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HomeMy WebLinkAboutActive Modes Advisory Board - MINUTES - 05/20/2024 ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING –REGULAR May 20, 2024 6:00 p.m. Online via Zoom or In Person at 281 North College 5 /2 0 /2024 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Bruce Henderson Vice-Chair: Kevin Krause Staff Liaison: Lauren Nagle 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Henderson called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Bruce Henderson, Chair Kevin Krause, Vice Chair (arrived late) Tim Han Jared Hanson Wallace Jacobson Cameron Phillips Kat Steele Kristina Vrouwenvelder CITY STAFF PRESENT: Lauren Nagle Cortney Geary Melina Dempsey ABSENT: Destiny Dominguez PUBLIC PRESENT: Ed Peyronnin 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Henderson outlined the published agenda. 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION None. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – APRIL 2024 Jacobson made a motion, seconded by Steele, to approve the minutes of the April 2024 meeting. The motion was adopted unanimously. ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5 /2 0 /2024 – MINUTES Page 2 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Active Modes Plan Overview and Discussion (Cortney Geary) Cortney Geary, Active Modes Manager, stated the Active Modes Plan set the vision that active transportation is an integral part of daily life and the local cultural experience, and Fort Collins is a place where walking, bicycling, and using other active modes of transportation are accessible, convenient, joyful, and desired by people of all ages and abilities. The Plan set two goals: one for a 50% active modes share of all trips taken by residents by 2032, and one eliminating active modes fatalities and serious injuries by 2032 in support of the City’s larger Vision Zero goal to eliminate all fatalities and serious injuries. Geary outlined the big moves in the Plan, including having a complete and connected network, comprehensive access to destinations, safe and comfortable travel, a healthy and equitable community, and a supportive and inclusive culture, and mentioned some of the next moves. Geary went on to discuss policy and program recommendations, including prioritizing active modes, updating land use policies to support active modes, aligning standards with active modes goals, expanding and creating programs that support active modes, and equitable engagement with historically underserved groups. Geary discussed some of the ways in which the program recommendations have started to be implemented, including group rides and asphalt art. Nagle discussed the City employee walking program which is aimed at encouraging employees to reduce their single-occupancy vehicle use while they are at work and away from work. Nagle stated the program is a classic TDM program that allows people to earn prizes when walking goals are earned. Geary outlined ways in which some of the policy recommendations are starting to be implemented, including updating street design standards. Geary noted staff has submitted a Vision Zero budget offer as well as a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant application, either of which could include funding for Code and standards updates. Additional implementation items include operationalizing active modes maintenance. In terms of infrastructure recommendations, Geary noted the Plan recommended 144 miles of bike facility improvements and 165 spot improvements which sum up to a total cost estimate of over $150 million. Geary provided a list of the projects for which funding exists and detailed a few of those, including the Laporte corridor project. ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5 /2 0 /2024 – MINUTES Page 3 Steele commented on cars not viewing cyclists as vehicles when they are forced onto separated paths or sidewalks. Chair Henderson asked how the removal of on-street parking spaces is being received by the neighborhoods. Geary replied the reaction has been mixed. Henderson asked how the City approached the parking removal issue with residents. Geary replied postcards are typically sent for the area within a ¼ mile, but this project was a ½ mile. Additionally, sign boards were placed on the route with project fact sheets and a neighborhood meeting was held at Putnam Elementary School. Geary stated staff is working with leadership to confirm there is support for the project, but if that is determined, staff will reach out to everyone on the corridor door-to-door to communicate a final decision. Geary discussed the asphalt art project and curb extensions at Canyon, Magnolia, and Sherwood. Han asked if there are any asphalt art projects planned near any Fort Collins schools. Geary replied the only asphalt art curb extensions that currently exist are near Putnam Elementary and one was proposed near Lopez Elementary, however, it received a great deal of opposition from the neighborhood. Geary discussed the Centre Avenue area transportation improvements project which is being paired with a resurfacing project, the Zach Elementary crossing, and other roadway crossings. Geary detailed the Elizabeth and Overland Trail project and showed a draft visualization of a protected roundabout at what will be the western terminus of the Elizabeth Street bus rapid transit project. Geary noted the design of the roundabout is in large part thanks to a ThinkBike workshop that was held with the Dutch Cycling Embassy and described the function of the roundabout. Dempsey noted there is already funding for the roundabout and Foothills Transit Station; therefore, construction can begin as early as next year once design is complete. The rest of the corridor is dependent on about $110 million in federal funding so the best-case scenario for that construction is to begin in 2026. Geary noted part of the Active Modes Plan was a 15-minute city analysis which has the vision of every resident being able to walk, bike, or roll within 15 minutes of their home to their daily destinations. Additionally, Council has two 15-minute city related priorities, one focused on igniting neighborhood centers and one focused on accelerating the shift to active modes. Geary stated staff is seeking a letter of support from the Board regarding the Active Transportation Infrastructure and Investment Program federal grant for planning and design with the hopes that a construction grant can be applied for in the future. Geary stated the grant would be focused on improving connections from the North College community into the existing trail system and active ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5 /2 0 /2024 – MINUTES Page 4 transportation network. Geary noted the letter of support would be included with the grant application to help show support from various entities for the project. Chair Henderson made some suggestions to the letter wording. Nagle noted the deadline for the grant is prior to the next Board meeting and outlined options for the Board to approve sending the letter. Chair Henderson suggested edits be made to the letter with review by himself, Vice Chair Krause, and staff outside of this meeting. Members concurred with the approach. Steele made a motion, seconded by Phillips, to make edits to the letter outside this meeting with review by himself, Vice Chair Krause, and staff outside of this meeting and to include the amended letter with the grant application. The motion was adopted unanimously. b. Strategic Trails Plan Community Working Group Recruitment (Lauren Nagle) Nagle stated this item is a good example of an overlap of recreation and transportation and noted the Strategic Trails Plan is the Parks Planning and Development Department’s effort to take a good look at the city’s existing paved trails and set up a framework for future planning and development, maintenance, and preservation of the paved trails. Nagle stated the Community Working Group has met once and there are plans for three more meetings this year with the next one on May 29th. The Group will be making recommendations to improve and expand the trail system. Nagle mentioned some of the existing members of the Group and stated there is a desire to have a representative from the Board. Chair Henderson asked if in-person participation is required. Nagle replied the meetings will occur at 215 North Mason. Vice Chair Krause expressed interest in serving on the Working Group with Steele serving as a back-up member. c. Initial BAC Work Plan Review and Discussion Nagle noted both Chair Henderson and Vice Chair Krause served on the Bicycle Advisory Committee and aided in the formation of the Work Plan. Chair Henderson stated it is generally best if the Work Plan items are somewhat action oriented and he reviewed the items included in the Work Plan created by the BAC. Vice Chair Krause suggested the primary functions of the Board should be ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5 /2 0 /2024 – MINUTES Page 5 related to diving into the Active Modes Plan. He commented on the importance of including a cultural piece in the Plan implementation and on building accountability to the Plan. Additionally, Vice Chair Krause suggested creating a framework to help with accountability to the Plan. Steele commented on the broader purview of the Active Modes Advisory Board and noted there are other community partners that have yet to be identified. Vrouwenvelder concurred and stated the City work on public transit is very important, particularly as related to pedestrians. Vrouwenvelder commented on the importance of affordable housing advocacy and land use regulations to support active modes advocacy. Geary noted the City is starting the second phase of Land Use Code updates that will be focused on the commercial side and stated the Board could utilize that opportunity to coordinate presentations from the Planning Department. Steele asked if this Board will be providing liaisons to Boards other than the Transportation Board. Nagle replied the Transportation Board had a relationship with the Bicycle Advisory Committee in that the BAC advised the Transportation Board. Nagle stated there is an opportunity for this Board to send a member to the Transportation Board and vice versa and the topic could be placed on next month’s agenda. Additionally, Nagle noted Ed Peyronnin serves on the Transportation Board and is the person identified by that Board to be the liaison should the Active Modes Board want that relationship. Chair Henderson noted the Boards and Commissions Manual, as written, shows a great deal of overlap between the Transportation Board and the Active Modes Advisory Board as well as between other Boards. Nagle noted this Board could also hold a joint meeting with the Transportation Board at some point. Phillips commented on the direct relationship between the work of this Board and the City’s climate work. Vice Chair Krause suggested examining the agendas of other Boards and Council’s 6-month calendar to get some sense of other topics being considered. Chair Henderson suggested placing the draft version of the Work Plan in the shared drive to allow each member to make tracked modifications over the next three weeks for adoption at the next meeting. Nagle commented on looking into open meetings requirements. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS None. ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 5 /2 0 /2024 – MINUTES Page 6 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Staff Liaison Report  Transportation Board Liaison, easy fun active modes event ideas Members opted to place the Transportation Board liaison topic on next month’s agenda. Nagle discussed Mayor Pro Tem Francis’ comments on having easier, less structured active modes events and requested ideas from Board Members. Jacobson commented on a magazine calendar of events with many activities in the bicycle community and suggested the City could tap into some of those existing events and resources. Steele commented on Austin blocking off blocks of streets with a very low speed limit to allow for biking and walking with much calmer traffic and commented on Portland designating street sections such that cars were the unusual part of traffic on those roadways. Vrouwenvelder asked if the City collects feedback from users about whether events such as Open Streets make them more likely to adopt active modes in their daily lives. Geary replied last year was the first year of a survey after Open Streets; however, surveys occur every year with Bike to Work Day related to those topics. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 8:00 p.m.