BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 6
TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
JANUARY 17, 2013
ATTENDANCE:
D. ABRAHAM J. ARMER W. BLUM
M. CHIRICO J. COHN D. GIULIANO
D. GORDON S. LONIAL E. MCCLURE
T. MISKEL G. REILLY R. RIGOLLI
M. SILVERMAN R. SLOANE J. THOMPSON
M. VERRET
EXCUSED:
E. ANDERSON A. MCKNIGHT
ABSENT:
D. DECOSTANZO K. KRASE M. PETTIT
GUEST:
C. HRONES – REP. FROM DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
***MINUTES***
Meeting called to order at 6:35pm.
Presentation and discussion with representatives for the Department of Transportation on the new commercial bicycling education and enforcement program.
Presentation I - DOT Commercial Bicycle Education and Enforcement Program
DOT will be holding 2 forums, one on 1/23 at St. Francis College and the other on 2/21 at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange (5th Ave, 8th Street). These are geared towards business owners to educate them on the program.
The program has the goal of educating business owners, who will in turn educate their employees who ride bikes as delivery people to follow the requirements for cyclists, which include: helmets, wearing of a visible 3-digit ID number, reflective vest with business name and ID number visible, bell or audible device, front and back lights, reflectors, brakes and business name on cycle.
They also want to make it clear that delivery people must follow all traffic laws, yield to pedestrians, travel with traffic, stop at lights and signs, not travel on sidewalks and signal for turns. They are in the works of designing a course on-line for this as well, but DOT will not be enforcing the laws, that will still fall to NYPD. DOT is educating owners on laws and expecting them to follow.
Q&A
Roger: Where does one obtain a bike ID? Ans: Self-made by the business, just need to have relevant DOT required info on them.
Bill: Are electric bikes under the program? Ans: They are currently regulated as bikes, no difference.
Jerry: How will outreach be done? Ans: Working with BIDs, canvassing businesses.
Matt: is this coordinated with NYPD? Ans: NYPD can contact DOT if they have questions, but not directly coordinated.
Gary: Why aren’t e-bikes regulated separately? Ans: Not sure, that is a NYS DMV issue.
Roy: Are penalties for rider or business? Ans: Businesses can get a ticket from DOT for not educating their employees but tickets by NYPD are given to individual riders.
Bill: Are there parking regulations (if not please include in the program)? Ans: DOT has tried to provide as much bike parking as possible on commercial strips, but we can look into it.
Eric: When does enforcement start? Ans: April 1, 2013
Jerry: How are we directed to self-police? Ans: 311
Judith: What are the liability issues on the business? Ans: Not sure about insurance issues.
Committee asked for a report back in a few months to see how the program was going.
Presentation and discussion with representatives for the Department of Transportation on the City’s pedestrian wayfinding initiative.
Presentation II – Pedestrian Wayfinding program
Issue: Many individual BID’s and non-profits city-wide have taken it upon themselves to create wayfinding signage in their specific neighborhoods over the years and they don’t match with each other. DOT has decided to make a universal wayfinding system that will be approved by the PDC and will match citywide. This is the pilot. The goal is public place-making, not shopping guide. Maps are based on walking distance times (average determined by DOT). Immediate scale shows 5 minute walking distance, pan out shows wider area. The design follows the subway signage design, white on black
Map is oriented to show what is front of you, not always “North is Up” Will be placed mid-block
Q&A
John: Is there an app? Ans: There will be one.
Jerry: Who will maintain and clean? Ans: They will be easily cleanable - BID or institution would be charged with cleaning and maintaining.
Eric: Citywide goal? Ans: Yes, but no timetable as of now.
Roy: Who’s paying? Ans: There is currently Federal money, private money, member item money and BIDs.
Bill: Is this tied to the Bike Share? Ans: Every Bike Share station will have one of these wayfinding stations.
Doug: Will there be ads? Ans: Not yet determined.
Marco: What happens to existing signage? ANS: It will be removed once this is ready.
Bike Share Update: The NYC Bike Share Program will begin in May, 2013, but on a much smaller scale. Phase I will encompass 5,500 bikes citywide. Brooklyn CB6 is planned for Phase II, and DOT will report back on locations.
Future Transportation Issues Committee would like to take on: 1. Smith-9th Subway Station 2. Traffic around the arena 3. Freight Tunnel 4. Electric Bicycles 5. Red Hook Ferry Stop 6. Express F Train 7. 4th Avenue Redesign 8. Equitable Transportation Plan
Future Pubic Safety Issues Committee would like to take on: 1. Street Light Outages a. Coupled with 311 calls, record streets where lights are out and send in monthly letter to DOT for repair.
2. Increased Security around Smith-9th Subway Station 3. Arena Safety Report a. Crime Stats b. 78th Precinct report 4. Parking enforcement on game days (hydrants, etc.)
5. Database and network for senior, disabled and homebound for future disasters (opt-in program) Minutes of the previous meeting held on October 18, 2012 were unanimously approved.
Meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM
Minutes were submitted by Sayar Lonial.