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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/28/2012 - SEMI-ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION UPDATE (STAFF: CUMBO,DATE: February 28, 2012 STAFF: Karen Cumbo, Helen Migchelbrink, Larry Schneider, Kathleen Bracke Pre-taped staff presentation: available at fcgov.com/clerk/agendas.php WORK SESSION ITEM FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION Semi-Annual Transportation Update. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Planning, Development and Transportation staff will present several transportation items for consideration and discussion. Part One of the presentation will focus on scheduled 2012 transportation capital projects. Part Two will focus on the preliminary 2012 schedule of Street Maintenance Program projects. Part Three will focus upon key Transportation Planning projects and programs, including a Bike Library update. GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED These updates are informational only; staff is not seeking direction but welcomes City Council discussion, questions, and feedback. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION PART ONE: TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL PROJECTS 2012 Engineering Capital Projects Engineering capital construction projects address needed safety and capacity improvements to our roads, bridges, sidewalks and intersections. These improvements benefit all users of the system, including: • Motorists (road and intersection improvements, traffic signals, signs and striping) • Pedestrians (intersection safety improvements, new sidewalks, ramps and signals) • Bicyclists (bike lanes, improved road markings) • Transit Users Several Engineering capital projects are scheduled for 2012. These improvements include: Mason Corridor MAX Construction Work is proceeding on the Mason Corridor MAX project this year. Construction activities will include: February 28, 2012 Page 2 • Work will continue on the conversion of Mason Street (in the downtown area) to two-way traffic. The final conversion will occur late in 2012. • Construction of the two grade separated pedestrian structures will begin early in 2012. The Bay Farm/NRRC overpass and Troutman underpass are currently out for bid. • The new South Transit Center, to be located south of Harmony Road at the south trail head of the Mason Trail, will begin construction by late spring. • Utility relocations, tree transplanting and construction associated with building the MAX guideway will continue throughout 2012. North College Improvements—Vine to Conifer • Construction is underway on the section of North College Avenue from Vine Drive north to Conifer Street. This project will make curb, gutter, sidewalk, bike lane and access safety improvements on this important northern Fort Collins gateway. The project will also improve the streetscape and parkway along this portion of North College. • The current project budget allows for improvements from Vine Drive north to Hemlock, with safety improvements to the College and Conifer intersection. Construction will be substantially complete by December 2012. Harmony Road Maintenance • The goals of this project are to rehabilitate the pavement, overlay and restripe this 1.8 mile stretch of Harmony Road from College Avenue to Timberline Road, as well as provide a pedestrian connection at the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) on the north side of Harmony Road, and construct three new dedicated right turn lanes. • College to Boardwalk will be paved and restriped in the existing lane configuration. Boardwalk to Timberline will be restriped to a 6 lane configuration per the Master Street Plan. • Three right turn lanes have been identified through the findings of the Arterial Intersection Priority Study. They will be constructed as part of this project. The locations are as follows: N Eastbound Harmony Road to Southbound Lemay Avenue N Northbound Lemay Avenue to Eastbound Harmony Road N Eastbound Harmony Road to Southbound Timberline Road This $2 million project will begin construction later this summer and be complete by December 2012. Bridges The City’s two highest priority bridge projects will be addressed in 2012: • Laporte and Whitcomb bridge replacement. This is the worst rated bridge in the City, and is currently load (weight) restricted. The project is out for bid; construction will begin this spring. • South Shields bridge just south of Rolland Moore Drive. The project is out for bid; construction will begin this fall. February 28, 2012 Page 3 Turnberry Road Improvements and Pedestrian Underpass This $1.8 million construction project combines funding from the City’s Street Oversizing funds ($1.2 million) with a Parks Department contribution of $600,000 for a pedestrian underpass. The main goal of the project is to upgrade Turnberry Road to a City standard two-lane arterial roadway from Country Club Drive to Brightwater Drive. • Construction will include a pedestrian underpass from the Richard’s Lake Subdivision to the Lind Property, a private frontage road for 19 existing residences on Turnberry Road (Country Club Heights), and a new two lane arterial roadway east of the existing roadway. • A majority of the roadway plans have been designed and approved as part of subdivision developments in the area. These improvements will be funded by Street Oversizing at an estimated amount of $1.2 million. • The pedestrian underpass will be funded through the Parks Department. Construction of this improvement is estimated to be $600,000. This improvement project is slated for summer and fall 2012 construction. Please see Attachment 1 for a map showing the relative location of each project. More detailed descriptions of Engineering Department capital project design and construction can be found online at http://fcgov.com/engineering. PART TWO: 2012 STREET MAINTENANCE PROJECTS (PRELIMINARY) The addition of over $6.1 million per year in Keep Fort Collins Great funds has nearly doubled the resources available to maintain City roads and sidewalks. While this additional funding is a tremendous help, it still does not totally meet and solve all the projected long term needs. It does however allow the City to maintain its roads at a Good Level of Service (LOS) for a longer period of time. As more roads are built and incorporated into the system, and as inflation increases costs, it will eventually become more difficult to maintain the LOS B goal. The Street Maintenance Program (SMP) staff is analyzing road maintenance needs and strategically selecting projects that will maximize the City’s investments and meet the highest priority needs. SMP staff use state of the art pavement analysis tools and software to inventory and study road conditions for all City streets; to use data which projects which streets are slated for maintenance treatments each year; and to determine which type of treatment would be most effective. Citizens will continue to see an increased emphasis this year on routine, preventative maintenance. The goal of the Street Maintenance Program is to keep the City’s good roads in good condition for as long as possible. Roads in very poor condition (beyond routine maintenance help) will be addressed as major maintenance or reconstruction projects. Projects Scheduled for 2012 The Street Maintenance Program is currently scheduling several projects throughout the community for 2012. Some are large projects that will affect busy arterial streets for several weeks. There will also be overlay improvement projects in neighborhoods that may make it hard to move around for February 28, 2012 Page 4 a few days. Citizens will also notice a great deal of routine maintenance activity such as filling potholes and sealing cracks to extend the pavement’s life. Major street maintenance projects preliminarily planned to occur on busy arterial streets this year include: • West Drake Road from Meadowlark Avenue to Dunbar Avenue • South Taft Hill Road from Horsetooth Road to Bronson Street • West Prospect Road from Overland and Taft Hill Road • Trilby Road from Portner Road to east side of Shields • Ziegler from Harmony Road to Kechter Road • Elizabeth Street from College Avenue. to Stover Street • John F. Kennedy Parkway from East Monroe Drive to East Horsetooth Road There are also several neighborhoods that are scheduled for major surface treatments this year. The projects can be seen in the Street Maintenance Program project map included as Attachment 2. Once the schedule has been finalized, project information can also be found online at http://www.fcgov.com/streets/smp.php. Project Coordination and Communication During the development of engineering capital and street maintenance projects, it is necessary to implement an effective approach to communicate and coordinate with private utility agencies and other City departments. This assures that affected parties are kept informed on the status of events, and enable decision making and scheduling to occur with all available information. This regular, frequent communication and coordination continues throughout all phases of the projects as well. Effective, ongoing communications and coordination enables project staff, agencies, and utilities to work together to anticipate, characterize, contain, and mitigate any impact to affected capital projects and street maintenance efforts. As part of its communication and outreach process, the Streets department sends out utility coordination notices prior to beginning of street projects. Notices are sent to private utility agencies, capital projects, and other City departments. The goal is to prevent underground work requiring cutting into a newly surfaced street. Engineering capital projects also develop communication and outreach plans. These communication plans detail strategic, proactive advertising and outreach tools intended to keep people informed before, during, and even after a project. Examples of projects with full multi-media communications plans include MAX and North College Improvements. Communication tools used to inform the public include: • Daily social media (Facebook and Twitter) updates • Website updates (daily during construction season; generally March-November) • Articles in “CityNews” (reaches all Utilities customers) • E-newsletters • Press releases • Feature articles in local newspapers • Radio and Cable 14 spots February 28, 2012 Page 5 • Door hangers • Face-to-face meetings with customers and stakeholders PART THREE: TRANSPORTATION PLANNING UPDATE The Transportation Planning Division, which includes the FC Bikes and Safe Routes to School programs, has a comprehensive work plan for 2012, based upon the actions items from the recently adopted Transportation Master Plan (TMP). The TMP is part of Plan Fort Collins and includes the Pedestrian Plan, Master Street Plan, Capital Improvement Plan as well as the other modal plans such as the Bicycle Plan and Bicycle Safety Education Plan. This work plan encompasses diverse plans, projects, and programs to support all modes of travel throughout the Fort Collins community and is based upon the core values of innovation, sustainability, and customer service. These work plan tasks are designed to achieve the goals of the City Council-adopted TMP as well as City Plan, Air Quality, and Climate Action plans. Transportation Planning staff also coordinates the data collection and reporting for the TMP performance measures and monitors the plan implementation over time. Key projects for Transportation Planning in 2012 include: • Completing the Jefferson Street Alternatives Analysis Study. • Developing the Harmony Road Enhanced Travel Corridor Master Plan. • Completion of the Phase I (Downtown) Railroad Quiet Zone Study and begin Phase II (Downtown/CSU south to Trilby) Quiet Zone Study. • Green Street/Street Reshaping Demonstration Project Identification and Planning. • Collaboration with community partners in the preparation of an application to the national “Walk Friendly Communities” sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. This program is similar to the national “Bike Friendly Communities” designation through the League of American Bicyclists. Program responsibilities include: • Manage FC Bikes Program, including implementation of the Bicycle Safety Education Plan (BSEP) and Bicycle Plan. The FC Bikes program provides safety education and awareness programs for bicyclists of all ages and abilities. Program highlights for 2012 include: N “Bicycle Ambassador Program” similar to the Master Naturalist Program. N Bicycle and pedestrian wayfinding signage and trail etiquette awareness campaign (multi-departmental team). N Law Enforcement Training and coordination of bicycle enforcement programs and safety initiatives with City Police Services and other law enforcement agencies. N Economic Impact of Bicycling Study with CSU. • Manage Safe Routes to School Program N The Safe Routes to School Coordinator conducts bicycle and pedestrian safety education and awareness efforts in all K-8 schools throughout the Fort Collins community as well as manages the “Train the Trainer” program to create a cadre of local Safe Routes to School educators to sustain the program over time. N New project for 2012 includes the installation of bicycle parking racks in ten schools funded by an additional grant from CDOT. February 28, 2012 Page 6 Fort Collins Bicycle Library Update One of the projects in Transportation Planning’s work plan for 2012 is the alternatives analysis study for the future of the Fort Collins Bicycle Library program (“Bike Library”). This study will identify a sustainable program for bicycle sharing in Fort Collins. The purpose of the Bike Library is to provide access to bicycles for Fort Collins residents, commuters, and visitors. The Bike Library is managed by the FC Bikes Program and operated by Bike Fort Collins, a local bicycle non-profit organization. There are currently three “check out stations” – two in the Downtown and one on campus at Colorado State University. To date, over 11,000 patrons have been served by the Bike Library. The Bike Library has been in operation since 2008 and is funded by federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funding as well as in-kind services from the local community and the Downtown Development Authority. The federal funding for the Bike Library program ends in December 2012 and the purpose of the Bike Library alternatives analysis study is to identify and examine potential options for continuing to support the long-term operations of the Bike Library program in a sustainable manner that meets the needs of our local community. The City desires to enhance bicycle mobility as an alternative to motor vehicle trips for the general and visitor population through a program that is: • Available: can get a bike when want/need • Accessible: easy-to-use system • Convenient: good locations • Complementary: supports transit/carpool/vanpool last mile • Inclusive: works for all users, including a wide range of ages and abilities • Sustainable: long-term solution for structure, operations, and funding Staff is currently in the process of exploring national best practices for bike sharing programs and seeking input from the Fort Collins community, Bicycle Advisory Committee, and Transportation Board. Staff recommendations for the short-term and long-range Bike Library program will be presented to boards and City Council in April 2012 and will be included, as appropriate, in the upcoming Budgeting for Outcomes process. Additional information is available regarding the Bike Library, including a citizen survey as part of community outreach for the alternatives analysis process: http://www.fcgov.com/transportationplanning/bikelibrary.php/. For more information regarding Transportation Planning, FC Bikes, and Safe Routes to School programs, please visit: http://www.fcgov.com/transportationplanning/. ATTACHMENTS 1. 2012 Transportation Capital Projects Location Map 2. 2012 Preliminary Street Maintenance Program Projects Location Map 2012 Transportation Construction & Maintenance Projects ROAD IMPROVEMENTS BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS MASON CORRIDOR - MAX MAJOR STREET MAINTENANCE (Preliminary) HWY 287 TAFT HILL COLLEGE LEMAY TIMBERLINE MULBERRY PROSPECT DRAKE HORSETOOTH HARMONY HWY 392 25 SHIELDS CONIFER LAPORTE TRILBY OVERLAND TRAIL ELIZABETH JFK ZIEGLER MOUNTAIN VISTA TURNBERRY ATTACHMENT 1 S SHIELDS ST S COLLEGE AVE S TAFT HILL RD E VINE DR S TIMBERLINE RD LAPORTE AVE E PROSPECT RD S LEMAY AVE E DOUGLAS RD W DRAKE RD N OVERLAND TRL E DRAKE RD ZIEGLER RD E TRILBY RD E HORSETOOTH RD E MULBERRY ST N SHIELDS ST W MULBERRY ST W PROSPECT RD S OVERLAND TRL W TRILBY RD E COUNTY ROAD 30 S COUNTY ROAD 5 CARPENTER RD E HARMONY RD STATE HIGHWAY 392 COUNTY ROAD 54G E LINCOLN AVE N TAFT HILL RD TURNBERRY RD N COLLEGE AVE W HARMONY RD W HORSETOOTH RD W ELIZABETH ST MAIN ST COUNTRY CLUB RD W COUNTY ROAD 38E N LEMAY AVE TERRY LAKE RD REMINGTON ST RICHARDS LAKE RD S COUNTY ROAD 19 MOUNTAIN VISTA DR W VINE DR N TIMBERLI NE RD N US HIGHWAY 287 S MASON ST N COUNTY ROAD 5 GREGORY RD W WILLOX LN W LAUREL ST GIDDINGS RD KECHTER RD S SUMMIT VIEW DR W DOUGLAS RD BOARDWALK DR S COUNTY ROAD 9 S COUNTY ROAD 13 E COUNTY ROAD 50 1 1 City Council Work Session February 28, 2012 Capital Projects, Street Maintenance & Planning Transportation Update 2 2012 Engineering Capital Projects February 28, 2012 Helen Migchelbrink, City Engineer Transportation Update ATTACHMENT 3 2 3 2012 Major Capital Projects • Mason Corridor MAX construction • North College Vine to Conifer • Harmony Construction, College to Timberline • Bridges: Laporte/Whitcomb & Shields • Turnberry Road improvements 4 Mason Corridor –– MAX Significant construction in 2012: • 2-way conversion of Mason Street • New South Transit Center • Utility relocation • Guideway construction 3 5 NRRC/Whole Foods Overpass • Project Status: Out to Bid • Construction Dates: March – Dec, 2012 • Major construction activity to coincide with railroad track closure 6 Troutman Underpass • Project Status: Out to Bid • Construction Dates: March – Dec, 2012 • Major construction activity to coincide with railroad track closure 4 7 2012 MAX Milestones Project Impacts: • Mason Street Closure late July • New tracks installed on Mason • Installation of railroad signals • Intermittent lane closures 8 North College Improvements 5 9 North College Improvements • Four phases of implementation – Jefferson to Vine (complete 2004) – Vine to Conifer (construction underway) – Conifer to Willox (design and ROW acquisition) – Willox to City limits (complete 2010) 10 North College Construction –– Vine to Conifer • Project Budget: $11,190,000 • Project Status: Under Construction • Substantial Completion: December, 2012 • Traffic Impacts: – Intermittent lane drops – Traffic detours 6 11 North College Design & ROW –– Conifer to WWiillllooxx • Funding Source: Federal grants & KFCG • Current Funds For Design & Partial ROW : $1.7 Million • Project Status: Design & Begin Right of Way Acquisition • Estimated Project Budget : $11.8 Million 12 Harmony Road Maintenance –– College to Timberline • Paving and intersection improvements • Project Budget: $2,000,000 • Project Status: Final Design and PUC Application • Estimated Construction Date: Summer, 2012 • Construction Impacts – Lane closures – Paving operations 7 13 Turnberry Road Improvements and Pedestrian Underpass • Upgrade Turnberry Road to City two-lane arterial from Country Club Drive to Brightwater Drive (Street Oversizing Fund) • Pedestrian underpass funded by Parks Department ($600,000) • Estimated Project Cost: $1.8 million • Summer, 2012 construction 14 Laporte and Whitcomb Bridge Replacement • Funding Source: Federal bridge funds & KFCG • Project Cost: $1.27 M • Project Status: Out to Bid • Estimated Construction Date: Spring 2012 • Construction Impacts: – Closure of Laporte Avenue – Communication outreach 8 15 South Shields Street Bridge Over Larimer Canal No. 2 • Funding Source: Federal bridge funds & KFCG • Project Budget: $1.5 M • Project Status: Out to bid • Estimated Construction Date: Fall 2012 • Single lane closures 16 2012 Transportation Construction & Maintenance Projects ROAD IMPROVEMENTS BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS MASON CORRIDOR - MAX MAJOR STREET MAINTENANCE (Preliminary) HWY 287 COLLEGE LEMAY TIMBERLINE MULBERRY PROSPECT DRAKE HORSETOOTH HARMONY HWY 392 25 SHIELDS CONIFER LAPORTE TRILBY OVERLAND TRAIL ELIZABETH JFK ZIEGLER MOUNTAIN VISTA TURNBERRY ATTACHMENT 1 TAFT HILL 9 17 Streets Department Update 2012 Preliminary Street Maintenance Program February 28, 2012 Larry Schneider, Streets Superintendent 18 Overview of Street Maintenance Program • KFCG Funds nearly doubled the program • Maintain streets at a Level of Service B • Manage overall street network asset • Establish and manage construction and maintenance priorities • Increased focus on routine and preventative maintenance • Explore partnerships with other departments and agencies 10 19 • 540 centerline miles maintained • $14.1 million program in 2012 – $6.3 million - KFCG funds • 32 centerline miles to be maintained – 13 arterial miles – 5 collector miles – 14 residential miles Overview of Street Maintenance Program 20 Pavement Preservation •Keep good roads good - good roads cost less to maintain •Seals pavement surface •Refreshes driving surfaces •Reconditions asphalt •Extends life of pavement •Protects $440 million investment 11 21 Pavement Rehabilitation • Restores pavement condition • Increases pavement structure • Reduces patch and frequent maintenance • Provides renewed riding surface 22 Concrete Maintenance • Streets • Sidewalks • Curb and Gutter • Handicapped Ramps • Inlets and drainage structures 12 23 2012 Preliminary Street Maintenance Program Arterial Projects Being Considered: • Drake, Meadowlark to Dunbar • Taft Hill, Horsetooth to Drake • Prospect, Overland to Taft Hill • Trilby, Portner to east side of Shields • Ziegler, Harmony to Kechter • Elizabeth, College to Stover • JFK Parkway, Monroe to Horsetooth 24 2012 Preliminary Streets Maintenance Program 13 25 Outreach Increased emphasis on effective communication and coordination • Coordination – Coordination notifications • Outside agencies • Utility companies • City departments 26 Communication • Social media (Twitter and Facebook) • Website updates • Articles in “City News” (Utilities newsletter) • Press releases • Feature articles in local newspapers • Radio & Cable 14 spots • Door hangers • Face to face meetings with customers 14 27 Transportation Planning Update Key Projects & Programs, including Bike Library Update February 28, 2012 Kathleen Bracke, Transportation Planning Director 28 Transportation Planning Multimodal Solutions • What we do: – Roadway Planning – Transit Planning – Bike Planning – Pedestrian Planning – Safe Routes to School – FC Bikes Program – Capital Imp. Planning – Travel Demand Forecasting – Development Review – Develop integrated transportation & land use plans 15 29 Keys to Success: Collaboration & Innovation • Multi-Dept approach to develop standards & practices: •Collaborate w/Traffic, Engineering, Streets, Parking, Transfort, Planning, Utilities, Emergency Responders • Establish Common Vision • Provide for all needs & abilities • Level Of Service standards - all modes • Maintain close working relationships •Other agencies (PSD, CDOT, FTA, North Front Range MPO) plus the private sector & community ELECTRIC DRIVEWAY GAS PHONE STORM SEWER SEWER STORM SEWER SEWER WATER WATER 2 Bike Lanes CABLE 14Drainage Street Vehicles 8 Safety 9 Parkways 5Buses 7 Signals 10 Landscaped Medians IRRIGATION 6 Ut ilit ies IRRIGATION IRRIGATION IRRIGATION CABLE ELECTRICDUCTS BUS St reet System 3Sidewalks 30 What Makes Great Streets & Places? PEOPLE! • All Modes - Autos, Bikes, Peds, Transit, RVs, Trucks, Trains, etc. • Functional - Mobility & Utilities • Attractive & Inviting Streetscapes • Active Land Uses – Day & Night 16 31 Transportation Planning Update • 2012 Workplan Highlights: – Jefferson Street Alternatives Analysis – Harmony Road ETC Master Plan – Quiet Zone Studies, Phase I & II – Green Streets/Street Reshaping Demonstration Project – Walk Friendly Communities Application 32 Safe Routes’ 5 E’s: • Education • Encouragement • Enforcement • Engineering • Evaluation Safe Routes to School 17 33 Safe Routes to School – New Safe Routes to School Coordinator: Nancy Nichols – Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Education & Awareness programs (K-8) – Train- the-Trainer program – Bicycle Parking Racks 34 FC Bikes Program: Bicycling as a Way of Life • Promotion of local year-round bike events, incl. annual Bike Week events • Bike Coordinator – City’s liaison to citizens and bicycle groups • Offer support system for bicyclists • Provide public campaigns to enhance safety for cyclists & motorists • Build community relations on bicycle related issues • Bike Library 18 35 FC Bikes Program • New Interim Bicycle Coordinator: Molly North • Bicycle Safety Education Plan Implementation • Bicycle Ambassador Program • Bicycle & Pedestrian Wayfinding Signage & Trail Etiquette Awareness Campaign • Law Enforcement Training & Safety Programs • Economic Impact of Bicycling Study with CSU 36 FC Bike Library Update • Purpose to provide bikes to residents, commuters, & visitors • Check out stations: Downtown & CSU • 11,000 patrons served to-date • Federally funded, plus local in-kind match 19 37 FC Bike Library Update • Bicycle Library Alternatives Analysis Study – identify sustainable bicycle sharing program beyond 2012 • Goals for the Bicycle Library Program include: – Availability – Accessibility – Convenience – Support multimodal connections – Inclusive – Sustainable • National best practices research • Input from Fort Collins community • Timeline: Draft Recommendations - Spring 2012 (April/May) 38 Transportation Planning • Additional Information available: • http://www.fcgov.com/transportationplanning • http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling • http://www.fcgov.com/saferoutes • By phone: (970) 224-6140 20 39 Questions and Feedback? Transportation Update S US HIGHWAY 287 9TH ST E COUNTY ROAD 54 E COUNTY ROAD 52 N HOWES ST E COUNTY ROAD 36 S COUNTY ROAD 5 KECHTER RD S TIMBERLINE RD W VINE DR ZIEGLER RD S LEMAY AVE © Revised: February 17, 2012 Attachment 2 2012 Preliminary Street Maintenance Program (SMP) (Subject to Change) STREET CLASSIFICATIONS ARTERIAL COLLECTOR RESIDENTIAL CITY LIMITS