City of Houston Bicycle Advisory Committee met April 28

City of Houston Bicycle Advisory Committee met April 28.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Call to Order: Chair Tom Compson called the meeting to order at 2:32pm with a quorum present.

Roll Call:

Tom Compson, Chair (P)

Alejandro Perez, Vice Chair (P)

Tracy Alexander (P)

Zion Escobar (A)

Adam J. Williams (P)

Sandra Rodriguez (A)

Com. Kristine Anthony-Miller (P)

Beth Martin (P)

Lisa Graiff (A)

Trevor Reichman (P)

Jessica Wiggins (P)

Yuhayna Mahmud (P)

Nick Hellyar (P)

Judith Villarreal (A)

Amar Mohite (P)

Mike VanDusen (P)

Ana Ramirez Huerta (P)

Nikki Knight (A)

Robin Holzer (P)

Veon McReynolds (P)

Ex-Officio Members:

Ian Hlavacek (A) (Lauren Grove attended for HPW)

David Fields (P)

Juvenal Robles (P)

1) Chair’s Report

• Chair Compson welcomed new BAC members Trevor Reichman, Tracy Alexander, and Nikki Knight to the committee.

• May is Bike Month, with all events held virtually.

a) Bike to Wherever Day is May 21st

b) BikeHouston is hosting a virtual summit throughout the month. BAC members, elected officials, and government staff will be speaking at various panels during the summit.

c) The Lisa Tory Smith Act pass the Texas Senate. It is now with the calendar committee to be voted on by the House before the governor can sign into law.

2) Public Comments

• Trevor Reichman: the City needs to prioritize the maintenance and upkeep of the bike lanes. When existing lanes are full of debris and hazards, the image stays with residents whenever new lanes are proposed. When a major artery like the MKT Bridge over White Oak Bayou is out of commission it is a large obstacle for cyclists.

• Dr. Veon McReynolds: HPW should consider more signage for detours when construction is occurring. He used the bridge closure at Almeda and MacGregor as an example.

• Kevin Strickland: the Nicholson bike lane near 17th Street needs better marking because vehicles are parking in the bike lane.

3) Bikeway Fatalities and Serious Injuries Year-To-Date, Commander Kristine Anthony Miller

• In 2021 there have been 3 bicycle fatalities; 76 crashes involved bicyclists

4) Bikeways Update

• During discussion it was proposed a future Infrastructure Subcommittee meeting could be used to bring together implementers of bikeway projects for better tracking and coordination.

5) Prioritization Results

• Staff member Brian Smith II presented the methodology and draft results for prioritizing the next wave of bicycle facilities to be built. 90 miles of bikeways were ranked as high priority (Priority 1A = 45 miles; Priority 1B = 45 miles). The BAC was asked to provide comments on important “gap” connections and corridors—areas of high importance but not listed as high priority per the data. A deeper dive will be done during the Infrastructure Subcommittee meeting in May.

6) H-GAC’s Cycling Savvy Course

• The Cycling Savvy Course is live on https://houston.cyclingsavvy.org/

7) No Parking in the Bike Lane Update

• As of April 27, 2021:

a) 39 citations issued

b) $1300 collected in fines

c) 2 completed training in lieu of fine

• Staff took note of Kevin Strickand’s public comment and will recommend ParkHouston increase their presence in the area.

8) Wellness on Wheels, Rene Gonzalez [RESCHEDULED FOR JULY BAC MEETING)

9) Announcements

• The East End Bike Plan survey closes April 28. Please share and give feedback at https://eastendbikeplan.com/share-your-ideas

• Bike to Wherever day is Friday, May 21

• Next Meetings:

a) Infrastructure Subcommittee: May 26

b) Education Subcommittee: June 23

c) Bicycle Advisory Committee: July 28

There being no further business brought before the Committee, Chair Compson adjourned the meeting at 5:08pm

https://houstonbikeplan.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BAC-Minutes_April-2021.pdf