Sandpoint PBAC formalizes Cedar Street subcommittee; members urge equal sidewalks and tighter corner radii

The Sandpoint Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee on Dec. 12 formalized a Cedar Street subcommittee and discussed preliminary design recommendations for improvements on Cedar Street, including sidewalk widths, planting strips for snow storage and concerns about swept corner radii that may encourage fast turning by vehicles.

Committee Vice Chair Molly O’Reilly said the subcommittee — comprised of Erin Billings, Evan Lewis and O’Reilly — had prepared a written report, and asked staff what portions of the subcommittee’s recommendations had been adopted in the project design. Staff civil engineer Brandon said no recommendations from that report had been adopted yet and that the design process was still underway.

The subcommittee and other committee members debated sidewalk widths and whether to provide unequal widths on opposite sides of the street. Erin Billings said the group had discussed making one sidewalk 7 feet and the other 5 feet to better accommodate bicyclists and walkers near the nearby school and that “sharrows” had been discussed but were not viewed as a good solution for children. Several members, including Kate Digiallie and other committee speakers, argued in favor of keeping sidewalks equal width on both sides — suggesting six feet on each side as a compromise so pedestrians and bicyclists would have room regardless of which side they choose.

Brandon said the preliminary design presented at a recent public open house drew attendance mainly from neighbors who live directly on Cedar Street, and he encouraged committee members to attend future open houses so they can answer community questions and explain the design rationale.

Committee members also raised concerns about wide, swept corner radii in the design. Molly O’Reilly said wide radii can encourage vehicles to turn quickly and increase the risk to pedestrians. The group discussed national guidance, noting that the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) provides urban street design guidance that favors narrower travel lanes and tighter corner geometry, while AASHTO standards are oriented toward highways and wider geometry. Committee members said they would like intersection design to be studied more closely, possibly by a separate subcommittee focused on intersections.

Several committee members recommended planter strips between the curb and sidewalk to store snow so that sidewalks and traffic are not blocked in winter. Members also discussed the tradeoffs between preserving parking, providing bike lanes, and narrowing travel lanes in the available right-of-way.

Members agreed it would be helpful for Brandon to present a short update at a future meeting to show the current stage of the design and to explain how the subcommittee’s recommendations are being considered. Brandon offered to add Cedar Street design as a future agenda item and to circulate materials beforehand so committee members can prepare.

The meeting record shows the Cedar Street subcommittee was formally established earlier in the session; the subcommittee submitted a written report and the committee recorded a discussion of its recommendations. The committee also discussed broader outreach for capital projects and encouraged committee member attendance at public open houses.

Looking ahead, committee members asked staff to present detailed design materials at a future meeting and for the subcommittee and staff to coordinate on how written recommendations should be incorporated into the project design.