Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 01/16/1995Draft minutes to be approved by the Board at the February 15, 1995 meeting. TRANSPORTATION BOARD MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 18,1995 FOR REFERENCE Chair — Colin Gerety 646-0460 Vice Chair — Paul Valentine 493-0100 Council Liaison — Will Smith 223-0425 Staff Liaison — Rick Ensdorff 221-6608 Board Secretary — Cindy Scott 221-6608 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Alan Beatty, Mark Egeland, Sara Frazier, Colin Gerety, Dolores Highfield, Elizabeth Hudetz, and Paul Perlmutter. BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Dave Lemesany and Paul Valentine. STAFFIGUESTS PRESENT: Rick Ensdorff, Cindy Scott, Ron Phillips, and John Daggett. AGENDA: Call to Order Approval of Minutes A. PUBLIC COMMENT B. ACTION ITEMS 1. 1994 Annual Report 2. Congestion Management Plan - Recommendation C. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. Paratransit Update 2. Board Member's Comments 3. Update from Staff 4. Summary/Next Agenda 5. Other Business Chair Gerety called the meeting to order at 5:55 p.m. There was a motion, a second and a unanimous vote to approve the December 21, 1994 Transportation Board meeting minutes as presented. A. PUBLIC COMMENT None. B.I. 1994 ANNUAL REPORT The Board was given a draft of the 1994 Annual Report. After reviewing it, Daggett noted that the paratransit item was not on the list and Scott was instructed to add it. There was a motion, a second and a unanimous vote to approve the 1994 Annual Report with the addition of the paratransit item. Scott will make the change and submit a final report to the City Clerk. B.2. CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PLAN -RECOMMENDATION Ensdorff distributed a copy of the draft agenda item summary and let the Board know that if they desire to make a recommendation to the Council on this item, that it will be included in the packet of material for the February 7, 1995 meeting. He stated that there are three different resolutions that staff will be asking for approval on: 1. Policy changes 2. New Transportation Service Area Programs 3. Land Use - Commit to looking at activity centers and urban design as a part of the update to the Comprehensive Plan. POLICY CHANGES: These should be added to the City's transportation policies and objectives document which is an element of the Comprehensive Plan. These would be included in either the "Overall" or the "Auto/truck" section. The City should adopt the following transportation program objective: "Hold the level of daily vehicle miles of travel per capita in the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area to no more than the 1994 level." Gerety noted that VMT is an estimated thing, but if you look at the trends of VMT, it is increasing per capita, so this policy, although it feels fairly mild, is actually a somewhat aggressive policy. Ensdorff stated that part "B" of the policy changes is that the City should revise its transportation program objective to read: "Reduce the rate of growth in daily vehicle miles of travel in the Fort Collins Urban Growth Area to no more than the rate of population growth." Parts "C" and "D" try to help us balance the issues of capacity and roadway systems. After reviewing it, the Board felt that "E" and "F" should be reversed. NEW TRANSPORTATION SERVICE AREA PROGRAMS: "A" & "B" discusses the transportation demand management program. "C" & "D" discuss the monitoring system. It will be an extensive system that looks at both local and regional. Gerety noted that other modes should be measured, not just cars. Ensdorff stated that there is more clarity that inadvertently go left out of this draft (page 72 of Chapter 8). It has very definitive things such as air quality measures; travel behavior; traffic congestion; and development approval and economic impacts and it will be included in the summary that goes to Council. Gerety also suggested that the three objectives should be spelled out in "D". Pr 0 LAND USE: Two key things that the CMP group looked at was land use and urban design. The activity center concept will be explored more thoroughly and discussed with the community. Gerety suggested that in "B", the word "large" be deleted. Ensdorff said that In the Congestion Management Process, they looked at more prescriptive ways to do land use planning. Certain areas of the community are going to be higher density and we are going to do things to make them happen that way, so the activity center land use concept starts moving towards a more prescriptive way to do that. BACKGROUND: Ensdorff stated that the gap is starting to be closed on just what the public understands and what their awareness is and what we need to consider as a community. Many groups that the CMP group talked to were aware of issues and others were totally oblivious and these issues don't come together for them yet. The comments in the discussion so far centered on: Safety, particularly pedestrian and bike and auto speeds are important; measurements are important and people's behavior may change when they are given accurate information; that the measurements should include all modes and maybe we should measure parking as well; not just "large", but all developments are involved in the transportation system; since the majority doesn't seem to understand, education is important and should be stressed. We need to get the word out such as the report in the newspaper. Gerety then asked each board member for his/her opinion on whether or not they should recommend it to Council. Most members gestured affirmatively that they endorse the recommendations, but the following were the verbal statements: Beatty stated that there is a need to add the word "hard management" instead of soft management which he hears so much of in the CMP. He is very much in favor of the need to get people aware of it in a hurry because there is a sense of urgency. This whole thing is dragging on and it is a moving target. Perlmutter agreed with Beatty in that the CMP recommendations seemed too passive, but in the end it is Council's responsibility to make that decision if they are or not. Gerety said that the most this Board can do is act as a boot. Perlmutter said that we need really good numbers to back them up. Gerety said that in summary, the statements made by board members indicate that there needs to be a strong endorsement of the plan with three major points to it. 1) Education and dialog are needed; there is sense of urgency and if anything the recommendations are too tame. 2) It has to pertain to everything - ALL developments in the city and we have to look at things like safety for pedestrian and bikes. 3) Measurements - we need good numbers and we need to know whether what we're doing works. The measurements that we take have to apply to all modes. Egeland commented that what is in the plan represents a lot of hard work and that Council should be thanked for the backing so far and encourage them to stick with it, get behind it. Not just accept it but turn around and urge staff to go with it. Beatty asked who is responsible for the accountability of all the players that will make the CMP work. Ensdorff stated that a LUTRAQ (Land use, transportation and air quality) group has been established and will play a part in it, but ultimately the Planning & Zoning Board and Council are in place. These policies are in place to keep decision makers on track. C.I. BOARD MEMBEWS COMMENTS Egeland stated that the Bikeway Focus Group's survey results should be available soon. They are hoping to meet with Council on May 23. He has a specific request to have someone look at Timberline northbound where the bikelanes are being crossed by fairly busy driveways. C.2. PARATRANSIT UPDATE Daggett stated that he needs a representative from the Transportation Board for an advisory council for Fort Collins. There will be about six meetings between tomorrow night through October 1. The council will be comprised of 15 others who represent certain components of the community such as CSU and the school district. The first meeting is tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in the Idaho room at the University Park Holiday Inn. Beatty volunteered to represent the Board and Frazier will serve as the alternate. Daggett went on to distribute three hand-outs that have already been shared with Council. He began with Item 7 which deals with an update to Dial -A -Ride. There have been some difficulties lately, especially with the senior population being confused about the transition. There will be number of outreach efforts and accurate information will be mailed directly. The second hand-out (item 6) discussed the Care-A-Van/Dial-A-Ride appeal delay and the third (item 5) covered Dial -A -Ride in a question and answer fact sheet. C.3. SUMMARY/NEXT AGENDA N. College Plan Update Briefing on the Transportation Demand Management Project (possibly) Due to time constraints, the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Cindy L.vScott, Secretary 4