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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/20/2025 - TRANSPORTATION BOARD - AGENDA - Regular Meeting8/20/2025 Agenda Page 1 TRANSPORTATION BOARD SUMMARY AGENDA August 20, 2025, 6:00PM – 8:00PM In person at 281 N. College, Conference Room A or online via Teams This hybrid TRANSPORTATION BOARD meeting will be conducted in person at 281 N College Ave, Conference Room A, or you may join online via Teams. 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 Teams at Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 224 295 374 904 8, Passcode J2eU2dG7. (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. Documents to Share: Any document or presentation a member of the public wishes to provide to the Transportation Board for its consideration must be emailed to mdempsey@fcgov.com at least 24 hours before the meeting. Provide Comments via Email: Individuals who are uncomfortable or unable to access the Teams platform or participate by phone are encouraged to participate by emailing comments to mdempsey@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 Transportation Board . (Continued on next page) TRANSPORTATION BOARD SUMMARY AGENDA August 20, 2025 6:00PM – 8:00PM In person at 281 N. College, Conference Room A or online via Teams 8/20/25 Agenda Page 2 1. CALL TO ORDER [10 minutes for items 1-6] 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION [3 minutes per participant] 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7. N EW BUSINESS [60 minutes] a. Safer Streets Northwest (Cortney Geary) [60 minutes] 8. BOARD REPORTS [30 minutes] a. Action Item Recap 9. OTHER BUSINESS [10 minutes] a. Staff Liaison Report ▪ Topics of Interest b. City Council 6 Month Calendar Review 10. ADJOURNMENT TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR Ju ly 16, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Online Via Zoom or In -Person at 281 North College 7/16/2025 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Ed Peyronnin Vice Chair: Council Liaison: Alexa Nickoloff Susan Gutowsky Staff Liaison: Melina Dempsey 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Peyronnin called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Ed Peyronnin, Chair Alexa Nickoloff, Vice Chair David Baker Amanda Finch Lourdes Alvarez Ryan Noles (arrived late) Michael Hooker (arrived late) BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT : Emily Felton James Burtis CITY STAFF PRESENT: Eric Keselburg Drew Brooks Steven Zupparo Will Amorella Randolph Robinson PUBLIC PRESENT: 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Peyronnin stated there we re no changes to the published agenda. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/16/2025 – MINUTES Page 2 5. APPROVAL OF MINTUES – JUNE 2025 Finch made a motion, seconded by Alvarez, to approve the June 2025 minutes as written. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Downtown Parking Plan – Eric Keselburg, Drew Brooks Drew Brooks, Planning, Development, and Transportation Deputy Director, stated this project is centered around optimizing the way parking works in the Downtown area. He noted both of the most recent parking plans recommended changing the parking model; however, there has been little political will to do that up to this point. He stated that the City is currently of the belief that it would be irresponsible not to look at the model for changes. He noted Fort Collins is an outlier in terms of not having paid on -street parking in its Downtown area. Brooks noted this project has been partially funded by the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Brooks stated the purpose of the study was to assess the current financial condition of the parking system, identify areas of revenue volatility and unsustainable trends, and to highlight implications for long-term sustainability. He discussed the operating income trends since 2020 and noted the net operating increase was largely due to a general fund subsidy which was intended to support post-COVID recovery. He noted the revenue volatility underscores the need for more resilient funding. Additionally, Brooks noted Parking Services received $1.2 million in ARPA funding. Alvarez suggested breaking up the revenue information into pieces based on source. Eric Keselburg, Parking Services Director, stated citations make up 34-41% of total Parking Services revenue with expired registrations being the top revenue generator. He also noted enforcement is concentrated in the Downtown area and RP3 zones. Brooks discussed the trends in parking permit sales and revenue and noted the sales are not back to pre-pandemic levels and garages remain underutilized. He outlined the on -street parking occupancy trends noting occupancy regularly exceeds 85% during peak times throughout the year on both weekends and weekdays, which is viewed to be an unhealthy number. Brooks outlined the key financial challenges for Parking Services, including long-term operating deficits, reliance on enforcement and permit fees, price imbalance between free on -street and paid garage parking, and garage underutilization during peak demand. He discussed the recommended strategies for short-, medium-, and long- term changes, noting the main recommendation is to expand paid parking to on -street and surface lots. Additionally, a different governance model for the Downtown parking system is also being considered. He noted they will be going before Council at an August 12th work session , and if Council agrees, the next phase will involve public TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/16/2025 – MINUTES Page 3 engagement in the Downtown area. Vice Chair Nickoloff asked if there is collaboration with Transfort in terms of using MAX and its parking areas outside of the Downtown area. Brooks replied that Transfort and Parking Services were one department up until a couple years ago, and remain closely aligned. Finch asked if the Safe Choice parking will remain with paid on -street parking. Keselburg replied in the affirmative. Hooker asked what problem is intended to be solved or what dynamic is intended to be created. Brooks replied the system is confusing and tends to drive people to search for on -street parking spaces and move before they want to, which does not support the economic health of the Downtown area. Additionally, Parking Services is not financially solvent and is reliant on the general fund when maintenance, technology improvements, or wayfinding projects are needed. Keselburg noted having a revenue generating system would also allow for Parking Services to have some flexibility to assist with other programs such as Downtown flowers, Open Streets, or a transportation demand management engagement model. Alvarez expressed support for changing the parking model and commented on Bethesda’s tiered parking rates which make parking garages the least expensive option. She also commented on a system wherein funds can be added to a meter via a phone. Brooks noted that is the same system currently used in the parking structures and it would be replicated for the on -street parking. Keselburg noted the plan is to in centivize the parking structure parking and have a higher price point for on -street spaces. Hooker asked if there will be a dynamic pricing system. Keselburg replied that will likely eventually be the case. A Board Member asked about how ride sharing considerations fit into the plans. Keselburg replied the Downtown area is not conducive to deliveries or services such as Uber Eats and having a loading zone is challenging with diagonal parking; therefore, the consultants are working to locate delivery areas and short-term parking. Finch asked if there is an alert sent to users when their time is about to expire. Keselburg replied in the affirmative. Brooks outlined possibilities for the paid on -street and surface lot parking model, which would likely include a rate of $1.50-$2.00 per hour. Chair Peyronnin asked if that amount is based on what the public will likely accept or on the break-even line for the budget. Allison Redmon, Walker Consultants, replied it is not based on revenue or a shortfall but on peer communities. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/16/2025 – MINUTES Page 4 Brooks stated the revenue generation could be $2-4 million annually from the on -street parking change as well as other system changes, including the citation structure and permit pricing. Keselburg noted the goal would be for the citation revenue to decrease and the parking payment revenue to increase as the model would allow people to park as long as desired. Drew Willsey, Walker Consultants, noted there are a large number of parking spaces in the Downtown area and even charging $1.50 per hour leads to a significant revenue increase. Hooker asked if there is an anticipated economic boost in terms of increased tax revenue with increased Downtown spending that would result from people being able to park longer than two hours. Redmon replied studies show that moving to an on -street paid system that is intended for short-term usage does drive economic development and has large economic benefits for downtown areas. Hooker suggested that type of messaging would be valuable to include as this change is made. Chair Peyronnin asked about the DDA’s response to the proposed changes. Brooks replied the DDA is generally supportive. He noted the DDA owns one of the Downtown parking structures, though it is managed by the City; therefore, they have a strong interest in Parking Services improving its maintenance and asset management with a more sustainable revenue generation model. Brooks noted there will likely be some opposition to the program. A Board Member asked about the impact of this chan ge to the parking enforcement budget. Brooks replied it may change the dynamic of what enforcement officers accomplish and may shift some duties to equipment maintenance or other things. Keselburg noted it would free up resourcing to be more proactive. Finch asked about the impacts of employee parking. Keselburg replied many vehicles that shuffle every two hours belong to employees; therefore, the goal is to encourage long-term parking for them to help free up some of the on -street spaces. Chair Peyronnin suggested encouraging the use of MAX and parking lots further south. Vice Chair Nickoloff asked about the economic impact of Linden Street becoming a walking street and whether that should be considered for other parts of Downtown. Brooks replied the Linden Street renovation was completed in 2020 and it has not yet been programmed as envisioned. He stated there have been mixed results from the public and businesses are frequently concerned about eliminating parking. Vice Chair Nickoloff concurred with Chair Peyronnin about implementing bus rapid transit routes into parking plans. Redmon noted there is a great deal of support in Fort Collins for alternative TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/16/2025 – MINUTES Page 5 transportation modes, having TDM plans, using transit, an d having pedestrian areas; however, the first step toward that is to stop subsidizing parking for single-occupancy vehicles. Chair Peyronnin suggested listing the towns along the Front Range that have paid downtown parking. Finch suggested incorporating a painted line, for example, from the parking garages to Old Town to help with wayfinding. Noles asked what stopped this change from happening in the past and why things are different now. Brooks replied the reasons have been primarily political at the Council level and there has been controversy about the change in the past. He stated there seems to be more political will to consider the change now and noted Fort Collins has become an outlier. Additionally, he noted it is not possible to continue to operate the system as it is today. Alvarez asked if a letter of support from the Board would be helpful. Brooks replied in the affirmative. Noles made a motion, seconded by Vice Chair Nickoloff, to write a letter to City Council in support of implementing paid on-street and surface lot parking in the Downtown area. The motion was adopted unanimously. b. Transfort Safety Q & A – Steven Zupparo, Will Amorella, Randolph Robinson Steve Zupparo, Transfort Senior Manager, discussed Fort Collins crime data as a whole noting the overall crime rate is higher than average due to property related crimes. He stated the number of incidents on buses has increased partially due to the FTA adding verbal assaults as a category in 2023. Zupparo noted there is now funding for ten Transit Service Officers (TSO) which are special tiered commissioned officers through Fort Collins Police Services. He noted there is some challenge in filling the positions due to the background check requirements being the same as those for Police Officers. He stated only 1% of the 68 applicants from the October posting made it through the process to serve on the street. Zupparo stated Precision Security staff has doubled and their hours have increased. He noted their work is focused on the transit centers. He noted senior supervisors can do anything a TSO can do less writing tickets and they do ride buses at least once per shift. Additionally, lead operators play a crucial role in field support safety as well. Will Amorella, Transfort Senior Supervisor for Safety and Security, discussed the de- escalation training completed by field support staff . He noted the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Safety is currently working on a City-wide de-escalation curriculum which is anticipated to be launched in the fall, and a program will be developed focusing on transit needs. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/16/2025 – MINUTES Page 6 Amorella discussed the safety infrastructure which includes bus stop lighting at certain more remote stops, call boxes, video cameras at transit centers, MAX stops, and on all buses, with posted signs highlighting audio/video surveillance, and hi gh-visible clothing standards. Amorella discussed Transfort’s Public Safety Awareness Campaign and metric tracking in terms of incidents and disruptive individuals. He noted the goal of that tracking is to improve resource distribution and assess needs. He stated operators can eject passengers from buses for any violation of the conduct policy. Alvarez asked how riders who may be dealing with some mental health or substance abuse problems and may not be threatening anyone or breaking rules are addressed. Amorella replied Transfort is sometimes part of the daily lives of individuals who may need services and there are challenges in addressing the perception of safety with those individuals. He stated increasing overall ridership would help to dilute that perception. Hooker suggested having a QR code available for people to scan who may be uncomfortable in a situation that would contain information about safety and security. Vice Chair Nickoloff suggested having some type of publicly available incident blotter. Alvarez asked about the actual number of physical assaults. Amorella replied physical assault is very rare on the system; however, verbal assault is fairly high, though not higher than the national average. He noted any incident that rises to the level of police involvement will be on the police blotter. Chair Peyronnin commented on the importance of the perception of safety and asked if ridership demographics have been examined to determine where more riders who feel unsafe are riding so additional security could be provided. Amorella replied routes have been identified that have a higher number of incidents; however, ridership demographics on those routes have not been examined. Finch commented on working as a nurse with people with mental illnesses and commented on the importance of calming environments. She suggested including some types of thematic visuals in buses that may offer a more calming environment. Zupparo stated that is an interesting idea and noted some of those types of things are being implemented, including music at transit centers and some MAX stops. Vice Chair Nickoloff suggested the possibility of having an art show for buses. Finch asked if operator uniforms have been considered. Zupparo replied there are significant benefits in allowing operators to express themselves as long as professionalism is maintained. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 7/16/2025 – MINUTES Page 7 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Continue Discussion related to Board Reports Chair Peyronnin suggested tabling this discussion until all members are present, but men tioned having discussions around action items, future agenda topics, and encouraged focusing on transportation issues and possible initiatives for the Board. He noted Land Use Code updates will be discussed in August and future topics include the Transfort Optimization Plan and the Safe Streets Northwest Study. He encouraged members to think about different topics they would like to discuss. Noles stated he would like to get an update from Police Services on the traffic camera roll-out. Alvarez commented on having a broader conversation about Vision Zero. Chair Peyronnin stated having a larger group discussion could be difficult. Finch suggested Vision Zero could be part of the annual State of the City presentation. Iverson suggested it could be a topic for a Super Issue meeting. Finch asked if the Streets Department would handle construction zone speed limit signs. Iverson replied the Traffic Operations Department oversees construction projects and traffic con trol plans are required to be approved by Traffic Operations for any project. Iverson stated he would do some research as to what types of speed limit signage is required for local construction areas. 8. OTHER BUSINESS a. Staff Liaison Report None. b. City Council 6-Month Calendar Review None. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m. by unanimous consent. Headline Copy Goes Here Fort Collins Active Modes Manager Cortney Geary 8-20-25 Safer Streets Northwest Transportation Board Headline Copy Goes HereMeeting Agenda 2 Project Overview - Inform01 Work to Date - Inform02 Mapping Activity – Seeking Input03 Next Steps - Inform04 Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy Goes Here 4 Active Modes Plan Vision Zero Action Plan Safer Streets Northwest (SS4A funded) Headline Copy Goes HereStudy Area 5 Headline Copy Goes Here 6 Study Process MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB Existing Conditions & Visioning Community Engagement Corridor Screening Safety Audits Countermeasure Selection & Analysis Countermeasure Scoring Report Drafting Concept Planning Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy Goes Here 8 •Completed initial data gathering •Conducted review of relevant plans •Developed vision statement and goals •Drafted Public Involvement Plan •Completed corridor screening and safety audits •Selected corridor segments for further study Headline Copy Goes HereStudy Vision 9 Q: What is the purpose of the Study’s vision statement? A: To describe a future state dependent on the success of the Study. The streets in Northwest Fort Collins are safe, convenient, comfortable, and joyful for everyone. Headline Copy Goes HereStudy Goals 10 Q: What is the purpose of the Study’s goals? A: To describe the criteria to guide and evaluate the Study’s recommendations. Safe Convenient Comfortable Representative Feasible Competitive for funding Headline Copy Goes HereStudy Considerations 11 Q: What is the purpose of the Study’s considerations? A: To describe other factors that could influence the development of the Study’s recommendations. Non-negotiable City values Context sensitivity Transit integration Gridlock prevention Negotiable Motor vehicle travel times and capacity Protected bike lanes vs. shared-use paths Non-mobility benefits Headline Copy Goes HerePublic Involvement Plan Highlights 12 Phase 1 (June): Feedback will guide the screening of corridors in the study area, the selection of shortlisted corridors, and priority areas for field audits. Phase 2 (July-August): Feedback will guide the selection of potential countermeasures. Phase 3 (September-October): Feedback will inform how the project team should revise and finalize prioritization. Key Activities Audience Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meetings City of Fort Collins, North Front Range MPO, CSU, Poudre Fire Authority Stakeholder Interviews Businesses along key corridors, bike and pedestrian advocacy organizations, educational and cultural institutions, health organizations, social service organizations Presentations to City Bodies Disability Advisory Board, Transportation Board, Active Modes Advisory Board Pop-Ups at Community Events and Destinations Larger Community Headline Copy Goes HerePhase 1 Recap 13 Event Date TAC Meeting #1 June 12 Active Modes Advisory Board Meeting #1 June 16 Food Truck Rally Pop-Up June 24 Bike to Work Day Pop-Ups (2)June 25 Where We Collected Feedback: Feedback Results: •Need for more separation between bikes and vehicle traffic especially on Mulberry, Drake, Taft Hill, and Overland. •Dangerous intersections with poor visibility/signal timing and no dedicated bike space at key crossings like Mulberry & Shields. •Calls for traffic calming to slow speeds on Mulberry, Taft Hill, and Overland. •Debris, poor snow clearing, and narrow widths make bicycling unsafe on several arterials. Headline Copy Goes HereSelected Key Street Corridors 14 The project team identified the following corridors in northwest Fort Collins for further study: •Shields Street between Mulberry and Lake streets, •Shields Street between Stuart Street and Swallow Road, and •Taft Hill Road between Mulberry Street and the Spring Creek Trail Headline Copy Goes HereWhat’s Happening Now 15 Phase 2 engagement •What are people’s safety issues when traveling on the selected corridors? Road safety audits •What are the safety challenges? •How could those challenges be addressed? Identify safety countermeasures: •What safety improvements are most appropriate for the selected corridors? Headline Copy Goes HerePhase 2 Feedback 16 Collecting feedback on safety issues members of the public notice while walking, biking, taking transit or driving on selected street corridors. •Stakeholder interviews with groups along selected corridor segments •1:1 discussions with residents •Pop-ups at Lagoon Concert Series, Neighborhood Night Out, and CARE Housing Apartments •CSU CBAC Bike Ride •Memorandum to City Council •Door-to-door engagement with local businesses •Presentation to Advisory Boards Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy Goes HereActivity 18 1.What is it like to walk, bike, or roll on these streets? 2.Are there any barriers that make it harder for you to get around or access transportation options? 3.Are there any intersections or areas where you don’t feel safe, are confusing to navigate, or that you avoid? 4.Have you ever had a close call (like a near crash or scary experience) while getting around using these streets? 5.Are there places where it is hard to cross the street or places where people drive too fast? Headline Copy Goes Here 19 What questions do you have for us? Who else should we be sure to engage? Headline Copy Goes Here Headline Copy Goes HereWhat’s Coming Next 21 Analysis/Decisions: •Identifying potential countermeasures •Analyzing feasibility of countermeasures •Scoring and ranking countermeasures •Producing concept plans Engagement: •More pop-ups around Fort Collins •Presentations to Disability Advisory Board, Active Modes Advisory Board and Transportation Board •Second Technical Advisory Committee meeting Transportation Board – August 2025 Staff Liaison Report •Upcoming agenda topics include: o Vision Zero at the Super Issues Meeting (9/8/25 5:30 - 7 p.m. at Lincoln Center) o Transfort Optimization Plan (September) o Land Use Code: Commercial Corridors (October) o What are priority topics for the board in November and December? •City Events o Open Streets - September 14th from 10 - 3 p.m. Lady Moon Dr. from Le Fever Dr. to Shallow Pond Dr. •Other Information o 2025 Bicycle Friendly Community Public Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BFC_2025 o Centre Avenue Survey https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8394543/2025-Centre-Avenue- Improvements-Survey Coun cil 6 -month calendar o September 23rd: Which Wheels Go Where: Micromobility o October 14th: Safer Street Northwest project update o October 28th: Work Session on Transfort Optimization Plan Outcome and Recommendations; Our Climate Future Strategic Funding Plan