Meeting Notes: May 6, 2015

Meeting Notes, Bike Mansfield, May 6, 2015

Attending: Palmer, Hultgren, Waldburger, Manizza, Yakovleff, Swanson, Van Zelm

The meeting began at 6:33 PM and introductions were made.

The Sunday morning rides proposed for May 17th and June 21st were discussed. Dave W. and Lon H. can lead/sweep the June 21st ride (day after the Tour de Mansfield), and Dave P. can register people and sweep on May 17th. A ride leader is needed for May 17th. Hultgren will cross post an email on the Bike Mansfield list and the Thread City List to see if someone will be able to lead the ride on the 17th. Starting time 8:30 AM, 20 mile no-drop ride which should be over by 11:00.

Summer workshops on July 8 and 15 are in the summer Town recreation brochure. July 8th will be a repeat of the April 22nd riding techniques workshop taught by Dave W. and July 15th will be similar to the April 8th minor maintenance workshop and taught by Aaron P. Start time is 7 PM for these hour and a half classes. Hultgren will ask Dave Gosselin if he could do another flier that could be posted around and put on the website.

Hultgren reported that the complete streets policy draft was well received by the Town’s Transportation Advisory Committee which edited it, endorsed it and sent it to the Town staff for further review and eventual submission to the Manager and Council for adoption. The “May is Bike Month” proclamation was also endorsed by the TAC and sent to the Manager for adoption by the Council. Due to out of Town travels and the need for advance planning, no specific Bike Month activities will be undertaken this year by our group – with a note for us to start planning activities for 2016 in January or February.

The Town’s sidewalk ordinance revisions are now with the Mansfield Town Attorney. After his review, it will likely go to the Manager and Council for hearings and adoption. There was some discussion about the use of sidewalks for bicycles at all. Some members think it is a bad idea anywhere and any time. Others (including your note taker) think that some rules need to be established for bicycles that are going to use the sidewalks in Storrs Center whether we like it or not. This discussion will continue!

Hultgren said that he had emailed the President of the UConn cycling club to coordinate advocacies, but it is now finals time and he has not responded as yet. Manizza plans to meet with the UConn Transportation Planner to discuss bicycles on campus, including the need for more bicycle parking.

Bicycle Friendly Community Activities were discussed, including:

ENFORCEMENT

Meeting with the Town’s Resident State Trooper on bicycle-related enforcement (Hultgren obtained a 2 page summary of CT bicycle laws and regulations that can be used to start the conversation). Hultgren will schedule a date, probably some time in June, for this meeting and let Taylor, Manizza, Palmer and Yakovleff know –so they may attend as well.

SHARROWS, ROUTES and PARKING IN STORRS CENTER

Hultgren will contact the Engineering tech who coordinates the Town’s striping program to see when the sharrows and bike markings will be repainted (they are all substantially faded due to the long winter). He asked that others contact the Director of Public Works asking when the restriping will take place, the status of the bike route sharrows in Storrs Center and the need for more bike parking in Storrs Center. Van Zelm will contact the Chair of the Storrs Center Parking Steering Committee to see if bicycle parking in Storrs Center could be added to its next meeting (July 15th).

MASTER PLANNING

We need to begin the process of getting a bicycle master plan written (and adopted) for Mansfield. Hultgren suggested members of the group do some research to find a small community bike master plan that is not too short and not too long that Mansfield could use as a template for its own plan. He said he would then schedule a meeting with the Town Director of Planning to discuss how best to get this planning started. Taylor, Manizza and Palmer said they would be interested in attending this meeting. South Windsor was suggested as a possible template plan.

Yakovleff reported on his progress in getting a feasibility study and cost estimate for the Hollow to Hollow bike lane project. He said that since the Mansfield TAC had endorsed the project, what is needed now is for the Town Manager to request in writing the assistance of CROG staff in the planning. Hultgren said the Manager was given this information after the April TAC meeting. Yakovleff said he would follow up with him.

Yakovleff also reported on youth bike activities he is planning, including a bike clinic on Saturday morning June 13th at which he could use some additional skilled and non-skilled bicycle mechanics, and a June 6th ride on the East Bay bike path in Rhode Island. Nord’s email address is Nordy177@gmail.com. Please contact him if you are interested in the ride or the clinic.

Bike Mansfield T-shirts were discussed. Hultgren said that he had an estimate of a full-color logo on the front, black arrow and “3 feet please!” on the back from the UConn Coop of $12.50 per shirt with a 50 shirt minimum. Members suggested that a proof of the design be emailed to the Bike Mansfield mailing list and posted on the website for review and to take pre-orders. Hultgren will contact the coop for a proof. A price of $15 per shirt for Bike Mansfield members was discussed, with a $20 cost to non-members. (Note: At this time if you are on the Bike Mansfield website generated mailing list, you are a member!)

The structure of Bike Mansfield was discussed briefly. Members present favored the idea of becoming a Chapter of BikeWalkCT, if indeed BWCT establishes chapters. Manizza will contact the BWCT Executive Director to determine the status of its Chapters.

The meeting broke up about 7:40 (once again slightly over our 1 hour time limit).

LRH Acting Scribe5/7/15