Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/22/2023 - Bicycle Advisory Committee - Agenda - Regular Meeting05/22/2023 Agenda Page 1 Bicycle Advisory Committee SUMMARY AGENDA May 22, 2023 6:00PM – 8:00PM Online via Zoom or in person at 281 N College Ave This hybrid Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting will be available online via Zoom or in person at 281 N College Ave, 1st floor conference rooms C & D. The meeting will be available to join beginning at 6:00 p.m. Participants should join at least 5 minutes prior to the 6:00 p.m. start time. ONLINE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: You will need an internet connection on a laptop, computer, or smartphone, and may join the meeting through Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/97786682977?pwd=cWJuK2tMeHdSTGZiTjhaaWk0V2I1Zz09 Meeting ID: 977 8668 2977; Passcode: 721493 (Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio). Keep yourself on muted status. For public comments, the Chairperson will ask participants to click the “Raise Hand” button to indicate you would like to speak at that time. Staff will moderate the Zoom session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to comment. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BY PHONE: Please dial +1-301-715-8592 and enter Meeting ID 977 8668 2977; Passcode: 721493. Keep yourself on muted status. For public comments, when the Chair asks participants to click the “Raise Hand” button if they wish to speak, phone participants will need to press *9 to do this. Staff will be moderating the Zoom session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address the Bicycle Advisory Committee. When you are called, press *6 to unmute yourself. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PERSON: To participate in person, individuals should come to 281 N College Ave, 1st floor conference rooms C & D. The chairperson will call upon participants who wish to speak. Documents to Share: Any document or presentation a member of the public wishes to provide to the Bicycle Advisory Committee for its consideration must be emailed to cgeary@fcgov.com at least 24 hours before the meeting. Provide Comments via Email: Individuals who are uncomfortable or unable to access the Zoom platform or participate by phone are encouraged to participate by emailing comments to cgeary@fcgov.com at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. If your comments are specific to any of the discussion items on the agenda, please indicate that in the subject line of your email. Staff will ensure your comments are provided to the Bicycle Advisory Committee. Bicycle Advisory Committee SUMMARY AGENDA May 22, 2023, 6:00PM – 8:00PM Online via Zoom or in person at 281 N College Ave 5/22/2023 Agenda Page 2 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: April 24, 2023 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Memo in support of recreational bicycling facilities b. Memo in support of revising City Code related to micromobility parking 7. NEW BUSINESS a. City Organization Chart overview (10 minutes) Inform – Lauren Nagle, FC Moves b. Paved Trails update (30 minutes) Inform – Dave “DK” Kemp, Senior Trails Planner 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Transportation Board Report b. Staff Liaison Report  Grants update  Open Streets – Sunday, June 4  Bike to Work Day – Wednesday, June 28  Shift Your Summer 10. ADJOURNMENT BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING –REGULAR April 24, 2023 6:00 p.m. Hybrid Meeting – Zoom and 281 North College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 4 /2 4 /2023 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Dave Dixon Vice-Chair: Jordan Williams Staff Liaison: Cortney Geary 1. CALL TO ORDER Cortney Geary called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL (INTRODUCTIONS) BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT: Brian Kurotsuchi Lauren Nagle Dave Dixon, Chair, Bike Fort Collins Jordan Williams, Vice Chair, At Large Member Greg Boiarsky, Air Quality Advisory Board Ed Peyronnin, Colorado State University Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee Whitney Allison, At Large Member Danielle Buttke (for Kevin Krause), Natural Resources Advisory Board Rob Owens, Transportation Board Elisabeth Cairnes, At Large Member Marcia Richards, Parks and Recreation Board Bruce Henderson (for David Kovach), Senior Advisory Board Jonathan Crozier, Poudre School District Tim Anderson, Fort Collins Bike Co-op (arrived late) ABSENT: Scott Mason, Land Conservation and Stewardship Board David Hansen, Colorado State University Todd Dangerfield, Downtown Development Authority PUBLIC PRESENT: Troy Rosen BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 4 /2 4 /2023 – MINUTES Page 2 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Dixon stated there were no changes to the published agenda. 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION Troy Rosen stated he was present to observe. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – MARCH 2023 Allison made a motion, seconded by Owens, to approve the minutes of the March 2023 meeting as written. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Memo in Support of Bike Parks Committee members read a memo prepared by Krause and made some wording and grammar suggestions. Peyronnin made a motion, seconded by Crozier, to accept the memo contingent upon modifications and grammatical edits provided by Boiarsky. Owens stated he was unsure of the purpose of the Committee suggesting a plan. Henderson stated that while Parks and Recreation has plans for parks and trails, it does not have a plan for a bike park, which is what this memo suggests. Chair Dixon noted Owens asked if the recommendation was specific to the Hughes property at the March meeting and the group agreed that it should be less specific. He stated the group agreed that more of a focus on recreational bicycling should occur. Owens stated he did not read the memo to be bike park focused but to be more focused on the trail system. Committee members discussed wording changes to the memo. Buttke commented on the current lack of inventory in the Parks Department for structures for older children stating a bike park would fill that niche. Chair Dixon discussed the joint creation of a recreational bicycle plan between FC Moves and Parks. Richards discussed the need for operations and maintenance funding to be included. Peyronnin withdrew his earlier motion. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 4 /2 4 /2023 – MINUTES Page 3 Vice Chair Williams made a motion to defer consideration of the memo on recreational biking to next month’s meeting to allow for edits to be made regarding directing staff to create a plan between FC Moves and Parks, grammatical changes, and emphasizing specific funding sources, with the caveat that the Committee will receive a draft of the memo prior to the next meeting. Chair Dixon amended the motion to include clarification in terms of what is meant by a recreational biking plan, ensuring the inclusion of maintenance funds, and clarifying that the concern over the lack of recreational bicycling is independent of trail connectivity and transportation around town and is therefore implying the inclusion of bike parks or other recreational bike facilities. Owens seconded the motion. The motion was adopted with Anderson abstaining. Anderson expressed concern about the lack of language related to a bike park being both paved and unpaved. He stated the Bike Co-op is not highly dependent on paved courses and aims to improve the community through bicycling. Chair Dixon stated he believed that was heard at the last meeting and believed the reference to ‘other features’ in the memo captures closed courses. He asked Anderson if he would be more supportive of language that specifically called out paved and unpaved surfaces. Chair Dixon suggested amending the motion to include that recreational bicycle facilities include bike parks, soft surface trails, potentially paved trails and other features and closed courses so there is an implication not all features relate to mountain bikes. Anderson supported the amendment. Allison seconded the amended motion. The motion was adopted unanimously. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Safe Routes to School Program Update – Brian Kurotsuchi, SRTS Operations Manager Brian Kurotsuchi, Safe Routes to School Operations Manager, discussed the history of the Safe Routes to School program in Fort Collins and its funding. He provided information on the national history of the program as well. He stated the Fort Collins program provides education to 6,000-7,000 students ages K-12 each year with help from Bike Fort Collins. He outlined the programming provided to schools and showed a video of a bike rodeo event which helps to provide education and teach skills. He also noted each child’s bike is inspected and usually repaired on-site, if necessary, as part of the program. Kurotsuchi discussed the bike fleet and equipment trailers. Additionally, he BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 4 /2 4 /2023 – MINUTES Page 4 provided information on the safety study at Zach Elementary which resulted in the need for additional signalization and a refuge island. He noted a grant was received for the work. He thanked FoCo Fondo for providing funding for new middle and high school bikes. Kurotsuchi discussed the after-school bike clubs and stated adaptive inclusion has been a focus of the past year. Allison commented on the High Five Foundation which helps provide adaptive bikes at no charge. Kurotsuchi provided information on the Safe Routes to School website. Owens asked about the long-term success of the program in terms of increasing ridership. Kurotsuchi replied some schools are better than others at encouraging biking and walking to school. Geary replied Fort Collins is better than most cities around the country. Chair Dixon noted P.E. teachers send out surveys to students to help get numbers on walking and biking to school and those show an average 23% walk and ride rate across the district. He noted some school boundaries do not lend themselves to allowing for some of the student body to walk and ride. Owens asked if there is a possibility of a collaboration with Open Streets to close streets down in front of schools on certain days. Geary commented on the School Streets concept. Allison asked if there are any planned infrastructure investments for trails with access points, and what types of equity considerations are made when those kinds of investments do occur. Kurotsuchi replied Safe Routes is always looking for last segment connection opportunities. Geary noted creating safe routes to school helps to create safe routes to everything. She discussed the equity component of the Active Modes Plan. Chair Dixon commented on equity work done with mobile home parks noting they frequently do not have adequate infrastructure for walking and biking to and from the properties. Crozier commented on the need for additional family engagement in the Safe Routes program. b. Adult Education and Outreach Update – Lauren Nagle, Active Modes Specialist Lauren Nagle, Active Modes Specialist, discussed the Bicycle Friendly Driver and Smart Cycling classes offered by the City. She also provided information on other community programs, including the Chica’s bike group and the Bike Fix It Bonanza which provides free bike repair. She noted targeted events are held in BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 4 /2 4 /2023 – MINUTES Page 5 communities to help address equity issues. Nagle discussed the Bicycle Ambassador Program and volunteer program that helps provide staffing for special events and projects and rides. She noted FC Bikes offers free helmets, bike lights, and reflective gear to any individual and she provided information on a CDOT grant that provided free SPIN passes for a year for 75 people in the community. Nagle discussed upcoming plans including changing the Bicycle Friendly Driver program to Fort Collins Friendly Driver, working on a trail etiquette outreach program, and revamping the Bicycle Ambassador Program to be inclusive of all modes. She announced upcoming community walks and rides and discussed how they are marketed. Henderson asked how much involvement Nagle has, or wants to have, in community rides that are not part of FC Moves. Nagle replied she would love to have involvement in other rides. Allison asked if data is collected on the most common barriers encountered as part of the Bicycle Buddy program which is focused on individualized education. Nagle replied in the affirmative but noted the program does not have a great number of users because it is individualized. She stated barriers are typically weather, lack of shower facilities, and lack of confidence and abilities. Allison suggested there may be other opportunities to partner with area businesses. Nagle replied there are ‘borrow our Bicycle Buddies and Bicycle Ambassadors’ programs, but she acknowledged they could be better marketed. Geary commented on the Shift Your Ride program’s planned engagement directly with employers. c. ThinkBike Workshop Results – Cortney Geary, Active Modes Manager Cortney Geary, Active Modes Manager, reported on last week’s ThinkBike workshop which included experts visiting from the Dutch Cycling Embassy, including two consultants from Dutch firms, and a guest from the Federal Highway Administration. She outlined the Dutch principles around network design, including ensuring distributor roadways, or arterials in Fort Collins, are designed such that the speed limit is no greater than 30 miles per hour. She discussed various aspects and types of Dutch infrastructure and stated the group screened the film Together We Cycle which covered the history of cycling in the Netherlands. Chair Dixon commented on the variety of attendees from various City departments. Allison stated infrastructure and cost will be the main barriers and asked about others and how broader, more ambitious shifts could be supported. Geary BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 4 /2 4 /2023 – MINUTES Page 6 commented on a discussion around having a planted median with roadways sloping toward it which would help with stormwater and could also be a place for snow in the winters thereby keeping bike lanes clear. Crozier asked if there are any cities in the United States that are making efforts to model themselves after Amsterdam. Geary replied there are a lot of cities doing progressive road diet projects and redesigns. Allison asked if there were any discussions regarding differences in vehicle sizes. Geary replied in the affirmative and noted Amsterdam has much smaller vehicles and fire trucks. Boiarsky commented on the need to be mindful about what is unique about Fort Collins and the American driving culture. Geary concurred and stated it is important the community understands the benefits of these types of shifts. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Anderson commented on building community through bicycling. Vice Chair Williams discussed a CSU Sustainability Research Laboratory study regarding carbon output by different types of transportation. Crozier announced National Bike and Walk to School Day is Wednesday, May 3rd. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Transportation Board Report Owens reported the Transportation Board received a presentation on sustainable funding from Ginny Sawyer. b. Staff Liaison Report • Grants Update Geary stated staff submitted for three CDOT grants, one to complete the Laporte corridor project from Fishback to Sunset, one to add onto an existing project on Taft Hill to incorporate Active Modes Plan improvements, and one for a mobility hub plan and test implementation. • 2023 Bike Maps Geary announced the new bike maps are out. • Open Streets Geary stated the next Open Streets event will be June 4th on Landings and Boardwalk. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 4 /2 4 /2023 – MINUTES Page 7 Geary announced the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) conference will be held in May in Denver. Nagle stated Council has created an ad hoc Boards and Commissions committee and the formation of an Active Modes Advisory Committee will be discussed after that process is complete. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:02 PM by unanimous consent. FC Moves 200 W Mountain Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80521 fcgov.com/FCMoves FC Moves MEMORANDUM BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE DATE: April 28, 2023 TO: City of Fort Collins - Transportation Board (T-Board) FROM: City of Fort Collins - Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) SUBJECT: Expressing Support for Recreational Bicycling Facilities and Infrastructure Dear Chair Brown, The Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) has recently discussed the importance of the City investing in and developing recreational bicycling facilities and infrastructure for all ages, abilities, and bicycling disciplines. Specifically, we feel the City should incorporate bike parks, skill areas, soft-surface trails, recreational paved surfaces, and closed courses thoughtfully incorporated throughout the City. We believe it is vital to get more members of the community biking more often, especially youth and historically underrepresented groups. The BAC believes FC Moves and Parks & Recreation should jointly plan for recreational bicycling facilities in support of this under-appreciated community need. Such a plan directly aligns with the adopted Active Modes Plan (AMP) Big Move to create “A Supportive and Inclusive Culture (SIC)” and specifically, SIC4: Expand recreational active modes opportunities: Support Park Planning & Development, Natural Areas, and community organizations ’efforts to build recreational amenities like a bike park and unpaved trails. Recreational amenities can help people, particularly youth, develop skills and confidence and build a culture of support for active modes. While great focus has been placed on building on-street infrastructure to achieve the goals and outcomes in the AMP as well as the goals of Our Climate Future, we are concerned about the lack of focus on and investment in recreational bicycling. We see a need to develop a robust bike culture that supports an atmosphere in which bike riders, especially new riders, see both the fun and utility of bike riding. Responses to the Parks & Recreation Master Plan Outreach survey support our viewpoint. For example, responses to the item "If you or a family member has a need for each type of outdoor facility” indicated that "Mountain Bike Courses and Bike Parks” were a need for 12.1% and 6.8%, respectively, of respondents. When summed together, these two needs, at 18.9%, beat out the top reported choice of community gardens (15%), dog parks, natural areas/wildlife, water play features, and other surveyed options. The Master Plan in its final form, however, makes no mention of bike parks, courses or trails, but instead focuses on “bike connections” to parks, somewhat redundant with the AMP. We ask for your support in forwarding this memo to Council to ensure that recreational biking is recognized and prioritized as a focus area for the City. Priority should be placed on both funding the creation of these facilities and funding their maintenance in the future such that “the percent of transportation funding allocated to active modes aligns with the City’s strategic outcomes related to mode shift, safety, climate action, and equity.” (excerpt from the Active Modes Plan, as adopted). Very Respectfully, Kevin Krause Bicycle Advisory Committee Member (Natural Resources Advisory Board Liaison) Dave Dixon Bicycle Advisory Committee, Chair cc: Aaron Iverson – Senior Manager, FC Moves Cortney Geary –Active Modes Manager Mike Calhoon – Director of Parks LeAnn Williams – Director of Recreation Katie Donahue – Director of Natural Areas FC Moves 200 W Mountain Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80521 fcgov.com/FCMoves FC Moves MEMORANDUM BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE DATE: May 22, 2023 TO: City of Fort Collins – Transportation Board FROM: City of Fort Collins – Bicycle Advisory Committee SUBJECT: Expressing Support for Changing the Ordinance Affecting Parking of Electric Scooters and Shared Micromobility Dear Chair Brown, The Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) has recently discussed the importance of providing better options for parking of shared micromobility such as Spin e-scooters and e-bikes because riders sometimes park them blocking paths and access. This can be a problem for everyone, and it can be a barrier for people with disabilities. Parking of electric scooters and shared micromobility electric scooters, electric bicycles, and bicycles is currently regulated by §24-179 which dictates that “a user shall park shared mobility devices or an electric scooter upright on hard surfaces in the parkway, beside a bicycle rack, or in another area specifically designated for shared mobility device and electric scooter parking.” Parking of personally owned electric bicycles and bicycles is regulated by Traffic Code §2108. In collaboration with CSU Master’s student Connor Stephens, FC Moves studied how riders parked Spin e-bikes and e-scooters, collecting data and photos on over 400 vehicles in 2022, including the legality of how the device was parked, whether it was blocking a path or access, and whether it was blocking a path or access for someone with a disability. In most of the City, there is no place to park that is compliant with §24-179. Many of the e-bikes and e-scooters were illegally parked on the street but were not blocking a path or access. Removing §24-179 and adding electric scooters and shared micromobility to Traffic Code §2108 will allow Spin e-bikes and e-scooters to be parked on streets, which provides more legal parking options and is expected to reduce the number of parked micromobility devices blocking paths or access. The ability to educate riders effectively on appropriate parking behavior is limited because of the lack of legal parking options for shared micromobility devices. By contract, Spin enforces parking, and the City can require additional parking restrictions of Spin via contract without changing the ordinance. The BAC believes that changing the ordinance will improve dockless shared micromobility such as Spin in Fort Collins and reduce any negative impact on the public right-of-way. We ask for your support in forwarding this memo to Council to ensure the benefit of this change is recognized. Sincerely, Dave Dixon Bicycle Advisory Committee, Chair Headline Copy Goes Here Senior Trails Planner Park Planning & Development Parks Department Dave “DK” Kemp Strategic Trails Plan Update to the 2013 Paved Recreational Trails Plan May 22, 2023 Bicycle Advisory Committee Headline Copy Goes Here 2 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan Headline Copy Goes Here 3 2021 Parks and Recreation Master Plan & Trails Headline Copy Goes Here 4 2021 Parks and Recreation Master Plan & Trails Headline Copy Goes Here 5 2022 Active Modes Plan & Trails Headline Copy Goes Here 6 Strategic Trails Plan –Draft Plan Elements Headline Copy Goes Here 7 Strategic Trails Plan –Draft Plan Timeline Headline Copy Goes Here 8 Questions? Dave “DK” Kemp Senior Trails Planner Park Planning & Development Parks Department dk@fcgov.com