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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/21/2012 - ITEMS RELATING TO THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRADATE: February 21, 2012 STAFF: Nancy Nichols Kathleen Bracke AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 6 SUBJECT Items Relating to the Safe Routes to School Program. A. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 006, 2012, Appropriating Unanticipated Grant Revenue in the Transportation Services Fund for the FY 2011-12 Safe Routes to School Program. B. Resolution 2012-006 Authorizing the Execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement Between the City and the Colorado Department of Transportation for Infrastructure Funding of the Safe Routes to School Program. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on February 7, 2012, appropriates a $50,176 federal grant received through the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for the FY 2011–12 Safe Routes to School program. This funding will allow the City of Fort Collins’ Safe Routes to School Program (administered and staffed by the Transportation Planning Division) to provide new, higher quality bike racks at public schools within the City of Fort Collins and roll out a new “Bicycle Parking at Schools” educational program. The Resolution authorizes the execution of the agreement with CDOT. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution and the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. Copy of First Reading Agenda Item Summary - February 7, 2012 (w/o attachments) COPY COPY COPY COPY ATTACHMENT 1 DATE: February 7, 2012 STAFF: Nancy Nichols Kathleen Bracke AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 8 SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 006, 2012, Appropriating Unanticipated Grant Revenue in the Transportation Services Fund for the FY 2011-12 Safe Routes to School Program. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Fort Collins Transportation Planning Division has received a $50,176 federal grant through the Colorado Department of Transportation for the FY 2011–12 Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. This funding will allow the City of Fort Collins’ Safe Routes to School Program (administered and staffed by the Transportation Planning Division) to provide new, higher quality bike racks at public schools within the City of Fort Collins and roll out a new “Bicycle Parking at Schools” educational program. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The City of Fort Collins Transportation Planning staff develops and administers the local SRTS program. The success of the program is based on collaborations with local partners, including Poudre School District (PSD), Healthier Communities Coalition, Bicycle Colorado, Fort Collins Bike Co-op, Bike Fort Collins, various City departments (Traffic Operations, Police, Engineering, FC Bikes), individual schools, and parents. This project builds on a long-term partnership between the City and PSD to construct infrastructure improvements to support walking and bicycling to school. In the past, this has included a complete streets policy, coordination on sidewalk and bicycle parking provision, and installing signalized pedestrian crosswalks near schools. As a result, Fort Collins has a growing number of students walking and biking to school. The federal grant will be utilized as follows: • Fund installation of 20 new bicycle racks at 10 Poudre School District elementary and middle schools within the City of Fort Collins. • Fund a “Bicycle Parking at School” program. The City and PSD will collaborate to teach students how to efficiently and safely use the new bike rack design. New Bicycle Racks Providing convenient, high-quality storage for bicycles is a key component of getting more schoolchildren biking to school. Most of the grant ($48,595) will fund the installation of 20 new bicycle racks at 10 Poudre School District elementary and middle schools within the City. The following elementary schools have already been selected: Bacon, Bauder, Bennett, Dunn and Zach. Lesher Middle School has also been selected. Four additional schools will be selected in spring 2012 based on recommendations from PSD. The bicycle racks will expand on existing bicycle parking at these schools. The project is a pilot program to identify a new design for bicycle racks at elementary and middle schools within PSD. Currently PSD uses A-frame racks due to ease of use and high capacity. However, these racks are widely known as “wheel benders” due to the potential for damage to bikes when racks are overfilled, as is the case at many schools. This project directly supports City Plan and the City’s Transportation Master Plan: City Plan: Policy SW 2.3 - Support Active Transportation Support means of physically active transportation (e.g., bicycling, walking, wheelchairs, etc.) by continuing bike and pedestrian safety education and encouragement programs, providing law COPY COPY COPY COPY February 7, 2012 -2- ITEM 8 enforcement, and maintaining bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, lighting, and facilities for easy and safe use, as outlined in the Pedestrian Plan and Bicycle Plan. Transportation Master Plan: Policy T 8.1 – Support Active Transportation Support physically active transportation (e.g., bicycling, walking, wheelchairs, etc.) by continuing bike and pedestrian safety education and encouragement programs, providing law enforcement, and maintaining bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, lighting, and facilities for easy and safe use. The City has received national recognition as a gold-level Bicycle-Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists (LAB). With so many cyclists in the community, the City and LAB have noted a major obstacle to continued growth is end-of-trip facilities, including bike racks at schools. This project helps mitigate this issue in the community. In addition to the bike racks, the project includes funding for installation pads when necessary (concrete pads to install bolts). After installation, PSD Facility Services will maintain the bike racks; maintenance funding is dedicated in the PSD operating budget. “Bicycle Parking at School” Program The grant will also fund an educational component, a “Bicycle Parking at School” program ($1,581 of the total grant). The City’s new SRTS coordinator will collaborate with individual schools to educate students how to efficiently and safely use the new bike rack design. School staff in charge of morning and afternoon supervision will assist with the training. Students will learn, as they park their bicycles, how to properly load and unload bikes with respect for their own and others’ bicycles. They will also learn how to safely secure their bikes to the racks to avoid theft. Spring Bike to School Day will offer another opportunity to provide education on using the bike racks. In coordination with the non- infrastructure SRTS program, the City and PSD hosts Spring Bike to School Day. As a part of this event, the City and PSD will create encouragement activities specific to the new bike racks, such as a ribbon cutting with the principal and parent-teacher organization president and bike decoration for students. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACTS A bicycle is an economic investment for a family. If there is the potential that this investment may be damaged due to the design and capacity of a bicycle rack, parents may be less enthusiastic about allowing their children to bike to school. High-quality bike parking encourages more families to make this investment in active transportation. Many of the bikes used by local schoolchildren are purchased at local bike shops, boosting the local economy as well. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is providing 100 percent of the funds for this project, with no required local match. The funds will be allocated as outlined in the City Engineering Cost Estimate/CDOT-Approved Scope of Work. A purchase order from CDOT will identify a “start date” when the City can begin utilizing the grant funds. This date is expected to be in March 2012. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS More and more, public-health and environmental agencies are recognizing the connection between active transportation alternatives and improved health of both people and the environment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Expanding the availability of, safety for, and access to a variety of transportation options and integrating health-enhancing choices into transportation policy has the potential to save lives by preventing chronic diseases, reducing and preventing motor-vehicle-related injury and deaths, improving environmental health, while stimulating economic development and ensuring access for all people. COPY COPY COPY COPY February 7, 2012 -3- ITEM 8 With this goal in mind, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified transportation policies that can have a profound positive impact on health. CDC supports strategies that can provide a balanced portfolio of transportation choices that supports health and reduces healthcare costs. Transportation policies can: • Reduce injuries associated with motor vehicle crashes • Encourage healthy community design • Promote safe and convenient opportunities for physical activity by supporting active transportation infrastructure • Reduce human exposure to air pollution and adverse health impacts associated with these pollutants • Ensure that all people have access to safe, healthy, convenient, and affordable transportation.” Promoting active transportation to and from school will help reduce air pollution around schools as more students walk or bike to school rather than get dropped off by motor vehicles. Programs such as SRTS, which promote safe, active transportation, reduce pollution throughout the community while also promoting healthier, active lifestyles. Project engineering will conform to PSD Sustainable Design Guidelines. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Bicycle Advisory Committee reviewed the 2011-12 SRTS grant application at its November 8, 2010, meeting prior to submittal to CDOT. The BAC did not provide any comments at the meeting, but was invited to share any additional thoughts with City staff via email. No additional comments were received. PUBLIC OUTREACH The 2011-12 SRTS infrastructure grant application was developed and written by the City’s Transportation Planning staff with input from PSD, including its SRTS liaison and its facilities team. Input was also received from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition (BPEC), part of the Healthier Communities Coalition. Public outreach began in early 2011 with a news release about the grant. Outreach will continue throughout the remaining 2011–12 school year and the fall semester of the 2012–13 school year. Student, teacher, parent, and principal feedback will be used to refine the current and future programs to be responsive to community needs. ATTACHMENTS 1. City and CDOT Intergovernmental Agreement 2. Example of New Bike Rack Design 3. Photos of Existing Bike Racks at PSD Schools 4. PSD Letter of Responsibility 5. City Engineering Cost Estimate (CDOT-Approved Scope of Work) 6. Bicycle Advisory Committee minutes, November 8, 2010 ORDINANCE NO. 006, 2012 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED GRANT REVENUE IN THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FUND FOR THE FY 2011-2012 SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM WHEREAS, the Safe Routes to School Program established by the Colorado Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) is designed to promote the safety of students traveling to and from school and to encourage more students to choose walking or bicycling to and from school; and WHEREAS, the City’s Transportation Planning Division has received a Safe Routes to School Program (the “Program”) grant in the amount of $50,176 from CDOT to provide new, higher quality bike racks at public schools within the City and to initiate a new “Bicycle Parking at Schools” educational program; and WHEREAS, twenty new bicycle racks will be installed at ten Poudre School District elementary and middle schools and the City and Poudre School District will collaborate on teaching students how to efficiently and safely use the new bike rack design; and WHEREAS, there is no requirement for local matching funds associated with the Program; and WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits the City Council to make supplemental appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year, provided that the total amount of such supplemental appropriations, in combination with all previous appropriations for that fiscal year, does not exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and WHEREAS, City staff has determined that the appropriation of grant funds totaling $50,176 will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Transportation Services Fund - FY 2011-2012 Safe Routes to School program to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received during the fiscal year. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from unanticipated grant revenue in the Transportation Services Fund the sum of FIFTY THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SIX DOLLARS ($50,176) to provide new, higher quality bike racks at public schools within the City of Fort Collins and to initiate a new “Bicycle Parking at Schools” educational program. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 7th day of February, A.D. 2012, and to be presented for final passage on the 21st day of February, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 21st day of February, A.D. 2012. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk RESOLUTION 2012-006 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING OF THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM WHEREAS, federal funds in the amount of $50,176 have been made available to the City from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for the fiscal year 2011/2012 Safe Routes to School Program; and WHEREAS, this funding will allow the City’s “Safe Routes to School Program” to provide new higher quality bike racks at public schools within the City and to establish a new “Bicycle Parking at Schools” educational program; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the grant of $50,176 from CDOT to the City in support of the Safe Routes to School Program is in the bests of the City and that the Mayor should be authorized to execute an intergovernmental agreement between the City and CDOT in support thereof. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the Mayor is hereby authorized to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT for the purpose of acquiring $50,176 in federal funds to support the “Safe Routes to School Program” and to institute a new “Bicycle Parking at Schools” educational program. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 21st day of February A.D. 2012. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk