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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 05/17/20171 MINUTES of the CITY OF FORT COLLINS TRANSPORTATION BOARD May 17, 2017 6:00 p.m. Traffic Operations Conference Room 626 Linden Street 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 Annabelle Berklund, Vice Chair Valerie Arnold Indy Hart Andrew Bondi Karl Ayers Gary Thomas ABSENT: York Cari Brown Councilmember Ross Cunniff Paul Sizemore Tessa Greegor Martina Wilkinson Joe Olson Mark Jackson PUBLIC PRESENT: Reagan Adams Luke Caldwell 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 Reagan Adams, Bicycle Advisory Committee, introduced herself. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Hart made a motion, seconded by Shenk, to adopt the April 2017 minutes as amended to delete Arnold from the list of present Boardmembers. The minutes were adopted unanimously. 5. COUNCIL LIAISON Councilmember Cunniff was unable to attend. DocuSign Envelope ID: 678A2901-B1AD-4AAA-AC03-A00607EBD371 2 6. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT • E-bike Research Proposal Discussion with BAC Luke Caldwell, Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair, discussed recent state legislation that has implications for electric-assisted bikes (EABs) in Fort Collins. The legislation defines three classes of electric-assisted bikes and provides municipalities the legal authority to establish regulations of those bikes. He stated speed limitations exist on all e-bikes under the law. The three categories are: pedal-assisted, in which the motor will only operate when the bike is being pedaled and the motor turns off at 20 mph, throttle-on-demand, in which no pedaling is required and a 20-mph limit exists, and speed pedelec, which is pedal- assisted and the rider can reach up to 28 mph. The motor would only kick on up to 20 mph. Caldwell stated the BAC is proposing to provide a fact-based white paper to serve as a foundation for future dialogue and policy decisions. Proposed topics include a description of the state legislation, a history of EAB discussions pulled from meeting minutes, the compatibility of the Fort Collins trail system with EABs, environmental impacts of EABs versus cars, the potential use of EABs by different demographics, and an examination of other Colorado communities that have allowed EABs on their trail systems. Arnold asked about the basic controversies with the EABs. Caldwell replied speed and conflicts among different trail user types are the primary concerns; however, he noted 20 mph is not an uncommonly fast speed for bikes. Thomas asked about the BAC opinion on trail usage. Caldwell replied the BAC would likely be in support of allowing trail usage; however, that is contingent upon the results of the research. Adams stated there is a great deal of passion and angst surrounding the topic but very little information. This research would provide a platform for well-referenced information to ensure a common base of knowledge. She stated she does not believe this document should include a recommendation. Thomas stated Fort Collins’ strength is that Council wants input from its Boards and Commissions. Shenk asked if this topic has been brought up in the planning of the Transportation Master Plan update. Sizemore replied it has been part of conversations for a number of years; however, they are outside of the context of a planning effort. Shenk supported researching the historical context of the issue. Thomas suggested there may be a negative reaction from the senior community. Caldwell noted the cost of EABs is relatively high; therefore, it is not likely the typical user would be reckless. DocuSign Envelope ID: 678A2901-B1AD-4AAA-AC03-A00607EBD371 3 Thomas made a motion, seconded by Hart, to authorize the BAC to proceed with the study. The motion was adopted unanimously. Adams asked what type of timeline would be ideal for the study. Shenk suggested having some results by early fall. 7. DISCUSSION/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS • Protected Bike Lane Pilot Project – Greegor Greegor provided background information on the recommendation for protected bike lanes. This infrastructure is new to Fort Collins and includes any type of physical separation including parked cars, flexible posts, planter boxes, curbs, or raised infrastructure. Greegor discussed the Laurel Street pilot project and its goals to improve safety and comfort for all corridor users, test different designs, and address maintenance issues. This is intended to be one in a series of pilot projects that will ultimately contribute to the development of best practices moving forward. Greegor discussed the public outreach process and key findings in terms of ridership, crash data, sidewalk riding, and impacts to businesses. She stated survey results show people tend to prefer dedicated facilities such as protected bike lanes. Boardmembers discussed the possibility of including CSU as a funding partner. Greegor detailed the issues and challenges with maintenance and snow removal. Boardmembers discussed the possibility of using barriers which could be removed for snow removal. Greegor stated the labor for removing bollards could be a limiting factor. Greegor stated funding for the next pilot project is secured and will involve public outreach in 2017 and construction in 2018. Possible locations include: City Park, West Mulberry, West Vine, and West Prospect. • Stadium Game Day Operations – Olson Olson stated the stadium is on schedule to be complete in June and several on-campus infrastructure improvements have been made, including a parking garage, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Off-campus improvements include new underpasses at Prospect and Centre and Shields and Elizabeth, both funded by CSU, pedestrian crossing warning symbols for at-grade crossings, College and Prospect improvements, and an improved left-turn lane at Lake and College. Wilkinson stated the estimated cost of off-campus infrastructure improvements funded by CSU is approximately $26 million. The first large events and game at the stadium will be in August. Wilkinson stated specific on-campus locations have been identified where tailgating will be allowed. Emergency services and security have been heavily studied and the plan is to separate the various modes of transportation from one another as much as possible. Approximately 5,000-6,000 on-campus parking spaces will be reserved on game days and students will be required to re-park cars in certain lots for game day weekends and no paid parking will exist on the main campus. Pitkin, Hughes Way, and Meridian will all DocuSign Envelope ID: 678A2901-B1AD-4AAA-AC03-A00607EBD371 4 be multiple lane in-bound and multiple lane out-bound on game days. A boardmember asked how many cars are expected to be coming to the games that are not season ticket holders. Wilkinson replied parking lots on the south campus, near the tennis courts, have about 1,000 spaces and CSU is working with the federal center and commercial uses near the south campus to use their spaces on game days. Those spaces will all be available for cash purchase. Centre Avenue on the south campus will be closed to vehicular traffic on game days as well; it will be reserved for shuttles, bikes, and pedestrians. Wilkinson discussed the bike routes which will be most utilized on game days. Berklund asked if bike parking has been installed on campus. Wilkinson replied there are several thousand spaces already on campus and many more racks are being added closer to the stadium. Wilkinson discussed transit routes and south campus shuttle routes. ADA parking with shuttle service will occur at the surface lot near the new medical center. Shared ride drop-offs will occur at the University Center of the Arts on Remington. Thomas asked if shuttles will take place to the park-n-ride lots on I-25. Wilkinson replied none are planned through Traffic Operations. Olson stated the City has been working with CSU to identify neighborhoods for the Residential Parking Permit Program. CSU will fund the necessary signs. Wilkinson noted game day fines will be increased to $100. She also stated private parking lots near the stadium will be allowed to sell spaces if desired. Olson stated stadium wayfinding signs are being created and details relating to police officers, traffic flow, and other issues are being identified. Wilkinson stated CSU agreed to seed a Good Neighbor Fund that can be used to pay for projects. The Stadium Advisory Committee is currently reviewing applications for that fund. A boardmember suggested allowing individuals to purchase MAX tickets on-line and questioned how many tickets can be purchased at a station before they run out. Boardmembers and staff discussed Transfort routes for game days. • Traffic Operations Tour and Updates – Olson Boardmembers took a tour of the Traffic Operations center at the end of the meeting. 8. ACTION ITEMS None. 9. REPORTS • Boardmember Reports Thomas stated there is still a great deal of discussion regarding combining some of the transit operations between Loveland and Fort Collins. DocuSign Envelope ID: 678A2901-B1AD-4AAA-AC03-A00607EBD371 5 Shenk stated this is Thomas’ last meeting prior to moving out of Fort Collins. He thanked Thomas for his huge contribution to transit in Northern Colorado and presented him with a photo and plaque from the Board. Mark Jackson thanked Thomas for his work on various transportation issues and budgeting processes. He stated the Mayor will be issuing a proclamation of gratitude at the June 6th Council meeting. • Staff Report Sizemore stated the June meeting has a full agenda and stated Amy Lewin has resigned. 10. OTHER BUSINESS None. 11. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. by unanimous consent. DocuSign Envelope ID: 678A2901-B1AD-4AAA-AC03-A00607EBD371