HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 04/04/2000 - RESOLUTION 2000-57 ADOPTING THE TRANSIT ALTERNATIV AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 27
DATE: April 4, 2000
FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL
STAFF: Susanne Durkin
SUBJECT:
Resolution 2000-57 Adopting the Transit Alternative for the Mason Street Transportation
Corridor.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Estimates for the three proposed transit alternatives range from $40-$305 million for capital
including supporting infrastructure, rolling stock, stations, park and ride and maintenance
facilities. The cost will be refined once the preferred alternative is selected and conceptual
design work is completed. The total cost of the Mason Street Transportation Corridor and a
financing plan will be part of the Master Plan that will be adopted by Council in the Fall of 2000.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This Resolution formally adopts the transit alternative for the conceptual design of the Mason
Street Transportation Corridor. The options for consideration are: at-grade rubber tire, light rail,
and elevated transit. The Mason Street Lead Team, a group of twenty citizen volunteers,
assessed fourteen evaluation criteria and created a "weight' factor that was then applied to the
rating given to each transit option. This analysis was the basis for the recommendation that City
Council adopt at-grade rubber-tire transit for the conceptual design of the Mason Street
Transportation Corridor. The Transportation Board, Planning and Zoning Board, Air Quality
Board, and Council Growth Management Committee support the recommendation of the Mason
Street Lead Team.
BACKGROUND:
The voters as part of the Building Community Choices capital improvement package approved
the Mason Street Transportation Corridor project. This is a transportation corridor that extends
for nearly five miles, from Cherry Street on the north to Harmony Road on the south, centered
along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks. The corridor is intended to enhance
opportunities for pedestrians, bicyclists. and transit riders along its length, to encourage
development and to provide for economic opportunities. It will create a direct north/south route
DATE: April 4, 2000 2 ITEM NUMBER: 27
for bicyclists and offer a faster passenger trip time using transit rather than the auto on a
congested College Avenue corridor. It also presents the future possibility of rail service from
Fort Collins to destinations throughout the region. The project will not remove vehicular traffic
from Mason and McClelland where streets already exist. Funding is available through FY 2005
for Phase 1 —Planning and Design, and Phase 2 —Bike/Pedestrian facility from Prospect Road to
Harmony Road.
The Planning and Design phase began in December of 1998. The citizens of Fort Collins
provided input as to the design of the corridor through surveys, public meetings, and a design
workshop. Staff, the consultant team, and the Mason Street Lead Team subsequently worked on
the following design components over a ten-month period:
➢ data collection
➢ survey of existing conditions
➢ definition of issues and objectives
➢ conceptual development and refinements
➢ three travel behavior surveys
On October 26,1999, City Council reviewed the project work to date and provided direction to
staff to continue developing design elements and evaluation criteria for three transit options: at-
grade rubber-tire, at-grade light rail, and grade-separated transit.
There are fourteen evaluation criteria defined by the staff and consultant team which are used to
judge the three transit options.
1. Project Person-Carrying Capacity
2. Potential Ridership
3. Mobility
4. Change in Vehicle Miles Traveled
5. Impact to East/West Arterial Travel Time
6. Travel Time
7. Capital Cost
8. Annualized Capital Cost
9. Annualized Capital Cost per Transit User
10. Impact to Air Quality
11. Residence and Business Displacement
12.Noise
13. Visual Impact
14. Lighting Impact
The criteria are in three general categories of performance, cost-effectiveness, and impacts. The
Mason Street Lead Team assessed each criterion and created a "weight' factor that was then
applied to the rating given to each transit option. This rating is based primarily on the results of
the surveys conducted in September of 1999, the 1998 Mobility Report Card, and the recently
enhanced and validated North Front Range Transportation Model. The model was used to
establish the year 2020 baseline of person trips, the speed of each transit mode, potential transit
ridership, impact to east/west arterial travel, and change in vehicle miles traveled. Each transit
option was designed to the level necessary to provide reasonable estimates of cost and impact.
DATE: Aprii 4, 2000 ITEM NUMBER: 77
The conclusion of the Mason Street Lead Team was that the at grade rubber-tire option is the
best choice for the initial design of the Mason Street Transportation Corridor. It should be noted
that this option does not preclude an evolution to light rail or commuter rail in the future.
The recommendation of the Mason Street Lead Team was reviewed and endorsed by the
Transportation Board, the Planning and Zoning Board, the Air Quality Board, and the Council
Growth Management Committee. Adoption of the Resolution establishes at grade rubber-tire as
the transit mode for the Mason Street Transportation Corridor.
Neat Steps:
Staff.. consultants, and the Mason Street Lead Team will proceed with the conceptual design of
the corridor and completion of the remaining elements of the Master Plan: Prioritization of
Phases and the Action Plan. Elements of the Action Plan are incentives, land acquisition,
financing, marketing, implementation framework, and implementation regulations. Citizen input
will be a sought to select some of the final design elements of the corridor. Adoption of the
Corridor Master Plan by City Council is scheduled for September of 2000.
. RESOLUTION 2000-57
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF FORT COLLINS ADOPTING THE TRANSIT ALTERNATIVE
FOR THE MASON STREET TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR
WHEREAS, on April 8, 1997, voters approved Ordinance No. 30, 1997,which authorized
the funding of Phases 1 and 2 of the Mason Street Transportation Corridor (the "Corridor"); and
WHEREAS,the Corridor includes a public transit component; and
WHEREAS,on October 26,1999,City Council directed staff to pursue the conceptual design
and evaluation of three transit options for the Corridor: at grade rubber-tire, light rail, and elevated
transit; and
WHEREAS, City staff, consultants, and the Mason Street Citizen Lead Team (the "Lead
Team") established and applied evaluation criteria to the three transit options; and
WHEREAS,the recommendation of the Lead Team to the City Council is that the Corridor
include an at grade rubber-tire transit option; and
WHEREAS,that recommendation was endorsed by the Transportation Board,Planning and
• Zoning Board,Air Quality Advisory Board,and the Council Growth Management Committee;and
WHEREAS,City Council agrees that the most appropriate transit option for the Corridor is
at grade rubber-tire; and
WHEREAS,adoption of this transit alternative does not preclude the future use of light rail
or commuter rail in the Corridor.
NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS that the City Manager shall direct the staff and consultant team for the Mason Street
Transportation Corridor to continue the design and master plan for the Corridor based on an at-grade
rubber-tire transit option.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held this 4th day of April,A.D.
2000.
Mayor
ATTEST:
. City Clerk
Board.
f the Transportation
Excerpt from the March 15 2000 DRAFT meeting minutes o p
p Page 1
4. ACTION ITEMS
a) MASON STREET TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR— Durkin
Durkin said that tonight's expectations are for the Board to review and recommend a
transit option for the Mason Street Transportation Corridor. These options have
been presented to the Planning & Zoning Board and the Council Growth
Management Committee, who both supported staffs recommendation. Next, there
will be three open houses: Coldwell Banker, Lincoln Center and Foothills Fashion
Mall. The item goes before the Air Quality Advisory Board on March 28"'and City
Council will make a final decision on April 4.
Moe gave a presentation, which covered the three transit options:
#1 Bike/Ped + Dedicated Busway
#2 Bike/Ped + Rail
#3 Bike/Ped + Elevated Transit
Other highlights included in the presentation were drawings or pictures of how the
following might look:
• Drake Corridor Northwest
• Drake northbound
• Mason Downtown
• Drake Northbound
• Drake Plan View
• Troutman
Moe explained the Lead Team's Evaluation Results and all 14 criterions used.
Upon conclusion of the presentation, Durkin asked if the Board would support the
recommendation of the Lead Team, which is Option #1: Dedicated Busway (at-
grade). Chair Johnson asked for board member's comments.
BOARD COMMENTS/QUESTIONS:
Yeldell: In terms of the bike/ped impact, is there a difference between the three
options? Durkin: We didn't do that analysis, but I don't think so because
bikes can be put on buses and rail, so there shouldn't be any difference.
Ricord: I like the soft surface ped idea and the under-grade bicycle crossings.
Would like to see a property value enhancement assessment done for the
affected property owners. Is there a difference in reliability among the
modes? Moe: That was discussed during the Transportation Alternatives
Feasibility Study and it was determined that rail is more dependable in
bad weather, but if it breaks down, it may block traffic for long periods of
time. A bus on the other hand, is smaller and can be moved or you can
drive around it if it breaks down.
Excerpt from the March 15, 2000 DRAFT meeting minutes of the Transportation Board.
Page 2
Gould: It would be a good idea to look at pros and cons of rubber tired electric
buses. Durkin: After a transit mode is selected, the Team will look at
those types of options. We know it has to be snazzy and enticing for
people to embrace it.
Thordarson: Maybe you could show air quality improvements on the corridor in
terms of buses starting/stopping as they do on College Avenue
now, versus the easy flowing way they should on the Mason
corridor.
Johnson: 1. I like the separated bike/ped way.
2. I'm not sure that a meandering bike trail is a good idea. I
would suggest that it be more functional — keep it subtle.
3. The feeder link system needs to work well.
4. Happy to hear that the buses will be able to flow through the
corridor thanks to the set-up in the signal system.
There was a motion that the Mason Street Transportation Corridor Lead Team move
forward with the at grade bus option and consider designs for future rail options.
There was a second and the motion carried unanimously.
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