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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 10/18/2023 TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR October 18, 2023, 6:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting Via Zoom 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Cari Brown Vice Chair: Council Liaison: Ed Peyronnin Emily Francis Staff Liaison: Aaron Iverson 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Brown called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Cari Brown, Chair Ed Peyronnin, Vice Chair Jerry Gavaldon Nathalie Rachline James Burtis Indy Hart Jess Dyrdahl Stephanie Blochowiak BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None CITY STAFF PRESENT: Cortney Geary PUBLIC PRESENT: None 3. AGENDA REVIEW Geary stated there were no changes to the published agenda. 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION None. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – SEPTEMBER 2023 Rachline made a motion, seconded by Burtis, to approve the September 2023 minutes as written. Yeas: Brown, Gavaldon, Burtis, Rachline, Hart, and Dyrdahl. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 2 Nays: none. Abstain: Peyronnin and Blochowiak. THE MOTION CARRIED. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. ThinkBike Workshop Status Report – Cortney Geary Cortney Geary, FC Moves Active Modes Manager, stated the ThinkBike workshop was held in April with experts from the Dutch Cycling Embassy and several City departments and other entities. The purpose of the workshop was to bring experience and knowledge from the work the Netherlands has done to create friendly cities for cycling and to apply those ideas to communities in the United States. Geary noted many Dutch cities have achieved very high levels of bike mode share comparable to or above the 50% active mode share of all trips goal set in the City’s Active Modes Plan. Additionally, Geary noted many cities in the Netherlands have come close to achieving Vision Zero. Geary stated there was a turning point for the Netherlands in the 1970’s related to an uprising of concern about traffic fatalities and rising gasoline prices; therefore, the country started to rethink how it designed transportation systems in cities and worked to create cities that invite cyclists. Geary stated Fort Collins is in a situation where people can cycle but is not yet at a point where cycling is inviting. Geary discussed the elements of the workshop, including a goal-setting exercise and an examination of the hard infrastructure, organizational capabilities and partnerships, and the city’s strengths and opportunities for improvement. Additionally, bicycle network design, corridor design, arterial traffic calming, and intersection design were discussed. Geary stated Dutch cities basically have three street classifications: access, distributor, and through. In Fort Collins’ case, the only true through road should be I- 25 wherein expeditious movement of vehicular traffic is prioritized. Distributor roadways are comparable to arterials and should have speed limits of no more than 30 miles per hour, and access roads are comparable to local roads and should have speed limits of no more than 20 miles per hour. Geary discussed arterial traffic calming measures including reducing speeds, not allowing passing, including a wide planted median strip which can act as a refuge for pedestrians or cyclists, and including separated bike lanes. Additionally, Geary noted roundabout intersections are preferred for efficient traffic movement and traffic signals do not act as safety tools but as traffic management tools. She discussed a protected roundabout design which maintains a protected bike facility throughout the roundabout and forces TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 3 vehicles to enter the roundabout at as close to a 90-degree angle as possible which allows for better visibility of cyclists and pedestrians. She noted the Dutch experts compared roundabouts in the United States to slingshots due to the angle of entry and exit. Geary stated the workshop concluded with a public event and screening of the film Together We Cycle which tells the story of how the Netherlands embraced cycling and created a culture that invites people to bike. Geary discussed some of the work being done by the City in response to the workshop, including work on the design of the West Elizabeth and Overland Trail roundabout to incorporate a protected design, work on the Transportation Capital Project Prioritization Study to incorporate a protected intersection design into the Shields and Prospect, Shields and Stuart, and Shields and Horsetooth intersections, and work to inform road diet designs to include protected elements. In terms of Vision Zero Action Plan implementation, Geary stated the City applied for a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant for funding to incorporate separated bike lanes and other traffic slowing elements into the Harmony Road corridor which, if funded, would be incorporated along with the resurfacing of the roadway that is expected to take place over the next two years. Additionally, the funds would go toward more temporary protected bike lane elements made of flexible plastic materials in the design of Centre Avenue as well as a safety study of all recommendations for separated bike lanes in the northwest quadrant of the city. Rachline stated she attended the workshop’s concluding session and film and expressed disappointment Geary’s presentation did not include information on the discussions related to short-term, medium-term, and long-term investments and projects. She also stated it does not seem as though there was a real plan that resulted from the workshop to help identify necessary investments for long-term projects and smaller more immediate projects that could help Fort Collins’ perspective shift. Geary replied her intention for the workshop was not to develop another action plan given the Active Modes Plan outlines specific next moves and big moves as well as an implementation strategy of policies, programs, and infrastructure. Additionally, the Transit Master Plan outlines future transit goals. She stated the workshop was meant to kickstart the implementation and to help the City think bigger in terms of inspiration for different designs to help achieve its goals. Geary noted an action list was set by the workshop participants, though she has some differences of opinion regarding how quickly some of those items could be implemented. She stated one item on the action list was organizing a critical mass ride, though that is something the City would not likely organize because those types of rides have not typically followed the rules of the road. She stated kidical mass rides get groups of youth and families out to participate in a group ride which typically TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 4 does follow the rules of the road and she has suggested possibly shifting some of the FC Moves programming to provide for neighborhood-focused events including kidical mass rides. Geary stated another item on the action list was updating the Master Street Plan to reflect some of the lessons learned about car network design and the Dutch model for sustainable safety as well as the potential for arterial traffic calming. Another item was related to maximizing the existing infrastructure by perhaps advertising existing wide sidewalks as bike facilities. Geary stated there are concerns about that in terms of vehicles not expecting bicyclists to be coming off sidewalks at certain speeds or directions. Geary stated other list items were improving public transportation, which is an ongoing effort, implementing safe streets for all plans, updating traffic modeling, which may take more time, updating street design standards, which may require consultant support and a budget offer for funding, creating an excessive pavement eradication team which would decrease expenditures on resurfacing, and celebrating a parking day which would convert parking spaces to other uses such as parklets. Geary outlined the ten-year to-do list which includes expanding the active mobility infrastructure, which is ongoing, reviewing the 287 vision, starting a cycling incentive program, eliminating as many traffic signals as possible, reducing on-street parking, converting five signalized intersections to roundabouts, having ongoing holistic discussions with City staff, and reviewing the Land Use Code. Rachline stated it seems some of the items in the ten-year list have already begun or are more doable than some of the one-year items and she suggested it would be good to have a list of actions that resulted from the workshop that includes a timeline. Additionally, she stated any items that can be done to aid in the climate emergency should be highlighted. Vice Chair Peyronnin commended the presentation and stated he too attended the workshop’s concluding session during which making roundabouts the default intersection design was discussed. He noted retrofitting current signalized intersections will provide challenges; however, new construction could include roundabouts by default. He asked about the most effective means of achieving that goal. Geary stated that could be a matter of updating the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS), looking at the Master Street Plan, and identifying opportunities where there is a potential for retrofitting intersections, potentially on a corridor scale. She stated there is a potential to adopt Fort Collins-specific standards that would not necessarily need to be adopted by Larimer County. She suggested going through Aaron Iverson as a first step. Vice Chair Peyronnin suggested a policy could be put in place prior to dealing with budgeting. Geary replied policy will only impact new development. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 5 Chair Brown noted changing the standards could require a budget offer. Geary replied that is possible as consultants may be needed. Vice Chair Peyronnin suggested it may be beneficial to have an in-house roundabout expert rather than relying on consultants. Chair Brown noted updating the LCUASS standards is time-consuming due to the public input process. Gavaldon commented on reliance on consultants and associated costs. He stated concerns about that are valid and need to be considered particularly given budget shortfalls. He also commented on new Land Use Code regulations that look to push parking on-street versus off-street to allow developers room for more units. He expressed concern that policy seems in direct conflict with active modes goals. Gavaldon concurred there are issues with existing roundabouts dating back to the formation of the Ziegler and Horsetooth roundabout which is not functioning properly due to its size. He noted developers tend to push back on roundabouts as they require more land than a traditional signal. He commended Geary’s work and report. Chair Brown clarified that the action list consists of items captured at the workshop event and is not specifically endorsed by the City. Geary concurred. Burtis stated he also attended the workshop’s concluding session and stated the goal with many of the suggested changes is not to slow the overall speed of traffic but to keep traffic moving at a consistent slightly slower rate with fewer stops. He shared a review that highlights the type of infrastructure that can help enhance bike ridership in a city. He noted Fort Collins has a strong bike culture but is missing full infrastructure development. He expressed support for eliminating excess pavement to decrease maintenance costs and commended Geary on her report. Dyrdahl also commended Geary. Chair Brown thanked Geary for sharing some of the historical details about the Netherlands bicycle development. Blochowiak stated there is a documentary about the shift in the Netherlands in the 1970’s and 1980’s. She asked about the timeline for the Safe Streets for All Grant application. Geary replied they should know by the end of the year if grants were received. b. Board 2024 Work Plan Hart made a motion, seconded by Dyrdahl, to approve the 2024 Work Plan with the changes provided by Iverson in the document attached to the Board’s materials. Hart stated the primary changes were the year and a language change from the TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 6 references of the Bicycle Advisory Committee to the Active Modes Advisory Board. Gavaldon stated number four should reference a non-voting member for the Transportation Board liaison to the Active Modes Advisory Board. Chair Brown stated she believed that was not fully worked out and was therefore hesitant to use ‘non-voting member.’ Gavaldon requested an amendment to the motion to change the language to include ‘non-voting member.’ The amendment failed due to lack of a second. The vote on the original motion was as follows: Yeas: Brown, Peyronnin, Burtis, Blochowiak, Hart, and Dyrdahl. Nays: Gavaldon. Abstain: Rachline. THE MOTION CARRIED. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Vice Chair Peyronnin reported on a visit to Boulder on the Flex, which he stated was a great experience. He commented on the fact that there are only three bike rack spaces on the buses which would make things difficult if there were more than that, particularly on the return trip. He suggested the possibility of a reservation system. Chair Brown asked if bikes could be brought on the bus if the racks were full. Vice Chair Peyronnin replied the Bustang buses allow that, but the Flex buses have no interior space for bikes. Gavaldon stated the Bustang website indicates bikes are not allowed on the buses. Burtis reported on attending a meeting with Transfort staff over the weekend that was primarily focused on minor adjustments to improve the system. He stated the Dial-a-Ride Transit Action Committee that advises on route adjustments is seeking new members. He noted the Loveland Flex is realigning its routes to align with the new transit center in Loveland. He stated Transfort has hired two new route planners and ridership numbers are back up above 2019 numbers in the Elizabeth corridor. Burtis stated the bike lanes on City Park remain full of parked cars. He suggested better enforcement is needed in the area. Blochowiak noted the new Land Use Code updates have passed City Council on first reading. She stated Fort Collins made the national news for the ways it has worked to address housing. Rachline commented on issues with parking in bike lanes and reiterated concerns that bike lanes are not properly cleaned. She stated she would like the City to consider closing some streets to vehicular traffic on Sundays, particularly perhaps in the downtown area. Hart reported he has again started riding his bicycle but has changed his route. He commented on issues along the new route including concerns about a sidewalk corner that is not up to new standards and issues at Stuart and Lemay. He stated that his new route TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 7 keeps him at further distances from cars, but he stated riding a bike in the city should not be a life-threatening experience. He stated either the infrastructure needs to change to make cycling easy and comfortable or the City needs to admit it is no longer bike-friendly. Hart commented on avoiding Transfort routes and instead using routes managed by other cities that run through Fort Collins because they are more reliable, timely, and convenient. He noted there is a ballot item that would provide some funding to Transfort but questioned whether allocating more money to a broken team in Transfort is going to be a solution. Chair Brown commented on two recent close calls on her bike. Dyrdahl reported on attending a Human Rights Commission training on masking micro- aggressions. She stated topics at the last Planning and Zoning Commission meeting were a Master Street Plan amendment, an update on the East Mulberry Plan, and the Commissions Work Plan. She stated the Commission members shared frustrations about the lines at Raising Cane’s and other restaurants and also discussed unsafe areas around the city as per the safety report discussed by the Board at last month’s meeting. She asked if another member would be able to attend the work session on Thursday, November 9th. Vice Chair Peyronnin stated he would be able to attend. Chair Brown reported on attending Open Streets. She questioned the stop light function at Lemay and Suniga. She noted ballots are out for the November election. Dyrdahl reported TedX CSU is happening November 4th. Gavaldon commented on the fact that there was no MAX service for late night CSU football games last year and he noted that while service seems to be happening this year, it does not seem bikes will be allowed on the buses. He also commented on excessive speeds of E-bikes on trails and stated he observed a semitruck blocking an entire lane of traffic in front of Starbucks on College which was creating a dangerous situation. He announced a movie night at the Museo de las Tres Colonias. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Bicycle Advisory Committee Report Gavaldon reported the Bicycle Advisory Committee received a presentation on the Active Modes Advisory Board transition and discussed the new speed camera legislation bill with a representative from Bicycle Colorado. He suggested the Board may also want to have that discussion. Gavaldon also stated the Committee discussed the City’s Strategic Plan and outcome areas as well as the Transportation Demand Management program update. He commented on it being difficult to ride on the Spring Creek Trail at night. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/18/2023 – MINUTES Page 8 b. City Council 6-Month Calendar Review Geary stated Council will be discussing the Downtown parking system, ex officio members for Boards and Commissions, authorizing a supplemental appropriation for snow removal services, Master Street Plan amendments, including the North College MAX plan implementation and a Montava request, East Mulberry Plan adoption, the 2024 Legislative Policy Agenda, a community report from Larimer County about the future of public health, and advancing transit initiatives at upcoming meetings and work sessions. c. Staff Liaison Report None. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m. by unanimous consent.