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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 07/18/2007MEETING MINUTES of the TRANSPORTATION BOARD July 18, 2007 5:45 p.m. City of Fort Collins Municipal Building 215 N. Mason Street — Community Room FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Gary Thomas 482-7125 Vice Chair: Ed Robert 224-4864 Staff Liaison: Mark Jackson 416-2029 Administrative Support: Polly Bennett 224-6058 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Don Edmonson Sara Frazier Neil Grigg Bill Jenkins Ed Robert Garry Steen Gary Thomas Scott VanTatenhove ABSENT: James Clausen Shane Miller Kevin Westhuis CITY STAFF: Mark Jackson Polly Bennett Marlys Sinner OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE: Anita Basham, Vice -Chair, Senior Advisory Board Dale Adamy, Air Quality Advisory Board Rick Price Nancy York Boy Scout Troop 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Thomas at 6:02 p.m. Gary introduced one of our newest members, Scott VanTatenhove. 2. AGENDA REVIEW Mark Jackson requested that Marlys Sinner be allowed to present the Dial -A -Ride Recertification update first. The agenda was accepted unanimously with that change. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT Rick Price, Bike Fort Collins. Rick attended the Council work session last week when the revision to the Bike Plan was presented. Rick read a list of accolades for the bicycle program in Fort Collins. He also handed out a document showing feedback to Fort Collins to aide in moving from Silver to Gold status. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (June 2007) Frazier moved to approve the June 2007 Transportation Board meeting minutes as presented. There was a second by Steen. The motion carried unanimously. DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes Page 2 Transportation Board July 18, 2007 5. COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT Wade Troxell, Council Liaison was unable to attend. 6. DISCUSSION ITEMS a. Dial -A -Ride Recertification Update Marlys Sittner, General Manager, Transfort/Dial-A-Ride Sittner presented a slide show explaining the previous Dial -A -Ride service levels and the new service levels. The changes are difficult for everyone. Most of the reduction affects the area near Foothills Gateway. Fixed Route 16 was added in January, as a result of the savings from the Dial -A -Ride service level changes. Fixed rate ridership is up 5.6% YTD. Non -ambulatory passenger trips are up 33.2%. Ridership on new routes is growing rapidly. Paratransit eligibility recertification is based on ADA standards and is determined through an application process. Over 800 applications have been submitted and reviewed since January. 95.5% of those who applied have been recertified (781); 4.5% are ineligible (37) because they are not disabled or can use a Fixed Route without issues. An appeals committee reviews all appeals, and Easter Seals Colorado is used as a Resource and makes the final decision based on ADA law. Dial -A -Ride Task Force Short Term Goals: Identify needed services beyond the ADA minimum; Identify resources needed to provide those services; Understand potential roles for public, private, and non-profit. Jackson: We have met with members of the disabled community to hear their concerns. One issue is that the process is perceived as being intimidating, so we will review the application to ensure that it is intuitive. Some Council Members were concerned that we were being too liberal with the approval process based on the 95.5% approval rate. We are also looking at the cost of providing services for special events/holidays. Grigg: Compared to other cities of our size, are we ahead or behind in service level. Sittner: We looked at 65 other communities of similar size and for the most part, we are far ahead. There was not another system doing as much as we are doing. Grigg: Is there a group that benchmarks this type of service? Sittner: There may be, but I'm not aware of any. We hired a consultant in 2002 and most recently did a search on the internet. Jenkins: What is the current Dial -A -Ride budget? Sittner: Our current budget is $2 million. Vanfatenhove: Did Fort Collins previously win awards at the previous DAR service level? Sittner: No. Basham: I didn't understand the Task Force — is there money available? Sittner: The Task Force doesn't receive any money. Council added money to our budget to provide service until 1 Ipm until the end of the year. Thomas: One of the Task Force's objectives is to find additional money. Robert: Does the ADA have requirements that impact the Fixed Routes i.e. where bus stops are to be located and dropping disabled riders off close to their destination? Sittner: They do specify how buses are equipped, but not where they have to stop. Steen: Has anyone gone through the appeal process? DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes Transportation Board July 18, 2007 Page 3 Sittner: Yes, 103 have filed appeals, 8 have completed the process. Additional conditions were added to a few people's eligibility. The majority of decisions were upheld based on ADA regulations. b. Budgeting for Outcomes - Update Mark Jackson Jackson explained the basic process that Results Teams go through in preparing their Drilling Platform recommendations to the Budget Lead Team. The recommended Drilling Platforms may become public knowledge in two weeks, but the Budget Lead Team has not made them available at this point. He anticipates bringing a Discussion Item to the Board in August to review the Transportation Result Team Drilling Platform. We won't see the same level of cuts that occurred in the 2006/2007 budget cycle, although it is another very difficult cycle. More than likely, it will be status quo. There are some exciting projects that will undoubtedly not be funded. York: Are other federal funds going down besides the Gas Tax? Jackson: Yes. STP Metro may go down as much as 40%. There are also changes in Federal regulations stipulating how money can be used (i.e. use of funding for operations versus capital). Grigg: Since the federal gas tax isn't going up, what is the thinking in Colorado as to what may happen? Jackson: Governor Ritter has a team looking at either a state-wide tax or looking at the gas tax. Thomas: Tointon is speaking at Kefalas' gathering tonight. Edmonson: A lot of that is just smoke. Gas tax increases wash over the public and they don't even know it's there. Thomas: Last time around, the T-Board felt that Transportation got the short end of the stick. We wrote to Council and complained. I am concerned that our message got lost in the process. When is the right time to raise the issue? Jackson: August is probably opportune. Jackson: Transportation brings in a LOT of money through grants. Offers that bring in grant money are probably going to fare well in the process. Mason Corridor is one project that is enjoying a concerted push to completion. 7. ACTION ITEMS a. Air Quality Advisory Board Subcommittee Gary Thomas Thomas: The Air Quality Advisory Board sent a request asking us to form a subcommittee with them to discuss issues affecting both Air Quality and Transportation. Adamy: The AQAB has identified several members who are willing to serve on a subcommittee. Thomas: I was concerned that it was sounding like an ongoing committee. What do other members feel? Steen: I think there should be a dialogue. I am open to it. Jenkins: What is the output? York: We have 3 members willing to participate. The outcome is seeing how our Boards can be more affective. DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes Transportation Board July 18, 2007 Page 4 Jenkins: Driving and our health are not compatible. It is all connected. I think it would be a good idea to join forces. Robert: What does the Council think of this approach? We work at the whim of the Council. Thomas: As long as we are setting up committees ourselves, we are ok. Steen: Are there specific issues you want to bring to our Board that we could discuss on a smaller scale? York: The Mobility Management Report is packed full of information that could be reviewed. There are areas we could find consensus on and provide recommendations to Council that would be considered more carefully with a joint recommendation. Steen: The Climate Task force also has input. I would hate to see a disconnect... we need to be on the same page. Jackson: We worked closely on the Mobility Management Report. York: We are in deep trouble with air pollution, which is what we want to talk about. Edmonson: Our main problem is that the Council made stupid, myopic errors in withdrawing from the RTA. Grigg: Even though we fully support what the AQAB is doing, it is difficult to see forming an ongoing committee. I would agree to addressing specific issues on an as -need basis. Adamy: I would suggest that you appoint a few people to meet with us on a one-time basis to examine if there are areas we could work on. Robert: Perhaps we should look at the Mobility Management Plan and discuss it next month. Grigg: I think we should take this seriously, and have their appointed people come to our next meeting to discuss this. Frazier: I agree. Edmonson: In doing that, we need to have focus. It may take looking at the various documents out there and revisiting this. Thomas: Would you come back as an agenda item to discuss this? Adamy: It will take a few months, but yes. b. Vice -Chair Election Gary Thomas, Board Chair Thomas: Ed Robert has volunteered. Grigg: Nominated Ed Robert. Steen seconded. The nomination passed unanimously. 8. REPORTS a. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Griggs: Was at an inter -modal center in Washington last week and was impressed with how vibrant it was. Trains were arriving every 5 minutes, buses, bicycles, vans, people. It was impressive to see. It brought home what inter - modal transportation is all about. DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes Transportation Board July 18, 2007 Page 5 Edmondson: I rode downtown around lam twice last week and picked up the Mason Trail. I was flabbergasted at the number of people using the trail at that hour. I don't use the Corridor that much and hadn't seen that intensity. It is really being used for commuting. Jenkins: Would like to know about the PDT Director. Frazier: Was struck by how clean, green, quiet, and calm the river area is. That is what we are hoping to accomplish with the Poudre River District. Robert: To piggy back on Neil's comments about Washington DC, examine the Pentagon ... no one has come up with a bike trail or anything you can use. Regarding the Mason Trail, up north where I live there is a ditch with a dirt path on either side that is used by lots of people. Jackson: I will ask Craig Foreman to come to next month's meeting and talk about trails. Steen: Climate Task Force — we've chosen 78 new measures we want to consider in dealing with the Greenhouse Gas issue. 25 will be evaluated by a consultant for feasibility costs, political acceptance, etc. Our next meeting is at the end of August. The Climate Task Force held an Open House for the public to see what we are working on. A number of ideas were presented by the public and are part of the listing of new measures. Roundabouts are on the list. Attending a Traffic Safety forum in St. Louis next week. Thomas: Dial -A -Ride Task Force is on hold until September until we see what happens with the RTA. Saint is cookin'! We provided a record number of rides. The Street Car is hired to provide rides at the City employee summer picnic. b. STAFF REPORTS Jackson: Bike to Work Day: We doubled our 2006 participation from with over 3,500 participants! PDT Director search: Interviewed 4 candidates last week. One was considered strong enough to pursue. That candidate withdrew his name from consideration. For now, we will continue with two Interim Directors (Mark Jackson, Transportation & Joe Frank, Community Planning) working under the Deputy City Manager while the search continues. Councilman Ohlson suggested at last night's Council meeting that items brought to Council concerning the Fort Collins/Loveland Airport be brought to the Transportation Board first. New Transfort Route Maps Eric Bracke submitted his formal resignation. Last day August 9, 2007. He is going to do private consulting. He will be a tremendous loss. If you haven't seen the new, incredible Traffic Operations building, go see it and wish him well. City Engineer: Position is posted with applications due July 27, 2007. August Agenda: • Safe Routes to School • Craig Foreman about trail work/projects DRAFT Regular Meeting Minutes Transportation Board July 18, 2007 Rick Richter about upcoming projects UniverCity update 8. OTHER BUSINESS None. 9. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 8 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Polly nnett Executive Administrative Assistant Page 6