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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBicycle Advisory Committee - Minutes - 03/22/2021 BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING –REGULAR March 22, 2021, 6:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom 3 /2 2 /2021 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Jordan Williams Vice-Chair: Jerry Gavaldon Staff Liaison: Aaron Iverson/Tracey Lipfert 970-416-2471 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Williams called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT: Jordan Williams, Chair, At Large Member Jerry Gavaldon, Vice Chair, Transportation Board Mike Webber, Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Whitney Allison, At Large Member Dave Dixon, Bike Fort Collins Ed Peyronnin, Colorado State University Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee Katherine Chu, At Large Member Todd Dangerfield, Downtown Development Authority Kevin Krause, Natural Resources Advisory Board Aaron Buckley, Fort Collins Bike Co-op Mike Tupa, Parks and Recreation Board ABSENT: Greg Wells, Senior Advisory Board Rick Arneson, Bike Fort Collins Ben Mayer, Poudre School District Jason Miller, Air Quality Advisory Board Amanda Mansfield Cortney Geary PUBLIC PRESENT: Ryan Dusil (NFRMPO) BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 3 /2 2 /2021 – MINUTES Page 2 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Williams reviewed the agenda. 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION None. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – JANUARY 2021 Gavaldon made a motion, seconded by Buckley, to approve the minutes of the January 2021 meeting as written. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Traffic Operations accident data at Magnolia/Canyon intersection Williams outlined the provided accident data. b. Poudre River Corridor Master Plan update regarding the Linden Street trail underpass Iverson discussed the Park Planning efforts and general plan for the Linden Street trail underpass area and stated staff will come before the Committee once plans are more formalized and funding sources are identified. He noted there is no definite timeline though Parks Planning staff would like to get the project completed sooner rather than later given the excitement around the Whitewater Park. Dixon asked if there is a plan to vacate the southern trail or if two trails will exist on either side. Iverson replied staff has indicated both will remain. Gavaldon expressed concern about using money for redundancies and stated he would like to receive some more definitive cost estimates to ensure cost effectiveness for these larger projects. He expressed concern about the City utilizing reserve funding and asked where this project falls in the prioritization list. Iverson replied he would share those concerns with Parks Planning. Gavaldon also requested information about the incremental cost increase for the proposal versus utilizing the existing bridge. Tupa commented on the difficulty of utilizing the current bridge as a bicyclist. Dangerfield asked if a signalized pedestrian crossing has been explored for this location. Iverson replied he did not believe so but he would inquire and follow up. Tupa stated having much wider bike lanes and perhaps some type of traffic calming could be a good solution. Webber asked if Natural Areas staff has been consulted about the possibility of BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 3 /2 2 /2021 – MINUTES Page 3 running the trail through Gustav Swanson Natural Area. Iverson replied he was unsure, but he would inquire and follow up. Krause suggested keeping this item on the Unfinished Business section moving forward to determine whether input should be provided. Iverson suggested the Committee may want to receive a presentation from Parks Planning. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Meet FC Moves new Active Modes Manager – Courtney Geary Courtney Geary, new FC Moves Active Modes Manager, introduced herself and discussed her recent work history with the Chattanooga Metropolitan Planning Organization. She noted there will be an update to the City’s Active Modes Plan beginning this year. b. NFRMPO Active Modes Plan update – Ryan Dusil (NFRMPO) Ryan Dusil, North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) Transportation Planner, outlined the role of the NFRMPO to work with technical staff and elected officials at each north front range partner within its purview to create a shared regional vision for transportation and to complete projects necessary to reach that vision. He stated this Plan provides an opportunity to identify specific projects on the ground as well as general areas of need to promote a more cohesive network. Dusil outlined the timeline for the Plan and stated the hope is for adoption in the summer of 2021. He outlined what has occurred with the Plan since the last time he was before the Committee. He noted the importance of having a more adaptable planning process and making this a living Plan that is updated regularly. Dusil discussed efforts related to mapping. He mentioned the regionally significant projects that have currently been identified, including more potential connections to Wellington, completing remaining gaps on the Power Trail, working to identify areas in which grade-separated crossings would be beneficial, and trail connectivity to the Foothills CSU campus, among others. Chair Williams asked if there is a digital application for proposed mapping. Dusil replied in the affirmative and stated the first ideas are a Google-based map or an Arc GIS map. He noted paper maps may also be helpful. Dusil commented on the MPO’s set of regionally significant roadway corridors with multi-modal visions and discussed the NoCo Bike and Ped Collaborative which meets monthly to share best practices and work on specific initiatives, which currently involves identifying wayfinding needs on two regional trails, one of which is the Poudre Trail. He requested members of the Committee share their ideas on these efforts. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 3 /2 2 /2021 – MINUTES Page 4 Dusil stated the Plan will go out for public comment in May and June. Tupa asked why the Poudre River Trail was selected for new wayfinding signage. Dusil rpelied it was identified mainly by people in Greeley and Windsor to take advantage of recent conversations with the Poudre Heritage Alliance and Poudre Trail, Inc. and this was seen as an opportunity for collecting ideas regionally. Chair Williams asked about the progress of the MPO’s community advisory committee that is focused on environmental justice and whether there are connections between that and the Active Modes Plan. Dusil replied the community advisory committee formation is still underway and he commented on possible connections. c. Bicycle/E-Scooter share update – Amanda Mansfield Amanda Mansfield, FC Moves Transportation Planner, discussed the history of the E-scooter share program and Code updates enacted for proper enforcement. She provided information regarding ride data and the repercussions of the pandemic on the program. She noted the effects of the pandemic caused the Pace bike share program to completely end service. Mansfield discussed the request for proposal process seeking a combined service provider and stated the City received proposals from four companies last November, two of which were interviewed earlier this year, and the ultimate vendor selected was Spin. She stated the plan is to launch the new E-scooter/E-bike service in May or June. Regarding key takeaways from the Bird E-scooter share pilot program, Mansfield discussed the importance of geo-fencing, safety, having the ideal number of stations, sustainability and equity, compliance with riding and parking rules, hours, and community involvement. Mansfield discussed the publicly available data dashboard, which was specifically requested by members of this Committee. She noted this will also be a priority with the new vendor. Mansfield discussed key focus areas for the upcoming program: refining dismount zones, extending the hours of operation to 24/7, forming a bike library with Bike Fort Collins, and ensuring the program functions for individuals who are differently abled, among others. Gavaldon asked about the plans for making this affordable and equitable. Mansfield replied Spin will be providing low-income membership options and will be accommodating individuals without smart phones or bank accounts. She stated Spin has offered to reach out to social service providers to garner input on how to best reach and serve their clients. Gavaldon asked about the possibility of the public accessing real-time data and whether the confidentiality concerns had been addressed. Mansfield replied Bird BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 3 /2 2 /2021 – MINUTES Page 5 was concerned about competitors seeing real-time data and she assumed that would also be the case with Spin; however, she would request whether they could provide more than just monthly updates. Mansfield discussed the importance of app integration, an adaptive program for all users, and the location of charging stations throughout the city to be used only by Spin staff. She noted annual reports on the program will be provided beginning at the end of this year. Gavaldon asked about the power source for the charging stations. Mansfield replied Fort Collins Utilities will be providing the power; however, Spin will be funding it. Gavaldon suggested the possible use of solar. Mansfield replied she would ask about that option. Chair Williams commended the reformation of the bike library and new adaptive resources with Bike Fort Collins. Dixon stated Bike Fort Collins is excited to be a partner in the program. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Tupa reported Council recently unanimously approved the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the East District maintenance facility, located near Drake and Ziegler, is currently under design, Crescent Park is remodeling its irrigation pump house, the Poudre River Master Plan study is planned to be completed this winter, work on the Water Supply Master Plan is being conducted, Oak Street Plaza is being revamped due to leakage issues with the fountains and work will be completed in the spring, Bucking Horse Park will be completed this year, the Spring Canyon Community dog park pond design is underway, and Trailhead Park is being constructed. Tupa also reported on the temporary impact of the I-25 expansion on the archery range, vandalism issues at Twin Silo Park, and groundwater issues in the Shields and Elizabeth underpass. Members discussed the bicycle-related items included in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Webber reported Mark Sears and John Stokes are both retiring; therefore, the structure of the department is being considered for adjustment. He discussed topics from the recent Land Conservation and Stewardship Board meeting including work to reopen areas affected by last summer’s fires. Dixon reported on Bike Fort Collins’ candidate questionnaire for Council and Mayoral candidates and on the launch of the walk and bike to school challenge this spring. Buckley reported the Fort Collins Bike Co-op is looking at splitting the cost of a full-time BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 3 /2 2 /2021 – MINUTES Page 6 Spanish translation position with Bike Fort Collins. Additionally, there have been discussion about how community bike donations could work with the two entities. Krause reported on the topics discussed at the recent Natural Resources Advisory Board meeting. He also mentioned the Bicycle Film Festival. Peyronnin reported on the Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee’s discussion of the Rams Ride Right program, work on a diversion proposal for a way to donate bikes that students may otherwise abandon, and work on Vision Zero. Allison reported on chronic issues of cars parking in the protected bike lane along Mulberry. Iverson replied he would investigate that and follow up. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Transportation Board Report Gavaldon reported the Transportation Board received a presentation from Cameron Gloss on metro districts and associated transportation issues. He discussed the basic tenants of a metro district. Gavaldon reported the Transportation Board elected new officers and has a new Council liaison, Susan Gutowsky. Chair Williams reported on the first phase of the Lory State Park mountain bike park redesign and stated Larimer County park rangers are beginning a bike training program. b. Staff Liaison Report Iverson stated the plan moving forward is for Geary to take over as the staff liaison for the Committee. c. Call for Agenda Items Chair Williams stated the next meeting agenda will include a discussion on budgeting for outcomes as they relate to Active Modes projects. Iverson stated Engineering staff would like to make a presentation regarding updates to the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards next month as well. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:01 PM by unanimous consent.