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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 10/20/2021 TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR October 20, 2021, 6:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting Via Zoom 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 1  FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Nathalie Rachline Vice Chair: Council Liaison: Cari Brown Emily Gorgol Staff Liaison: Aaron Iverson 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Rachline called the meeting to order at 6:03 PM. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Nathalie Rachline, Chair Cari Brown, Vice Chair Indy Hart York Kevin Borchert Jerry Gavaldon Diego Lopez Rob Owens BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT: Caryn Champine Cortney Geary Amanda Mansfield PUBLIC PRESENT: Dan Gould 3. AGENDA REVIEW Iverson stated Amanda Mansfield will be presenting with Cortney Geary. 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION Dan Gould expressed concern there is a notion that the decarbonization of transportation in Fort Collins would be solved if everyone drove an EV. He commented on the importance of keeping the build out of the Transportation Master Plan in view. He also commented on the importance of a high-functioning transit system in overall decarbonization. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – SEPTEMBER 2021 Iverson stated one comment was inadvertently attributed to Hart as opposed to him. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 2  Gavaldon made a motion, seconded by Hart, to approve the September 2021 minutes as amended. The motion was adopted unanimously with Owens abstaining. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Bicycle Advisory Committee Liaison Selection Chair Rachline noted the discussion at the last meeting was left to have York taking the BAC liaison position and Gavaldon taking the Planning and Zoning Commission liaison position. Hart made a motion nominating Owens for the BAC liaison position. Owens accepted the nomination. Lopez seconded the motion. Gavaldon made a motion nominating York for the BAC liaison position. York noted he would only be available to serve for the next 14 months and the term is supposed to be two years. He stated he would be willing to be the back up liaison for both the BAC and Planning and Zoning Commission. Gavaldon withdrew his motion. Chair Rachline suggested the motion should nominate Owens as the liaison to the BAC, Gavaldon as the liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission, and York as the back up for both. Hart accepted that as a friendly amendment and Gavaldon seconded the motion. The motion was adopted unanimously. Gavaldon invited Owens to the next BAC meeting. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Discussion and Q&A with Caryn Champine, PDT Director Champine introduced herself and discussed the components of the Planning, Development, and Transportation service area. She discussed her background, most recently as the Planning Director in Denver. She commented on the importance of resident participation in Boards and Commissions and commended the alignment of the Transportation Board’s strategic plan with other entities. Chair Rachline asked about the expectations of Boards. Gavaldon commended Champine based on her work in Denver. Champine commented on the importance of keeping roles clear among Boards, staff, and Council. She also commented on various stakeholder processes. She discussed the importance of an effective transit system in Transfort and stated its success is vital to a number of other community objectives and Council priorities. She mentioned the fleet electrification plan, the West Elizabeth BRT, and the funding of upcoming capital projects. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 3  Hart commented on bus routes not reaching certain areas of the city. He also commented on the importance of ensuring the transit plan and routes grow as the city grows. Champine discussed mobility hubs and the use of micro-transit devices. York commented on the lack of efficiency in bus routes from his neighborhood and asked what upcoming budget offers the Board should encourage funding to increase the likelihood of the transportation plan functioning better for all residents. He stated the Board should be able to see the offers and help brainstorm priorities related to the Climate Action Plan and Transportation Plan. He stated it is important for the budget to contain support for future goals and desired outcomes. Champine replied the PDT department will be designing a work plan over the next six months or so to identify the work that needs to be done to prepare for the next two-year budget cycle. She stated that process might create some good opportunities for the Board to have some conversations. Chair Rachline stated there have been few concrete examples of change to ensure the stated goals are met, such as proposing real, concrete solutions on people getting where they need to go without taking a personal vehicle. Champine stated there could be a good opportunity to start to orient the work that is happening with the goals of the Climate Action Plan. York commented on the possibility of making intersections more friendly for bicycles and pedestrians and less accommodating to motor vehicles. He stated those types of changes need to be priorities in the budgeting process and from staff. Champine commented on the importance of safety for all users, not just motor vehicles, and on the need to make a shift to the transportation network moving people, not just vehicles. Borchert asked if anyone on staff is looking into the autonomous vehicle program being tested at the School of Mines, particularly as a possible alternative to BRT lines. Champine replied the first micro-transit study will be occurring and will include a look at technology advancements and whether they can help with certain areas of the community. Hart stated micro-transit and mobility centers do not necessarily address his comments, which were more related to residents that are outside of the existing transit plan and have been for years; therefore, services as they are active, and not planned, should be adjusted such that all residents can use the system as it exists. He stated there should be tangible things that can help to get people to make decisions right now related to changing their mode of travel. He commented on the importance of incentivizing decisions that are convenient for residents to make that are in line with priorities. Gavaldon commented on a news story that indicated the carbon footprint of EV’s being larger than that of traditional vehicles. He questioned whether staff has ensured the carbon footprint of the new electric buses is smaller. Champine replied the fleet TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 4  electrification study is taking that into account and expert analysis has occurred regarding reaching the threshold of efficiencies from a carbon footprint standpoint. Lopez stated one gallon of gasoline or diesel is 12 tons of carbon emissions and an electric vehicle is 6 tons, calculating life cycle emissions. Gavaldon commented on a news story related to a study of whether drivers or cyclists are at fault for accidents. Hart commented on the importance of serving the community as a whole with actionable transportation. Champine commented on the Our Climate Future plan that includes both big ideas and a more tactical plan that charts action items for the next two years. Lopez asked how the City is preparing for cost share grant matches. Champine replied the City tends to be on a more reactive side for grant matches; however, Transfort, for example, is trying to work with the Finance Department to create a dedicated pot of money for grant matches as that makes the City more competitive in the area of federal grants. Lopez noted several grants are coming out quarterly and agreed having a grant match funding source is quite valuable. York asked how the future trade-off decisions are going to be made between the need to move residents out of personal motor vehicles to human-powered vehicles or transit, and the desire to improve the existing roadways for keeping traffic moving. He stated the lack of a plan for making those decisions will likely result in people falling back to the default of making things safer and faster for cars. Champine replied the Strategic Plan will be updated prior to moving into the 2023-2024 budget process and the hope will be to include a prioritization focus and policy guidance in that update. Hart discussed the recent fatality on Harmony Road noting it happened in an area where there is not a safe crossing, where there are bus stops on both sides of Harmony and reasons to cross the street in that location. b. Active Modes Program Updates: Pitkin Advisory Bike Lanes, Spin E-Scooter, E- Bike Program – Cortney Geary and Amanda Mansfield Cortney Geary, FC Moves Active Modes Program Manager, stated this project will run on Pitkin from College to Stover and is a partnership with Utilities, Streets, and Traffic Operations. She outlined the proposed project schedule and stated the advisory bike lanes will be striped by June of 2022. She noted advisory bike lanes require a request to experiment from the Federal Highway Administration as they are not considered standard in the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Geary discussed the low-stress bike network and the use of an advisory bike lane as an innovative approach. She discussed the existing conditions in the area and noted it TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 5  currently has inadequate bike lanes. She detailed the proposed cross-section for the advisory bike lane section, including the retention of the 8-foot parking lane on the north side, the formation of a 2-foot door opening lane, advisory bike lanes on each side, and a 16-foot motor vehicle lane in the center for two-way motor vehicle traffic that would require vehicles to yield to cyclists and merge into the bike lanes to pass one another. Geary discussed the history and use of advisory bike lanes and showed a video of movement in an advisory bike lane. She detailed the public outreach plan for the project and its construction impacts and discussed the rigorous evaluation requirements. Chair Rachline asked why projects are still occurring that involve a significant amount of space being given to cars. She suggested there should be stretches of roadway that do not allow cars at all. Geary replied the removal of parking could be considered; however, the removal of vehicular traffic would involve intense engagement with CSU. Geary stated the survey results will help to determine whether these changes make cyclists feel more comfortable. Gavaldon requested Geary provide this presentation to the BAC as well. He asked how Police Services has been involved. Geary replied she had not yet thought of that and agreed engagement with Police Services should occur regarding educating officers as to how this design treatment functions. She outlined proposed agenda items for the upcoming BAC meeting. Gavaldon requested Geary provide a memo regarding what, if any, outreach has been done with Police Services prior to the BAC meeting. York asked if the lighting on the Pitkin corridor will be improved or if that has been addressed as part of the plan. Geary replied she will discuss the issue with Light and Power. Hart commended the experimental approach; however, he expressed concern drivers may be confused about crossing painted lines. He also suggested the possibility of creating a two-way bike and pedestrian lane as another option. Owens asked about the intersection of the advisory section with the regular section and asked about the speed limit. He also asked if the Federal Highway Administration will be participating in funding the data collection efforts. Geary replied there is no federal funding for this project and one of the comments made about the upcoming revisions to the MUTCD relates to reducing the barriers to experimentation. She provided drawings of the striping at the transition point between the advisory section and the regular section. She stated the speed limit will remain 25 miles per hour. Hart again commended the experimental approach and commented on the value of the survey results. York asked how oncoming drivers know who is supposed to yield or merge into the bike lane. Geary replied both vehicles should move over and both should yield to bicyclists TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 6  and noted this would function the same way as a narrow neighborhood roadway less the bike lane striping. York noted the educational component will be critical to ensure proper function and expectations for all modes. Geary concurred. Gavaldon requested frequent updates on this topic. Geary noted all evaluation reports will be posted and stated she would commit to providing updates as frequently as requested. Amanda Mansfield, FC Moves Transportation Planner, discussed the history of the E- scooter and E-bike share program and its regulations. She discussed the adaptive delivery program that is part of the Spin program, the focus on improving rider compliance and refinement of the geofencing component, possible partnering with Spin for a funded intersection improvement project, the focus on increasing low-income ridership via the Spin Access program, the focus on increasing ride length, having a seamless app integration with Transfort, and having a focus on engaging tourists and employers. Mansfield discussed ridership data and provided additional details on Spin partnerships with the Murphy Center for Spin Access and with employers for subsidized rides. She also discussed Spin participation in bike events. Regarding safety, she stated three incidents were reported to Spin through the app; however, none led to additional follow- up. Additionally, she stated she has not received any reports of Spin-related injuries from the Police Department or hospitals since July. Mansfield discussed future initiatives including a corporate pass, group rides to allow for group rentals on a single app and having an increased advertising presence to increase ridership and prompt mode shift. Hart asked how improperly parked scooters are addressed, how enforcement for the use of the devices in the proper locations is occurring, and how riders are being educated. Mansfield replied there are consistent complaints about scooters being improperly parked and Spin has several team members who work 24/7 to address that. She stated there is a phone number provided on the scooters for reporting and work is being done to make that a text situation. She stated Spin is required to move scooters within two hours; however, that is typically being done more quickly. Additionally, riders are informed via the app they will be fined, or their trip will not be allowed to end if they attempt to park improperly. York commended the pop-up events and their educational component. Gavaldon commented on seeing bikes parked for five days on his neighborhood sidewalks and asked if there is an online data dashboard. Mansfield replied she would discuss the bike issue with Spin and stated the online dashboard will be available beginning in the fall. Borchert asked why Fort Collins chose a dockless program, from a historical TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 7  perspective. Mansfield replied ridership increases with a dockless system. She also noted there are certain parking areas encouraged with financial incentives in the downtown area. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Owens commented on the Transfort bus driver shortage and stated it would be nice to know what incentives are being provided by the City. Chair Rachline agreed that is an important question and requested Iverson follow up. York reported on the recent Planning and Zoning Commission work session during which the Sun Communities development at College and Trilby was discussed. He noted that project will have traffic impacts on nearby intersections. Additionally, the Commission discussed Building Code updates and local amendments, including EV readiness components, though the Commission did not currently support requiring EV-capabilities in new single-family construction. The Commission also discussed adding requirements for new construction ground-level single-family units to have accessible restrooms and outside access doors for ADA compliance. York stated the commission also had questions about E-devices and what is allowed on which trails. Hart commented on the distance from the existing transit system for various areas of the city and noted commute times are longer now given the shortage of drivers. He reiterated the importance of ensuring residents can make easy decisions to utilize transit. He stated residents will not use transit unless it is more efficient than an individual car trip. Chair Rachline stated more drastic changes and actionable items are needed. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Bicycle Advisory Committee Report Gavaldon reported on the recent BAC meeting during which the Committee received a Parks Planning update, participated in an Active Modes planning visioning exercise, which he suggested could be valuable for the Transportation Board as well, and received a brief update on the Pitkin advisory bike lane project. b. City Council 6-Month Calendar Review Iverson pointed out an upcoming work session on the Mulberry Plan and the budget adoption hearings. c. Staff Liaison Report Iverson stated he applied for and received the FC Moves Manager position. He also commented on the recent change to the budget to recommend funding for the Shift Your Ride program. TRANSPORTATION BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 10/20/2021 – MINUTES Page 8  Chair Rachline commented on the inappropriateness of having daytime sessions regarding the vacant City Manager position. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:52 p.m. by unanimous consent.