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. . . to discuss Awaiting Report 06-77 (Attachment A) regarding weekly inspections by bicyclist of potholes and other defects on main bicycle routes. |
December 6, 2006Committee Report #2 TRANSPORTATION, TRAFFIC AND In City Council January 8, 2007
The Transportation, Traffic and Parking Committee conducted a public meeting on Wednesday, December 6, 2006, at five o’clock and thirty-one minutes P.M. in the Sullivan Chamber. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Awaiting Report 06-77 (Attachment A) regarding weekly inspections by bicyclist of potholes and other defects on main bicycle routes. Present at the meeting were Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair of the Committee, Lisa Peterson, Commissioner of Public Works, John Nardone, Assistant Commissioner of Public Works, Bill Dwyer, Public Works Department, Cara Seiderman, Transportation Planner, Community Development Department, Sergeant Kathy Murphy, Community Relations, Police Department, Ken Field, Chair, Bicycle Committee, Chris Porter and Dave Watson, Mass Bike and Donna P. Lopez, Deputy City Clerk. Councillor Kelley opened the meeting and stated the purpose. The meeting was to follow-up on potholes and defect issues. He wanted to know what the Department of Public Works is doing about potholes. Years ago he broke his collar bone while bicycling in Maine due to a pothole. He asked what effectively is Public Works able to do about potholes. At five o’clock and thirty-five minutes p.m. Councillor Kelley opened the meeting to public comment. Chris Porter informed the Committee that in September Mass Bike did a survey and listed potholes and other Road Hazards along major roads in Cambridge as part of its first Road Hazard Identification Day (RHID). He wanted the city to fix the potholes. He appreciated the follow-up done by the Public Works Department. Commissioner Peterson spoke about the Bike Hazard Survey. The form was completed in such a way that it was helpful to Public Works. However, an eighteen-page document with street defects is overwhelming. The defects were identified as potholes, valves or construction defects. Public Works must determine the remedy, which depends on the hazard. It is not always possible just to throw asphalt in a hazard. Each defect has to be inspected by Public Works. Public Works has acted on the potholes but has not done a cross check. Keeping track of remedies is also tough, as Public Works may do an entire section of Rindge Ave, for example, and not actually note that they are addressing particular potholes or other hazards. Public Works met with the Water Department and NSTAR to discuss the issues and the defects. Mr. Field questioned if it would be helpful for the Bike Committee to inspect the items in the report and if the information could be better presented, perhaps by having people call in individual calls on defects. Commissioner Peterson stated that Public Works just is not yet used to this sort of hazard identification program, but it is useful. She liked the prioritorization and the definitions and so forth. Public Works gets individual calls on defects. Public Works and the Bike Committee need to work together. After the winter months there is an aggressive effort to fix potholes. She suggested that the Bike Committee do a sweep of the streets in June. Councilor Kelley noted that he had difficulty using the RHID form to figure out exactly where some hazards were. Mr. Nardone stated that any significant defect should be called in as soon as possible. Councillor Kelley stated that he checked a random sample and found that twenty-five percent of the defects were fixed. He reported a defect at 1000 Massachusetts Avenue as a major safety hazard. He also reported a depression at Columbia and Broadway. He wanted to know how to prioritize fixing the defects and what to expect for defects that are not an emergency. Mr. Porter stated that 140 calls are not efficient, but 140 complaints on the survey form were more efficient. Commissioner Peterson stated that she would prefer 140 complaints, in writing, but spaced out so that the defects could be remedied. She spoke about the categorization on the form. What is the difference between high priority and high severity, she asked. Of the 45 defects listed as high severity most are utility structures. Mr. Porter stated categorization would be reviewed. Mr. Field questioned the hot line and if there was a severity gradation when calls are made. Commissioner Peterson responded complaints are received via hot line, voice mail and street sidewalk maintenance. Complaints are forwarded to the street division. Defects are inspected and then a work order is sent to the system. Potholes are treated differently. A truck may be assigned to fill in asphalt patches on several streets. Not every pothole is necessarily logged into the work system. Councillor Kelley asked Commissioner Peterson how long does it take to fix a pothole. During March, April and May asphalt crews go out to fix potholes every week responded Commissioner Peterson. This is hard to quantify. Pothole response should be completed in a week. Mr. Nardone commented that safety issues would be repaired quickly, the more severe the problem, the faster the response. Mr. Field asked how is severity measured. Commissioner Peterson stated severity is measured by calls and depth. Mr. Porter asked if there is any quality control done by the city due to the poor job of patching done by utility companies, as where street work has been done tends to be the most problematic areas for cyclists from a road hazard perspective. The city inspects utility patches responded Commissioner Peterson. Rindge Avenue patches are temporary because the street will be repaved in the next year. The City has two inspectors that go and inspect this work. She spoke about the street and sidewalk preservation offset fee (SPOF). Utilities can repair the patch or pay the city to do the repair. This system works reasonably well. The utility can also pay into the SPOF to buy the last 4 years of maintenance for the five-year period during which it is responsible for the status of the cut, but utilities are always responsible for the first year’s maintenance. Current patching has gotten better, although older patches may be falling apart. NSTAR has improved the way they do patches. Councillor Kelley asked how much funding is allocated. Commissioner Peterson responded $100,000 last year, $123,000 has been paid this year since July. What is the cost per cut asked Councillor Kelley? SPOF formula is used based on width and length of trench, multiplied by the cost for a grind and overlay responded Commissioner Peterson. Standard is a permanent restoration. If a trench is wider than 4 feet, the work must be done curb to curb. Mr. Field asked if the standard for a temporary patch is the same as a permanent patch. Commissioner Peterson responded in the affirmative, but some temporary patches will require follow up work if the area settles, as with a gas pipe around which is packed sand which tends to settle. Mr. Porter asked if the survey were repeated would it be helpful to Public Works to know if a defect was a utility or gas valve cover. This is helpful responded Commissioner Peterson. The RHID form did a good job. Covers that are round are water; square covers are gas. Mr. Watson wanted feedback on the quality of the information on the survey. Commissioner Peterson summarized the information on the survey as follows:
She stated that more conversation is needed on the severity aspect, as for a cyclists smaller potholes may be very severe. Mr. Watson stated that urgency may need to be separated from severity as position, orientation and so forth could add or reduce a hazard’s urgency. Ms. Peterson noted that it is not clear how to take the subjectiveness out of the form. Mr. Watson noted that the skill of a cyclists, the size of the bike tires and so forth all impact on the danger posed by any particular hazard. Councillor Kelley asked who looks where for defects. The potholes bicyclists face are different from those faced by motor vehicles. In response to a question by Councillor Kelley, Commissioner Peterson stated that Public Works would not put people on bikes to do inspections. Sergeant Murphy stated that police officers report defects. Councillor Kelley stated he would like a systematic sweep of defects by bicyclists. Sergeant Murphy stated that this is not in their job description. Councillor Kelley suggested that the Bicycle Committee could partnership with the City, but needed to know what is expected of them and how long it takes to fix the defect. Mr. Field asked Commissioner Peterson if it were better to focus the report on a smaller area. Commissioner Peterson responded it would be easier to get 20 complaints at a time. Mr. Dwyer requested that the defects that need to be addressed quickly be sent to Public Works as soon as possible, that people shouldn’t wait until they have a huge list of hazards. Ms. Peterson noted that prioritization process is key, as Public Works has limited resources. They will fix potholes even if the street is going to be reconstructed soon, but there is a limit to what asphalt can do. Councillor Kelley asked if the trench on Bishop Allen Drive could be fixed with asphalt. The trench needs to be cut open and patched stated Commissioner Peterson. Public Works does the patching for the Water Department, which gives Public Works $300,000 a year. Councillor Kelley asked how many patches are done and what is the cost for a patch. Commissioner Peterson responded 100-120 water cuts per year and that the average patch cost is $1,000 and that the average patch is much more than just fixing potholes. Ms. Peterson was unable to say how much money would be needed to fix the streets perfectly. Commissioner Peterson stated that Public Works is trying to improve standards used by contractors to mark road hazards while they are working, like reflective tape. Mr. Nardone stated paint used is temporary; traffic wears the paint off fast. At this time Councillor Kelley entered the following e-mails into record:
Commissioner Peterson informed the Committee that Public Works has oversight and enforcement for private construction jobs and that Public Works has project managers who go and look at private construction company work. Mr. Field stated that contractors are not considering bicyclists. This specification should be added to the contracts. Ms. Peterson said that March through November Public Works holds construction meetings every Monday morning for companies doing work on the public way. At these meetings, which are mandatory, pedestrians and bike safety is a constant reminder. Councillor Kelley asked what is the fine. There is no fine stated Commissioner Peterson. If there is non-compliance the project is shut down. Public Works has shut down projects, though not necessarily for not painting a casting. Mr. Nardone stated that contractors have to submit a traffic management plan, which includes cyclists and pedestrians. Councillor Kelley asked if there is anyway around the issue that cars are in the bike lane during snow. There is no removal program in Cambridge stated Commissioner Peterson. Windrows are made by the plows between the curbstone and the travel lane. More suburban communities do not allow parking on street in the winter. Mr. Watson reported a pothole at the northbound side of the Longfellow Bridge adjacent to the bike lane. Mr. Nardone stated Public Works would inspect this defect. Mr. Field asked if the city informs DCR if there is a defect on their property. Mr. Dwyer responded in the affirmative. Public Works would fix a neglected DCR property defect if Public Works could get to the defect safely to repair it. Mr. Dwyer also noted that the City does some utility work on DCR roads, but Mr. Nardone stated that this is typically a plate by the city, which usually was a catch basin on the city’s maintenance list. Ms. Peterson stated that the winter construction moratorium was not absolute, but at this point in the season redoing patches would not happen although pothole fixing goes on all year long. Councillor Kelley asked if it was reasonable to do the survey twice a year on main bike routes. Commissioner Peterson responded in the affirmative. Councillor Kelley thanked all attendees. The meeting was adjourned at six o’clock and fifty minutes P.M. For the Committee, Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair |