Mobile GR Commission Meeting

Mobile GR Commission 50 Ottawa Ave. NW Minutes Packet Grand Rapids, MI 49503 August 4, 2022 @ 12:00 PM Mobile GR and Parking Services Conference Room I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 12:00 PM by Vice Chair Richard Winn PRESENT: Lunger, Judd, Winn, Monoyios, Mathis, Patton, Rayzel, Nyenhuis, Bennett, Kasper, Naramore, Gilles, Terpstra, Miguel-Cipriano, Anderson ABSENT: Jones (Excused), Wells (Excused), Parkes, Clark (Excused), Kampmeier (Excused), Batzer (Excused), DeLong (Excused) II. Approval of Minutes Approval of Minutes from June 2, 2022 RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] YEAS: Lunger, Judd, Winn, Monoyios, Mathis, Patton, Rayzel, Nyenhuis ABSENT: Patrick Parkes EXCUSED: Joseph D. Jones, Lynee Wells, Craig Clark, Ben Kampmeier III. Public Comment on Agenda Items IV. Action Items V. Discussions 1. National Community Survey • Jennifer Kasper summarizes the National Community Survey discussion item. • Commissioner Winn asks how the survey response rate compares to other cities. • Kasper responds that staff will find out and get back to the Commissioner. • Commissioner Monoyios asks about the “ease of parking” section and if the question related to increase in supply, or the perception of more parking because trips had become less frequent. • Kasper responds that this was a resident survey and staff are not sure how much of it was influenced by the pandemic. For example, if a lot of people were working from home, the downtown areas might have more parking, but the residential areas might have had less. 2. Shared Micromobility Pilot Evaluation and Next Steps • Kristin Bennett summarizes the Shared Micromobility Pilot Evaluation and Next Generated 8/24/2022 03:14 PM Mobile GR Commission Meeting Full Page 2 August 4, 2022 Steps discussion item. • Commissioner Monoyios asks if data is available that says what time of day trips are occurring. Specifically, if there were opportunities to connect with transit. • Bennett responds that the nature of many of the trips were recreational. Bennett says that staff has all the data on the trips, including times. 3. On-Street Residential Disability Parking Survey • Jennifer Kasper summarizes the On-Street Residential Disability Parking Survey discussion item. • Commissioner Monoyios asks about the fee-based question, which 40% said they did not want to pay any fee, and what the reason staff thought was for those responses. • Kasper responds that the respondents did not seem that it was fair to pay for parking. 4. Spotter Application • Vishnu Mano and Colin Cooper summarize the Spotter Application discussion item. • Commissioners commend Mano on the work done and Mano’s poise and presentation. • Commissioner Monoyios asks if the project can integrate with on-street parking. • Mano responds that yes it can, and the current project goal is to integrate it with flowbird’s on street parking data withing Grand Rapids. VI. Updates 1. August 2022 Project Updates VII. Public Comment on Other Matters • Tai Verbrugge, 2nd ward resident, gives public comment. Verbrugge is advocating for more protected bike lanes across the City. Verbrugge says he regularly bikes as a form of transportation to get to work, and he doesn’t feel particularly safe biking in the road. Verbrugge says that federal reports indicate that traffic fatalities are surging, and he has a lot of anecdotal evidence to support that. Verbrugge says that last week a SUV in Ionia crashed into a group of bikers, sending three to the hospital and killing two others. Verbrugge says that if they are not safe when in a large, visible group, you cannot feel safe as an individual biker. Verbrugge emphasizes that he is requesting protected bicycle lanes, ones that are separated from the automobile traffic. Verbrugge says that he sees a lot of bicycle infrastructure being co-opted by cars. Verbrugge says that he sees trucks parked in bicycle lanes, causing him to swerve into the road, he has seen the Rapid driving through bicycle lanes, because the road is too narrow. Verbrugge says that when snow is plowed in the wintertime, the snow is often left Generated 8/24/2022 03:14 PM Mobile GR Commission Meeting Full Page 3 August 4, 2022 blocking the painted bicycle lanes. Verbrugge says that he wishes cyclists were not treated as an afterthought or addition to cars, and cars would no longer be given free reign over bicycle infrastructure. VIII. Commissioners Comments IX. Adjournment The meeting was closed at 1:15 PM Generated 8/24/2022 03:14 PM