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Council Members asked questions regarding relative pedestrian crossing times; the reason for moving the mid block crosswalk and what the distance is from the parking garage entrance; the current LOS on Jefferson at both Middlefield and Broadway as compared to Seattle; and whether bike lanes are in the plan. Public Comment: Paul Sanfilipo asked why the two Middlefield crosswalks are not coordinated for simultaneous crossing without going through all the proposed expense. He also asked where the lane reductions occurred in Seattle, inquiring whether the area is similar to the downtown area. He suggested the crosswalks be placed at the corners rather than in front of the Post Office for safety reasons. He further expressed concerns with safety vehicles accessing the area. Adrian Brandt supported the road diet but expressed concern that there is no buffer on the north side of the street between Middlefield and Broadway. He cited the importance of automobile parking buffers for pedestrian friendliness. He suggested some means to move the vehicular traffic away from the pedestrian sidewalk because part of the successful pedestrian oriented downtown is to create the feeling of safety. He supported the midblock pedestrian crosswalk and traffic friction which is a critical element of a successful pedestrian oriented downtown. Billy James thanked Council for the mention of bike lanes and asked if there is data that supports either his experience of feeling safe in a bike lane with several traffic lanes or the experience of safety while riding a bike on a two lane street without a bike lane. Janet Borgens expressed her concern with indecisiveness of the statement of when the traffic will be turning out of the garage — will it be right turn only or left turn only. David Menche expressed his concerns pertaining to bicycles mentioning curb bulbs that can be very hazardous to bicycle riders. He suggested that the diagonal parking might be returned to parallel parking to create more width and allow for a bike lane while making it safer for bicyclists. Council Members expressed support for the plan citing safety for both pedestrians and vehicles while stressing the need to monitor with methods of performance measurement. Recommendation: M/S Hartnett/Bain approve the plan to modify the traffic lane and parking configuration on Jefferson Avenue, between Middlefield Road and Marshall Street, from two lanes in each direction with parallel parking on both sides, to a new configuration with one lane in each direction and a center left -turn lane, with JOINT MEETING JULY 11, 2005 CITY COUNCIL AND BOARD OF EQUALIZATION PAGE 8 MINUTE ORDER BOOK NO. 60 Page No. 526