Metro East Sun

City of Edwardsville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee met Sept. 3

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Edwardsville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee was held at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall located at 118 Hillsboro Avenue in Edwardsville, Illinois.

1) ROLL CALL:

Present Absent

Aaron Newcom, Chair Theresa Pauli

Emily Morrison, Vice Chair

Danielle Adair, Secretary

Paul Brazier

Ashley Cox

Bryan Frost

Colin Gibbons

Evie Hemphill

Mason Schaefer

Jason Stacy

Breana Buncher, Staff

Cathy Hensley, Staff

Ryan Zwijack, Staff

II) PUBLIC COMMENT: None.

III) APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Brazier made a motion to approve the minutes of the August meeting, seconded by Frost. Motion passed unanimously.

IV) OLD BUSINESS:

a) Recent Successes

i. Bike Rack Grant Program- The Policy subcommittee approved the first grant application to the Madison County Historical Society. Two more applications have been received from Cafe Birdie and 222 Artisan.

ii. Criterium Community Ride- Approximately 50 folks participated and seemed to enjoy it. Logistics seemed to work.

iii. Bike and Hike- Many people visited the Bike & Hike booth in August. Mostly positive feedback was received. Additionally, several people signed up to be Bike Bus drivers.

iv. Week without Driving Sign-up "Launch- Registration is active and individuals have signed up, including City officials. Hensley wants to post some about registrants thus far to help encourage others to sign-up too.

b) E-Bikes/E-Scooters & BPAC-Newcom requested that the committee consider its role in the broader discussion- marketing efforts, safety, etc. Gibbons recommended starting at community engagement. Stacy concurred and recommended reminding the community about the responsibilities of all cyclists in a positive, constructive manner. Hemphill recommended highlighting positive examples of e-bike users, in the style of "Humans of New York" posts. Newcom suggested a good time for such a campaign could be during "National Bike Month" in May. Hemphill volunteered to coordinate some Education subcommittee efforts after the Bike Bus concludes.

V) NEW BUSINESS:

a) Adopt an Intersection Discussioni.

i. Buchanan and Vandalia- Zwijack shared that the turn lanes exist because of the truck routes and required turn radius for the largest class of semi-truck. Any changes will require a full intersection change design survey. Zwijack said that Ameren does not consider the shared-use and sidewalks a function of the roadway and therefore will not relocate poles at the City's request, however it may be possible to go through IDOT. The City is also looking into updating "franchise agreements" with utilities for ADA considerations. Zwijack does not believe that the signals currently keep records of pedestrian requests to cross; that information would likely need to be gained via a pedestrian count study. Zwijack does not know if IDOT has policy to allow pedestrian walk sign irrespective of pedestrian use of the beg button for their signals. The City would need to acquire right-of-way in the name of the State to utilize some of the landscaped areas on local business property. The businesses could donate the property, but all the paperwork with the State is still required. A warning sign may be possible, but would need to meet MET standards and have IDOT approval. A sign on park property could be possible, but would require review of the City Attorney. State Representative Katie Stuart has the power to appropriate state funds to projects.

ii. Madison and Franklin - Zwijack said that the crosswalks should be painted soon since the contract runs through the end of September. Zwijack will review the design plans for Franklin for speed limit specifications and signage options. Zwijack will also review signage options for highlighting pedestrian right-of-way. An intersection table is proposed for Franklin and Madison- further funding is needed. Speed bumps are currently not recommended by IDOT or the City due to likelihood of vehicle damage, but the City is not opposed to speed tables.

b) Upcoming Events

i. Bike and Hike (9/20) - The Policy subcommittee will advertise the Bike Rack Grant Program and also wants to do a map with opportunity to provide feedback about problematic areas. They will also distribute swag and helmets.

ii. Bike Bus (9/19, 9/26, 10/3) - Hemphill shared that MCT will donate sunglasses and critter books. The Cassens route could use additional drivers. Gibbons shared bike rack access issues at Woodland. Adair recommends Hemphill evaluate the issue and consider reaching out to the school to propose an alternative location if possible.

iii. Week without Driving (9/29 -10/5) - The Community Engagement subcommittee wants to use the Slow Down Town logo so that items purchased could be used for other events. They considered t-shirts and Nalgene bottles as options. Cox recommended utilizing $250 toward Nalgene bottles for this year and planning farther ahead next year.

c) Week without Driving Swag - Morrison moves to approve $250 for the purchase of Nalgene bottles; seconded by Stacy. Motion passes unanimously.

d) Halloween Parade - Newcom invited the committee to consider participating in the parade. Buncher will determine possibility of using Marketing budget for candy purchase. Adair recommends stickers if candy is not possible. Committee will discuss at the October meeting.

e) New Subgroups Updates

i. Education & Safety - Hemphill believes we may need to order 4-5 more vests for everyone to have one. Buncher thinks it could be possible to order and receive before the event; asked Hemphill to reach out and invoice Buncher.

ii. Policy & Infrastructure - Nothing further.

iii. Community Engagement - Nothing further.

VI) INFORMATIONAL

VII) ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to discuss, Adair made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Schaefer. Motion passed unanimously.

https://www.cityofedwardsville.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_09032025-3822