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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBicycle Advisory Committee - Minutes - 09/25/2023 BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING –REGULAR September 25, 2023 6:00 p.m. Online via Zoom or in person at 281 N. College Avenue 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 1 FOR REFERENCE: Chair: Jordan Williams Vice-Chair: Kevin Krause Staff Liaison: Lauren Nagle 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Williams called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. ROLL CALL (INTRODUCTIONS) BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT: Cortney Geary Dave ‘DK’ Kemp Jeff Puckett Araceli Newman Jordan Williams, Chair, At Large Member Kevin Krause, Vice Chair, Natural Resources Advisory Board Jerry Gavaldon, Transportation Board Marcia Richards, Parks and Recreation Board David Hansen, Colorado State University Greg Boiarsky, Air Quality Advisory Board Bruce Henderson, Senior Advisory Board Tim Anderson, Fort Collins Bike Co-op Elisabeth Cairnes, At Large Member Scott Mason, Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Whitney Allison, At Large Member ABSENT: Representative, Bike Fort Collins Jonathan Crozier, Poudre School District Todd Dangerfield, Downtown Development Authority PUBLIC PRESENT: Pete Piccolo, Bicycle Colorado BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 2 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Jordan stated there were no changes to the published agenda. 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION None. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – AUGUST 2023 The Committee opted to postpone consideration of the August 2023 minutes until the next meeting. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Active Modes/BAC Ordinance Update – Lauren Nagle, FC Moves Lauren Nagle, FC Moves, noted the ex officio portions of the ordinance were removed as Council is going to consider the use of ex officio members for all Boards and Commissions. Additionally, it was noted the timeline for work plans will not change for the Active Modes Advisory Board so it will not be able to create its own until November 2024; therefore, it has been suggested that this Committee create one to get the new Board started. Lauren noted Council will be discussing the topic at its October 24th work session. Mason asked if the at-large members of this Committee could apply for the Active Modes Advisory Board. Nagle replied in the affirmative and noted any member could apply; however, individuals may only serve on one Board or Commission and would need to decide between the two. Gavaldon commented on an email from Davina Lau regarding the timeline for recruitment. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Speed Camera Legislation Bill – Pete Piccolo, Bicycle Colorado Pete Piccolo, Bicycle Colorado, asked the Committee to consider what supports it would need to take action at the local level to move forward with automated enforcement, assuming at least a few members would have an interest in taking advantage of the bill and expanding automated traffic enforcement, particularly speed cameras, in the community. He discussed the history of Bicycle Colorado and stated it is an advocacy organization with three aspects to its work: policy which also includes securing public funding for bike infrastructure and sometimes pedestrian infrastructure, an education program that deals with bikes and driver training, and a bike event support division. He stated the organization’s purpose is to see a Colorado where all people and communities benefit from safe and BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 3 accessible bicycling. Mr. Piccolo commented on the public health epidemic related to traffic fatalities. He noted vulnerable road users are especially at risk and that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death of children under the age of 14. Mr. Piccolo stated the speed camera legislation bill was designed to combat speeding, which is a factor in 40% of traffic fatalities in Colorado. He noted the most impactful intervention for safety is better infrastructure; however, that can take time and other things need to be done in the interim, one of which is policy that can combat speeding. He stated research has been abundant and overwhelming clear that automated traffic enforcement mechanisms reduce speeding, reduce crashes, and reduce fatalities and serious injuries across contexts. He stated there are some best practices around the implementation of the technology and efforts were made to include those in the legislation. Mr. Piccolo stated there is a current law that allows for automated speed cameras; however, applicable guardrails are quite restrictive. He stated the new bill will allow fully automated traffic cameras, eliminate location restrictions, require public notice be issued before the technology is implemented, provide guidelines for the use of signage in speed corridors, and create a 30-day warning period. He stated the ticket penalty will be $40 unless the violation occurs in a construction or school zone or the speed is in excess of 25 miles per hour or more over the speed limit. He stated the bill would go into effect in June of 2024 and requires action at the local level. Gavaldon stated the red light camera in Fort Collins are funded by the ticket revenues and those tickets are $70 plus costs. He asked if the new bill will require municipalities to decrease those ticket amounts to the $40 or allow them to be more restrictive and increase ticket amounts. He questioned how that would impact the providers of the technology. Mr. Piccolo replied the $40 ticket would be for speed cameras, not red light cameras, and any legislation in place regarding the use of red light cameras would remain in effect, including fines. He stated the fines for speed cameras are dictated by state statute and municipalities would need to amend any contracts with providers of technology to match with the state statute. Chair Williams asked if there were municipalities supporting this effort prior to the formation of the bill. Mr. Piccolo replied work was done with a number of municipalities, including Denver, Boulder, Grand Junction, and Aurora, to accommodate their current programs. He noted changes were made to the bill to tie tickets to drivers rather than vehicle owners as part of that work. He stated local action in terms of a resolution was decided upon because of a robust conversation about police enforcement and disparate impacts on low-income BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 4 communities. Additionally, the local resolution aspect allowed for the mitigation of pushback from some lobbyists of municipalities arguing for more local control. Gavaldon asked if the speed cameras will be in a vehicle or fixed elsewhere and asked what will be done to prevent vandalism to the devices. Additionally, he questioned how racial profiling can be prevented by the location of cameras. He also asked about the proposed frequency in reviewing the legislation. Mr. Piccolo replied there is no easy solution to the profiling issue, though the spirit of the language around local resolutions is aimed to provide a means for municipalities to have those conversations about making equitable decisions that promote safety. Additionally, he noted the legislation requires the publication of ticket data annually to study who is being impacted. In terms of vandalism, Mr. Piccolo stated communities will need to discuss ways to prevent issues. He stated the legislation does not dictate the type of technology used and whether it is fixed or mobile, though best practices have shown mobile technology has had a greater impact than fixed. He noted the legislation does include a number of guardrails to ensure data is protected and disposed of over a period of time, though the data can be subpoenaed and used to investigate certain other crimes. Gavaldon commented on how difficult it can be to get red light camera data in Fort Collins. Cairnes asked if there are any time limits, restrictions, or incentives for the local resolution adoption. Mr. Piccolo replied incentives do not currently exist, though the municipalities that do use automated enforcement already have a budget line item to fund the personnel for vehicles and this bill would allow for the cameras to exist without personnel. Hansen asked how much involvement has come from local law enforcement versus city or municipal engineering. Mr. Piccolo replied no law enforcement agencies opposed the legislation and a number of local law enforcement agencies were in support. He stated the technology reduces the workload for patrol officers allowing them to focus energy on other things. He noted the state patrol did not weigh in. Allison asked if there would be a way to identify speeding drivers who may have other driving infractions. Mr. Piccolo replied in the affirmative and stated the bill focuses on driver liability and a series of steps are taken to confirm that the recipient of the ticket is the driver. He noted repeat offenders will build a driving record. He also noted another promising aspect of the legislation relates to the reduction in speeds travelled throughout the region wherein a speed camera is located. Geary noted she did have a conversation with an officer in the traffic enforcement unit who said they are looking at taking advantage of the legislation. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 5 Mr. Piccolo commented on a process within the legislature that fast tracks bills and discussed a forthcoming bill related to a vulnerable road user enterprise fund which responds to vehicle bloat and increasing public health costs. The fund would be formed by fees charged on larger personal vehicles and dollars would be redistributed to participating counties in the form of grants that could be used for bike and pedestrian safety and infrastructure improvements. He also noted this legislation could help with education around road safety. Additionally, he noted electric vehicles are much heavier than gas-powered vehicles and there is some talk of exempting them from the fee. Mr. Piccolo stated the hands-free bill will also likely return which enables police to exercise their judgement and pull over any person driving who is holding a phone. He noted there is a question as to whether the benefits of addressing distracted driving outweigh potential racial profiling concerns. He stated research from states who have this type of law is inconclusive in part due to variability of how the bill is enforced across states. He stated the governor has shown some support for the bill. Mr. Piccolo commented on a possible forthcoming education bill that would increase standards for youth drivers and require formal driver training for anyone under the age of 18. It would also amend state-sponsored educational content and testing to include a minimum amount of content for vulnerable road users. Boiarsky stated the bill related to fees for larger vehicles will likely receive a great deal of pushback and suggested considerations could be made for whether a vehicle has active accident mitigation technology. He also suggested having the hands-free bill as an enhancement that would increase penalties for a driver found to be using a phone and subsequently causing an accident. Mr. Piccolo stated Bicycle Colorado advocated for a secondary offense in 2022, though it received quite a bit of push back. Krause asked if the bill related to vehicle bloat considers modified vehicles, such as lifted trucks, and suggested a secondary offense for those types of vehicles which violate safety requirements could be considered. Mr. Piccolo concurred with the thought and stated many of those vehicles would already be paying the fees because they are already heavy. b. City of Fort Collins 2024 Strategic Plan and Outcomes – Lauren Nagle, FC Moves Lauren Nagle, FC Moves, stated the City’s outcome areas inform the Budgeting for Outcomes process. Nagle requested input from members related to the names of the outcome areas themselves. Chair Williams advocated for changing the word ‘efficiently’ to ‘effectively’ in the subtext of the transportation outcome area. He stated efficient movement does not necessarily work in the lens of BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 6 Vision Zero in terms of safety. Boiarsky noted safety is mentioned in the subtext. Chair Williams also suggested mentioning active modes in the Transportation and Mobility outcome area text. Gavaldon expressed concern about adding active modes stating it is already embedded in the outcome area. He also encouraged leaving ‘efficiently’ in the language particularly citing Transfort and trails. He also noted there is an outcome area related to safe community. Additionally, he stated the text is missing words related to an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming community as Fort Collins is not yet there. Boiarsky suggested combining some of the social health language with culture and recreation. Vice Chair Krause stated it is important to highlight the desired outcomes for Transportation and Mobility by articulating the feel of interacting with the active modes set of systems. Boiarsky suggested changing the ‘Economic Health’ outcome to ‘Economic Viability’ or something similar. He stated a strong economy should not come at the expense of environmental health. Nagle asked members which of the outcome areas, other than Transportation and Mobility, are most relevant to the Committee. Members replied Environmental Health and Parks and Recreation outcome areas are relevant. Vice Chair Krause commented on the importance of utilizing the relationships between outcome areas. Nagle requested input regarding the ways the City can achieve the outcomes. Vice Chair Krause commented on the importance of expanding Transfort service to pre-COVID levels. Richards stated having additional space for bicycles on buses could be helpful. Chair Williams commented on the importance of elevating the implementation of the Active Modes Plan and Vision Zero Plan and placing value on transportation mobility. Gavaldon stated Transfort has not made any improvements since the pandemic and despite leadership changes, has yet to progress. He specifically cited the fact that bikes are not allowed on the buses that serve CSU football games. Vice Chair Krause commented on the fact that single-occupancy vehicles do not resonate with the outcome list; however, the City highly subsidizes that mode of travel from a funding perspective. He stated achieving outcome areas related to the Committee’s focus will require elevated funding. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 7 Allison commented on the benefits of lowering speed limits. Boiarsky commented on the need to fund better connections from the multi-use trails to neighborhoods. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Anderson reported the Bike Co-op remains busy. Gavaldon reported on a nighttime ride on the Spring Creek Trail stating most riders did not have a light. He also expressed concern regarding the speeds of E-bikes. He stated the Power Trail signal at County Road 30 is not functioning. Nagle stated she would do some research and noted Access Fort Collins could be used to report those types of issues. Gavaldon commented on a conversation regarding the Power Trail crossing of Harmony Road and suggested an overpass could be completed more quickly and at a lower cost. He further discussed concerns with E-bike speeds on trails. Hansen reported there will be a forthcoming announcement from CSU’s president of a full adoption of Vision Zero for the University and a formal associated committee will be formed. He stated the University officially submitted a SPAR request with the City for the Phemister Trail segment from the Prospect underpass to the Gardens on Spring Creek. Richards reported on the sales tax ballot initiative, part of which would fund parks and recreation sustainability and aquatics. Gavaldon noted there has been some opposition to the sales tax initiative due to current affordability concerns. Allison reported on the new bike path on Suniga noting the high vehicle speeds and path design make for a high-risk situation. Mason reported on the City’s efforts to increase minimum flows of the Poudre through town during the winter months. He stated three entities have voluntarily agreed to increase those flows: the City of Fort Collins, the City of Greeley, and the City of Thornton. Boiarsky reported on a trip to France during which he took photographs of a road diet in a rural part of the Alps. Vice Chair Krause reported the Natural Resources Advisory Board received an update on the downtown parking system and noted Council has forthcoming work session on the topic. He concurred with Allison’s comments regarding Suniga. He commented on the Northern Colorado Mountain Bike Festival at Lory State Park and on Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. He commented on the Committee’s memo regarding recreational bicycling facilities and stated he would like to see an opportunity to engage from a Parks and Recreation perspective. BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 9 /2 5 /2023 – MINUTES Page 8 Chair Williams outlined the plan for the last three Committee meetings. Gavaldon suggested the possibility of the Committee just getting a copy of annual accident report presentation rather than having a full staff presentation to save time at the upcoming meetings. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Transportation Board Report Gavaldon reported the Transportation Board received a presentation from Traffic Operations regarding the annual accident report and suggested the Committee may also want to see that presentation. Additionally, the Board discussed the changes to the Active Modes Advisory Board. b. Staff Liaison Report Jeff Puckett Introduced himself as a new FC Moves team member. 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:03 PM by unanimous consent.