So you have enough space in this area to really wait at this location and there is no obstruction at this particular corner for anyone that's traveling in this direction or the other direction.

2283
03:12:42,340 --> 03:12:45,340
 Okay.

2284
03:12:45,340 --> 03:13:00,340
 Yeah, I think this is, you know, right on the money in all particulars. I very much appreciate the idea builds from cuts member breaks and a little bit of a question around the Congress and

2285
03:13:00,340 --> 03:13:12,340
 by the only Fowler parking lot there is, would you be inclined to mark a crosswalk.

2286
03:13:12,340 --> 03:13:25,340
 Since we're not adding stop signs on Oakland, it's not recommended to Marcus crosswalk. There will be crossing available people can actually use a crossing but it won't be more. There are two different things.

2287
03:13:25,340 --> 03:13:42,340
 People do get into under the false pretends that if it's marked, I'm protected, and I can just walk in. Whereas, if there's a, there's obviously a crossing here that people can actually cross is just that it's not marked.

2288
03:13:42,340 --> 03:13:46,340
 And we don't want to give them a false sense of security.

2289
03:13:46,340 --> 03:13:50,340
 Did you say there's going to be, you're going to put a median here.

2290
03:13:50,340 --> 03:13:55,340
 Is that what you said, there will be a lane.

2291
03:13:55,340 --> 03:14:04,340
 Okay, and I see cars parked all along here is that where is a bike link going to be on just the one side on Oakland.

2292
03:14:04,340 --> 03:14:09,340
 So I think, let me see.

2293
03:14:09,340 --> 03:14:15,340
 Because I also know people park along the side for the park as well.

2294
03:14:15,340 --> 03:14:22,340
 What, how wide it is but we haven't designed it so we have a design will have better idea. Okay. Thank you.

2295
03:14:22,340 --> 03:14:28,340
 Please bring it back so we can have a dispute about it.

2296
03:14:28,340 --> 03:14:46,340
 That's how you get my dark man in here.

2297
03:14:46,340 --> 03:15:01,340
 Wides out to three lanes, or one becomes a right term. Correct. Where does that what okay widens there can we also look at keeping that two lanes he only have, if you are doing a pedestrian crossing. There's only two lanes that you have to get across as opposed to three.

2298
03:15:01,340 --> 03:15:18,340
 Yes, we can just kind of move forward where that will we widen the three lanes this south of. Yes, we can definitely look at it there's currently no parking allowed in this particular segment, this last block, but there's parking allowed just north.

2299
03:15:18,340 --> 03:15:20,340
 And that's what takes up the third lane.

2300
03:15:20,340 --> 03:15:26,340
 So we can definitely look at the lane drop.

2301
03:15:26,340 --> 03:15:37,340
 This particular lane starting. Yeah, it starts at south of the intersection as opposed to just more and that was Congress where's Parkway.

2302
03:15:37,340 --> 03:15:50,340
 Yeah, just in that segment between Parkway in Congress, if we reduce that to just two lanes going through their pedestrians having to cross only have two lanes they have to cross as opposed to three.

2303
03:15:50,340 --> 03:15:56,340
 So, lessens the distance, thereby making it quicker that they can get across.

2304
03:15:56,340 --> 03:16:01,340
 Yes.

2305
03:16:01,340 --> 03:16:21,340
 Okay, thank you. You know, I'm going to suggest is we're going to end up doing a special called meeting on on Forest Ridge, that we pick up item E, and that one as well in case we want to come and talk about bike and pedestrian issues, and with our remaining five minutes, do item G.

2306
03:16:21,340 --> 03:16:43,340
 Now, just, just think about who might show up. So, so let's, let's go ahead and quickly look at item G was receive an updated report and hold a discussion regarding the North Central Texas Council of government's policy bundle program.

2307
03:16:43,340 --> 03:17:05,340
 Okay, good afternoon chair and committee members I'm Katie welch with capital projects. So today we wanted to give you another update on the policy bundle application that we submitted to the Council of Governments.

2308
03:17:05,340 --> 03:17:13,340
 So just a very quick overview we submitted our application back in April of this year.

2309
03:17:13,340 --> 03:17:32,340
 If we meet half the policy recommended policies we get some transportation development credits, and we will find out in July, whether you know that we you know basically in the official approval, and then figuring out our next steps from the Council of Government so we're just kind of in that waiting period right now.

2310
03:17:32,340 --> 03:17:44,340
 But we did speak last time about starting to go into more detail on the policies that we weren't currently meeting, and just talking about some of the next steps we can take that for policies that are good for the city.

2311
03:17:44,340 --> 03:18:02,340
 What we're currently doing and what we can do to get us to to meet the policy goals. So today we decided to go ahead and talk about employer trip reduction. And so basically the Council of Governments one of the policies in their application was they recommended that entities,

2312
03:18:02,340 --> 03:18:20,340
 specifically city should work with their major employers and commuters to employ to promote employer trip reduction programs and then also, also promote using alternative commuting strategies, just to help reduce traffic and air pollution in the community and in North Texas.

2313
03:18:20,340 --> 03:18:36,340
 So some of the things that they recommend that the city, the city does is to promote, not only within the internal organization at the city of Denton for our employees but also external private industry that we have here at the city to promote telecommuting and flexible

2314
03:18:36,340 --> 03:18:54,340
 work schedule schedules, potentially subsidizing transit passes for employees so that they can, you know, take buses or ride DCTA to work, encourage carpooling biking and walking, as well as utilizing a website called try park it.com.

2315
03:18:54,340 --> 03:19:01,340
 So those are just kind of an overview of some of the things they recommend that the city of Denton promotes throughout the community.

2316
03:19:01,340 --> 03:19:06,340
 And so I wanted to go in a little more specifically to try parking it.com.

2317
03:19:06,340 --> 03:19:33,340
 So what this is, is it's a free website, created and provided by Council of Governments that helps people link up and match up with ride sharing services so you can kind of find a partner online to carpool with vanpool with maybe someone wants to walk to work and you want to go with them so it links you up with other people who are trying to basically find alternate commutes for their for their working day.

2318
03:19:33,340 --> 03:19:43,340
 So it allows you to do that, but it also allows you to log your commutes, your alternate commutes on a daily basis so you can see through this website.

2319
03:19:43,340 --> 03:19:53,340
 Employees can see how much gas they've saved how much money what reduction in air emissions that they've that they've done by commuting or by alternate commuting methods.

2320
03:19:53,340 --> 03:20:16,340
 So it's really cool. And then on top of that it allows the individual employee using this to gain real points which can be cashed in for rewards through they say Council government says you can get rewards through like maybe discounts with businesses or they provide some different reward incentives as well so it's got a lot of cool features to it.

2321
03:20:16,340 --> 03:20:18,340
 Let me see if I had.

2322
03:20:18,340 --> 03:20:30,340
 And so, the Council of Governments it's a free thing that both the city of Denton could implement through throughout the organization but also promote to other businesses throughout the community.

2323
03:20:30,340 --> 03:20:43,340
 They typically recommend 100 plus employee organizations utilize this. And so, they'll come and they'll give you all the promotional material they'll come even on site if you ask them and help you get it, get it started.

2324
03:20:43,340 --> 03:20:48,340
 So, so there's a lot of cool features with that.

2325
03:20:48,340 --> 03:21:05,340
 So what we wanted to recommend today, kind of get y'all's feedback on see if you wanted to look at some next steps for this is to provide maybe some informational material both to city staff within our organization, as well as some information packets we could pass out to private

2326
03:21:05,340 --> 03:21:19,340
 within the city. Just first of all about alternative routes that exists in the city of Denton so you know some of our DC ta routes bike pedestrian trails, and then also to promote this try parking it calm and give them the resources they need to reach out

2327
03:21:19,340 --> 03:21:21,340
 to call get that set up.

2328
03:21:21,340 --> 03:21:34,340
 So that was our first recommendation. And then our second recommendation is to go ahead and see what next steps are for internal use within the city of Denton employees to try this try parking it calm.

2329
03:21:34,340 --> 03:21:47,340
 So I did talk with the point of contact at Council of Governments and they're in the process right now of getting a revamping the site, but it should be live ready for reuse.

2330
03:21:47,340 --> 03:21:53,340
 August 1, so they said this would be a good time to kind of get on that new platform that they're going to be releasing.

2331
03:21:53,340 --> 03:22:05,340
 So, that's recommendations for for that particular policy, and y'all can stop me at any point if I have questions.

2332
03:22:05,340 --> 03:22:24,340
 No, I'm in favor of this just with the recent list of 42 employees over 60% of them commute, and do not live here and didn't so this would be really important for us to, to get to city staff and just so that we can do do better.

2333
03:22:24,340 --> 03:22:31,340
 I mean I think it's going to be really important. If we can create other ways besides individual cars coming in.

2334
03:22:31,340 --> 03:22:44,340
 So, I also concur, especially the idea of sequencing it by having this city staff kind of kick the tires on it, so to speak.

2335
03:22:44,340 --> 03:23:02,340
 First, then I wonder if, in terms of bringing it out to the business community. If I might be wrong here but would it fit, do you think within us, like a common program with that one and maybe you can remind me what it was called is a green sense you have that thing that was presented to us and committee on the environment.

2336
03:23:02,340 --> 03:23:14,340
 We were going out to businesses where they sort of get points for doing business program I wonder if you know, it might become part of that communication, just otherwise you get so many different separate.

2337
03:23:14,340 --> 03:23:29,340
 Yeah, efforts you know against the same target gets difficult. Yeah, definitely can definitely look into that I think our next step for getting this information to the businesses is getting like a packet together cog provides some resources that we can use plus create some of our own that are

2338
03:23:29,340 --> 03:23:37,340
 branded with your city of Denton trails and here's the resources you have within the city so we can definitely get looped in with the green business program.

2339
03:23:37,340 --> 03:24:00,340
 See if there's some synergy. Well, yeah, this is all very, you know, innovative and helpful and really appreciate the, appreciate the work.

2340
03:24:00,340 --> 03:24:11,340
 Pick up the remaining items that are next meeting meeting item and staff reports. Okay, we'll just clean up a metrics. There are a couple things that I noticed but we'll bring it back to the committee.

2341
03:24:11,340 --> 03:24:17,340
 Next time we'll meet. Great. Okay, so we're adjourning at 1232.