21 June 2007
To: City of Ithaca Planning Board
From: BPAC
Re: Starbuck’s Proposed Drive-Through
BPAC has reviewed the proposal for a Starbuck’s drive-thru on Meadow Street directly behind Northside Wine & Spirits, and we urge you NOT to approve it.
The specific reasons are fairly easy to identify:
The proposed entrance/exit directly off and onto Meadow St. will overload an already highly trafficked core roadway at an especially congested stretch. The entrance/exit will also inconvenience and endanger pedestrians traveling along Meadow St. Rite Aid Pharmacy on Meadow Street, for example, has its entrance directly off Meadow St., but its exit is to a side street regulated by a traffic light.
Not only are the proposed entrance/exit dangerous and disruptive, but also a drive-thru in this location will jeopardize future opportunity for the city to create safe and convenient pedestrian-centered pathways from this section of Meadow St. to neighborhoods in the Titus St. vicinity.
Other cities (Oregon City, Toronto, and Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, for example) have passed zoning ordinances that restrict drive-thru business to certain districts of the city. The proposal by Starbuck’s is a chance for Ithaca to do the same. Drive-thru business may be safe and relatively non-intrusive in some parts of our city, and for businesses (like pharmacies) who have relatively low traffic flow, but not at this location on Meadow Street for a high-traffic coffee shop.
We are fortunate that walkability and environmental sustainability have been made a priority by our current city administration. We trust you will consider all the negative ramifications of the Starbuck’s proposal, and decide in favor of a business plan that takes the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists into full account.
Respectfully,
Members of BPAC
Postscript from Dave Nutter:
I realize that the short window of opportunity for input for the BPAC letter has passed, but should there be additional discussion I think the point about " proposed entrance/exit directly off and onto Meadow St." could be clarified both as to where we are talking about and what we expect would happen there:
The entrance/exit on Meadow Street between the traffic lights for Ithaca Plaza and for Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway was labeled on the drawing as only for truck deliveries, but that is not credible. Because of the awkwardness of turning movements, conflicts with queued traffic leaving Ithaca Plaza, and traffic light delays involved with the "legitimate" path between Meadow Street and the drive-thru via the traffic light for Ithaca Plaza, it appears that the fast, direct, and unsignaled "truck delivery" entrance/exit would be used by drive-thru patrons, that it would likely be the primary entrance/exit for Meadow Street traffic for the drive-thru, and
that this is so obvious that it is hard to believe that a company which has surely designed many drive-thrus would not have realized this and intended it to be for use by drive-thru patrons despite the contrary label. Instead of a small number of truck deliveries, we would expect a
large number of car drivers crossing the sidewalk here both entering and exiting, and many would do so rapidly in order to fit into gaps in busy Meadow Street traffic both southbound and northbound. Those drivers entering and exiting would be in conflict with one another as they cross within the circulation for the drive-thru, and also conflict with a natural but unprotected diagonal path which pedestrians do and would use between the sidewalk of Meadow Street and both the walkway in front of Ithaca Plaza and also the proposed Meadow Street entrance to the cafe. Those drivers will be very distracted by traffic within the parking lot, around the drive-thru, and on Meadow Street. Furthermore as they exit they will be distracted by handling full hot drinks. Pedestrians are apt to be the victims of this distraction. This traffic pattern looks like an unwarranted conflict with pedestrians and a conflict with the principle of minimizing and regulating the entrances/exits on Meadow Street which is intended to reduce conflicts with pedestrians and between motorists. In addition, although it is not a direct bike/ped issue, it looks awkward to pull up to the window while turning.
--Dave Nutter
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Meeting Minutes, 14 June 2007
BPAC
Minutes, June 14, 2007, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Present: Carla Shafer, Jan Zeserson, David McElrath, David Nutter, Jennifer Dotson, Tim Logue, Kent Johnson, Shane Seger. Jan acted as chair.
IMPORTANT: MEETING TIME CHANGED to the THIRD Thursday of every month, same hour, same place. Next meeting will be July 19. In our schedule of rotating chairs, David Kay will act as chair on July 19.
Bicycle Parking ordinance -- it seems like one of two routes needs to be chosen: to further refine what is becoming a huge and complex Code revision, or instead, reduce this effort to a smaller "guideline" style document that will not change the Code, but will be used by staff. In either case, I'd like some help with this effort by someone.
Black Diamond Trail
The Eastern Mountain Sports kayak raffle raised $920, donated to the Black Diamond Trail (BDT) Project. The Cayuga Nature Center will receive the money for BDTEN (Black Diamond Trail Enthusiasts Network) since BDTEN is not a legal entity; and earmark and reserve it for BDTEN.
Sue Poelvoorde of State Parks told us that the SEQR public hearing on the BDT Master Plan will likely be held in Ithaca in August, “but no guarantee.”
The “A Wild Ride” Slide Show presented by Paul Adkins (former BPAC and BDTEN member who has recently relocated to Eugene, Oregon) was a great event; a report appears on the website www.blackdiamondtrail.org . Andrejs Ozolins keeps website updated and manages our BDTEN listserve, now more than 110 people with wide connections to other groups.
Bicycle Education Course
The 9-hour(3 sessions)course, run by Lois Chaplin and Sue Powell, is all about bike handling and being in traffic. The next course will meet in a basement classroom of Riley Robb Hall, rm. B-15 (SW end of the building) on Cornell campus.
Session 1: July 17
Session 2: July 24
Session 3: July 31 / Aug 2
All sessions run from 5:00-8:00 p.m. with a snack break (bring your own).
Cost: $25, including a student manual.
Participants must be 16 years or older.
“The course is designed to provide a friendly environment for individuals with a wide range of cycling abilities. Whether you’re just getting back into cycling and not feeling comfortable with bicycling in traffic or you’re a regular cyclist interested in becoming more proficient, there’s room for you in this course….You’ll have practice with traffic on streets as each class will include a short on-street bike ride.”
Contact Lois Chaplin lec4@cornell.edu;
or Sue Powell smp16@cornell.edu
BPAC will look for opportunities to promote this course.
Lois and Sue are looking for others to take an interest in becoming instructors..
Kent reported that one of Ithaca’s bicycle policemen will also run an abbreviated bike handling course for City employees.
Planning Board upcoming projects --more report to come from Tim 1. Aurora St. sidewalk project. After much discussion, we agreed unanimously in favor of the 3-point proposal, including sidewalk widening, tree care, and foundational electric wiring. This is a project which sacrifices parking places for pedestrian interests; we support it as a project in its own right and also as an important precedent. Jan will represent BPAC’s position at the DPW public hearing on the project, held on June 20, 4:45 p.m.
2. Proposal by Starbuck’s to build a drive-thru on Meadow Street behind Northside Wine and Liquor. A letter to the Planning Board from BPAC regarding the proposal is appended to these Minutes. This letter was drafted with a very short window for member editing before submission. Supplementary notes from Dave Nutter are also appended to these minutes.
BPAC membership
We are very pleased to have Shane Seger join as Common Council Liaison. We have three vacancies now that Paul Adkins has left Ithaca. We also still have a longstanding vacancy in the Parks Commission Liaison slot.
Biking on Sidewalks
A short discussion of how to enforce the law regarding no biking on sidewalks will be continued at next months’ regular meeting, July 19.
These partial minutes respectfully submitted by Jan.
Minutes, June 14, 2007, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Present: Carla Shafer, Jan Zeserson, David McElrath, David Nutter, Jennifer Dotson, Tim Logue, Kent Johnson, Shane Seger. Jan acted as chair.
IMPORTANT: MEETING TIME CHANGED to the THIRD Thursday of every month, same hour, same place. Next meeting will be July 19. In our schedule of rotating chairs, David Kay will act as chair on July 19.
Bicycle Parking ordinance -- it seems like one of two routes needs to be chosen: to further refine what is becoming a huge and complex Code revision, or instead, reduce this effort to a smaller "guideline" style document that will not change the Code, but will be used by staff. In either case, I'd like some help with this effort by someone.
Black Diamond Trail
The Eastern Mountain Sports kayak raffle raised $920, donated to the Black Diamond Trail (BDT) Project. The Cayuga Nature Center will receive the money for BDTEN (Black Diamond Trail Enthusiasts Network) since BDTEN is not a legal entity; and earmark and reserve it for BDTEN.
Sue Poelvoorde of State Parks told us that the SEQR public hearing on the BDT Master Plan will likely be held in Ithaca in August, “but no guarantee.”
The “A Wild Ride” Slide Show presented by Paul Adkins (former BPAC and BDTEN member who has recently relocated to Eugene, Oregon) was a great event; a report appears on the website www.blackdiamondtrail.org . Andrejs Ozolins keeps website updated and manages our BDTEN listserve, now more than 110 people with wide connections to other groups.
Bicycle Education Course
The 9-hour(3 sessions)course, run by Lois Chaplin and Sue Powell, is all about bike handling and being in traffic. The next course will meet in a basement classroom of Riley Robb Hall, rm. B-15 (SW end of the building) on Cornell campus.
Session 1: July 17
Session 2: July 24
Session 3: July 31 / Aug 2
All sessions run from 5:00-8:00 p.m. with a snack break (bring your own).
Cost: $25, including a student manual.
Participants must be 16 years or older.
“The course is designed to provide a friendly environment for individuals with a wide range of cycling abilities. Whether you’re just getting back into cycling and not feeling comfortable with bicycling in traffic or you’re a regular cyclist interested in becoming more proficient, there’s room for you in this course….You’ll have practice with traffic on streets as each class will include a short on-street bike ride.”
Contact Lois Chaplin lec4@cornell.edu;
or Sue Powell smp16@cornell.edu
BPAC will look for opportunities to promote this course.
Lois and Sue are looking for others to take an interest in becoming instructors..
Kent reported that one of Ithaca’s bicycle policemen will also run an abbreviated bike handling course for City employees.
Planning Board upcoming projects --more report to come from Tim 1. Aurora St. sidewalk project. After much discussion, we agreed unanimously in favor of the 3-point proposal, including sidewalk widening, tree care, and foundational electric wiring. This is a project which sacrifices parking places for pedestrian interests; we support it as a project in its own right and also as an important precedent. Jan will represent BPAC’s position at the DPW public hearing on the project, held on June 20, 4:45 p.m.
2. Proposal by Starbuck’s to build a drive-thru on Meadow Street behind Northside Wine and Liquor. A letter to the Planning Board from BPAC regarding the proposal is appended to these Minutes. This letter was drafted with a very short window for member editing before submission. Supplementary notes from Dave Nutter are also appended to these minutes.
BPAC membership
We are very pleased to have Shane Seger join as Common Council Liaison. We have three vacancies now that Paul Adkins has left Ithaca. We also still have a longstanding vacancy in the Parks Commission Liaison slot.
Biking on Sidewalks
A short discussion of how to enforce the law regarding no biking on sidewalks will be continued at next months’ regular meeting, July 19.
These partial minutes respectfully submitted by Jan.
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