RESEARCH DIVISION
TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY & UTILITIES SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
December 5, 2016
City Council Chamber
Ground Floor, City
Hall
Attendance: Council Members: Al Ferraro (Chair), Doyle Carter (Vice Chair), Greg Anderson, Anna Lopez Brosche, John Crescimbeni, Reggie Brown, Reggie Gaffney; Council President Lori Boyer was in attendance; Assistant General Counsel Paige Johnston; Kim Taylor, Council Auditor’s Office; Jordan Elsbury, Administration, Yvonne Mitchell, John J. Jackson, Council Research Division; Legislative Assistants Tess Patterson, Philip Zamarron.
The Chairman called the special committee meeting to order at 2:47 p.m.
The focus of the Special Meeting was: Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
Amy Ingles, Planning Department’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator, made the presentation.
Ms. Ingles provided national statistics that depicted Jacksonville ranking 4th amongst the nation’s fifty most populous cities for bicycle and pedestrian fatalities. Three other Florida cities were in the top twenty. There were 50.8 deaths per 10,000 commuters. Ms. Ingles reported that there were 48 fatalities in 2015 alone. Portland, Oregon is considered one of the safest cities in the country for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Council Vice President John Crescimbeni asked Ms. Ingles where she had come up with the figure for the number of fatalities. She explained that she had acquired data on the amount and nature of the fatalities from JSO records.
Ms. Ingles explained a Pedestrian Safety Master Plan that is being crafted by stakeholder agencies that include JTA, JSO, FDOT and the Northeast Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).
Ms. Ingles suggested that our “car culture” is a major factor in the fatality statistics.
Council Member Crescimbeni suggested that pedestrians and bicyclists are often at fault in traffic accidents and wondered why pedestrians and bicyclists are not held accountable and penalized for infractions the way motorists are.
Laurie Santana, Chief of Transportation Planning, Planning & Development Department, reported that mobility fees are allocated for sidewalks and bike paths. Council President Lori Boyer suggested that other sources for funding bike paths could be grants and in CIP projects.
Ms. Ingles fielded numerous questions.
There being no further business, the Special Meeting was adjourned at 3:51 p.m.
John J. Jackson, Council Research Division (904) 630-1729
12.09.16
Posted: 12:00 p.m.