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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 10/15/2008MEETING MINUTES of the TRANSPORTATION BOARD October 15, 2008 6:00 p.m. Community Room 215 North Mason Street Fort Collins, CO 80521 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 II-W."I1101 u fa1u —1-Tw"M 7:7 7 DI Y a Sara Frazier Bill Jenkins John Lund Kip McCauley Ed Robert Garry Steen Gary Thomas ABSENT: James Clausen Shane Miller Scott VanTatenhove 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. CITY STAFF PRESENT: Mark Jackson, Transportation Group Director, 416.2029 Polly Bennett, Executive Administrative Assistant, 221.6601 Lucinda Smith, Natural Resources, 224.6085 Helen Migchelbrink, Engineering, 221.6340 Marc Virata, Engineering, 221.6605, ext. 7188 Mark Laken, Engineering, 416.2907 Ana Arias, Natural Resources, 221.6264 OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE Anita Basham Nancy York CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Thomas at 6:00 p.m. with a quorum present. AGENDA REVIEW Mark Jackson requested the addition of a brief discussion on the Bicycle Advisory Commission. The Agenda was unanimously approved. PUBLIC COMMENT None APPROVAL OF MINUTES (September 2008) Frazier moved to approve the September 2008 Transportation Board meeting minutes. Robert seconded. The motion carried unanimously. COUNCIL LLAISON REPORT Wade Troxell, Council Liaison Councilman Troxell was unable to attend. DISCUSSION ITEMS Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 Page 2 a. Bicycle Advisory Committee - Jackson The Bicycle Plan passed at Council last week. I was directed to put together a proposal defining what a Bicycle Advisory Committee might look like. A skeletal plan was drafted by Mayor Pro Tern Ohlson, and Darin Atteberry last week. I will work with DK and Denise to hear their input. The suggestion is to have a BAC as a separate sub -committee that reports to the Transportation Board. Members from advocacy groups and other boards could belong. Darin would appoint people. I like that idea, as it takes the pressure off of the Council and off David Kemp. Thomas: How do we institutionalize this so community members feel connected? 1) report from the Bicycle Advisory Committee could be added as a line item on the agenda each month. 2) pick someone from the Bicycle Advisory Committee and make them an ex-officio (voting?) member of the Transportation Board. Jackson: I imagine there would be +1-5 members on the BAC. Lund: Are we going to give other committees a seat on the Board? Will one mode be weighted more heavily than others because they have their own committee? Jenkins: If there are 11 on this Board, and 5 on that one, I don't see that as an issue. Thomas: I would imagine that anyone on the committee would be pro -bicycle. Integrating that activity with ours is where you get the balance. The bus committee didn't want to be a free- standing committee. Jackson: The direction was clear that the Council wants this to happen. Kemp: There are many elements in forming a BAC. Public input; acknowledgement and respect of the T-Board; cross-pollination with other entities in the city (other Boards & Commissions) so we have an interchange of ideas. When the BAC gets together we would discuss how we relate to children, seniors, air quality, etc. so everyone knows what is going on with bicycling. Jackson: Who do you think should be on this committee? Kemp: Representatives from other Boards & Commissions all wanted to be involved. Jackson: How large do you envision this being? Involve the DDA, CSU, PR-1, etc.? Kemp: I believe we had 10 standing positions when I was involved with it in Flagstaff. Doing a monthly report is a lot. I was thinking quarterly or on an as -need basis. I think having a member of the BAC sit on the T-Board is a great idea. Thomas: We can have a standing line item whether or not there is a report. Robert: What is the legal directive for operation of a committee? Jackson: We would have to explore that. Robert: DK could be our single conduit for information back and forth/sit on the Transportation Board. Kemp: I would be happy to do that. There are always people who won't like the way it is designed. It would be nice to have a Board that could help prioritize implementation of the Bike Plan elements. Steen: I like the idea that the committee's objectives, proposals, etc. would be routed through the T-Board. Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 Page 3 Robert: I don't want to diminish your role as Bicycle Coordinator. I would want it to enhance your role, not detract from it. Lund: I would like to hear more about how it will be set up/function within the City before we make any decisions. Frazier: I understand that, although I think the concern will be better met in this way. The concern is a balanced approach: pedestrians, bicycles, cars. Jackson: We will flush out a mission, who will be represented, etc. and come up with some structure that we can report to the City Manager. Thomas: Congratulations on getting the Bicycle Plan approved DK! DK: I owe a lot of thanks to Denise Weston, Kathleen Bracke, all of Transportation Planning, and Dave Averill for their help getting this through. b. Engineering — Challenges and Successes Helen Migchelbrink, City Engineer — we are celebrating over $24 million in work done over the past five years, and culminating in the completion of several projects this summer! Marc Virata of our Development Review Team, and Mark Laken, of our Capital Projects Team put together this presentation. Virata: I will talk about how development happens and Front Range Village. 1. Entitlement Process (vesting) Annexation and Zoning Project development plan and final plan (drawings, reports, Development Agreement) 2. Development Construction Permit Development Review Engineering Responsibilities: • Design review of public streets • Create, coordinate, negotiate development agreement • Development Construction Permit • Project manage development review process Front Range Village — Council Tree Avenue is a private drive with a street name. Corbett Drive is the only public street in the development. This was originally going to be a Lifestyle Center. Work "in" doesn't always equal work "out." The original Development Plan was done in 1996 as Symbios Logic (now the AMD building). The Lifestyle Center was allowed as a permitted use for the zoning of the property by City Council action in 2003. The original submittal showed 3 internal public streets, 2 internal roundabouts, 530k square feet of building, 23k vehicle trips per day. Concerns were 1) ensuring construction obligations would be met (construction of future roadways) 2) Harmony road was a CDOT highway 3) connectivity to English Ranch. 21 versions of the Development Agreement between 9/04 and 2/05. Stuff happened. Bayer declined to proceed. Take two. Start over as a regional shopping center. Council approved the Harmony Corridor Plan to allow a regional shopping center in February 2006. 1 internal public street (Corbett), 1 internal private drive (Council Tree Drive), 1 internal roundabout (Corbett/Council Tree) Harmony & Ziegler Road frontage improvements. 27,830 vehicle trips per day, 850k square feet of building. Bayer originally wanted diagonally parking along Corbett. Lowes objected to the use of diagonal parking. The diagonal parking on Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 Page 4 Tree was also cut back to allow for smoother travel from the roundabout. Harmony Road became City responsibility in 2005/2006. The increase in traffic ended up with 3 lanes on Harmony instead of 2, which was the beginning of the HZIP project. There is connectivity with the Pads at Harmony... full mile east/west connectivity without using Harmony Road. Approved Development Agreement — 7 versions, 139 sheets of design drawings. Engineering's Construction Inspectors checked $3.4 million in infrastructure: 2 acres of pavement, roundabout 3000 if new sidewalk 36 access ramps and all of the Utility infrastructure including storm sewer, sanitary sewer, water main, etc. Robert: Can you address your role in the public Library project? Virata: That was tied to the Development Agreement in the original Lifestyle Center, rather than a separate agreement. With the current Summit Front Range project, a separate agreement was done. However, the Development Agreement still includes lengthy legal language regarding the library. Laken: H-ZIP (Harmony -Ziegler Improvement Project). As the development grew, it broke into two projects. Capital Projects oversees arterial roadway improvements for tax initiated projects and development initiated projects. Harmony was widened to 6 lanes from Ziegler to Timberline. Ziegler & Harmony intersection built in concrete. Horsetooth Road & Ziegler Road roundabout was built, and Ziegler road was widened to 4 lanes from Horsetooth to Harmony. Oversight on design including horizontal and vertical alignment, turn lane lengths & locations, right-of-way acquisition, cost of construction estimates, bid documents. Challenges included how to use existing Harmony Road (median drainage, intersections, quarter crowns); Hot -in -place asphalt (drainage); impacts to property owners. The road had to be raised 3-feet because Corbett didn't exist to the north. Once design was in place we entered construction management, which included bidding the contract, maintaining technical aspects of the contract, inspection, change orders, traffic control, maintaining access to local properties and businesses, and utility installation coordination. Road construction began after July 4 and was complete before school started in August. Utilities are the other part of the project that most people don't know we do. We installed or upgraded traffic signals at 4 intersections; installed a storm sewer roadway drainage system; installed overhead lighting for Harmony; a traffic rated utility vault for the Fort Collins/Loveland Water District; removed overhead power lines; relocated and upgraded gas lines on Ziegler; installed earthwork for a sanitary sewer. The Drake Ziegler roundabout is a 2-lane roundabout that is working really well. It was built as part of the Adequate Public Facilities for Front Range Village. Hot -in -place was used for paving. The entire road had to be restriped as well, so hot -in -place worked really well. Jackson: I hope you understand the enormity of what these guys accomplished. Bayer was assured that the City wouldn't delay their project. Every deadline was met. The concrete intersection was complete in 6 weeks. c. 2008 Results/2009 Work Plan — Thomas In years gone by, we had detailed projects. The last couple of years we outline headlines. Work Plan - 2008 Results I. Advise City Council on transportation issues, planning, and construction projects in a timely fashion. Robert: Add Riverwalk, Climate Action Plan. Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 Page 5 11. Transportation financing — explore financing options to address transportation needs, including but not limited to dedicated funding mechanisms. III. Education and Outreach — reach out proactively to the community to both solicit input and educate regarding transportation issues that face the city. Lund: Add MPO Summit Meeting. W. Transportation Safety — Promote transportation safety as it affects all modes of transportation via consideration of engineering, education, and enforcement. V. Regional Transportation — build communication links with other transportation bodies in the city and region. 2009 Work Plan Robert: I'd like to include words like sustainability, social and environmentally sensitive. Thomas: My take is if a word adds meaning, I'm all for adding it. But if we're just adding it as a vogue word, there will be a new one the next year. McCauley: Does VMT address it? It is a locally -attainable goal we can speak to. Steen: Is TDM a better word? Thomas: consistent with city environmental goals Steen/Roberts: Change "Reach out proactively to the community and other boards" to item III. 7. ACTION ITEMS a. Climate Action Plan — Lucinda Smith Smith: Thank you for having me tonight. I want to give you an update on what transpired since I was here in January, focusing primarily on Transportation aspects. Garry Steen was the Transportation Board representative on the Climate Task Force. The Plan objective is a 20% reduction below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. Thomas: Is this entirely based on CO2? Smith: CO2 and methane. The plan does not consider other greenhouse gases. We need to reduce approximately 500,000 tons of CO2 in 2012; by 2020 it is 1.37 million tons of CO2. The plan is largely based on the Climate Task Force's recommendations. It builds on existing successes, contains cost-effective strategies, incorporates long-term thinking, supports the local economy, brings multiple other benefits, and has a flexible implementation schedule. The plan: • incorporates a draft Energy Policy • removes incentives for individual renewable energy projects, • removes 15% renewable energy by 2011, • removes incentives for low emission vehicles, and • considers time of sale ordinance as a long-term strategy. Four key (enhanced) transportation strategies: • Walking and bicycling improvements • Transportation demand management -type program with employer focus • School transportation management programs • Transit service innovations and improvements Reduce 12,000 tons CO2e/yr Thomas: Am I correct that none of the transportation -related measures are mandatory? Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 Page 6 Smith: Correct. It was considered at the State level to make trip reduction mandatory. Cost effective strategies: • Climate Wise — enhance the program. Average net savings for reducing carbon: $2/ton • Reduce electricity use 1 % per year. • Roundabouts - If the City were to build 4 — 5 roundabouts, we could reduce 1,000 tons of carbon per year. Energy Policy Strategies: • Reduce electric utility emissions 20% below 2005 levels by 2020 • Reduce electricity use 1 % per year through energy efficiency Long-term thinking (transportation -related strategies): • Seek funding to implement the Transportation Plan, with a focus on transit • Develop partnerships to reduce vehicle travel • Parking management • Promote and pursue infill and refill development • Promote transit -oriented development • Consider requirements for new developments to have less travel demand than comparable existing development • Promote LEED for neighborhoods — points are given to developments that are located near transit stops Thomas: I can see a down side to considering requirements for new developments to have less travel demand than existing developments (too little parking at Walmart, etc.) Jackson: How implementable is this? Who decides what the comparable existing development is? Smith: Aspen is in the middle of defining that as part of their process. The plan supports the local economy. Mason Corridor — new and redevelopment opportunities along the corridor. Colorado Carbon Fund — partner with the Governor's Energy Office on the Colorado Carbon Fund. Energy efficiency and green building — new jobs associated with increased demand for building energy audits and upgrades. The Plan that will go to Council does not quite meet the goals, but comes close. For 2012 the estimate is between 55 - 80% of the intent. That difference can be made up by purchasing carbon offsets. hi 2020 the estimated benefit comes close to 90%. We will provide annual progress reports and a comprehensive review every other year. If Council adopts the plan it will be by resolution. Implementation will come down to individual Council decisions, for example: • 2009 budget exception requests to support Utilities' programs • Adopt a new energy policy • Decisions on trash services study, recycling programs What's next? Board presentations: October/November Public Open House: November 12 Council consideration of adoption: December 2 Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 Page 7 Jenkins: If I look at the pie charts in your handout, how do they relate to the Estimated Carbon Reduction slide and vehicle miles traveled? Jackson: That was in my Transportation Master Plan — it isn't an accurate measure of congestion. Smith: Transportation is responsible for 29% of communitywide emissions and is the 2nd largest source after electricity use (48%). The total benefit from the transportation strategies represent a small portion (les than 5%) of reductions. There are three ways to reduce emissions: reducing miles driven; using more fuel -efficient vehicles; changing the fuel. We have more control over development of the transportation network and little if any control over vehicles or fuels. Other Climate Plans struggle with this as well. Thomas: In your materials, Table VI on Proposed VMT Reductions: Transit programs are only 500,000 of projected VMT-avoided. Why such a low number? It seems that it could be a bigger number. Smith: These were previously considered as individual strategies and are ballpark estimates. The walkingibiking element has a goal to reduce 1% of VMT. The Employer program element was based on Denver's model. Those assumptions were transferred to Fort Collins. These were originally focusing on short-term reductions (2010/2012). In the short-term, benefits from the Mason Corridor don't add up to a significant carbon reduction. We could take that table out. Thomas: I could argue that Pavement Management is an air quality issue, yet there is no mention of that in the Plan. Smith: Are there estimates of impacts/impedances? That could be part of your recommendation. ... to look at Pavement Management and how it relates to Climate. Lund: The goal is to eliminate 20% by 2020. Does that take in consideration that we will have more people? Smith: The goals are irrespective of growth. The 2050 goal of 80% reduction (508,000) was established to avert the worst impacts of global climate change. Robert: You've done a great job covering a lot of subjects. I don't see the oil wells covered. Smith: This plan focuses on actions that can be achieved in Fort Collins, and we don't have any oil wells within the City limits. That issue is covered in the State Implementation Plan for ozone and in the Colorado Climate Action plan. Changing fuels and vehicles also isn't included in this plan because it is out of our control. Thomas: What action are you seeking, specifically? Smith: If you want to make a recommendation related to consideration of Transportation related issues you could do that. Steen: I would like to support the elements you are promoting. Jenkins: It would put it out there to look at. I think there are enough Transportation items in there to make it worthy. Motion by Steen: Based on the Climate Action Plan presented, the Board finds the Transportation elements of the plan consistent with our overall mission and we recommend their adoption. Second by Jenkins. The motion passed unanimously. Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Page 8 Steen: None McCauley: None Lund: None Frazier: UniverCity had a couple of good meetings, both about Way Finding. Both groups are dynamic and moving along. Robert: None Steen: Did anyone attend the Transportation meeting at Cafe Columbine? Jackson: We had staff there. Reports are that it went well. Thomas: SB-1 10% for Transit Task Force met yesterday. CDOT hadn't done the weighting on the spreadsheet, so it was tabled. Finance Committee was formed to consider how to pay for things. I agreed to serve on the Committee. Gary won the 2008 Friend of Transit "Valve Rocker" award. The new street car is here and being worked on. 9. STAFF REPORTS — Mark Jackson: Friday morning, 9 am — noon. Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel at City Hall. North I-25 EIS project is back. The two packages you saw last year still exist and are brought forward to the draft EPA stage. Wednesday, November 19 from 4 — 7 at the Lincoln Center there will be a public hearing in Fort Collins if you want to attend. That is the date of our next Board meeting. Annual Boards & Commissions appreciation BBQ November 5. RSVP to the Clerk's office. Mason: We received environmental clearance. Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was approved. Federal Small Starts Budget Request is still in the President's budget, although we just don't know what is ahead. This is not an earmark; it is an actual project funding. We received signed Phase I contracts from CDOTI The money for Phase I is in the bank! We selected a Project Management firm to oversee the construction project. DMJM Harris. Mark will oversee Kathleen Bracke and her team and the Project Manager. We still need to secure right-of-way from the railroad. The cost assessment came in nearly $2 million lower than anticipated. Adding another year to the project added about $6 million. CSU is still an issue. We are beginning right-of-way negotiations with them on Friday. The I-25/SH392 1601 Process will be presented to you in November. The Streets Department received the 2008 Excellence in Storage Award from the Salt Institute for the City's deicing facility. Next meetine: DK & bicycle updates Timothy Wilder — South College Corridor Plan Rick Richter — I-25/SH392 1601 Process Future meetings: Joe Olson will present Traffic Operations 101 at Traffic Operations. Plowing 101 - hold a meeting at the Deicing/Nerve Center at the Streets Department. 10. OTHER BUSINESS None. Regular Meeting Minutes October 15, 2008 11. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 9:12 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Polly nnett Executive Administrative Assistant Planning, Development & Transportation Page 9