In the resolution, Prytherch refers to a policy the council adopted in August 2019 to “ensure that the needs of all users are balanced throughout the surface transportation network to the greatest reasonable measure.” This policy was incorporated in the 2020 Oxford Transportation Plan and affirmed in the 2023 Oxford Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan, according to the resolution.
The resolution would have used the city’s annual paving program as a mode to assure “safe and equitable access on the streets” by installing improvements where the city is undertaking projects on neighborhood streets that were constructed without sidewalks, pedestrian or bicycle safety accommodations.
If passed, the resolution would have installed necessary improvements by either reallocating some of the existing $600,000 in the Fiscal Year 2025 repaving fund or committing the city to make improvements separately within two years of paving a street.
The resolution used guidance from the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials and the National Association of City Transportation Officials to support the rhetoric that sidewalks need to be provided on both sides of all streets in urban areas or at least on one side of all local streets in residential areas or designated as “shared streets” where traffic is low-volume.
Jessica Greene, assistant city manager, said although city staff agree with the importance of biking and pedestrian infrastructure, it disagrees with the approach. She argued the resolution was “out of alignment” with the city budget cycle and could limit improvements in other areas.
She said if the city were “locked in” to improvements in areas where the city is repaving, her concern was there may not be funding leftover for specific improvements elsewhere. She recommended instead the council inform the city manager’s office where there needs to be improvements as issues arise.
Greene talked about the city’s previous investments in bike lanes, extended sidewalks, curb cuts and rapid flashing beacons. She presented data collected by the city showing eight bike crashes in the past five years within the city, as well as 44 pedestrian crashes wherein the pedestrian was hit.
Greene said August to September is typically the period when the city manager meets with departments to determine what goes into the next Capital Improvement Plan.
She shared some of the recommendations that will be made, including a study for a new traffic signal, new crosswalks with rapid flashing beacons and curb bump-outs, among other improvements.
She noted the city also has $50,000 set aside for undesignated bike and pedestrian improvements, and there are some pending grants.
OPTAB also discussed recommendations for a Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan during its meeting this week, for which the city received a $150,000 grant to complete. A draft of this plan will be available for public comment during an upcoming open house at the Oxford Lane Library.
Overall, Greene said staff recommended a “no” vote on the resolution, with the idea that recommendations be made before the yearly budget is approved and the anticipated master plan be used as a guide for future improvements and a “leverage” for future grants.
T.J. Meloy, a resident of Olde Farm Road, spoke up during the meeting, saying, “Streets are not complete or accessible if there are no sidewalks.”
Both Meloy and his wife are blind, and he said there’s a six-house stretch on Olde Farm Road that has sidewalks, while the rest of his walk up to Contreras Road doesn’t. His wife, he said, is afraid to walk in the neighborhood because of the lack of sidewalks.
“I fortunately have a guide dog here that helps me, but imagine trying to walk down the street or navigate it with your eyes closed,” he said. “And then imagine … trying to do that walking down the edge of the road and not having a curb reference.”
Meloy said although he appreciates the improvements that have been made in other parts of Oxford, not having sidewalks is “a big safety issue.” He encouraged a “yes” vote on the resolution.
Carla Blackmar, an OPTAB member, also spoke in support of the resolution, pointing out there are many ways streets can be improved beyond adding sidewalks, and “If we don’t uphold our policy, we will never have a discussion about how to keep all of our commuters safe.”
“We’ve tried multiple times to try to integrate this better into the annual cycle,” Blackmar said. “That’s something that we’ve been endeavoring to do on OPTAB for years.”
Mayor William Snavely said Oxford isn’t “ignoring” pedestrians and bicyclists, although it has a limited budget. He argued paving projects don’t necessarily coincide with where sidewalks need to be installed, and improvements should have been brought before the city for approval before the budget was complete.
Douglas Elliott, city manager, referred to a previous project where property owners were assessed and paid for new sidewalks in front of their homes. He argued property owners should be assessed for the costs of new sidewalks.
Mike Dreisbach, service department director, said Oxford didn’t fund the street program in 2008 during the Great Recession and saw a “dramatic downturn” in its main streets that it hasn’t recovered from. He said if the current budget for paving is reduced to pay for other projects, there could be fewer streets resurfaced, creating a “vicious cycle” that will decrease property values and customer satisfaction.
Council member Chantel Raghu said, although “it’s hard to argue with numbers,” “I think the concern is that we really need to put our money where our mouth is.”
Sam Perry, community development director, said he thought the resolution might actually restrict public input on street improvements by tying it to resurfacing.
The resolution was ultimately voted down 2-4, with Chantel Raghu and Prytherch voting for the resolution and Jason Bracken, Amber Franklin, Alexandria French and Michael Smith voting against.
The council did, however, pass a second resolution that created a line item in the budget titled “Complete Streets Improvements.”
“Until additional dollars are allocated to it, it’s performative,” Prytherch told the Oxford Free Press after the meeting of the resolution. “So the question is, are we committed to transportation equity to the degree that we will redesign our streets accordingly and budget accordingly? And that waits to be seen.”
French told the Oxford Free Press, “I think the second resolution, to me, was an easier process because it kind of builds off of something that, the budget already exists, it’s easier to add a line item.”
“I think it makes sense to add the line item, whereas the first resolution, the processes that were being asked for or tying it to an existing process. To me, I think there was room for improvement,” she said. “I think connecting the sidewalk repair to the street repair, like those are asking different questions, and coupling them to each other doesn’t maybe necessarily do a service to either initiative.”
This article was first published by the Oxford Free Press, a content partner of the Journal-News. Read it online at OxFreePress.com.
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