Taming Traffic Task Force Meeting

Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions: Cade Surface
• Approval of Minutes from Nov. 5, 2019 Meeting
• Old Business:
  • America Walks Training Sessions – Cade
  • Update on Surveys – Raul
  • Update on “Name the Campaign” contest – Kate
  • Traffic Observations – Cade & Kate
  • TV interview – Kate
• New Business:
  • Traffic tracking teams/training video – Kate and Cade
  • Other
• Adjourn

Taming Traffic Task Force – Minutes from 11-5-18 Meeting

Attendees:

• Kate Cole
• Angele Johnson
• Cade Surface
• Ashley Everhart
• Kathy McGaugh
• Nancy Switzer
• Chris Frye
• Theresa Roach
• Raul Vargas

Correction: the minutes of the 10-1-18 meeting should have stated that Kate Cole would ask Chris Frye about a prize.

Efforts will be made toward adding information about this task force to the Flint Neighborhoods United (FNU) website. We discussed prizes for kids’ classrooms, in regard to the “Name the Campaign” effort. Theresa suggested we try to come up with a name for the campaign ourselves.

Cade distributed a handout and told us about Grand Rapids’ efforts to improve traffic safety, in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation. Grand Rapids currently has a project, including signs, for bicycle safety education and will be adding signs and etc. for pedestrian safety. It was suggested that we use their signs and no one disagreed. Ideas for posters and murals were also brought up; possible participants could be Southwestern Academy students and/or south side mural artists.

Raul Vargas said he is caught up with data entry for the surveys; 88 have been turned in. A few surveys mentioned street light outages and/or potholes and others did not name a particular trouble spot. The bright red spots on the map are where fatalities took place. There was a brief discussion regarding whether others can or should be able to access the map of survey results.

Cade stated that the third training session, “Planning and Designing Safe Streets,” of the “Road to Zero” project from the organization America Walks will be tomorrow, 11-6-18, and the last two sessions are 11-27-18 and 12-11-18. We are able to participate in this because of a grant.

Theresa submitted a micro-grant application for $1500 to America Walks for this task force. If we receive it, we will have $3000 and permanent installations, such as a crosswalk sensor setup, would be possible. Per Theresa, the Crim Foundation has obtained a Ruth Mott Foundation grant to work with three north Flint neighborhood groups; data collection will take place. However, some areas are not represented. Cade said that he learned from the training sessions that we have more citizen support than other participating cities but less support from our city government.

Kathy asked about speed limits on streets where no signs are posted. Chris replied that a city ordinance requires that residential streets almost always be 25 mph. Cade stated that adding speed limit signs might be part of the intervention for that area. Nancy shared that the speed limit sign [25 mph] in front of her house doesn’t appear to do any good, since many drivers speed by.

The next meeting will be Monday, December 3rd at the Neighborhood Engagement Hub. Today’s meeting ended at 5:00 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
Nancy Switzer