Texas Senator to introduce Scooter Measure

State Senator Royce West, Democrat, citing public safety concerns,  has written a bill to restrict rental scooter use. The bill would bar standup scooter use by more than one person at a time, be at least 16 years old, limit speed to 15 mph and use only on roadways under 35 mph limit. Sidewalk use would be banned, and parking restricted.

Small, low speed autonomous buses?

These autonomous vehicles are already operating in urban tests. Running at 11 MPH, could represent another category in our possibility thinking about Dallas areas' mobility matrix.


https://www.curbed.com/2019/4/17/18410988/autonomous-vehicle-local-motors-navya-may-mobility

April 19 Task Force Meeting

April 19, 2019  Meeting Notes

In addition to ongoing communications, an April 19, 2019 Taskforce meeting consisting of sixteen members met at Halff Associates’ Richardson office. A list of attendees is attached to this report, along with an updated list of those interested in the Focus Area Teams. City of Dallas Transportation Director Mike Rogers was among those in attendance. He fostered discussion on ways GDPC can and should engage in the City’s (five year) Strategic Mobility Plan.

This led to an overview of current progress with the City’s needed review and refinement of policies and their implications. He highlighted the importance of informed engagement – saying the current focus is on first understanding the wants and needs of the city; but, in the framework of a larger picture that ties in all initiatives together in ways acceptable to both the current and future City Council. He suggested we be ready to mobilize to demonstrate support at the appropriate time. We believe that’s also when our op ed piece should hit the papers. We plan to coordinate this with the editorial board of The Dallas Morning News to ensure that happens timely.

Asked how these issues will be evaluated – Mr. Rogers described a process that considers a more data-driven and quantitative approach. Touch points he mentioned included the City’s Market Value Analysis tool initiated a couple of year ago, along with recent transit mobility studies conducted by UTA doctoral students. Other data points he mentioned were safety, working with the school districts, housing and economic development. He mentioned the City is in the process of creating a new division he called a Data Analytic Team; which he said ultimately may present findings of new ‘zones’ (of interest) to the City Council. MISSION IS TO SHAPE, PROMOTE AND ADVOCATE A CREATIVE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE DALLAS REGION.

Page 2

This more comprehensive view of policymaking requires an unprecedented level of thinking and conversation across governmental boundaries and multiple forms of public engagement. City staff are still learning how to do this. Mr. Rogers acknowledged that the upcoming elections will introduce some new elected officials, and that this in turn will drive him and his staff to respond to new priorities and sensibilities. He said he and his staff have not yet fully accounted for all the stakeholders around transportation policy (GDPC included), nor do they yet have a calendar of engagement for those stakeholders. Our pending workshop will be a way of initiating that process.

NCTCOG MOBILITY 2050 ENGAGEMENT

A web-based calendar is being developed to include as a link from the GDPC members’ resources page for those who’re logged in – with the notion of it being replicable for our other two task forces. John Clarkson will have an update on these later this month, and he plans to engage with the Website committee that’s currently being organized by Brian Keith. John provided a mock-up on Friday, April 19, 2019. Subject to further development.

DALLAS STREETS MANUAL UPDATE

Regarding the eagerly awaited Streets Manual, Mr. Rogers indicated that recent delays were the result of some final needed adjustments that have emerged – in part – dealing with access or potential delays of emergency services. The final version of the manual is expected to go to the City Council in May rather than April.

Following is an updated list with additional names of the three Focus Area Teams that were established in February:

1. Engage in City of Dallas’ Long Range Mobility Planning.

Outcome: A sub-group, or team was formed to attend/monitor City-scheduled meetings. Participants include Mike Carleton, Tony Sosebee, Jeremy McGahan, Nikki Simon, Phil Malachowski, Matthew McLeod, Peter Aguirre, Lenny Hughes, Trey Ingram, Tom Grant, Ross Kahn, and Bud Melton. April additions: Vincent Perini, Ami Parikh, Christopher Taylor, David Nevarez, John Clarkson

2. Engage/coordinate with NCTCOG during development of Mobility 2050, the region’s Long Range Mobility Plan.

Outcome: A sub-group (team) was formed to more closely follow NCTCOG meetings and activities, and attending when possible to ensure GDPC’s voice is considered. Participants who signed up include Christopher Hernandez, Nikki Simon, Phil Malachowski, Doug Showers, Peter Aguirre, Matthew Ables, Trey Ingram, Hamza Khan, Tom Ryden, and Bud Melton. April additions: Wes Hoblit, David Nevarez, Christopher Taylor

3. Educate GDPC members on ongoing transformation of mobility within our region such as DART and TXDOT, and the impact of technologies like E-bikes, scooters, and apps such as DART’s GoPass Version 3.0.

Participants in this team include Hamza Khan, Kendra Cobbs, Matthew McLeod, Matt Craig, Christina Sebastian, Lenny Hughes, Dave Retzsch, Matthew Ables, Tom Grant and Bud Melton. April additions: Tom Ryden, Colleen Zwiebel; Ami Parikh, Vincent Perini

Ancillary Items (Melton)

A GDPC OP ED?

On the subject of our op ed exploratory, Mr. Ridley had suggested that whatever topic we choose for an op ed - it should be timely, as well as pertinent to GDPC’s mission.

LUNCH & LEARN

In that vein, City of Dallas Transportation Director Mike Rogers may have handed us our topic at our April TF meeting. During our meeting, he suggested that a new policy on rental bikes and scooters needs to be developed before the current policy sunsets in October. He said the city would welcome an informed opinion from us before settling on a policy. Matthew Ables and Hamza Khan —along with others from the mobility task force, continue to coordinate with Dallas city staff. A Lunch & Learn focused on Micro-Mobility and Infrastructure Planning around these modes is being organized by taskforce members who’ve reached out to Jared White at the City of Dallas. The event will be scheduled sometime during early to mid-May – to help accommodate GDPC’s engagement and input into the Strategic Mobility Plan (SMP).

How can we get people out of their cars and on the bus?

Cities across the world are struggling to tempt people out of their cars and onto transit. Auckland reversed the trend by creating a really, really good bus network for very little money.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90327025/auckland-new-zealand-has-figured-out-the-simple-trick-to-get-more-people-using-transit

Dallas 6 Month Rules for Dockless Vehicles

https://dallascityhall.com/government/Council%20Meeting%20Documents/pscj_3_dockless-vehicles_combined_081318.pdf

Texas State and Dallas Regulations

Subchapter B: Regulation of Operation (bicycles) 

A bicycle rider has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle

Operation on Roadway

-Slower moving bicycles are to keep as near as possible to the right curb unless unsafe to do so

-Persons may ride two abreast in a single lane

-Persons may not ride more than two abreast unless they are riding on a part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles

Safety Equipment

-Bicycles must be equipped with a brake capable of making a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement •

-Riding a bicycle at night requires:

-A lamp on the front of the bicycle that emits a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet •

-A red reflector located on the rear of the bicycle

Subchapter E: Motor-Assisted Scooters 

-May operate on a street with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less 

-A municipality may prohibit use on a street, highway, or sidewalk  

-May operate on a path set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles or on a sidewalk

Dallas City Code

Chapter 9 Bicycles 

-Sidewalk riding is prohibited on designated streets within the Dallas Central Business District

-Minors are required to wear bicycle helmets  

Chapter 28 Article VI

Sidewalk riding motor assisted scooters is

-prohibited on designated streets within the Dallas Central Business District, the Cedars neighborhood and Deep Ellum

-Minors must wear a helmet

The Police Departments primary concern regarding dockless bicycles and electric scooters is the safety of pedestrians, preventing motor vehicle accidents and the safety of the operators.   The department has identified (these) high pedestrian areas for safety concerns:

-CBD  

-Deep Ellum

-Bishop Arts  

-Katy Trail

-Uptown

February 15 Meeting Notes

February 15 Meeting Notes

Twenty-seven of the TF members, including one call-in, met at 7:30am on Friday, February 15, 2019 at Halff Associates’ Richardson office.

Attendees: Andrew Ittigson, Hazma Khan, Ross Kahn, Paul Ridley, David Nevarez, Tony Sosebee, C.J. Schexnayder, Christopher Hernandez, Jeremy McGahan, Nikki Simon, Phil Malachowski, Matthew McLeod, Matt Craig, David Arbuckle, Jack Gryczynski, Kendra Cobbs, Michael Carleton, Tom Grant, Christina Sebastian, James LaBarba, Lenny Hughes, David Retzsch, Matthew Ables, Tom Ryden, Bud Melton, Doug Showers, Shenita Cleveland (by phone). (Sign-in sheet attached)

Meeting Notes:

Submitted by Bud Melton, March 15, 2019

The Mobility Task Force was introduced to attendees at the February GDPC Membership Breakfast which resulted in several additional expressions of interest in participating at the bi-monthly TF meeting on the following morning.

The February 15th meeting began with an agenda overview that led to lively discussion about ways to engage. There was much agreement that the Task Force should strive to help TXDOT devise solutions for dealing with its challenges. These must include land use in an economic context, emergence of automated vehicle technologies, and to minimize ROW impacts – to help maximize multimodal value. All are essential to responding to our growing population in the region.

On the subject of a future Lunch & Learn – Andrew Ittigson agreed to lead an effort with Matthew Ables, Hamza Khan, Tom Ryden, Christina Sebastian and Tony Sosebee to formulate a topic and speaker objective by June of 2019, for scheduling during an appropriate date before year-end.

As for a Membership Meeting topic, a member questioned whether there’s a disconnect between the public and agencies. Perhaps exposed by the process of attempting to draw Amazon to the region? A topic focused on NCTCOG’s Mobility 2045, with a focus on defining needed changes in Mobility 2050 might be one option. Perhaps with an improved understanding of how the region’s funds are allocated and programmed?

Another member asked whether there may be a potential place at the table for GDPC at the Regional Transportation Council. A suggested approach was one of an appointment to one of Dallas’s two public representative seats. (Typically appointed by the Mayor – both Dallas seats are currently occupied.)

Another asked whether we can make a case for economic returns from emergence of innovative mobility technologies. This led to suggestions of how best to utilize university students. Several on the task force are involved with area campuses with students looking for ways to be engaged. Data research and collection for further evaluation was considered a very useful form of engagement of the students. MISSION IS TO SHAPE, PROMOTE AND ADVOCATE A CREATIVE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE DALLAS REGION.

Page 2

Three Focus Area Teams were established. Following are these with lists of those who volunteered:

1. Engage in City of Dallas’ Long Range Mobility Planning.

Outcome: A sub-group, or team was formed to attend/monitor City-scheduled meetings. Participants include Mike Carleton, Tony Sosebee, Jeremy McGahan, Nikki Simon, Phil Malachowski, Matthew McLeod, Peter Aguirre, Lenny Hughes, Trey Ingram, Tom Grant, Ross Kahn, and Bud Melton.

2. Engage/coordinate with NCTCOG during development of Mobility 2050, the region’s Long Range Mobility Plan.

Outcome: A sub-group (team) was formed to more closely follow NCTCOG meetings and activities, and attending when possible to ensure GDPC’s voice is considered. Participants who signed up include Christopher Hernandez, Nikki Simon, Phil Malachowski, Doug Showers, Peter Aguirre, Matthew Ables, Trey Ingram, Hamza Khan, Tom Ryden, and Bud Melton.

3. Educate GDPC members on ongoing transformation of mobility within our region such as DART and TXDOT, and the impact of technologies like E-bikes, scooters, and apps such as DART’s GoPass Version 3.0.

Participants in this team include Hamza Khan, Kendra Cobbs, Matthew McLeod, Matt Craig, Christina Sebastian, Lenny Hughes, Dave Retzsch, Matthew Ables, Tom Grant and Bud Melton.

Outcome: Discussion ranged between support for High Speed Rail and issues centering around bikeshare bikes and scooters – particularly the e-bikes and e-scooters.

A list of potential candidates was begun from which to invite expert(s) from a city or planning authority or mobility providers to speak at a task force meeting Lunch & Learn event. Names mentioned included City of Dallas Transportation Director Mike Rogers, Patrick Kennedy, Director of NCTCOG Transportation Michael Morris, someone from NACTO, or someone from AT&T to discuss their “splash zone” in downtown Dallas. Andrew will be following up with a program topic and proposed schedule for a Monthly Membership Meeting.

The TF intends to begin maintaining some kind of calendar of events for member engagement. Anticipating progress once the Website group begins its evaluation of GDPC.org.

Following the February Task Force meeting – we were asked to develop a response to a recent City Council Mobility Solutions, Infrastructure & Sustainability briefing. Task Force members were sent a draft of a longer version for feedback; followed by circulation among other Task Force leaders, then sent to the Executive Committee for its response. The EC requested a much briefer statement that could be put forward to the Mayor and City Council prior to their vote on March 13th. Despite the compressed turnaround, the statement was finalized internally by the Task Force and members of the EC – and was prepared on a GDPC letterhead, signed and sent to the Council by President Paul Ridley.

The next meeting of the Mobility Task Force is scheduled for 7:30am on Friday, April 19, 2019 at the Richardson offices of Halff Associates. Breakfast will be available to those who RSVP.