Rock Alley Action Team: Meeting with Justin Miller

 

Meeting Minutes: Friday, January 6th, 2012

 

Attendance: Dave Panasiuk, Justin Miller, Phil Garrow, Samuel Su, Wanda Wilson

 

1. Recap the history of the site/our goals

a. The engineering company that we spoke to wants us to determine if we have the right of way.
b. If we are able to find out this information, the engineering firm may be able to do the feasibility study at a lower price.
c. Phil stated that Steve Patchen was confident that local funding could be found (even for non-ADA compliant trails)

2. Justin’s comments on our Rock Alley project

a. Believes the lighting and safety issue will not be a problem with PennDot or the City
b. The sewer lines/electrical lines also should not be an issue (Schenley Park trails have these lines as well)
c. It will not cost anything to vacate the streets; it is just a process that we have to go through
d. We do not have to worry about determining the right of way or vacating the streets as of now. This is a simple legal issue for later.
e. There should not be an issue with obtaining “permission” for a feasibility study from the City, but once the study comes back, the City will want to review the engineers’ recommendations.
f. We will still try to obtain an email or letter from the City that states it is okay to pursue the feasibility study (“If there are any obstacles or objections, please let us know now.”)
g. City Planning will act as a facilitator for the project to other City departments.
h. Utilize Pat Hassett as a resource for connecting with PennDot and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC).

3. Discussion of other trail connection projects: BRADY STREET

a. Brady Street (see http://rockalley.org/routes/bike-routes/brady-street/)
b. PennDot would lease the parking lot on this route and fence off parking spaces
c. Link this project with Oakcliffe Housing Club, OPDC/Oakland 2025, and Uptown Partners to create a strong base of support.
d. Speak to Councilman Lavelle’s office to put this on his radar for budget hearings. Try to schedule a presentation of our projects with Lavelle’s office. Justin’s contact at Lavelle’s office is Karen Fitch. Harry Johnson is Oakcliffe Housing Club @ OPDC usual connection.
e. Justin’s comments: He is in favor of the Brady Street project and wants to help us make this connector happen. Brady Street may be a better bike trail candidate than Rock Alley. Rock Alley may want to focus more on feet/pedestrian traffic.

4. Discussion of other trail connection projects: HODGE STREET

a. Hodge Street (see http://rockalley.org/routes/bike-routes/hodge-street/)
b. Justin’s comments: The street will not be too high on the list for paving, but rather, it will be a possible candidate for closing this street. Replacing the wooden staircase may not be too high on the city’s priorities since there are many other staircases in the city with higher traffic volume. Speak to DPW.

5. Our priorities

a. Establish the RFP
b. Prioritize our Rock Alley projects: 1) Greenway Pedestrian Trail Connector. 2) Brady/2nd Ave. Bike Trail Connector.
c. Continue reaching out for a Oakland Trail & Greenspace Committee.
d. Explore funding sources & finding someone to spearhead/identify funding sources
e. Fundraising workshop with OPDC
f. See what we need with DPW. Invite someone from Pat Hassett’s office (DPW) to Rock Alley Meetings

Rock Alley Action Team

 

Meeting Minutes: Monday, December 19th, 2011

 

1. Landscape designer to lay out the trail–Phil has developed a contact at PennDot and the city

a. We need to do a feasibility study

b. Who has the city used for bike paths in the past?

c. Macken and Gateway are the companies used for the bike paths

d. Lenard Recor & Amanda Parcell (Chief Engineer- DPW)

e. See if Lenard Recor (from the city) can do the survey for us

2. OPDC could be most effective by

a. Have the feasibility study

b. $20,000 for the study–quoted from Macken Construction

c. CDCP can maybe fund this

d. We should have a meeting with them in the new year, bring them down to the site.

e. Fundraising for the bike trail

3. Duquesne Light (DL)

a. Putting in electrical conduit on Maurice street

b. Electrical, sewage, water under Maurice street

c. They have an easement to fix the conduit

d. There is a drain that may be in the way

4. PennDot, Duquesne Light, and the City didn’t know what was going on

a. See if we can get our hands on PennDot’s plans to see if we can modify them

b. Phil is going to call the guy at PennDot to ask the range of what they are going to do and see if they can rebuild it in a way that benefits our project

c. PennDot closed the tunnel because of the graffiti and the knocked out lights

d. We can try to include a mural and stronger light fixtures for the tunnel

5. RFP

a. Macken provided sample RFP’s for feasibility studies

b. Document current issues that have arisen (pretty much the same as the RFP)

6. Find someone to take charge of the Finance Committee

a. Sam and Michael can work with this person

b. We have some leads (Google Grants, CDCP)

c. The City has money for bike and walking trails, but it has been distributed for the next 3 years

7. What are the boundaries for these properties?

a. Are the paper streets a part of the greenway?

b. There are streets that run off of Hodge Street

c. We need to have a list of all the easements on these properties.

8. Invitees

a. Justin Miller (City Planning)

b. Jonathan Gesinski (PennDot) – thought it was a pretty feasible project

c. Steve Patchen (City Bike and Trail) – has resources for Grant Writing

d. Lenard Recor, Senior Surveyor (Public Works) – keep Pat Hasset in the loop too

e. Mavis Rainey (OTMA) – Email Mavis to stay in the loop

f. Eric Boerer (BikePGH)

g. Bill Waddell- started the greenway for all of South Oakland

h. Will be meeting with Justin Miller 1/4/12, and possibly Amanda Parcell

i. Call Justin and say we want to reroute/refine the current path and who else should we invite (someone from DPW?)

9. Expanding the group to broader Oakland trails

a. Phil would like to do Brady Street trail

b. Brady Street elevation is approx 20-40 ft

c. Using existing streets

10. Next Meeting: Evening meeting at CHS