Attachment A - Sept. 15, 2021 Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

Phoenix City Council 
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning (TIP) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Ariz. 
Subcommittee Members Present                    Subcommittee Members Absent 
Councilwoman Debra Stark, Chair 
         
Councilwoman Ann O’Brien 
Councilwoman Betty Guardado 
Councilwoman Laura Pastor* 
 
*Councilwoman Pastor arrived at 9:37 a.m. 
 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman Stark called the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning 
Subcommittee to order at 9:12 a.m. with Councilwoman Ann O’Brien and 
Councilwoman Betty Guardado present.  
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
None. 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning Subcommittee 
Meeting 
Councilwoman O’Brien made a motion to approve the minutes of the April 7, 2021 
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Innovation Subcommittee meeting. Councilwoman 
Guardado seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
INFORMATION ONLY (ITEMS 2-5) 
2. Metro, Regional Public Transportation Authority, and Maricopa Association of 
Governments Meetings 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
3. Citizens Transportation Commission Meetings 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
4. Freeway Program Update 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information.

5. Drought Resiliency Infrastructure Program Update 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEM 6)  
Before beginning the presentation on Downtown Digital Kiosks, Deputy City Manager 
Mario Paniagua explained that Item 8 on the Capital Extension Route Recommendation 
and Agreement for Preconstruction Services would be pushed to the Oct. 20, 2021 
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning Subcommittee Meeting, but staff was still 
available to answer any questions. 
6. Downtown Digital Kiosks 
Street Transportation Department Director Kini Knudson and Deputy Director Chris 
Ewell provided a presentation on potential interactive informational kiosks in the public 
right-of-way within certain areas of the downtown Enhanced Municipal Services District.  
Mr. Knudson began by describing the previous use of static informational kiosks 
managed by Downtown Phoenix, Inc (DPI) and a renewed interest in interactive digital 
kiosks to improve the experiences of those in the downtown area. He noted that 
downtown digital kiosks had been proposed in the past but were not implemented due 
to concerns regarding ownership and control of the kiosks, capabilities of the kiosks, 
use of the right-of-way, financial costs, kiosk advertising, use of kiosk revenues, and 
responsibilities for kiosk maintenance. 
Mr. Ewell described similar digital kiosk programs, the primary uses of kiosks to 
disseminate information, and additional features of digital kiosks. He reiterated some of 
the concerns described by Mr. Knudson previously and added that advertising in the 
public right-of-way was currently not permitted with certain exceptions under City Code. 
Mr. Ewell described the vendor selection process, beginning with issuing a Request for 
Information solicitation to the kiosk industry before a Request for Proposals process to 
select the ultimate kiosk vendor.    
Mr. Knudson requested feedback from the Subcommittee regarding the potential for a 
Downtown Digital Kiosks project, including their interest in the continuation of the project 
and the procurement process. 
Chairwoman Stark asked if this project could be completed before the 2023 Superbowl 
and when the procurement process would need to begin to meet this goal. 
Mr. Knudson indicated that a request for information could be sent out as early as 
October, and a request for proposals could be released as early as January to have 
kiosks in place by the Superbowl.

Chairwoman Stark asked if this project could be replicated in other parts of the city, 
such as the Uptown area or areas with light rail connectivity, if kiosks were found to be 
successful in the downtown area. 
Mr. Knudson indicated that the proposed downtown kiosk project would be implemented 
in partnership with the Downtown Phoenix, Inc. (DPI), and the City would not be able to 
utilize the benefits of that partnership in other areas. He also noted that the option of 
expanding to other areas could be explored if the project was successful, and 
stipulations for expansion could be included in the procurement and subsequent 
contract. 
Councilwoman O’Brien asked that any applicable ordinances in the City Code regarding 
buses and advertising in the right-of-way be sent to members of the subcommittee. She 
also asked if these ordinances could be used as models for City Code changes 
necessary to implement the downtown kiosk project. 
Mr. Knudson explained that the City Code allows advertising in the right-of-way at bus 
stops if they meet public transit advertising guidelines. He noted that the City Council 
recently voted to approve an exception to the City Code to allow advertising on some 
billboards in the right-of-way in the downtown area, using guidelines set by the Legends 
Entertainment District. He indicated these examples could be used to establish 
guidelines for kiosk advertising. 
Councilwoman O’Brien noted her appreciation of this project to further community 
engagement and technological advancement in the City and to create an additional 
revenue stream. 
Chairwoman Stark reiterated her two previous comments and questions. 
Councilwoman O’Brien concurred with Chairwoman Stark’s suggestions to expand the 
program beyond the downtown area, highlighting the potential in areas with light rail 
access and the area surrounding Metrocenter. 
Chairwoman Stark agreed and indicated that the area surrounding Metrocenter, the 
Uptown portion of Central Avenue, and the area surrounding the former Paradise Valley 
Mall would be good candidates for kiosk expansion. 
Councilwoman Guardado also agreed with Chairwoman Stark’s and Councilwoman 
O’Brien’s comments on expanding the program beyond just the downtown area, 
particularly in areas with light rail access, university campuses, and Innovation 27.

DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION (ITEM 7-8)  
7. Bus Rapid Transit Program Analysis, Outreach, and Initial Corridor 
Recommendation 
Mr. Paniagua introduced the Bus Rapid Transit Program as an item presented on the 
Proposition 104 Ballot for the Transportation 2050 program. Public Transit Department 
Director Jesus Sapien further explained that City of Phoenix Voters approved the Bus 
Rapid Transit (BRT) Program in August 2015. 
Public Transit Department Bus Rapid Transit Administrator Sara Kotecki began the 
presentation of this project by describing the background of the project, including the 
benefits of BRT service, previous community engagement, planning and analysis, and 
the unanimous vote by the Citizens Transportation Commission on May 27, 2021 to 
approve an initial Bus Rapid Transit corridor along 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street.  
HDR Design staff member Matthew Taunton then explained the transit analysis 
conducted, including the impact of COVID-19, ridership data, transit propensity, transit 
performance, and ridership forecasting. Ms. Kotecki described the community education 
and engagement efforts surrounding the BRT program. Mr. Taunton described how the 
results of these efforts and the transit analysis were used to determine the top potential 
BRT routes of Camelback/24th Street, Thomas/44th Street, and 35th Avenue/Van 
Buren Street.  
Ms. Kotecki explained next steps, including a request for the Transportation, 
Infrastructure, and Planning Subcommittee to recommend City Council Approval of an 
initial BRT Corridor of 35th Avenue/Van Buren Street. She explained that, although the 
analysis supported three potential corridors, only one north/south corridor was 
recommended for approval because the other two potential corridors would be impacted 
by ongoing efforts towards high-capacity transit in west Phoenix.  
Councilwoman Pastor joined the meeting at 9:37 a.m. 
Chairwoman Stark asked for clarification on why only one corridor was recommended 
for approval, rather than the three top corridors indicated by transit analysis and public 
outreach efforts. 
Ms. Kotecki described the ongoing analysis of high-capacity transit in west Phoenix and 
indicated that it was recommended to wait for these results to better understand if the 
east/west BRT corridors would be appropriate to implement. 
Chairwoman Stark noted that Councilwoman Pastor had joined the meeting, and 
Councilwoman Pastor confirmed her attendance.

Councilwoman Guardado made a motion to approve the initial Bus Rapid Transit 
corridor along 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street. Councilwoman O’Brien seconded the 
motion which passed unanimously, 4-0. 
 
8. Capitol Extension Route Recommendation and Agreement for Preconstruction 
Services 
This item was moved to the Oct. 20, 2021 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning 
Subcommittee Meeting. 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
None. 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman Stark adjourned the meeting at 9:44 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Sara Del Valle 
Management Intern