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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/17/2025 - Active Modes Advisory Board - AGENDA - Regular MeetingActive Modes Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING November 17, 2025 – 6:00 to 8:00 281 N. College Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80521 Teams – See Link Below 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (3 min per participant) 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Joint TBOARD Meeting | Bruce Henderson (15 min) (ACTION) Participation for this Active Modes Advisory Board Meeting will be in person at 281 N. College Ave., Fort Collins, CO 20521 You may also join online via Teams, using this link: Join the meeting now. Online Public Participation: The meeting will be available to join beginning at 5:55 p.m., November 17, 2025. Participants should try to sign in prior to the 6:00 p.m. meeting start time, if possible. For public comments, the Chair 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 address the Board or Commission. To Participate: • Use a laptop, computer, or internet-enabled smartphone. (Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio). • You need to have access to the internet. • Keep yourself on muted status. 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 lnagle@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 Active Modes Advisory Board. Active Modes Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Safe Routes to School | Nancy Nichols (25 min) (INFORM) b. 2026 Workplan Completion | Bruce Henderson (45 min) (ACTION) 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS 9. STAFF LIASON REPORT a. Council Six Month Agenda Planning Calendar b. The open application window for openings on Boards and Commissions is December 1, 2025, to January 9, 2026. You can access the application here during that window: https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/boards/ 10. ADJOURNMENT ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING –REGULAR October 20, 2025 6:00 p.m. Online via Zoom or In Person at 626 Linden Street 10/20/2025 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: 1. CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Steele called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL Kat Steele, Vice Chair Wallace Jacobson Tim Han Jared Hanson Kristina Vrouwenvelder Humphrey Costello CITY STAFF PRESENT: Lauren Nagle Rachel Ruhlen ABSENT: Bruce Henderson, Chair Cameron Phillips PUBLIC PRESENT: None 3. AGENDA REVIEW Vice Chair Steele outlined the published agenda. 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION None. ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2025 – MINUTES Page 2 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2025 Jacobson made a motion, seconded by Hanson, to approve the August and September 2025 minutes as amended. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Land Use Code Memo – Lauren Nagle Nagle presented a draft memo to Council from the Board regarding the Commercial Land Use Code updates that were discussed at the September meeting and requested input from Members regarding the memo. Members suggested minor wording changes. Krause made a motion, seconded by Vrouwenvelder, to approve the memo as amended for distribution to Council. The motion was adopted unanimously. Members thanked Nagle for drafting the memo. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Accelerator Grant Program Memo – Rachel Ruhlen Rachel Ruhlen, FC Moves, stated the Colorado Energy Office has a grant funding opportunity called IMPACT Accelerator, the purpose of which is to promote policy changes that have positive energy results. She stated the policy change the City would be considering is adopting the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) design guidance into City engineering standards and demonstrating NACTO design elements through a pilot project on Laurel Street. Ruhlen provided a draft memo from the Board requesting the Colorado Energy Office consider funding the proposal under the IMPACT Accelerator Grant Program. Vice Chair Steele noted the Laurel Street repaving is slated for 2027 and asked if these associated changes will occur as part of that project. Ruhlen replied in the affirmative. Vice Chair Steele asked about the best possible outcome for the test on Laurel Street. Ruhlen replied it would be a demonstration project with paint and posts, which can last some time. She noted that the ultimate goal would be to make the changes permanent with concrete, though there is no funding plan for that. Costello asked if traffic, bicycle, and pedestrian use of Laurel sufficiently similar to other places so as to be a good test case. Ruhlen replied it is more pedestrian and bicycle heavy, though she noted a friendlier infrastructure on Shields could ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2025 – MINUTES Page 3 lead to more cyclists and pedestrians. Jacobson asked if there is any process that will involve direct coordination with CSU . Ruhlen replied in the affirmative and noted CSU is also providing a memo of support. Ruhlen discussed the Streets Department’s work to maintain streets with protected bike lanes. Han asked if all four corners of the College and Laurel intersection would be addressed with the pilot project. Ruhlen replied a couple design concepts are being discussed and do not involve major changes to that intersection, but include changes to the Loomis, Howes, and Meldrum signalized intersections with Laurel. She noted the concepts will be coming before the Board. Hanson asked about some examples of NACTO design guidance. Ruhlen and Nagle replied speed limit setting and roundabout design are included. Ruhlen noted this would positively impact the city’s bicycle-friendly community status when that application is next submitted in four years. Nagle noted Land Use Code changes that supp,dort active modes will be necessary for possible attainment of diamond status bicycle-friendly community. Vrouwenvelder asked about the possibility that adopting stronger standards would result in fewer bike infrastructure projects given the higher bar to achieve. Ruhlen replied that is not anticipated. She noted this change would also impact private development, which will require a balance. Jacobson asked if the City is competing with other municipalities for the grant funding. Ruhlen replied in the affirmative and noted this is the first time this funding has been available. Krause asked about the possibility that it could be negative in the short term to adopt these standards locally and then potentially not have projects funded given the current federal environment. Ruhlen replied the City’s values have not changed and noted local standards are required to be present for federal project funding. Nagle also noted that wile the organization is aware of the uncertainty at a federal level, it is not being reactive. Krause suggested a wording change to the memo regarding the proximity of the pilot project to CSU. Han asked if adoption of the NACTO standards would require an examination of existing infrastructure. Ruhlen replied it would not apply to existing infrastructure until a roadway is repaved. Costello asked what NACTO standards say about how separated bike lanes interact with turning vehicle lanes. Ruhlen replied NACTO has guidance for all ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2025 – MINUTES Page 4 types of turning lanes in multiple situations. Members suggested additional wording changes to the memo. Vrouwenvelder made a motion, seconded by Jacobson, to send the memo as amended. The motion was adopted unanimously. b. 2026 Work Plan – Lauren Nagle Nagle noted the Work Plan is due in November; therefore, it will need to be finalized by the Board’s next meeting. Nagle provided the 2025 Work Plan for review and Members discussed changing wording for 2026. It was noted that many items are general in nature and Vrouwenvelder asked if any time-bound more specific activities should be added. Members discussed various options, including potential community outreach as a Board. Jacobson suggested the possibility of having some type of Earth Day related outreach to showcase the connection between bike lanes and positive environmental impacts. Vice Chair Steele suggested being a bit more mindful during meeting planning sessions regarding ensuring topics fall under the Work Plan. Nagle noted the Board has discussed Vision Zero at several meetings this year and suggested the Board may want to call it out in a more robust way in the Work Plan should the Board want Vision Zero to be a larger portion of its work. Vice Chair Steele asked how the Board identifies that it completed items on the Work Plan. Nagle replied the Board will write an Annual Report in January. Costello suggested that ‘safety and access for everyone’ should be a direct goal, not something that is part of innovative ways to draw visitor and community member attention . He noted the discussion the Board just had about the pilot program had no explicit discussion about how it would impact access. He suggested ‘safety and access for everyone’ should be a higher priority. Vice Chair Steele suggested Members could look through the Work Plan individually and submit suggestions to Nagle for compilation . Members and Nagle discussed having a bank of meeting topic ideas that result from staff and Member ideas. Members discussed the Community Coordination section of the Work Plan and it was noted it was somewhat of a carry-over from the Bicycle Advisory Committee. Vice Chair Steele suggested making that section less specific. c. Joint Transportation Board Meeting – Chair Henderson Nagle noted Chair Henderson has been meeting with the Transportation Board Chair Peyronnin and they have discussed having another full Board joint meeting that would be specifically in response to the Super Issues meeting about Vision ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2025 – MINUTES Page 5 Zero. Nagle discussed Chair Henderson’s notes which indicated there appeared to be a misalignment at the Super Issues meeting between Traffic’s goals and objectives and the active modes objectives held by City Council . Additionally, Nagle stated there appeared to be some questions about who owns the Vision Zero topic in the City, the understanding of safety strategy as it pertains to Vision Zero, how street infrastructure and design plays into that, and where the rest of transportation that is not traffic resides. Nagle noted Chair Henderson suggested Traffic Operations does not seem to have a complete understanding of Vision Zero. Nagle stated the joint Board meeting would involve going over any pertinent information, outlining new objectives for collaboration, introducing new members, and focusing on Vision Zero. Nagle asked members how they feel about a joint meeting focused on Vision Zero. Han and Vrouwenvelder supported the idea. Vrouwenvelder suggested the objective should be letting City staff know that the Boards are jointly concerned about the topic. Nagle noted the Transportation Board invited the Planning, Development, and Transportation Director to and Deputy Director to its last meeting to discuss the misalignment. At that meeting, the Board proposed that it and AMAB would have a role in the hiring of the new Traffic Engineer, though the details of that have yet to be determined. Vrouwenvelder commented on the importance of the new Traffic Engineer owning Vision Zero goals. Members discussed the ways in which the Board can support the Vision Zero objectives in the community. Krause noted Council rarely requests updates on Vision Zero and stated it is important for the Board to make it known that it want Vision Zero to be achieved. Han made a motion, seconded by Vrouwenvelder, to have a joint meeting with the Transportation Board. The motion was adopted unanimously. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Vice Chair Steele reported on The White Line’s Route2Change event to be held October 30th at the Center for Creativity and encouraged Members to attend. Vice Chair Steele reported on a ‘ride to the ballot box’ event on Saturday starting at The Crooked Cup. Hanson reported on a recent trip to Atlanta and noted there has been a large reimagining of how the city works, including revitalizing abandoned railroad infrastructure to build what will eventually be a 50-mile multi-use path that encircles the entire metropolitan ACTIVE MODES ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2025 – MINUTES Page 6 area. He noted the development has spurred massive housing infrastructure changes in areas where the path has been completed. Additionally, he noted the multi -modal access along the path, called the Beltline, was by far the easiest way to get to businesses as there was minimal parking infrastructure. 9. STAFF LIAISON REPORT Nagle noted the meeting platform will be switching from Zoom to Teams starting next month. Additionally, Nagle noted Jacobson, Steele, Hanson, and Krause are approaching the ends of their two-year terms and will need to reapply if they are interested in continuing on the Board. Nagle asked Members to consider whether they would like meetings to remain on Mondays as that could change in the new year. Additionally, the Chair and Vice Chair elections will occur in April. Nagle announced the upcoming bike light giveaway on October 30th . Krause commented on the bikeway bike light timing. He noted a great deal of money, focus, and time has been spent building bikeways across the city, particularly the Pitkin bikeway which has at least three bike specific crosswalks that take an extremely long time to change to green. He noted many people jump the light before it turns. He stated these are significant points of failure in the bikeways where objectives are not being achieved and that type of thing keeps people from wanting to use the bikeways again. Vrouwenvelder commented on her partner no longer taking the bikeway because it is quicker to go via car lights. Members commented on other areas of town where the bike lights are an issue. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 8:08 p.m. Headline Copy Goes Here Exploring the “E” for Engineering Nancy Nichols, SRTS Program Manager Headline Copy Goes Here 2 The 6 Es of Safe Routes to School Education Encouragement Engagement Evaluation Engineering Equity Teach transportation safety to kids and parents Get families excited about active transportation Interact with other community members about SRTS Understand program’s effect and make improvements Ensure youth are served by roadway infrastructure Ensure all kids can participate in SRTS Headline Copy Goes Here 3 The “E” for “Engineering” SRTS Involvement in Engineering •Review plans and advise City staff on youth needs in infrastructure projects •Apply for SRTS- and youth-specific infrastructure grants •Gain understanding of transportation engineering through trainings and conferences •Serve as liaison between kids/parents and City departments involved in creating infrastructureRibbon cutting for Tavelli Elementary Multi -use Path Headline Copy Goes Here 4 Projects Recently Completed or in Progress Completed: •Hampshire Bikeway Signalized Intersection at West Drake Road (supported by $496,000 CDOT SRTS grant) •Kestrel Fields Trail (near Irish Elementary) •West Laporte Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities (serving Poudre High School) •Improved Intersection at Wabash and Benthaven (adjacent to Lopez Elementary) •Mail Creek Trail with Timberline underpass (adjacent to Bacon Elementary, also serving Kinard Middle School) Under construction: •Siphon Overpass of Union Pacific Railroad (connecting Mail Creek Trail to Power Trail and benefiting multiple area schools) •Power Trail Completion with Harmony Road Underpass (adjacent to Kruse Elementary and Colorado Early Colleges) •Zach Elementary Improved Pedestrian Crossings of Kechter Road (supported by $746,000 CDOT SRTS grant) In planning or design phase: •Kechter and Old Mill Bike -ped RRFB Crossing (near Kinard Middle School) •William Neal and Ziegler Signalized Intersection (connecting Rendezvous Trail to Poudre Trail, benefiting students at Shepardson Elementary and other youth) •Sharp Point Drive/March Court Bike -ped Crossing (adjacent to Liberty Common Elementary) •West Prospect Road and Prospect Lane Bike -ped RRFB Crossing (benefiting Bennett Elementary) •Irish Elementary Roadway Improvements (supported by $830,000 CDOT SRTS grant) Headline Copy Goes Here 5 Projects Recently Completed or in Progress Map AI-generated content may be incorrect. Headline Copy Goes Here Thank you! Nancy Nichols SRTS Program Manager saferoutes@fcgov.com fcgov.com/saferoutes 6