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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 03/15/20171 MINUTES of the CITY OF FORT COLLINS TRANSPORTATION BOARD March 15, 2017 6:00 p.m. Community Room 215 North Mason Fort Collins, CO FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Eric Shenk Vice Chair: Annabelle Berklund Staff Liaison: Paul Sizemore 970.224-6140 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT: Eric Shenk, Chair Cari Brown Valerie Arnold Indy Hart York Andrew Bondi Karl Ayers ABSENT: Councilmember Ross Cunniff Gary Thomas Annabelle Berklund, Vice Chair Timothy Wilder Mark Jackson Tessa Greegor Amy Lewin Tracy Lipfert PUBLIC PRESENT: None 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Shenk called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. AGENDA REVIEW Sizemore stated there were no changes to the published agenda. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT None. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Bondi made a motion, seconded by Hart, to adopt the February 2017 minutes as amended to indicate York will continue to be the liaison to the Bicycle Advisory Committee. The minutes were adopted unanimously. 5. COUNCIL LIAISON Councilmember Cunniff was unable to attend. 2 6. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT – York York reported on the Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting during which the 2017 Bicycle Projects and Initiatives and the Transportation Master Plan were discussed. Committee Member reports included information on Safe Routes to School presentations, alley renovations, bike rodeos and field trips, the bike swap, and plans for the I-25 Poudre River bridge. Additionally, CSU is going to implement its transportation education module with a pilot program this fall. 7. DISCUSSION/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS • Bus Stop Improvements Update – Wilder Wilder stated the Bus Stop Design Standards and Guidelines were prepared in 2015 as the basis for standards, funding, and prioritization of stop improvements. The overall goal is to have all stops ADA accessible by 2025. Currently, there are around 200 stops needing improvements. Wilder discussed funding sources which include development-funded stops and detailed the prioritization process. In 2016, 24 stops were improved and 20 have been identified for improvements in 2017 at this point. A boardmember asked if the budget amounts will increase as more difficult stops are addressed. Wilder replied the easiest stops were not necessarily selected for improvement first. Brown asked if funding dollars unused in 2017 could be rolled over to next year and/or between budget cycles. Wilder replied in the affirmative. Arnold asked how changes in ADA are addressed. Wilder replied investments are made with the thought that standards will not significantly change, as that is difficult to predict. • 2016 Pedestrian, Bicycle, and School Counts – Lipfert/Lewin Lipfert stated bicycle and pedestrian counts have been done every September since 2012 and the data collected helps justify investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and programs, understand traveler behavior, and validates automated trail counters. In 2016, 11 trail and 16 intersection locations were counted during three days in September. Lipfert detailed the form used for counts and discussed the highest trail and intersection count locations and times. New to the counts this year were forms completed by K-8 teachers for Safe Routes to School. Arnold asked about data regarding how many people actually bike. Lewin replied a travel behavior survey, via paper and an app, is planned for the spring. Sizemore made the distinction between point data like what is collected during counts versus community wide mode share data from surveys. Currently the American Community Survey indicates about a 7% mode share for bikes, but the travel behavior survey will provide more accurate and statistically valid data around this question. Brown asked how people will be incentivized to take the survey and what will occur in 3 the event of poor weather. Lewin replied weather would be acknowledged in the interpretation of results and the consultant has suggested appealing to residents’ civil pride and civic duty to complete the surveys. A boardmember asked if a local census or citizen count occurs. Sizemore replied in the negative but noted the citizen survey occurs every two years. • 2017 Bicycle Projects and Initiatives – Greegor Greegor discussed the City’s comprehensive bike program and its status as a platinum Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. The City’s primary goals adopted in the Bicycle Master Plan relate to ridership and safety. In terms of initiatives and events, Greegor discussed Fort Collins being awarded the Big Jump project by People for Bikes, the Bicycle Ambassador Program, the Bicycle Friendly Driver Program, a transportation education module with CSU, the Walk and Wheels Skill Hub, Bike to Work Day, Open Streets, and FC Rides family-friendly bike rides. Greegor went on to discuss enforcement and education initiatives as well as corridor and intersection improvements. Regarding bike injury data, boardmembers discussed the source of data, unreported accidents, and riders wearing helmets. Overall, injuries have decreased for the past several years. • Interstate 25 Progress and Update – Jackson Jackson stated CDOT, in combination with regional partners and federal assistance, is undertaking an interim level improvement to the I-25 corridor in Northern Colorado to be complete in 2020. Currently, the project will not affect interchanges but will add an internal third, managed lane. He reviewed the status of the project and key milestones to date. Jackson discussed the Prospect/I-25 interchange improvement plans and a state bill for transportation funding. He hypothesized a gas tax increase is not likely for political reasons. Boardmembers commented on the lack of educational efforts around no general fund dollars being used for roads and that the gas tax has not been raised since the 1980’s. Jackson indicated he would return with more updates in the summer. 8. ACTION ITEMS None. 9. REPORTS • Boardmember Reports Hart commented on a TED talk about making cities more walkable. York reported on the Built Environment Working Group meeting, a winter bicycling event, and a Let’s Talk Transit meeting. • Staff Report Sizemore reported on the search for a new Director of Infrastructure Services. 10. OTHER BUSINESS None. 4 11. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 8:39 p.m. by unanimous consent.