[00:00:01]
RIGHT.[1. Welcome & Introductions]
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.UM, AND WE, UM, HAVE A FORUM EVEN THOUGH WE'RE MISSING TWO PEOPLE.
SO JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
UM, THIS, DO YOU WANNA GO AROUND THE TABLE SINCE WE DO HAVE SOME, A GUEST? UM, I'M DEANNA TROUBLE.
I AM, I WORK WITH THE NEW BERN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.
I'M WITH THE NEW BERN METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AS WELL.
TREY FEREN, CANDIDATE FOR WARD ONE.
ALDERMAN WORKED FOR ALL BOARD ONE, ALL OF THEM.
THEN WHEN THE MEN, MARY, UH, OH, MARY.
[2. Public Comment]
A PUBLIC COMMENT AND ALL OF OUR MEETINGS, IF THERE'S ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP.WE USUALLY HAVE YOU GUYS, WE USUALLY HAVE LIKE SIX PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC ON AVERAGE, AND THEY DO LIKE TO SPEAK AT, LIKE, IT IS MORE ENGAGED COMMITTEE THAN SOME OF OUR BOARDS.
WE NOT, MAYBE IT'S TOO HOT OUTSIDE FOR PEOPLE TO GET OUT.
[3. Approval of Minutes – April 7, 2025]
NEXT ONE.UM, SO, UM, HOPEFULLY OF THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 7TH MEETING WERE DISTRIBUTED ABOUT A WEEK AGO, HOPEFULLY THE MEMBERS THAT HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM.
UM, AND AT THIS TIME IF THERE'S NO CORRECTIONS, WE'LL LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO ADOPT.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A QUESTION AND A SECOND.
AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, WONDERFUL.
[4. Board of Aldermen Presentation Update]
WE WANTED TO KIND OF REVIEW WHERE, WHAT HAPPENED.IT'S BEEN A COUPLE MONTHS SINCE WE'VE LAST SAW EACH OTHER.
UM, SO WHEN WE MET BACK IN APRIL, YOU MAY RECALL THAT, UH, WE WERE KIND OF CHARGED, UM, THE COMMITTEE CHARGED STAFF OF MAKING A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
AND THAT OCCURRED ON APRIL THE EIGHTH.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE KIND OF REVIEWED KIND OF WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS, WE WENT VERY DELIBERATE THROUGH THE BIKE AND PED PLAN.
WE REVIEWED ALL THE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS, WE PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS COMMITTEE AS, AS THEY, UM, IDENTIFIED IN THE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHMENT.
AND WE WERE ALSO SEEKING DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD THAT, UM, UP TO THIS POINT WE WERE KIND OF LOOKING FOR NEXT STEPS.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO LOOK AT WAS, UM, THAT THIS COMMITTEE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDRAISING.
UM, AND WE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND STAFF HAD KIND OF CAUTIONED THE COMMITTEE THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO ENGAGE WITH THE BOARD FIRST BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT POSSIBLE FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND YOU MAY RECALL THE FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES.
WE WERE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO JAR, YOU KNOW, TO GET MONEY STARTED ON HOW DO WE CAN ADVANCE SOME OF THE SMALLER PROJECTS.
WE HAD SOME IDEAS WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT THE EMERALD AISLE, UM, WHERE A TOWN WHERE THEY HAD CREATED SHIRTS, WHICH THEN LED TO SELF, SELF-FUNDED TRAIL.
UM, AND WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OUR AREA HERE.
WE WERE ALSO LOOKING FOR KIND OF A NEXT AREA FOCUS.
WE FELT LIKE, UH, AS A COMMITTEE THAT WE KIND OF EXHAUSTED WHERE WE WERE AT, WHERE WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE LIST OF PROJECTS, BUT IT'S KIND OF HARD TO ADVANCE ANYTHING MORE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY MONEY TO DO SO.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO WERE ASKING FOR REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD.
SO THANK YOU ALDERMAN PRO FOR VOLUNTEERING TO BE, UM, A COMMITTEE MEMBER, AN ALDERMAN.
AND SO, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE PRESENTED THIS, UM, TO THE BOARD, UM, HENRY WAS THERE WITH US AND WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF PRESENT ALL THIS INFORMATION.
THERE WASN'T MUCH CONVERSATION FROM THE BOARD.
UM, THE, THE BIGGEST, UH, FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT, THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE COST OF SOME OF THESE ITEMS WERE, WHICH, UM, AND YOU MAY RECALL, I SAID, I CAN GIVE YOU A SWAG NUMBER, BUT IT'S NOT ANYTHING TO PUT YOUR HAT ON.
YOU KNOW, UM, IT, IT WOULD BE A VERY HIGH LEVEL BUDGET NUMBER THAT COULD GO WAY UP OR WAY DOWN.
UM, GEORGE AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, THE PLATFORM THAT WE USED TO ESTIMATE, AND WE FELT THAT IT WASN'T, UM, UH, SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO SHARE, BUT THEN ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND SO FOR INSTANCE, IF I ASKED YOU HOW MUCH DOES THAT COST? AND YOU GAVE ME, IT'S A HUNDRED DOLLARS, THAT'S THE NUMBER I'M GONNA REMEMBER.
BUT IN REALITY, IT MIGHT WEIGH MORE LIKE 500.
AND SO WE WERE, GEORGE AND I WERE CONCERNED THAT IF WE THREW OUT A NUMBER, THAT'S THE NUMBER WE'RE GONNA GET STUCK ON, BUT WITHOUT REALLY HAVING A DEFINED SCOPE OF WORK.
UM, AND TRENT BOULEVARD IS, OR TRENT ROAD IS THE, THE PRIME EXAMPLE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BIKE AND HEAD PLAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERNS.
WE DEFINITELY WANT TO ADD THE BIKE LANES AND THEN SIDEWALKS.
BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL
[00:05:01]
OF THAT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT MAYBE WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT FOR THE ROAD ITSELF FOR THE FUTURE.AND SO IT'D BE REALLY SHORTSIGHTED TO FOCUS JUST ON THE, UM, THE ROAD WIDE OR THE, THE, UM, BIKE LANES WITHOUT LOOKING AT IT AS THE TOTALITY OF THE PROJECT.
SO, UM, WE DIDN'T GET AS MUCH DIRECTION AS WE HAD HOPED.
UM, THE MAYOR HAD SUGGESTED THAT THE COMMITTEE REACH OUT TO SENATOR BENSON SINCE HE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS RULING BEHIND ESTABLISHING THIS COMMITTEE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY, ANY GUIDANCE THAT HE COULD OFFER, UM, POSSIBLY ANY MONEY THAT HE COULD, UM, GIVE TO THE BOARD TO, TO KIND OF ADVANCE A TOPIC.
SO WE'RE REALLY, UM, FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF STUCK IN MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND KIND OF WHAT THAT NEXT STEP IS GOING TO BE.
SO WE REALLY ARE LOOKING AT THE COMMITTEE TO KIND OF HELP GUIDE US.
ABBY'S GONNA TALK NEXT ABOUT THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY CONTINUE ON, BUT WE KIND OF WANTED TO PAUSE HERE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE KIND OF A MORE OF A CONVERSATION ON MAYBE WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS COULD BE.
WHAT ARE THE THOUGHTS ON THE COMMITTEE? 'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING YOUR EXPECTATIONS AS A VOLUNTEER TO THIS COMMITTEE, THAT THESE MEETINGS ARE FRUITFUL, THAT WE'RE MOVING, THAT WE'RE ADVANCING, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES THAT WE FEEL, WE FEEL THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S WORTHY OF YOUR TIME.
SO IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE GUESSING AT A NUMBER, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP ON, LET'S SAY THE TR THE TREND IS THAT THE NEXT ONE ON THE BOARD THAT WE'RE THINKING IS NUMBER ONE? WELL, IT, IT, IT GETS BACK TO WHERE DO YOU WANT TO FOCUS IF YOU WANT.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO GO THE NEXT BIG PROJECT THAT PROBABLY THE MOST COST, UM, MOST COSTLY WOULD BE THAT PROJECT.
IF, IF WE DID THAT PROJECT, THEN THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE DOING LIKE A FEASIBILITY STUDY.
THE FEASIBILITY STUDY WOULD ALLOW YOU TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU WANT VERSUS THE NEEDS AND WHAT ARE YOUR CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, ANOTHER APPROACH MIGHT BE TO TALK TO THE CENTER.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT SUGGESTION.
AND HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT'S THE PART OF THE POSSIBLE, WHAT'S REASONABLE AND WHAT'S NOT REASONABLE.
AND THAT MIGHT GUIDE US IN ONE PARTICULAR DIRECTION.
DO YOU THINK WE'LL BE GETTING HIS OPINION, BUT I MEAN, HE'S BEEN ATTENDING THESE, RIGHT? SO HE KNOWS.
HE, BEFORE HE GOT, UM, ELECTED, HE WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE TO THIS COMMITTEE.
SO I THINK HE'LL, IT'LL BE PARTIALLY HIS OPINION, BUT ALSO HAVING BEEN IN THE SEAT FOR WHAT, LIKE HALF A YEAR NOW, HE'LL KNOW THE MM-HMM
I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT OPINIONS.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT BIG IS JUST UNOBTAINABLE, SO LET'S JUST FORGET IT.
AND I'M, I'M JUST FORCING MY OPINION.
BUT I THINK THAT NO MATTER WHO WE SPEAK TO, I THINK WE NEED TO GO ON THE NEXT STEP.
WE NEED TO, IF WE NEED TO GET A FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHY WOULD WE NOT DO THAT? AND AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR FOCUS OF THIS COMMITTEE WANTS TO BE.
SO DIDN'T WE DECIDE WHICH THING WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON? SO YES, THE, THE COMMITTEE IDENTIFIED THE TOP THREE PROJECTS AND THAT THOSE WERE IDENTIFIED BASED ON, UM, WANTS AND WITHOUT IT, YOU KNOW, ANY NO THOUGHTS ON THE COST UNSTRAINED, IT WAS JUST WHAT DO WE WANT? RIGHT? UM, AND THAT'S GREAT 'CAUSE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SET THAT GOAL OR THAT VISION.
BUT IF NOW MIGHT BE THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTAINABLE.
UM, THINGS LIKE MAYBE WAY FINDING SIGNAGE OR CREATING, UM, UH, TRAIL CONNECTIVITY, SIDEWALK PATHS, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE COMMITTEE.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WE'RE NOT REALLY MAKING ANY IMPROVEMENTS AS FAR AS, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WHAT, WHY COULD, WE COULD DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A LARGE PROJECT AND THEN WORKED TOWARDS ONE OF THE SMALLER PROJECTS, DO SOMETHING TOWARD A LARGE AND SOMETHING TOWARDS A SMALL.
AND SO A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR TRENT, UH, WOULD RANGE, DEPENDING ON THE, IF YOU WANT THE WHOLE LIMITS OF TRENT, I THINK GEORGE, WE WERE TALKING 75 TO ONE 50 ISH.
AND IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH DETAIL YOU GET IN, BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FEASIBILITY AND YOU ARE LOOKING AT, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO WHERE WE'RE NOW CONSTRICTED BY AN EXISTING RIGHT AWAY, UM, ALREADY BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, ALREADY BUILT UTILITIES AND EXISTING ROADSIDE GROUND.
SO A CHANGE IN THAT ONE IS COSTLY, VERY COSTLY.
BUT AS YOU DO A FEASIBILITY PLAN, YOU WANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FUTURE GROWTH OF THAT ROAD.
SO WE'RE NOT BACK IN THIS SPOT 25 YEARS FROM NOW, WE'VE DONE A FEASIBILITY STUDY, WE BUILT A ROAD, AND NOW WE'RE 25 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD AND IT'S TOO SMALL.
[00:10:01]
DOESN'T, UM, CONNECT PLACES OR IT DOESN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HOLD THE VOLUME OF ROADS OR THE TRAFFIC.AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE, I WOULD ANTICIPATE WITH THE 43 CONNECTOR COMING IN, UM, THAT MORE USE OF TRIP MAY HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY THIS BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY TO SIDE SLIP PART LUTHER, CAN WE GET DOWN? SO WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO OUR A DT NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE 40 BRICK CONNECTOR IS THEN COMPLETED, SO, OKAY, SO WHEN YOU SAY 1 50, 200 FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO IT'S 75,000 TO 150,000 TO DO THE STUDY.
AND THE STUDY, ALL THE STUDY DOES IS DOCUMENT EXISTING CONDITIONS AND IT EVALUATES ALL YOUR ALTERNATIVES.
SO WE MIGHT SAY WE WANT ROAD WIDENING WITH PIPE DITCHES, A BIKE LANE AND SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES.
AND WE SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL TO DO THIS, IT'S GONNA COST THIS MUCH.
OR WE'RE LIKE, OH, THAT'S TOO MUCH.
LET'S GO AND PUT SIDEWALKS ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND MAYBE NOT WIDEN THE ROAD.
AND THEN IT JUST JUSTIFIES THE WHY.
SO WHEN YOU'RE GETTING READY TO GO FOR FUNDING, WE ALREADY, WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD COST ESTIMATE AND WE'RE ABLE TO SUBMIT THAT PROJECT.
NOW THE, THE PROS OF TRENT IS THAT IT IS ON WHAT'S CALLED THE FEDERAL AID ROUTE.
UM, AND SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S A LOCAL ROAD, IT IS A ROAD THAT WE CAN SUBMIT FOR, UM, UH, POTENTIAL SCORING AND FUNDING THROUGH NC DOT'S PRIORITIZATION PROCESS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GETTING FUNDED.
THAT JUST MEANS IT GETS TO COMPETE WITH ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS IN THE STATE.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE MIGHT THINK IT'S CONGESTED AND WE MIGHT THINK WE HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW.
AND SO WE COULD SUBMIT THE PROJECT, BUT IT'S NOT, THE LIKELIHOOD OF IT GETTING FUNDED ARE REALLY LOW.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT NOW FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, SO THAT BEING SAID, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A HIGH PRIORITY PROJECT, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO IN THE SHORT TERM WITHOUT GOING TO THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY FEASIBILITY.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA DO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, OUR BEST BET IS EITHER TO PARTNER WITH NC DOT OR TO HIRE A CONSULTANT AND HAVE THEM DO, UM, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT MATCHES NC D T'S REQUIREMENT THAT WAY.
SO IF YOU WERE TO PARTNER WITH NC DOT, THEN THEY HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WE WOULD BE PAYING FOR? OH, NO.
WE, WE WOULD, IF WE WOULD EITHER, EITHER, EITHER WE PARTNER WITH DOT AND WE USE ONE OF THEIR CONSULTANTS, OR WE GO OUT AND USE OUR OWN CONSULTANT EITHER WAY, DO T'S AT THE TABLE WITH US.
SO I, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING, JUST WANT CLARITY.
WHEN WE PARTNER WITH NNC, DOT, THEIR, HOW DO WE PAY THEM? HOW IS THE MONEY COMING INTO IT? JUST DEPENDS ON WHO'S TAKING THE LEAD.
SO, UM, IF WE TAKE THE LEAD, THEN WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR IT.
IF NNC DOT TAKES THE LEAD, THEN THEY WOULD BE PAYING FOR IT.
IS ANYONE ELSE CONFUSED? NO, BUT TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE, NO, I, I MEAN I UNDERSTAND YOU, I'VE DONE CONTRACTS AND BIDDING BEFORE, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME, NO MATTER WHICH ROUTE WE GO DOWN TO AVOID YOUR SCENARIO WHERE WE PAINT OURSELVES INTO A CORNER ON UNFORESEEN DEVELOPMENT, ANYTHING WE DO SHOULD HAVE THAT BIG MASTER PLAN.
SO THAT, THAT I WAS GONNA COME TO THAT AFTER I UNDERSTOOD THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
I STILL DON'T KNOW IF WHETHER THEY PAY FOR IT OR WE PAY FOR IT, NC OR US, WHO ARE WE PAYING? THE CONSULTANT.
THE CONSULTANT WOULD, EITHER WAY THERE'S GOING TO BE A CONSULTANT THAT'S ABOUT 150,000 TO $200,000.
BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY.
DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH THANK YOU.
THAT'S JUST 75 TO ONE 50 IS JUST KIND OF THE GENERAL RANGE THAT WE GIVE OURSELVES.
UM, BUT ONCE WE HAVE A DEFINITIVE IDEA OF SCOPE WISE, THEN WE CAN GO OUT AND GET THAT ESTIMATE.
SEE, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE JUST USING LIKE FUNDS FROM, UH, A SALARY FROM AN UBER ASSOCIATE.
DO YOU SEE THAT'S WHY I JUST WANTED YES.
WE WOULD UP UNDERSTAND BEING THE CONSULTANT.
THE CONSULTANT WOULD DO ALL THE WORK.
AND, UM, THE CITY, THE MPO AND DOT WOULD BE AT THE TABLE.
SCOPING OUT THE PROJECT AND REVIEWING ALL OF THE, UM, THE OPTIONS.
FOR BEARING WITH ME, ME, THANK THAT'S OKAY.
SO NOW CAN, NOW I WANT TO GO OVER HERE AND SAY, SO HOW LONG, WHEN IS THIS ON THE BOOKS? THE 43? IS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT THE, THE 43 CONNECTOR FROM MY MEETINGS WITH DOC WILL BE LEFT IN JULY, MEANING THEY PUT OUT THE BID AND THEN THEY SHOULD START CONSTRUCTION JANUARY MORNING.
AND HOW LONG DO THEY EXPECT THAT TO BE? I'VE HEARD 18 TO 24 MONTHS.
[00:15:01]
AND I MEAN, AND SO TO GEORGE'S POINT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TRAFFIC'S, HOW, WHAT THAT, HOW THAT'S GONNA IMPACT SEVEN OR, UM, TRENT, THE OTHER OPTION THAT, UM, GEORGE AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT AND LIKE, WELL MAYBE DEPEND IF, IF MAYBE WE NEED TO FORCE ALL THE TRAFFIC BACK TO 17, LET'S MAKE FOCUS ON IMPROVING 17 AND LEAVE TRENT AS A TWO LANE, PUTTING IN SOME TRAFFIC CALMING TO SLOW DOWN THE TRAFFIC MM-HMMWHICH WOULD MAKE IT SAFER FOR THE, SO THAT'S ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE THAT WOULD BE EVALUATED FOR THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE, I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY FOR THAT YET.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PLAN FOR IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE ONE, WE NEED TO HAVE MONEY IN ORDER TO, TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.
BUT THAT BEING SAID THOUGH, AND A LARGER, LARGER IDEA IS WHAT DOES THE COMMITTEE WANT TO WORK ON THAT, THAT TO FOCUS ON FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR? MM-HMM
HAS THE COMMITTEE BEEN FOLLOWING, UM, THE BOARD'S PROGRESS, THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN'S PROGRESS ON THE PROPOSED BOND ARGUMENTS? YES.
GEORGE HAS BEEN GIVING THEM UPDATES.
UM, AND SO ARE YOU LOOKING AT, THROUGH WORKING WITH GEORGE, ARE YOU LOOKING AT ANY POSSIBLE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN COMPONENTS COMPONENT OF THE, THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF THE BOND PROJECTS, ASSUMING THE BOND BOARD AND IT GETS APPROVED BY THE BOARD AND ULTIMATELY GETS APPROVED BY THE VOTES? YES.
AND, AND ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR PROJECTS IS, AND THIS IS HOW EVERYTHING IS RELATED IN INFRASTRUCTURE OF ROADWAY.
WE HAVE IN ONE OF OUR STORMWATER ITEMS IN THAT STORMWATER BOND, UM, OAKS ROAD.
SO THERE IMPROVEMENTS WERE RECOMMENDED IN THE SECTIONS, OAK OAKS ROAD THAT EITHER DON'T HAVE ROADSIDE DRAINAGE BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT'S THAT ROAD, THE INTERSECTION OF SIDE STREETS, RESIDENTIAL FLOOD WILL, IT WILL ALLOW US TO PUT SOME STORM PIPE DOWN THOSE ROADS, WHICH NOW WE'VE GOT STORM PIPE, WE'VE GOT ROADSIDE DRAINAGE, BUT ALSO ALLOWS US A SPACE TO PUT EITHER A SIDEWALK GRAY, MULTI EAST PATH.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A PLACE, WELL IF, IF NOW WE'VE ACCOMMODATED THE STORMWATER, WE TACKLE THE BIG COSTLY ISSUE WITHIN EXTENDING SIDEWALK OR WIDE AND MULTI-USE FOR WITHIN THE EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY, IT'S MUCH MORE FEASIBLE DOLLAR WISE.
AND SO WE DID, AND OAK ROAD WAS ONE OF THE PRIMARY ROUTES I BELIEVE THAT, THAT Y'ALL HAD PUSHED FOR IS OBVIOUSLY ON BLACK AND DEAD FLAG.
OUR GOAL IS TO SOMEHOW GET US WHERE YOU CAN GO FROM AUSTIN CREEK ALL THE WAY TO MAR MARIETTA TO MARKS AND THAT WOULD BE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE RIGHT DOWNTOWN.
THAT'S SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF OUR INTERNAL GOAL TO GET THERE.
BUT WE'RE STUCK RIGHT AT THE BRIDGE AT D SMITH CREEK RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
AND THEN WE HAVE TO TACKLE THE INSIDE DITCHES AND DRAINAGE DOWN OAKS.
HOW IS DRAINAGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BICYCLES.
HOW IS DRAINAGE GONNA HELP? I MEAN, THAT ROAD IS LIKE TWO FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERSECTIONS.
THE ROAD THAT THERE'S NO PLACE FOR SURFACE WATER, EITHER IT SOAKS IN OR SITS IN, EVAPORATES IN THE HEADS OF THE INTERSECTIONS.
SO WE HAVE OUTLETS, MEANING THERE DITCHES EITHER TIED TO RINGS OR JACK SMITH THAT, THAT WE CAN START CUTTING DITCHES AND INSTALLING PIPES.
NOW GRANTED THE WATER TABLES SO HIGH AND ARE GONNA BE BIG PIPES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE WATER OFF THE ROAD AND THAT PIPES IN THE GROUND, THERE'S NO DITCH.
WE CAN HAVE TO PLACE THEIR SIDEWALKS.
AND, AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT MARTIN MARIETTA IS A PART OF THESE PROPOSED BOND ORDINANCE, I MEAN FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS AT MARTIN MARIETTA, UH, A KEY QUESTION IS, WELL, HOW ARE PEOPLE GONNA GET THERE? UM, SO THE, THE THE OAKS ROAD PROJECT, UH, POTENTIALLY IS ONE MEANS OF PROVIDING BETTER ACCESS TO AND FROM THE PARK FOR PEDESTRIAN AND OR CYCLISTS.
WOULD THAT INCLUDE A CORNER OF A MILE OF GLEN BURN AS WELL? WE, WE COULD DO THAT IN COOPERATION WITH DOT.
THAT PORTION OF RIGHT OF WAY IS DOT, BUT THERE'S ADEQUATE RIGHT OF WAY.
WE'VE LOOKED AT WHICH SIDE IS BEST.
OBVIOUSLY WE'D RATHER TRANSFER THE TRAFFIC AT A SIGNALED INTERSECTION, EVEN THOUGH THAT ONE'S TIMED RIGHT NOW TO GET US ON.
THE, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE WEST SIDE, TO THEN BE ON THE MARTIN AREA AT A DRIVEWAY SIDE.
SO YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT CROSSING MIDBLOCK OR HAVING TO CROSS IN FRONT OF THE DRIVEWAY.
SO, SO THAT IS OUR, OUR THOUGHT PROCESS NOW.
BUT WE'RE A LONG WAY LINEAR FOOT WISE FROM JACKSON CREEK TO GET TO MARTIN MARIETTA.
[00:20:01]
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA, YOU ALL AS A COMMITTEE HAVE YOU HAVE GREAT PLANS, GREAT VISION, AND SAME WITHIN TRAFFIC.YOU HAVE THESE PLANS AND FUTURE PLANNING FOR, YOU MAY NEVER SEE THE PLANS YOU DO, BUT IF YOU DON'T PLAN NOW, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN IN 25 YEARS.
IT WILL NOT BE THERE FOR THE NEXT PERSON THAT WANTS TO BICYCLE A SIDEWALK AREA BECAUSE IT, IT TAKES SO MUCH EFFORT.
UM, PRIOR TO GET TO THAT POINT.
DO YOU THINK BACK WHEN THEY DESIGNED, DESIGNED ALL THE STREETS THAT THEY HAD PROOF IN MIND FOR THE TOWN 'CAUSE UP? 'CAUSE IT'S ALMOST LIKE, LIKE TRENT ROAD, IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEY, THEY HAD NO GROWTH IN MIND FOR TRENT ROAD OR A LOT OF OTHER PLACES IN, IN TOWN.
TRENT ROAD WAS CALLED WILMINGTON HIGHWAY.
FROM NEW BURNS WI INTERESTING.
SO TRAFFIC PLANNING, PROBABLY NOT.
IT WAS ACCOMMODATING HORSES AND CARRIERS
I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PECAN GROW OUT THERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IS THAT TRUE? BACK IN THE DAY? NOT THAT OLD.
ULTIMATE, I MEAN, YOUR, YOUR INSIDE BASEBALL KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THE MONEY AND WHAT WHAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR LEVERAGING OTHER INITIATIVES IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
WELL, AND AND TO ANSWER AND QUESTION, AND THIS IS MY MY ANSWER.
UM, WHEN ANY ELECTED BODY IS LOOKING AT MAJOR PROJECTS MM-HMM
AND SAY A, A MAJOR ROADWAY GOING IN AND LOOKING AT THE COST, THEY'RE LOOKING AT TODAY'S NUMBERS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT 25 YEARS, 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
NO GUARANTEE IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SO, AND, AND, AND IF THEY WERE TO DO THAT, THEN, THEN WHAT ARE THE PROJECTED NUMBERS TO BUILD IT OUT TO ACCOMMODATE THIS POSSIBLE FUTURE NEED? AND THE NUMBERS ARE ASTRONOMICAL? WELL, IT PROBABLY MORE THAN IT IS NOW.
ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE NOT, GENERALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
THEY, THEY DON'T PLAN FOR THAT LONG IN THE FUTURE.
OH, MAYBE WE CAN BUCK THAT TREND.
BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, I I GUESS JUST TO KIND OF ANECDOTALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HOW, HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT? AND, AND IN THIS CASE THE ELEPHANT IS THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN THAT HAS QUITE OF GREAT INFORMATION, UM, UM, OPTIONS, UM, THAT COULD BE DONE.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY OR THE WILL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL OF THAT.
UM, SO HOW DO YOU EVEN NOW FIT WELL, ONE BITE AT A TIME MM-HMM
SO LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT DIRECTION THE CITY IS MOVING IN.
AND THIS BOND ORDINANCE IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN, IN QUITE A WHILE.
TO TRY TO PIGGYBACK ON TOP OF THAT TO GET SOME SMALLER PROJECTS DONE.
IT'S GONNA BE PIECEMEAL AT BEST, BUT IT IS A START.
WELL THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS MY, UM, THOUGHT.
NOT SAY AS WELL AS YOU, BUT THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF WHERE I WAS GOING AS WELL.
WE, WE NEED A PRACTICAL APPROACH THAT THAT DOESN'T WORK IN ISOLATION ON OTHER INITIATIVES THAT IS GOING ON.
AND OH, BY THE WAY, SINCE THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT, SOMETIMES YOU COULD SPEND, UH, A LOT OF MONEY, BUT GET, UM, TWICE AS MUCH DONE.
IF YOU DO TWO THINGS IN, IN, UH, PARALLEL AS OPPOSED TO DO TWO SEPARATE ISOLATED EFFORTS, THAT'S ONE THAT COSTING A LOT MORE AND MAYBE NOT EVEN BE AS EFFECTIVE.
I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT INPUT HAS THE COMMITTEE RECEIVED, IF AT ALL, FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE? SO, UM, SINCE THE INCEPTION OF OUR MEETINGS, AS JESSE MENTIONED BEFORE, WE TYPICALLY HAVE HAD FIVE TO SIX PEOPLE ON A REGULAR ATTENDANCE COME AND PROVIDE INPUT.
AND TRENT'S BEEN THE NUMBER ONE BY FAR THE NUMBER
[00:25:01]
ONE, UM, PROJECT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE BY IN PEDESTRIAN ACCOMMODATIONS.UM, AND THEN FROM THE STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE, UM, GEORGE AND CARRIE ARE BOTH, UM, THEY COME TO THE MEETINGS AS WELL.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE LOTS OF REPRESENTATION FROM THE CITY WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH PROJECTS AND, AND ADDING BY
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD, UM, MEMBERS, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM DOT COMMUNICATED BACK SOME CONCERNS AND SAFETY.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ITEMS AS WELL.
OR WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THE COMMITTEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DOT HAS TAKEN FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
I KNOW, I KNOW THE CITY, THIS IS A WHILE.
WHILE BACK, UM, THE CITY HAD THIS BICYCLE RIDE THAT THEY ALL MET AT UNION POINT PARK AND THEY HAD THIS MAP, A MAP OF THE WHOLE AREA, HAD THE BRIDGES, EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND AT THE END OF THE BIKE RIDE, THEY HAD THE COMMUNITY CIRCLE WHERE THEY THOUGHT NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS FOR BICYCLE BIKEABILITY IN THIS TOWN.
I THINK IT WAS PEDESTRIANS TOO, BUT, UM, MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
DO A BIKE RIDE AND THEN WE COULD, WE COULD DO HELMET FITTING AT THE, AT THE THING.
I KNOW THIS COMMITTEE'S, UH, FITTED HELMETS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO, UM, BUT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO A STUDY AND I, I DON'T THINK THEY, UM, THEY ALL THE MONEY WENT TO SOMEPLACE ELSE.
SO THE, THE ONLY THING I WOULD CAUTION ABOUT DOING, UM, A THE A BIKE AUDIT OR A WALKABILITY AUDIT IS ONCE YOU PUT IT OUT THERE AND YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION, NOW THE CITY IS POTENTIALLY LIABLE FOR ANYTHING.
NOW THEY KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM AND THEN IF THEY DON'T FIX IT, THAT PRESENTS SOME ISSUES.
UM, AND I THINK GEORGE CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A BAD IDEA, BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO TEMPER EXPECTATIONS THAT, UM, THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SEE SOME ACTIONABLE ITEMS. AND TO DATE WE'VE DONE WHAT WE COULD CONSIDERING THAT WE, OR WE HAVE, THERE'S NO MONEY TO DO ANYTHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MM-HMM
UM, AND SO WE'VE LOOKED FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
LIKE WE DID THE BIKE RODEO LAST YEAR.
WE DID A BIKE RODEO RODEO THIS YEAR.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
WE ARE JUST NOT HITTING THE, THE LARGER MARKET THAT WOULD HELP ADVANCE SOME OF THE CONVERSATION.
BUT YOU AS MEMBERS ARE OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
I MEAN, YOU'RE THE ONES WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OUR CHAMPIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU WANTED, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ABBY'S GONNA PRESENT THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY ADVANCE THOSE.
BUT WE, WE NEED YOU AND YOUR OTHER FRIENDS AND ADVOCATES TO HELP KIND OF CONTINUE ADVANCE THAT.
IF WE WERE GONNA DO SOMETHING LIKE A BIKE AUDIT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE DEFINITELY WOULD NEED HELP FROM THE COMMITTEE.
[5. Pedestrian Safety Campaign]
THAT CONVERSATION AND THAT'S 'CAUSE ABBY'S GONNA SHARE SOME MORE INFORMATION THAT MIGHT SPARK SOME MORE IDEAS.YEAH, I HAVE A LOT OF SIMILAR TOPICS COST OVER, SO THAT MIGHT HELP.
UM, SO I DID MAKE SOME SOLUTIONS AND GATHER SOME DIFFERENT WEBSITES.
UM, I'VE GOT RALEIGH AND CHARLOTTE.
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT REALLY COMPARABLE SIZE WISE TO LITTLE AND UBER, BUT UM, THIS IS BIKE RALEIGH'S WEBSITE.
UM, THEY'VE GOT ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT INFORMATION.
THEY'VE GOT AN APP THAT HAS UM, TRAIL FINDING, WAY FINDING DIFFERENT, UH, BIKE PATHS.
THEY HAVE A E-BIKE REBATE PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE UM, ALL THEIR PLANS AND THEN THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
UM, AND THEN OVER ON THE SIDE THEY HAVE SOME SAFETY TIPS, HOW TO NAVIGATE DIFFERENT BIKE LANES, UM, THEIR CURRENT BIKE PROJECTS, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS FOR BIKES AND HOW THAT RELATES TO TRANSIT.
I LIKE HOW THEY DON'T MAKE IT THIS BIG LONG LIST THAT'S OVERWHELMING OF HERE'S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO ON TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THE ROAD.
IT'S JUST, IF YOU WANT THIS INFORMATION YOU CAN GO HERE.
UM, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO DO, OBVIOUSLY COST WOULD NEED TO BE A FACTOR FOR THINGS LIKE THE APP, UM, OR A WAY FINDING.
OR WE COULD DO SOME SORT OF JUST GENERAL MAP ON GIS, THAT'S AN OVERLAY AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COST EFFECTIVE
[00:30:01]
AS LIKE A WAY FINDING.UM, BUT THAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD TAKE FROM THIS AS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO AND COST-EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT.
DID YOU TALK TO RILEY AT ALL ON THIS? I HAVE NOT, NO.
UM, BUT I LOOKED THROUGH THEIR MINUTES AND GO BACK TO THE POWERPOINT.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WAS THEY DO A BIKE RETREAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY DO EVERY YEAR IS THEY HAVE THEIR BIKING AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE GO TOGETHER ON A BIKE RIDE.
AND THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO.
IT'S THEY GO ON THIS BIG RETREAT.
OBVIOUSLY WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT JUST A SIMPLE BIKE RIDE.
AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE SPEAKERS THAT COME TO EACH OF THEIR MEETINGS JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OUT OF THE MEETING RATHER THAN WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE GOING FROM HERE? UM, THEY HAVE DOT COME, THEY HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM VISION ZERO, WHICH FOCUSES ON SAFETY AND THEN THEY HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM THEIR TRANSIT AUTHORITY AS WELL ON THE BOARD.
UM, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE COULD REACH OUT TO CARTS OR THE AIRPORT, UM, AS WELL.
THEY ALREADY WORK WITH THE NPO SO IT WOULDN'T BE HARD TO REACH OUT AND ASK FOR THEIR INPUT.
UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DO.
AND THEN, UM, MIKE CHARLOTTE IS ALSO ON HERE.
UM, THIS IS THEIR WEBSITE AND IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME THING.
THEY FOCUS ON THEIR BIKE LANES.
BIKE PATHS, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE BIKE AND UM, ADVISORY COMMITTEE WEBSITE.
AND THEN THEY FOCUS ON WHERE YOU CAN FIND BIKE RACKS AROUND THE CITY AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN THEY'VE GOT ALL THEIR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
BUT WHEN I WAS TRYING TO BUILD OUT THE WEBSITE, I GOT ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH AND I WAS LIKE, I HATE HOW THIS LOOKS.
UM, SO I WANTED TO GET YOUR INPUT ON WHAT YOU LIKE FROM THESE WEBSITES, WHAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD INCLUDE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW AT THE LAST MEETING WE REALLY ONLY SAID WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE SAFETY, BUT WHAT OTHER THINGS DO Y'ALL WANT TO SEE ON THE WEBSITE AS PART OF THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN? I THINK THE ROUTES IS A GREAT IDEA.
ANYTHING ELSE? I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE BIKE RACKS.
WE SOMEHOW WE COULD, YOU KNOW, SO I'VE LIVED TO OTHER PLACES OBVIOUSLY, BUT IN PENSACOLA THEY HAD BIKE RACKS ON EVERY STREET CORNER JUST ABOUT.
AND YOU COULD PUT FOUR BIKES UP TO ONE.
THEY LOOK LIKE A LITTLE, A BICYCLE WAS MADE OUT OF METAL.
AND THE ONE THAT TWICE PROVIDES IS GREAT.
BUT THESE WERE AT ALL THE CORNERS OF THE STREETS AND THEY WERE ANCHORED INTO THE, TO THE GROUND.
AND I, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE KNEW THAT THEY COULD LOCK, LOCK THEIR BIKES UP SAFELY, THEY WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO TO RIDE MORE IN TOWN.
SO I JUST SAW THAT WAS A GREAT THING THAT THEY DID DOWN THERE.
I HAD TO, I DRAGGED MY BIKES THROUGH MANY STORES SAYING I I CAN'T LEAVE THIS OUTSIDE.
CAN I JUST PUT IT, I KNOW I, I BROUGHT MINE INTO HARRIS TEETER AND THEY ALL HAVE A FIT.
WHEN WHEN I DO THAT, I'M LIKE, I'M NOT LEAVING MY EXPENSIVE ROAD BIKE OUTSIDE.
AND THEY HAVE ROOM TO PUT TO PUT UP A BIKE ON.
BUT LIKE IF YOU GO AND LOOK IN PITTSBURGH OR PALM SPRINGS, THEY USE THE BIKE RACKS AS STREET ART.
I MEAN THE, THE ONES AT PENSACOLA, IT WAS LIKE, IT LOOKED LIKE A BICYCLE ARTISTIC YEAH.
THE WHOLE STAR COMMUNITY I THINK.
AND I THINK WE WOULD'VE TO LOOK AT PLACES THAT HAD AVAILABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE MOST OF THE TIME, UNFORTUNATELY DISTRICT SQUARE FOOTAGE IS LIMITED ALL OUR SIDEWALKS.
BUT WE DO HAVE CITY PARKING LOTS.
LET'S MAKE THE STREETS ONE WAY AND THEN EXTEND THE SIDEWALKS OUT.
GEORGE AND I DREAM ABOUT THIS DOWNTOWN ALL THE TIME.
OUR SIDEWALK DECIDE TO HELP MERCHANDISE ON THE STREET.
THIS IS OUR ANSWER THAT TALK ABOUT EXPENSE.
BUT JUST TO TAKE OFF OF THAT, UM, AND, AND I'M NOT AGAINST LOOKING AT UM, ONE WAY STREETS DOWNTOWN.
I DUNNO MENTION THAT PLENTY OF TIMES.
UM, BUT ONE POSSIBILITY MIGHT BE TO APPROACH THE BOARD OF ALL WOMEN TO SEE IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO GIVE UP A FEW PARKING SPACES SCATTERED AROUND DOWNTOWN THAT COULD SO DECIDE WHAT COULD BE EXTENDED OUT INTO THESE MM-HMM.
PARKING SPACES AND HAVE DEDICATED I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING FOR BIKE RACKS.
THE TOWN WOULD HAVE A FIT ABOUT THAT PROBABLY IF YOU'RE TALKING AT
[00:35:01]
MOST MAYBE A HALF A DOZEN.IS IT GONNA IMPACT? YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT THE TOWN PEOPLE WOULDN'T, WOULD NOT PEOPLE ARE GONNA COMPLAIN ABOUT YEAH.
BUT IT'S A SMALLER WAY OF APPROACHING GETTING SOME BIKE RACKS DOWN.
MAJOR, MAJOR PROJECT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE.
I MEAN YOU CAN GO TO A TRADE SCHOOL AND GET WELDING, WELDING STUDENTS TO, TO BUILD BARE SHAPE LIKE RACK OR WHATEVER.
WE HAVE FOUR PARKING LOTS DOWNTOWN.
WELL I UNDERSTAND IT'S JUST LIKE PARKING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANNA PARK IN FRONT OF THE STORE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A PARK, A BIKE RACK, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR ON A BLOCK, YOU KNOW, STILL HAVE TO TO WALK THE BIKERS AREN'T AFRAID TO WALK.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW.
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE SAFE PLACE TO LOCK, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
THAT'S REALLY ALL WE CARE ABOUT.
AND IT CAN'T BE SOMEPLACE ISOLATED.
IT HAS TO BE IN FRONT OF A, SOME SOMEPLACE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD SEE SOMEONE CUTTING A WATER.
IT'S A LOT EASIER TO ACCOMMODATE IN AN ALREADY PUBLIC PARKING LOT THAT CITY CONTROLS THAN IT IS WITHIN THE STREET.
THAT THEN IMPACTS DIRECTLY BUSINESSES THAT ARE, THAT'S WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE RIGHT THERE.
BUT I MEAN THIS IS A CHEAP SOLUTION ON SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ALREADY TO, I MEAN THERE'S NO REASON WE CAN'T REQUIRE, UH, WHEN A NEW STORE OPENS.
SO IF THEY HAVE A BIKE RACK, YOU ACTUALLY GET COUNTLESS PARKING SPACES.
THIS CITY'S NOT DONE THIS YET, BUT IT IS LIKE WE'RE UPDATING AN ORDINANCE ANYWAYS.
CERTAIN NUMBER OF SPACES YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE.
HOW ABOUT THIS? WE GET THE BUSINESSES TO SPONSOR A BIKE RACK.
YOU COULD MAKE 'EM ALL THE SAME, ALL LOOK THE SAME AND GET, GET, GET THEM TO SPONSOR.
THERE'S DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME KIND OF CAMPAIGN LIKE THAT.
THAT WAS MY NEXT POINT WAS THERE'S CHARLOTTE DOES A BIKE FRIENDLY BUSINESS COMPETITION.
SO THEY MAKE ALL THEIR BUSINESSES COMPETE AND WHOEVER GETS THE MOST SPIKES IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS TO COME IN AND MENTION THIS CAMPAIGN, IT'S LIKE A FREE HANDOUT OR A FREEBIE OR A REWARD OR SOMETHING.
THAT COULD INCENTIVIZE THE BUSINESSES TO WANT TO PARTICIPATE.
PLUS YOU WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO ONLY REWARD THE WINNER.
IT COULD BE PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED ALL THE PARTICIPANTS.
SO I THINK GETTING OTHER STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED OR GETTING THESE BUSINESSES INVOLVED WOULD BE SOMETHING.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, BRINGING IN, SINCE WE'RE DOING THE ORDINANCES RIGHT NOW, MAKING IT A FORCED EFFORT THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REALLY CHANGE THE TONE.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? UH, NOT TO OVERSTEP, BUT JUST TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, TO GO TO, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING AND FUNDING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S THIS BIKE RACK ART TYPE OF, I KNOW THAT SWISS BAYER IS ACTIVELY PUTTING GRANTS FOR THESE KIND OF GATEWAY ART PROJECTS THAT COULD VERY EASILY INCORPORATE, I THINK COULD EASILY INCORPORATE A BIKE RACK.
UM, AND THEN AS PART OF THE FUNDING SOURCE, WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT DOWNTOWN, DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO THE MSD.
BUT YOU GET JOHN BURGER FROM THE BANK OF THE ARTS TO WELD THEM UP.
WELL WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
THEIR WELDING CLASSES, WELDED FENCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR US AS AS PRACTICE.
YOU DOING THEM A FAVOR? WHAT'S M MSS D THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE DOWNTOWN.
THEY DEAL WITH IF YOU, SO, SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE MSD FOR THE SWISS BAY THING OR THEY TWO SEPARATE? SO SWISS TWO SEPARATE.
THEY HAVE FUNDS AND THEY'RE PUTTING ART IN DIFFERENT S TO DOWNTOWN THAT COULD INCORPORATE BIKE RACKS.
SO HOW DO YOU GET A HOLD OF SWISSAIR? I, I WOULD REACH OUT TO THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KAREN SULLIVAN.
MELISSA RIGG WILL BE A GOOD ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THAT.
YOU COULD TALK TO HER AT THE TDA.
BUT I THINK FOR SWISS BAY I'D REACH UP TO HERE AND SELL.
AND THEN, UM, SOUNDS LIKE WE HIT A FEW THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO ADD TO THE WEBSITE, SO THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, AND THEN THESE ARE JUST SOME OTHER TOPICS THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT ADDING.
I'VE CURRENTLY DEVELOPED SOME SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FOR THESE AS WELL.
UM, BUT I POSTED IT, SAME THING EXCEPT IT WAS FOR MOTORCYCLIST WILLS OF THE ROAD AND IT GOT ACTUALLY SOME COMMENTS ON OUR PAGE FOR ONCE
IT GOT SOME SHARES, IT GOT SOME LIKES TOO.
SO IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTENT.
[00:40:01]
TCC HAS SAID, UM, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THEIR SAFETY ACTION PLAN, THAT THEY WANT TO FOCUS MORE ON THE ENFORCEMENT ASPECT OF THINGS, WHICH IS THE SAME EXACT THING Y'ALL SAID INSTEAD OF THE EDUCATION SIDE.SO I THINK THE EDUCATION IS STILL VERY IMPORTANT, JUST KIND OF AS A PASSIVE THING, BUT MAKING SURE NOT TO SHOVING DOWN PEOPLE'S THROATS.
UM, SO MAYBE JUST POSTING IT AND LETTING IT SIT THERE.
UM, AND NOT TRYING TO, HEY, YOU NEED TO DO THIS, YOU NEED TO DO THIS.
SO I WAS THINKING MORE OF A SOFTER TONE.
SOME MORE MUTED, UM, COLORS AND NOT FLASHY, UM, WOULD JUST KIND OF BE HELPFUL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS, BUT IT'S GOOD TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
UM, AND DID Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON ANY OF THESE TOPICS THAT YOU WANNA OKAY, I JUST GOTTA SAY THIS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT A SHERIFF IS BESIDES THIS COMMITTEE? YES.
'CAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHAT A FRICKING SHERIFF IS.
THEY SEE THE CHEVRONS, THE BICYCLE ON THE ROAD.
DRIVERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
SO, AND, AND AGAIN, I USED TO LIVE IN PENSACOLA, SO I'M USING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT I USED TO WORK AT A BIKE SHOP AND THEY HAD SIGNAGE THAT TOLD EXACTLY WHAT A SHERIFF WAS OR ANY, ANY MARKINGS IN THE ROAD THAT HAD TO DO WITH CYCLING.
SO, AND YOU COULD PROBABLY GET THIS FROM GET, GET IT FROM N-C-D-O-T, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO ADD IT INTO LITERATURE OF DIFFERENT PLACES, LIKE PUT POSTERS UP AND UM, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THING TO, TO DO.
SO WITH THAT, I DID LIKE A SITUATIONAL THING OF LIKE, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE LIGHT IS OUT, HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE THE ROAD AND THAT TYPE OF SITUATION.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET IN A WRECK? WHAT'S THE BEST STEP TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROAD? MM-HMM
UM, WHETHER YOU'RE A BICYCLIST, A PEDESTRIAN, A MOTORIST.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO HAVE SOME FOR DIFFERENT SIGNS LIKE YOU MENTIONED, UM, WITH SOME SIGNALS SO I CAN BE SURE IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC, I'LL DO THE SHARE AS WELL.
UM, BUT ANY OTHERS THAT WE WANT FOCUS ON, WELL, IN IN, IN TERMS OF RULES OF THE ROAD.
AND, AND AGAIN, YOU, YOU MAY HAVE, UM, DISCUSSED THIS PREVIOUSLY.
UM, DO YOU THINK MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RULES OF THE ROAD ARE WHEN YOU HAVE MOTORISTS COMING UP ON CYCLISTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE ROAD AND WHAT THE RIGHT AND WHAT RIGHTS A CYCLIST HAS? YEAH.
IN THE ROADWAY NOW I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME WITHIN AN INCH OF ME SO THEIR WHEELS DON'T TOUCH THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINE.
YOU THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO STAY IN THEIR LANE THAN TO AVOID STRIKING? THAT'S THE BIGGEST PUBLIC THING YOU COULD PUT OUT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST PART OF AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.
UM, AND AGAIN, ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE MAJORITY OF DRIVERS TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT AND TO UNDERSTAND IT? NO, BUT YOU MIGHT GET A FEW.
BUT IF THEY, IF THEY DON'T SEE IT AND READ IT AND UNDERSTAND IT, YOU ARE NOT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYBODY SOMETIMES.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE AN EDUCATION PIECE, YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW OR ARE YOU AWARE THAT THIS IS WHAT NORTH CAROLINA STATE STATUTE SAYS THE RIGHTS OF THE CYCLISTS ARE VERSUS A MOTORIST AND, AND YOU KNOW, AS MUCH WORK AS ABBY PUTS INTO, UM, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, IT'S ONLY AS GOOD AS WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEING SHARED BY OUR FOLLOWERS.
SO IF YOU GUYS ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE NPO YOU SHOULD BE SO THEN YOU CAN FORWARD IT.
UM, BUT IN THE AND AND SOME OF THAT STUFF, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO SOME PAINT SPONSORSHIPS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE NM PO CAN PAY FOR.
BUT WHAT, WHAT'S THE LAW? SEE THE 24 INCHES AND 36 INCHES YOU'RE REQUIRED BY LAW TO STAY CLEAR OF, OF UM, A BICYCLIST.
I GUARANTEE YOU 98% OF THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT.
I THINK IT'S NEAR FACT THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THEY CAN CROSS.
THAT WAS THE ONE THING WE LEARNED VERY EARLY ON IN THIS.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST UNKNOWN TO DRIVERS THAT THAT THAT IS ALLOWED.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT TOO, ABOUT PART OF THIS CAMP, THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN, ONCE WE GET IT LINE AND EVERYTHING IS PARTNERING WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY PEDESTRIAN, YOU KNOW, FOOT TRAFFIC DOWN THERE IS IF, IF WE CAN PARTNER WITH BUSINESSES MAYBE WORKING WITH SWISS FAIR TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SOME TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT THAT MIGHT BE, UM, LIKE A FLYER WITH A QR CODE OR SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GET
[00:45:01]
JUST SOME ENGAGEMENT TO GET THAT LEARNING AS THEY'RE SITTING THERE, YOU KNOW, HAVING A COCKTAIL, THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WHAT'S THAT? UM, SO, SO THOSE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING.ONCE WE KIND OF DEVELOP THE, THE WEBSITE.
THERE ARE A FEW, UM, ROAD
AND THAT TO ME THAT'S A NICE SUBTLE MUTED REMINDER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS.
WE HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS CARS AND WE'RE MORE VULNERABLE.
WELL I'VE SEEN A LOT OF CYCLISTS NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES OF THE ROAD BY ROTTING DOWN THE WRONG WAY.
THESE TWO GIRLS WERE GOING DOWN TRENT ROAD ONE DAY RIDING DOUBLE FILE, GOING THE WRONG WAY.
SHOULDN'T, AND I'M JUST LIKE, THEY DON'T HELP OUR CAUSE THAT'S, AND PEOPLE WERE HAVING TO GO, I MEAN THEY WERE HAVING TO GO WAY AROUND THEM TO UM, AND THEY WERE NOT RIDING SINGLE FILE.
NOW YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO RIDE DOUBLE FILE BECAUSE YOU'RE MORE VISIBLE THAT WAY.
BUT WITH THE, THERE NOT BEING THAT MANY BIKE LANES IN THIS TOWN, WERE FORCED TO RIDE, UM, SINGLE FILE.
BUT IF THE POLICE KNEW THE RULES, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY EVEN DO, BUT IF THEY COULD PULL SOMEBODY OVER AND YOU'RE NOT GIVING TICKETS OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST GIVE THEM GOING ON, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING WITH THE TRAFFIC AND UM, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE THEM GENTLE REMINDERS OF THE RULES OF THE ROAD FOR THE BICYCLISTS AS WELL AS THE, UH, A MOTORIST.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND IN OTHER TOWNS, THE POLICE, UM, HAVE BEEN GIVING, UM, BICYCLE LIGHTS TO CYCLISTS THAT ARE, UM, DON'T REALLY HAVE THE MEANS TO GET AROUND BY ANY OTHER.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
AND UH, LIKE Y'ALL WERE SAYING, UBER IS BICYCLE.
WE DO HAVE, WE'VE RANKED WELL, UM, THIS IS THE PICTURES FROM REDFIN, WHICH IS LIKE SIMILAR TO ZILLOW.
UH, BUT IT RANKED, UH, GREENVILLE, NEW BERN AND HABO IN THE TOP 10 FOR THE WHOLE STATE.
UM, AS AREAS THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO BE BIKE HOLE IF WE HAD THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND WE HAD NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S SNIC NOT YES.
NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY, BUT ALSO THAT, UM, I KNOW.
UM, BUT JUST FOCUSING ON HOW WE CAN HIGHLIGHT SOME OF WHAT NEW BERN DOES HAVE TO OFFER.
WHAT COMMUNITY EVENTS CAN WE ATTEND? UM, ARE THERE ANY LOCAL CYCLING GROUPS THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO TO GET INVOLVED? UM, THE OAK SPOKES IS THE RALEIGH CYCLING GROUP.
WE SPOKE WITH THEM AND THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT US, UM, SOME OF THEIR HANDOUT STUFF, IF Y'ALL WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
WE HAVE SOME OF THEIR MARKETING MATERIALS THAT THEY'VE USED IN THE PAST.
UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT.
SO WE USED TO HAVE A CYCLING CLUB IN THIS TOWN, BUT NOW WE DON'T.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY DO RIDES AROUND HERE, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO FORM A CLUB.
AND WITH, WITH THE CLUB YOU HAVE A VOICE.
AND UM, THEY'RE JUST NOT INTERESTED IN DOING THAT.
WHO'S THEY? THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT RIDE IN GROUPS HERE.
UHHUH,
IF THEY SPIKE THINGS THAT WAY THE KIDS COULD GET INVOLVED AND LEARN ALONG THE WAY.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOME IDEAS OF SOME LITTLE THINGS WE GOTTA DO.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WE PARTICIPATED IN THE BIKE RODEO IN MAY.
HERE'S SOME PICTURES FROM THE EVENT, BUT WE HAD ABOUT 24 KIDS ATTEND, UM, THIS FOUR HOUR LONG EVENT.
AND WE HAD OVER 200 HELMETS WE HANDED OUT, WHICH ALL 24 KIDS GOT ONE THAT WAS PROPERLY FITTED TO THEIR HEAD, UM, THAT THEY GOT TO TAKE WITH THEM.
AND THEN WE ALSO HANDED OUT SOME BELLS.
AND THEN WE HAD SOME SLUSHIES THEY SOLD OUT OF SLUSHIES.
UM, AND THAT WAS THE BIG, THAT WAS THE BIG DRAW AS THE EVENT.
UM, BUT AFTER THE EVENT WE HAD LIKE A WRAP RECAP MEETING AND THEY SAID, WE LOVE THE VENUE, WE LOVE, UM, THE MESSAGING, BUT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO MOVING FORWARD.
IT WAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT HOSTED IT THAT'S NOT BIKE RELATED.
UM, THEY'RE DRUG AND ALCOHOL PREVENTION RELATED.
SO THE MESSAGING WAS KIND OF OFF WITH THAT.
[00:50:01]
THINK IF WE COULD FIND SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO PUT ON A BI RODEO, UM, IT COULD DEFINITELY BE A HIT.THE VENUE IS GREAT AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHAT COULD BE GOOD MOVING FORWARD.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIND THE RIGHT SOURCE, UM, TO HOST IT.
AND THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY CAME OUT, UM, SHELTON AND I THINK THEY HAD 10 TO 15 PEOPLE OUT THERE.
UM, AND UM, CSAP HAD A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS.
I MEAN IT WAS VERY WELL STAFFED.
LIKE SHE SAID, IT WAS, IT, IT WASN'T CLEAR 'CAUSE THE, IT WAS JUST PEDALING FOR PREVENTION, BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY COINCIDE WITH THAT.
YOU ON YOUR, IT KIND OF GOT A LITTLE MESSED UP, CROSSED THE MESSAGE.
BUT THE MORE TIMES YOU KIDS SEE THAT THE POLICE ARE NOT THE ENEMY, THE BETTER.
AND IT WAS GREAT GETTING TO TALK WITH THEM ON SOME OF THEIR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THINGS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT SOME, UH, SOMEONE WE CAN REACH OUT TO FOR FUTURE EFFORTS.
SO ABBY, YOU HAVE MENTIONED TWICE.
ONE IS THE APP'S GONNA COST MONEY AND THEN RALEIGH HAD A BIKE RETREAT AND OF COURSE WE DON'T HAVE MONEY LIKE THAT.
SO HOW DOES THE BIKE THIS COMMITTEE GET OUR OWN MONEY? HOW CAN WE HAVE MONEY IN A, IN A BUDGET FOR US? WELL, UM, SO THE FIRST THING I WOULD THINK OF IS THAT YOU'D HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHICH ONE THE MONEY FOR MM-HMM
AND I WOULD WRITE BASICALLY A PROPOSAL I GUESS, AND SUBMIT IT TO THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, NORMALLY WHENEVER AS A DEPARTMENT, AS WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO JUSTIFY WHAT THE COSTS ARE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF WE WANTED TO GO TO LIKE TRAINING AND TRAVEL, THEN WE HAVE TO GIVE AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT DO WE THINK IT'S GONNA COST, WHERE ARE YOU GOING, HOW LONG IS IT GONNA BE GONE? OR HOW LONG ARE GONNA BE GONE? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, OR UM, SO TYPICALLY ALSO WHAT HAPPENS IS DEANNA AND I WILL TAKE AN IDEA AND GO TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT IT, UHHUH AND HE'LL DECIDE YES, IT'S A GOOD TIME TO ADVANCE THE SCORE AND AGENDA.
DECIDE WHERE THE APPETITE IS AND THE TIMING OF THINGS AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
AND, UM, THIS YEAR I LIKE WE, WE HAD ALL THESE PROJECTS THAT HE'S TIED INTO THAT KIND OF, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE GETTING ANYTHING, BUT IF WE GET THIS REFERENDUM, LIKE YOU'RE GONNA SEE THINGS ADVANCE THAT WE WOULD NEVER ADVANCE.
LIKE WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB EXPLAINING AS FAR AS GETTING THIS COMMITTEE A REGULAR BUDGET.
I, THAT WAS NOT WELL EMBRACED WHAT WE ASKED.
PROBABLY 'CAUSE IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR.
BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER TO BE INCLUDED.
LIKE THE UM, SHARED ROAD SIGNS.
MY DEPARTMENT HAD TO SIGN GROUP THAT, THAT INSTALLS THE ROAD SIGNS.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE, THEN CERTAINLY I CAN TALK, TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER AND WE CAN PURCHASE AND INSTALL SOME SIGNS IN DISPLAY CASES YOU WOULD LIKE.
WE HAVE FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR ROAD SIGNERS.
AND THINGS THAT HAVE IN PARKS TOO.
IF YOU JUST THINK OF THINGS THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE ALREADY IN OUR CURRENT MAINTENANCE AND MM-HMM
IMPROVEMENT FUNDING, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'RE NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THING IS DIFFERENT THAN 2 45 SIGNS.
YOU KNOW, SO, SO WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THINGS AND THEN WE SAY IT TAKES MONEY, THEN WE SHOULD STOP AND SAY, OKAY, THERE THAT'S THIS.
WE'LL HAVE TO REQUEST IT IF THAT'S MM-HMM
AND WE WERE HOPING WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, GAVE THE PRESENTATION TO THE FULL BOARD THAT WE WOULD GET A LITTLE MORE INTEREST, BUT THAN WE SEEMED TO GET DEANNA AND I FELT LIKE WE ASKED TWICE THE CITY MANAGER, DID YOU GET ANY FOLLOW UP FROM THAT? AND HE'S LIKE, I'LL GET BACK TO YOU AND WE JUST DID IT.
TIMING IS ALWAYS EVERYTHING IN CASE SPACE, SO.
WELL, I THINK THE BENEFIT TOO OF THIS MEETING IS, AND ESPECIALLY TONIGHT IS LIKE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF BRAINSTORMING, WE HAVE BAD IDEAS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE MORE THAT WE IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES, IT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COME TO US WITH THE IDEAS, THEN WE CAN KIND OF HELP FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
GEORGE JUST HAS, YOU KNOW, SOME POTENTIAL MONEY OR IF IT'S IN A PARK WE CAN GO TALK TO CARRIE OR YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AS FAR AS A PRIORITY.
AND SO GIVING US THOSE IDEAS ALLOWS US TO KIND OF WORK BEHIND THE SCENES SO THEN WE CAN REPORT BACK ON OPTIONS AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES.
IT SHOULD BE LEVEL ONE PRIORITY FOR WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? FOR THE, THE ANYTHING
SO WHEN WE VOTED ON THE LARGE THING, BUT DID WE VOTE ON SOME SMALLER, THIS WAS
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SO LONG AGO.WE REALLY FOCUSED ON, UM, THE LARGER IDEAS.
UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS, WE WERE HOPING THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY GET SOMETHING IN THE BOND REFERENDUM.
UM, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON A BOND REFERENDUM.
YOU WANNA HAVE A REALLY GOOD IDEA OF HOW MUCH THAT IS GONNA COST BECAUSE YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE, THE TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR THAT COST.
SO LET, WHAT IF WE UNDERESTIMATED IT AND WE NEEDED LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS MORE? WELL, HOW ARE WE PAYING FOR THAT? YOU KNOW? UM, AND SO WE JUST FELT WE WEREN'T READY YET AT THAT STAGE TO, TO ADVANCE THAT PROJECT IS, WOULD BE A DISSERVICE FOR THE TAXPAYERS.
UM, THAT BEING SAID THOUGH, LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE SMALLER TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT SAFETY, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS LIKE HEAD HEADSS AND IF THERE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S ON A DOT ROAD, WE CAN TALK TO THEM ABOUT DOING A SAFETY STUDY THAT THEY EVALUATE THEIR CRASH PATTERNS, ET CETERA.
UM, IF THERE'S SMALL SECTIONS OF SIDEWALK THAT NEED TO BE CONNECTED THAT MAYBE WEREN'T IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN, UM, IT COULD BE WAY FINDING THAT'S RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH TOWARDS 'EM OR SWISS BAY, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE ROUTE IS.
I MEAN, SO I WOULD SAY THAT LET US COME UP WITH THE FINER DETAILS.
WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR YOU FOR THE LARGER IDEAS SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO KIND OF FINESSE THE IDEA A LITTLE BIT MORE AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU AFTER YOU'VE DONE SOME HOMEWORK ON WHATEVER THAT ITEM IS.
SO WE DID RECOGNIZE SOME PLACES WHERE THERE WERE SIDEWALK GAS IN THE PLAN AND SO THAT IS ACTUALLY LIKE A SMALLER THING THAT WE COULD GO FOR.
WE COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE AREAS.
WASN'T THERE ONE BY THE HIGH SCHOOL? BECAUSE I, I'M NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THOSE MAPS AGAIN AND OR THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY.
BUT I THINK IF, IF WE KIND OF, IT'S AN IDEA OF TRENT ROAD AT THIS POINT 'CAUSE OF 43 AND YOU SAID, WHY DON'T WE CONCENTRATE ON SOMETHING SMALLER.
SO MAYBE NEXT TIME WE SHOULD COME BACK WITH SOME SMALL ITEMS AND SEE IF WE CAN'T GET THEM INCORPORATED IN SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING THAT THE TOWN IS DOING, SAY, TALKED ABOUT OR ARE YOU AWARE WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY? WITH THIS PROPOSED C AND I YES.
GRANT PROJECT, UM, SPENT TWO HOURS TALKING ABOUT THE ROADS IN THERE ACTUALLY.
AND WE, THE MBO HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THE WIFE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN.
UM, AND WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE PLAN IS SHOWING FOR THE AREA FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UM, SO FOR, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS? MM-HMM.
GRANT, SO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS UPDATING THEIR LARGER MASTER PLAN TO, TO SUBMIT FOR, UM, A FEDERAL GRANT CALLED THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UM, REVAMPING A VERY LARGE SECTION.
LIKE WHAT IS IT? IT'S, UM, SO THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT SECTIONS NOW.
A FOURTH ONE JUST GOT ADDED TODAY THAT INVOLVES SOME PARK LAND SWAPPING THAT'S NOT, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF REVISIONS TO ROADWAYS AND AT THIS POINT IN THE PROJECT INCLUDES THE OLD, SO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE FIVE POINTS AREA, THE OLD DAYS IN LOT NO, EXCEPT ALL THE HABITAT STORE.
SO IF YOU, YOU'RE AT THE PEPSI CAN GO YEAH.
THAT WOULD BE SORT OF THE CENTRAL FOCUS, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY LOCATION BUT ALSO TRANSPORT THAT WOULD MM-HMM
MALL TALK ABOUT PUTTING THAT PEPSI MUSEUM THERE.
NO, THAT'S WHAT DIDN'T, INDEPENDENT SITUATION.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S UH, IT'S A BIG IF AT THIS POINT, UM, THE WAY IT'S GONNA PLAY OUT, ASSUMING THAT THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN, UM, SAY YES TO MOVING FORWARD WITH US, UM, IS THE CITY WOULD BE THE APPLICANT FOR THIS GRANT PROPOSAL.
THE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD BE A CO-APPLICANT.
UH, AND THAT'S RE A REQUIREMENT OF POT, UM, THAT IT BE STRUCTURED THAT WAY.
THIS, IF THE CITY WERE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THIS GRANT YOU ARE LOOKING AT, COULD BE 40 MILLION, COULD PLUS OR MINUS.
UM, THE FOCUS OF IT WOULD PRIMARILY BE TO REBUILD HOUSING, UM, OUT OF THE TRA COURT.
THE UNITS, THE BUILDINGS THAT GOT FLOODED TO REBUILD, UM, UNITS.
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UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST LOW INCOME HOUSING.SO IT'S GONNA BE ACROSS THE RANGE.
UM, BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL GRANT OF MAYBE UPWARDS OF 40 MILLION, IT COULD BE MORE, IT COULD BE LESS.
UM, THAT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING IN THAT PART OF NBO.
AND IT'S GOING TO INCORPORATE IMPROVEMENTS TO ROADWAYS.
UM, SIDEWALKS ARE GONNA BE A PART OF THIS.
'CAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH A POPULATION THAT ISN'T AS MOBILE GENERALLY AS WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE AVAILABILITY VEHICLES.
YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE CYCLING BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE CALLS.
UM, THEY RELY ON THE COUNTY TRANSIT SYSTEM TO GET AROUND.
SO THAT IS GOING TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SO YOU NEED TO KIND OF, THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPENING IN THIS CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA THAT WOULD FURTHER THIS COMMITTEE'S GOALS.
MIGHT NOT BE PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY ITEMS, BUT MIGHT BE MUCH SMALLER PROJECTS THAT COULD GET DONE AS A PART OF THIS BIGGER PROJECT.
BUT YOU SAID THERE'S NOW FOUR.
THIS, THIS WHOLE PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, THE HOUSING
SO, SO THEY'RE ASKING FOR ALL KINDS OF CHANGES AND ORDINANCE CHANGES AND TEXT AMENDMENTS CONSTANTLY TO BE ABLE TO GET US CLOSER TO THIS TARGET NUMBER.
AND SO THE ACTUAL IN DEPTH PLANS ARE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE GRANT NOT COMPLETELY LAID DOWN, THEY HAVE A LOT OF CONCEPTUALS, UM, LOOKED AT SOME VISUALS TODAY OF WHAT THE DAY'S INSIGHT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
IT'S JUST MUCH MORE DENSE THAN WHAT IS ALLOWED THERE RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, LIKE THE ROADWAYS AND THE CONNECTIONS AND THE SIDEWALKS THROUGH THERE, THE FIRM THAT'S WORKING ON THIS REDID ALL OF THE, THE PUBLIC HOUSING THAT WAS DESTROYED IN, UM, NEW ORLEANS AND THEIR WORK LOOKS AMAZING.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WHAT, WHAT USED TO BE DOWN THERE.
I, I HOPE, BECAUSE I THINK THIS WOULD JUST BE SUCH A GAME CHANGER FOR NEW BERN TO HAVE THE MIXED INCOME HOUSING AND, AND THEIR WORK IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT ALL INCORPORATES, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING STUFF IN THERE BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU JUST POINTED OUT.
HALF OF YOUR RESIDENTS, THEY DON'T HAVE TWO CARS IN THE GARAGE AT HOME LIKE, LIKE WE DO TYPICALLY.
SO THEY, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR MUCH LOWER PARKING STANDARDS.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT.
LATE IN THE GAME, IN MY OPINION, FOR HAVING TO PROCESS ALL THIS STUFF.
BUT, UH, IT WOULD LOOK REAL GOOD.
I THINK THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AS WAS SAID WITH THE RDC WHO WORKS OUT OF OUR OFFICE AND IF ANYBODY IS GONNA BUILD SOMETHING UP OF THE FIVE PROPOSALS THAT I LOOK LIKE, I THINK THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PICKED THE RIGHT.
SO MAYBE WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS NONE OF THE FOUR SITES WILL BE A, UM, A FOOD DESERT.
SO YOU HAVE WALKING AND BIKING ACCESSIBILITY TO A GROSS, A VIABLE GROCERY STORE FROM EVERY SINGLE SITE.
SO DOWN, UH, DOWN BROAD STREET, ACTUALLY PART OF WHERE THE HOLIDAY INSIGHT IS THEIR CONCEPTUAL PLANS HAVE ALL GROUND FLOOR RETAIL WITH THE APARTMENTS ORDER IS THAT KING'S MAINE OVER IT? SO.
DOESN'T HAVE ANY, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT KING'S MAIN, ARE YOU? I KNOW THEY GOT, UM, GROUND FLOOR BUSINESSES AND THEN, UM, LIVING, LIVING SPACES UP ABOVE.
SO THEY'VE HAD, THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS AT US AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE MIXED, THE MIXED USE AND THE MIXED INCOME.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THEM WHERE OUR ORDINANCES THAT HAVE MANY, MANY LAYERS OF EVERY SITE THEY HAVE IS IN AT LEAST THREE OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
AND IT'S MAKING THE PLANNING PART OF THIS VERY COMPLICATED MM-HMM
BUT UM, WHEN WE GET TO THE PART WHERE THERE'S MORE SERIOUS DESIGN AND I'M ACTUALLY PRETTY OPTIM OPTIMISTIC, WE MIGHT JUST GET THERE.
UH, IT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN OUT HERE AND DOWNTOWN FOR SURE.
AND PROBABLY MAKE YOU FEEL SAFER DOING IT TOO.
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UM, OKAY, SO THEN YOUR SAFETY.SO WHAT IS THE NEXT THING WE SHOULD DO? JUST GOING FORWARD WITH, WITH SAFETY? I THINK WE MIGHT BE ALMOST OUTTA TIME OR WE ARE.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE BEYOND OUR TIME.
SO WE JUST WANT TO, UM, WE JUST WANT TALK TOUCH BASE ON, UM, SELO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN JUST RECAP REAL QUICK AFTER THAT.
SO, UH, BEN BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
IT'S A TEMPORARY EVENT, JUST MAYBE LIKE A DAY LONG, KIND OF SIMILAR TO MONTH FEST, BUT A LOT SMALLER SCALE WHERE THE ROADS ARE CLOSED TO CAR TRAFFIC AND IT'S JUST A PLACE THAT'S SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO WALK AND BIKE AND ROLL AND ENJOY BEING OUTSIDE.
AND IT'S AIMED TO PROMOTE, UM, A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, GETTING THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED AND DIFFERENT MODES OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND IT'S JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT.
EVERYONE CAN COME TOGETHER, JUST GET OUTSIDE, UM, AND ENJOY ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
WE COULD HAVE BIKE VENDORS, UM, BIKE SHOPS, UM, SKATE SHOPS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I SHOW JUST A QUICK SENTENCE AND THEN YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S SEEING IT AS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN HEARING ABOUT IT.
SO LAST TIME THEY DID IT WAS 2024.
I GUESS THEY HAVEN'T HAD ONE FOR 2025 YET, BUT, UM, THERE'S NO SOUND.
IT'S JUST LIKE A, AND THIS ONE IS IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.
IT WAS AN AMAZING EVENT THOUGH.
THEY HAD, IT WAS JUST A REALLY COOL THING, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT, UM, BEING PROACTIVE DEVICES REACTIVE ON THIS TWO WHEEL TRANSPORTATION IS GONNA DO NOTHING BUT SKYROCKET WHEN E-BIKES BECOME MORE AND MORE PREVALENT WE NEED, BUT THEY'RE GONNA, IT'S GOING TO BLOW UP 'CAUSE IT HAVE HAS IN EUROPE AND WE NEED TO ANTICIPATE IT AND, AND BE READY FOR IT.
AND I THINK NORTH CAROLINA'S STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EVEN REGULATE IT.
BECAUSE I MEAN, IT, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WHERE, I MEAN 'CAUSE THEY'RE GOING MUCH FASTER THAN, YEAH, IT'S A GRAY AREA BETWEEN A MOTORCYCLE AND A BICYCLE.
SO I'LL JUST PAUSE RIGHT THERE.
UM, I MEAN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAT WE COULD TAKE ON LATER DOWN THE ROAD, BUT IF THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING, UM, BEN CAN PROBABLY PUT SOME MORE INSIGHT ON IT AS WELL.
AND HIS STORIES THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT.
SOMETHING YOU PARTICIPATED IN.
UM, SO ANYWAYS, UM, I WAS A HELMET FITTER THERE, SO WE FITTED HELMETS.
UM, THEY ACTUALLY HAD A CLASS THAT WE TOOK TO FIT HELMETS.
'CAUSE YOU THINK IT IS AN EASY TO FIT A HELMET, BUT TO DO IT RIGHT, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND THEN, UM, THEY HAD LIKE THIS DIFFERENT VENDORS THERE.
THEY HAD, IT WAS LIKE A, A TREADMILL THAT YOU WALKED ON AND IT POWERED A, UM, IT WAS LIKE A SCOOTER, TWO WHEELED SCOOTER AND THE TREADMILL BY WALKING ON IT MADE THE SCOOTER GO.
SO THEY HAD ALL THESE DIFFERENT KIND OF REALLY COOL VENDORS THERE.
UM, THEY ALSO HAD A FUNKY BIKE FEST.
LIKE YOU DECORATE YOUR BIKE ALL FUNKY.
SOME PEOPLE WOULD WELD TWO BIKES TOGETHER AND IT MADE A REALLY TALL BIKE.
BUT I MEAN, IT WAS JUST LIKE, UM, A REALLY, REALLY COOL EVENT.
GOT PEOPLE OUT IN THE TOWN, UM, AND THEY SHUT OFF, SHUT DOWN ALL THE STREETS AND IT WAS JUST A, A REALLY, REALLY, UM, IT GOT THE WORD OUT ABOUT, ABOUT CYCLISTS AND ANYTHING ON TWO WHEELS OR, OR LIKE SKATEBOARDS OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT JUST TO KIND OF BE THINKING ABOUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT THE COMMITTEE'S INTERESTED IN TAKING THE LEAD ON AND, AND YOU AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS I'LL PARTICIPATE, CAN, CAN TAKE THE LEAD AND WE'LL SUPPORT
UM, BUT MAYBE SWISSAIR WOULD WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THAT TOO.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU COULD GO TALK.
UM, BUT JUST KIND OF RECAP, I THINK THERE'S SOME GREAT IDEAS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, SOUNDS LIKE GEORGE CAN LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITIES.
UM, SHARE THE ROAD SIGNS MAYBE WE CAN TALK TO ON CITY STREETS AND DOING MAYBE THAT FOUR FOOTS THE ROLE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, UM, THAT, UH, WE'LL LOOK AT THE CURRENT SIDEWALK APPS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN.
WE'LL BRING THAT FOR BACK TO DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT
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MEETING.UM, AND WE'LL WORK ON, CONTINUE WORKING ON THE WEBSITE.
MAYBE WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO KIND OF SHARE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT SOME OF THE ARTISTIC BIKERACK, UM, UM, AND TRYING TO GET SOME IDEAS OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
UM, DOES THAT DO EITHER ONE? ANYBODY WANT TO TALK? TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT.
AND I'M GOING CALL, UH, KAREN SULLIVAN.
SO MARY'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO MARY WILL REPORT BACK ON THE BIKE RACKS AND HER CONVERSATION.
UM, DID I MISS ANYTHING? ALRIGHT, WELL OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOT UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO DO SOME HOMEWORK THE 7TH OF DECEMBER.
JUST GETTING, IT'S THE EIGHTH.
EIGHTH, THAT'S WHAT I HAD ON MY PHONE.
UM, SO WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE EIGHTH.
WE DON'T WORK ON SUNDAY, BUT WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE EIGHTH ON.
IN THE INTERIM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE LET US KNOW.