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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 11/19/2013 - RESOLUTION 2013-096 ADOPTING THE 2013 PAVED RECREAAgenda Item 15 Item # 15 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY November 19, 2013 City Council STAFF Craig Foreman, Director of Park Planning & Development Marty Heffernan, Director of CPRE SUBJECT Resolution 2013-096 Adopting the 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to consider adoption of the Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan. Pursuant to Council direction and City planning efforts, an interdepartmental Trail Team collected a great deal of information on the City’s paved trail system and trail use and presented the results to Council at the December 11, 2012 Work Session. This information, along with detailed information on the history and condition of the trail system, trail design standards, funding issues and recommended trail projects and action items comprise the 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan. The Plan has been reviewed by several City boards and commissions, and all of them recommend adoption of the Plan. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION The City’s paved recreational trail system has been in existence since 1980 and is one of the most used and treasured recreational facilities the City provides to the community. 95% of respondents to the Trail Questionnaire said the paved trails are important or very important to their quality of life. Planning for the trail system has been part of the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan but a stand-alone comprehensive trail planning effort has not been undertaken, until now. This Plan helps staff understand how well the trail system is meeting the current needs of the community and how the trail system can be improved to meet future community needs. The 2010 Plan Fort Collins effort and accompanying Transportation Master Plan update recommended a review of various aspects of the trail system and design standards to see if changes were needed to improve customer service. The Trail Master Plan fulfills this recommendation. Connections between the trail system and the transportation system were of particular interest. The two systems are well integrated, with 109 connections along 34 miles of trail. The Trail Master Plan includes a goal to have trail connections at every half-mile interval or less. Citizens have raised concerns about trail connections in the southeast part of Fort Collins. Recently, the north branch of the Fossil Creek Trail was constructed from Ziegler Road east to Radiant Park and continuing east to Strauss Cabin Road. In 2014 the Fossil Creek Trail will extend east from Lemay to the Power Trail with an underpass of Trilby Road and continuing south to Carpenter Road. An east/west trail south of Kechter Road between the Power Trail and Ziegler Road (providing access to Bacon and Kinard schools) will be constructed as trail right-of-way is acquired through the development process. The interdepartmental Trail Team collected a great deal of information on the trail system and trail users. Volunteers conducted 588 interviews with trail users, utilized automatic trail counters and promoted an on-line trail questionnaire which generated 541 responses. This information, along with input from Packet Pg. 280 Agenda Item 15 Item # 15 Page 2 various City boards and commissions and a peer city review, was presented to Council at the December 11, 2012 work session. This information has been incorporated into the Trail Master Plan, along with detailed information on the history and condition of the trail system, trail design standards, funding issues and recommended trail projects and action items. In general, trails are important to residents’ quality of life and there is a high level of satisfaction with the trail system. Trails are popular and well maintained, but not generally congested. People want more trails and the gaps in the system finished, more underpass/overpasses of busy roads and trails that are scenic and close to nature. Trails are used year-round, with bicyclists outnumbering pedestrians and males outnumbering females. Trail users are courteous and people generally feel safe on our trails. FINANCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPACT The Plan’s Recreational Trail Funding Chapter reviews historical trail funding and outlines possible future trail funding options. The Conservation Trust (Lottery) has been the primary source of funding to build the trail system. Due to General Fund budget shortfalls, $730,000 of annual Conservation Trust funding were redirected to park and trail maintenance beginning in 2001, leaving $430,000 for trail planning, design and construction. To help offset the loss, Natural Areas has contributed $350,000 annually to paved trails since 2003, but this funding may not be available after 2014. Current plans call for the development of another 31 miles of trail, including 10 underpasses, at a cost of over $23 million. It will take 53 years to build out the trail system utilizing the $430,000 in annual Conservation Trust funding. If all Conservation Trust funding (currently $1.2 million) was directed to trail development, it would take 19 years to complete the trail system. If a trail impact fee (with estimated annual income of $500,000) was implemented and coupled with the $430,000, it would take 25 years to build out the trail system, assuming funding increases commensurate with construction inflation. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Chapter Seven of the Plan, Recreational Trail Design Standards provides direction on trail placement and environmental sensitivity. Trails are allowed within the 100 foot buffer zone for rivers and waterways. Trails are generally located along habitat edges and are placed to avoid sensitive habitat and to prevent fragmentation of high quality habitat. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Trail Master Plan was reviewed by the following boards and commissions: Commission on Disability Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Natural Resources Advisory Board Parks and Recreation Board Senior Advisory Board Transportation Board All of the boards and commissions recommend adoption of the Plan. PUBLIC OUTREACH Trail user information was gathered in 2012 from a variety of sources, including volunteers who counted and interviewed trail users, an online trail questionnaire, and automatic trail counters. The volunteer counts and interviews were conducted based on guidance by the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation project. Counts were conducted over two-hour periods at ten different locations. In total, 228 separate counts were taken. The count data included type of user (bicyclist, runner/jogger, walker, and other), gender, direction of travel, helmet use, and use of leash with dogs. Similar to the counts, interviews were conducted over two-hour periods at ten different locations. In total, Packet Pg. 281 Agenda Item 15 Item # 15 Page 3 588 interviews were completed. The interviews included questions on trip frequency and purpose, reasons for choosing a particular trail, as well as suggestions for trail improvements. 80 volunteers donated over 300 hours to this data collection effort. The online questionnaire captured a variety of data and was open to the public and available via the project website. 541 responses were captured over a 12 week period. ATTACHMENTS 1. : 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (PDF) 2. : Work Session Summary, December 11, 2012 (PDF) 3. : Commission on Disability minutes, August 22, 2013 (PDF) 4. : Land Conservation Stewardship Board minutes, August 14, 2013 (PDF) 5. : Parks and Recreation Board minutes, August 28, 2013 (PDF) 6. : Natural Resources Advisory Board minutes, June 19, 2013 (PDF) 7. : Senior Advisory Board minutes, August 14, 2013 (PDF) 8. : Transportation Board minutes, August 21, 2013 (PDF) 9. : Powerpoint presentation (PDF) Packet Pg. 282 PAVED RECREATIONAL TRAIL MASTER PLAN 2013 Packet Pg. 283 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL Karen Weitkunat ��Mayor Bob Overbeck �� District 1 Lisa Poppaw �� District 2 Gino Campana �� District 3 Wade Troxell �� District 4 Ross Cunniff �� District 5 Gerry Horak �� District 6 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Bicycle Advisory Committee Commission on Disabilities Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Natural Resource Advisory Board Parks and Recreation Board Senior Advisory Board Transportation Board Youth Advisory Board CONTENTS INTRODUCTION �� 1 CHAPTER ONE: History of the Recreational Trail System �� 1 CHAPTER TWO: Recreational Trail Funding �� 4 CHAPTER THREE: Recreational Trails in the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan �� 6 CHAPTER FOUR: Recreational Trails in Plan Fort Collins and Transportation Master Plan �� 8 CHAPTER FIVE: Trails in Peer Communities �� 9 CHAPTER SIX: Recreational Trail Inventory �� 10 CHAPTER SEVEN: Recreational Trail Design Standards �� 13 CHAPTER EIGHT: Recreational Trail Use �� 17 CHAPTER NINE: On-Line Questionnaire and Outreach CHAPTER TEN: Action Items �� 20 APPENDIX A: Recreational Trail Existing Condition Inventory �� 16 PAGES APPENDIX B: Recreational Trail Use �� 51 PAGES Packet Pg. 284 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 1 INTRODUCTION: The City’s paved recreational trail system has been in existence since 1980 and is one of the most used and treasured recreational facilities the City offers to its citizens� Over the years the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan updates have given the community an opportunity to create the vision for our trail system as the community has grown� However, a comprehensive trail planning effort has not been conducted, until now� This plan provides answers to the following questions: • How well is our trail system meeting the current needs of the community? • How can the trail system be improved to meet the future needs of the community? This Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan covers the paved trails managed by the City of Fort Collins Parks and Recreation and Streets Departments� The City also provides many miles of natural surface paths which are managed through the Natural Areas Program� The Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan focuses primarily on the recreational uses and design of the trail system; however, the City’s paved trail system supports a wide range of users and trip purposes� In connection with the City’s on-street bicycle and pedestrian networks, the trail system serves an important function in encouraging people to walk and bike for both utilitarian and recreation purposes� Paved trails are included in City planning efforts such as City Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and Natural Area Management Plans, The City’s Bicycle Plan and Pedestrian Plan also include the trail system and coordinated connections to the City’s on-street bicycle lanes and sidewalks� The Trail Master Plan project included an extensive outreach effort to obtain information from the community and City Board’s and Commissions� The outreach included open houses, questionnaires and interviews of trail users� CHAPTER ONE: History of the Recreational Trail System The recreational trail system was first envisioned by the community in the 1974 Open Space Plan� This Plan was an element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan� The Plan’s trail map outlined the Poudre River Trail, Spring Creek Trail and the Foothills Trail� The Poudre and Spring Creek Trails were designated for non-motorized uses only such as hiking, bicycling, and equestrian uses� A cleared dirt path separate from the hard surface path was identified for horseback riding� Construction of the first trail segments started with test sections in Lee Martinez Park, Edora Park, and Rolland Moore Park� The response from the public was very positive and trail segments were added on the Poudre River and Spring Creek Trails in future years� The trails were 8 feet wide and constructed of asphalt or concrete� 2 In the early days of trail development both asphalt and concrete were used to construct trail segments� By the early 1990’s the use of asphalt for trails by communities along the Colorado Front Range had fallen out of favor due to the required maintenance resulting from cracking and tree and grass damage� The Americans with Disabilities Act increased the need for the trail surface to be level and smooth with concrete better serving this purpose� Trail underpasses of major roadways and railroads were an important addition to the trail system� The early trail underpasses included the Poudre Trail at N� Shields Street, Lincoln Avenue, and Lemay Avenue� For Spring Creek Trail early underpasses included east Prospect Road, the railroad just west of College Avenue, and at S� Shields Street� The trail system presently has 32 road and railroad underpasses� See Map One� The Poudre Trail was in place from Taft Hill Road to its junction with the Spring Creek Trail by 1986� The trail was expanded to Larimer County’s Lions Open Space in LaPorte to connect with the Larimer County trail system in 2004� A portion of the trail west of Taft Hill Road is a rails-to-trails conversion accomplished through extensive willing seller negotiations with landowners� The trail section from the junction with the Spring Creek Trail down river to the Colorado State University’s Environmental Learning Center was completed in 1987� The underpass of State Highway # 14 (Mulberry Street) was completed in 1991 while the underpass of north College Avenue, near the Power Plant, was completed in 1995� The Spring Creek Trail developed over a few years with sections from College Avenue east to Edora Park and west to Rolland Moore Park completed by 1986� The trail underpass of College Avenue was completed in 1988� Sections of the trail west of Drake Road to Spring Canyon Community Park were installed starting in 1994 with the last section in the park completed in 2007� The Spring Creek Trail east of Edora Park was on- street to Timberline Road until right-of-way was obtained to allow the trail to move off-road in 1997� The Power Trail along the Union Pacific Railroad line was made possible by a trail easement donated to the City by Platte River Power Authority� Platte River obtained a permanent easement for their power line from the railroad in 1994 and included the trail easement in their acquisition� The trail presently extends from near EPIC at Edora Park some 4�75 miles to its terminus at Trilby Road� Development of the trail began in 2000 with the section from Edora Park south to Drake Road� The Fossil Creek Trail has 5�87 miles developed at this time. The first section of the trail was installed from Shields Street west to near Taft Hill Road in 1996� The widening of Shields Street occurred at this time and included the trail underpass of the 3 Poudre Trail and travels 0�50 miles north to Hickory Street� This trail and the Redwood Trail, on the north side of College Avenue, were installed in the 1990’s to help North College residents access the Poudre Trail and downtown Fort Collins� The Redwood Trail has been mostly replaced with bike lanes and sidewalks as development has occurred east of College Avenue� The Rendezvous Trail starts at Case Park and proceeds east through the Ridgen Farm Development� The trail will connect with the Poudre Trail east of Ziegler Road� About 0�80 miles of trail has been constructed� The Mason Trail connects to the Fossil Creek Trail at its south terminus and by 2010 was constructed north to Prospect Road� As part of the MAX Bus Rapid Transit project the trail will extend north from Prospect Road through Colorado State University to Laurel Street� The trail system has about 4 miles of significant spurs that tie the trail system to the City’s street system� These spurs are typically 8 feet wide concrete and allow for trail users, maintenance, and emergency vehicles to access the trail� Trail system connections to the City’s on-street bicycle and pedestrian network have been jointly planned as part of the earliest trail layouts� Connections from trails to streets remain a very important element of the trail planning process and fundamental to the City’s goal of increasing opportunities for people to walk and bike� Presently the City’s on-street bicycle and pedestrian network is well connected to the recreational trail system throughout the city� There are currently 109 connections from trails to the city on-street network� The most connections occur along the Spring Creek Trail due to the considerable number of residential units� Where the trails traverse more rural areas and areas with more businesses fewer connections exist� See Map Two� Chapter Summary The recreational trail system has developed from a few short sections in 1980 to over 34 miles in length and is now a critical recreational amenity serving Fort Collins residents� The trail system will continue to grow to serve our expanding population� CHAPTER TWO: Recreational Trail Funding Initial funding for the recreational trail system came from a ¼ cent sales tax established in 1973 and ending in 1983� In the early 1980’s the citizens of Colorado were interested in the establishment of a state wide funding source for recreation facilities� This lead to the creation of the Conservation Trust Fund in 1982� Conservation Trust Fund receives a portion of Lottery (scratch games) proceeds constitutionally mandated to be distributed directly to local governments, based on population, for acquiring and maintaining parks, open space and recreational facilities� The funds are distributed and monitored through the 4 Lottery� GOCO trail grants can fund up to 70% of the project construction cost� The trail grants are typically administered by the Colorado State Parks and Wildlife Department� Grants are available in the fall of each year and can be obtained for trail planning, design, and construction� The trail system received $140,000 for the development of recreational trails west of Taft Hill Road in the Closing the Gap voter approved ¼ cent tax in 1984� Voters again supported the trail system with the passage of the Building Community Choices ¼ cent tax in 1997 which produced $1,250,000 for regional trail development� The Natural Areas Department has contributed approximately $3�9 M to the recreational trail system since 2000� The Natural Areas Department is funded by a City designated ¼ cent sales tax and a County designated ¼ cent sales tax� The sales tax ballot language provides for the revenues to be used to conserve land and provide public improvements such as trails� The recreational trail system provides 8�5 miles of paved trails across natural areas; provides trail connections to 19 natural areas; and functions as critical wildlife corridors between natural areas� Natural Areas and Park Planning continue to partner to acquire additional lands and rights of way to provide even more important trail connections and wildlife corridors� Funding for the operation and maintenance of the trail system has primarily been from the City’s General Fund� The funding pays to keep the trail surface clean and in good condition, general upkeep of amenities including underpasses, snow removal, mowing and weed control� The operation and maintenance cost for a mile of trail is about $7,350 per year� The annual operation and maintenance budget for trail maintenance in 2012 is about $250,000 for 34 miles of trail� Since 2001 some of the Conservation Trust funding has helped with trail operation and maintenance� The 2008 Parks and Recreation Policy Plan recommends the continued use of Conservation Trust Funds for the development of the trail system� The City’s General Fund is recommended as the continued source for operation and maintenance funds for the trail system� A trail impact fee is another method to fund the expansion of the trail system� The fee would be imposed one-time on each new residential unit in the City� This fee supports the idea of growth paying its way for the expansion of the trail system� This is similar to current park development fees which provide funding for new parks� Current plans call for the development of another 31 miles of paved trails, including 10 underpasses at a cost of over $23 million in today’s dollars� If the Natural Areas annual contribution of $350,000 stops after 2014 and is not replaced with another funding source, only $430,000 annually will be available for trail construction and it will take 53 years to 5 CHAPTER THREE: Recreational Trails in the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan The recreational trail system has been included in every Parks and Recreation Policy Plan starting with the City’s 1988 Plan� During the plan updates in 1996 and 2008 the community was able to provide input into the vision of the trail system as it expands to serve new portions of the City� The 1996 and 2008 Parks and Recreation Policy Plans reference the expansion of the trail system to include the Fossil Creek Trail, Power Trail, Canal Trail and connections to neighboring communities� The 2008 Parks and Recreation Policy Plan (The 2008 Plan) contained the goal to “Create an interconnected regional and local trail system”� The following objectives are listed: • Trails are safe and convenient and are connected to residential areas, civic institutions and businesses, and to neighboring communities� • The trail system will be connected to the on- street bicycle and pedestrian network� • The trail system is located and designed with the goal of minimizing or eliminating negative impacts or damage to the environment� This guiding principle applies to the location of new trails and to the location of renovated trail sections, including the conversion of the trails from asphalt to concrete� • During renovation, existing trail placements are reviewed for possible adjustments to lessen impacts to environmentally sensitive areas� • The City’s hard-surfaced trail system connects with the planned natural surfaced trails on open lands� Public input into the 2008 Plan placed priority on increasing the connections of bike lanes and trails� Residents considered recreational trails as one of their “top 3 most important” outdoor facilities to add to, expand, or improve� A Geo-Referenced Amenities Standards Program (GRASP) included in the 2008 Plan indicated the City’s trail system has a high level of service across the community� The program analyzes the geographic placement of the trail to determine its accessibility� The 2008 Plan recommendations include the objective to maintain the level of service and connectivity that trails provide to residents� Ideally, all residents would be served by a recreational trail within walking distance of their home� The Plan provides that trails will continue to connect to public areas, neighborhoods, greenways, and employment centers� Strategies in the 2008 Plan to achieve the trail objectives include: • Work with the Transportation Planning Department to continue to integrate the trail system into the City’s most current Transportation Master Plan� (Status: Trail staff have worked closely with Transportation to integrate trails 6 the connection of the Fossil Creek Trail to the Mason Trail�) • The City shall continue to fund the development of the trail system through the Conservation Trust Fund� (About 3 miles of trail has been added to the system since 2008�) • Prioritize land acquisition for trail development and coordinate this effort to include other City departments� (Example: coordinated effort by Water Utility, Natural Areas and Park Planning on trail land needs along east Horsetooth Road� The 2008 Plan’s Capital Improvement Section includes the completion of the Power Trail including underpasses and the completion of the Poudre River Trail including underpasses in the 2008 to 2013 time frame. Significant progress has been made but funding is not sufficient to complete these trails by 2013� The completion of the Fossil Creek Trail, the Canal Trail, the Boxelder Trail, and the Lake Canal Trail; and the continued work on the Northeast trail system are included in the 2014 to 2018 time frame� Chapter Summary Trails have been a part of the City’s Parks and Recreation plans since 1988� The 2008 Parks and Recreation Policy Plan outlines the continued development of the recreational trail system emphasizing connectivity with the transportation system, and with strong support for this effort heard through the public outreach process� CHAPTER FOUR: Recreational Trails in Plan Fort Collins and Transportation Master Plan City Plan, the comprehensive plan for the City of Fort Collins was updated through the Plan Fort Collins effort in 2010 and includes a Chapter on Culture, Parks, and Recreation� Within this chapter Policy CPR 4�2 – Interconnect the System notes: “Support an interconnected regional and local system of parks, trails and open lands, and promote community interaction� Where environmentally appropriate, line irrigation ditches and storm drainage ways with trails to connect to destinations such as schools, open lands, and Neighborhood Centers� Special attention must be paid to environmentally sensitive trail design, location and construction�” The City’s Transportation Master Plan was also updated with the Plan Fort Collins effort in 2010� The section on Alternative Vehicles and Trails was the third priority selected by the participants at a June public outreach meeting� The Plan notes: “A change that would focus some future investment on adapting the transportation system, including trails, to meeting the changing needs of the future� For example, new trail design standards would be created for commuter trails, new alternative/smaller, slower types of vehicles, and enhanced bicycle use� Emphasis for improvements would be on adapting streets to serve new vehicle types and improving trail 7 The Plan’s Integrated Land Use and Transportation section contains Principle T 5: “Coordinated regional transportation solutions will be pursued”, and Policy T 5�4 – Regional Trail Connections: “Work cooperatively with regional partners to identify opportunities to provide interregional trail connectivity along the Front Range and to surrounding communities�” (Status: Fort Collins has participated in the development of the Fossil Creek Trail to Loveland with Larimer County and the City of Loveland� The Poudre Trail connection to Timnath was included in a successful GOCO Rivers Initiative grant in 2012�) The Mason Trail is the only trail specifically designed for commuting with its 12’ width north of Drake Road, fairly straight alignment, and direct tie to the MAX Bus Rapid Transit corridor� Trail-user data indicates all trail segments are usable by commuters� Widening the narrow sections of the Spring Creek Trail from Shields Street to Lemay Avenue will help commuters and other trail users have a safer experience� The City will continue to make trail connections to neighboring communities � Since the establishment of the City’s Safe Routes to School program in 2006, the paved trail system has become a major point of emphasis for parents needing to identify a safe route for their children to bike or walk to school� Planning for improved connections to schools via the trail system will help drive greater numbers of children to use active transportation to and from school� An example is the planned spur trail from the Poudre Trail to Lincoln Middle School and the Boys and Girls Club� Completion of this spur will provide a much safer alternative for children who now must travel along Vine Drive, which lacks sidewalks and high-quality bike lanes� Chapter Summary Paved trails have been included in Plan Fort Collins and the Transportation Master Plan emphasizing connectivity with the transportation system, population centers and with regional communities� CHAPTER FIVE: Trails in Peer Communities Colorado peer communities provided another source of data for the trail study� Locally, Fort Collins’ 34 miles of recreation trails puts us about in the middle for the miles of trails per capita compared to Colorado Springs, Denver, Boulder, Longmont, Greeley, and Loveland� Peer communities on a national level averaged about 0�28 miles of trails per 1,000 people with a median of 0�24 miles� Fort Collins has 0�22 miles of trails per 1,000 people� Trails in these peer communities average between 8 and 12 feet in width and are generally concrete� The national peer communities included Madison, Wisconsin; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Eugene, Oregon; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Tucson, Arizona� It should be noted that some peer communities include trails in parks in their city wide trail 8 CHAPTER SIX: Recreational Trail Inventory The existing recreational trail system was inventoried to determine the condition of the trail� See Appendix A for a more detailed inventory� The inventory focused on the condition of the trail surface, problem areas that need improvements, and possible improvements to make the trail more enjoyable and usable by the community� The Poudre Trail starts at Lions Open Space in La Porte and travels 10�1 miles east to Colorado State University’s Environmental Learning Center� The trail is in overall excellent condition. The more significant action items include: • a shade shelter west of Taft Hill Road • a vault rest room and paving of the parking lot at Taft Hill Road • a new spur from Vine Drive, near Lincoln Junior High School to the trail • a new spur from Wood Street to the trail • improvements for the trail to cross Linden Street • the realignment of the trail at Lemay Avenue • signage improvements • improvements to prevent or diminish flooding of underpasses The Spring Creek Trail starts at the junction with the Poudre Trail near east Prospect Street and travels 6�93 miles west to Spring Canyon Community Park� The trail is in overall excellent condition except for the 8 feet wide sections between Welsh Street and Shields Street. The more significant action items include: • the widening of the 8 feet wide concrete from Welsh Street to Shields Street to 10 feet or 12 feet • improving the trail alignment in the section west of Lemay Avenue • the widening of the BNSF railroad underpass just west of College Avenue • the replacement of the asphalt with concrete west of the BNSF railroad underpass to Centre Avenue • an improved underpass of Shields Street with improved street connection • the construction of a spur to Drake Road on the east side of Taft Hill Road • signage improvements • improvements to prevent or diminish flooding of underpasses The Fossil Creek Trail starts at Spring Canyon Community Park and travels south and east for lengths totaling 5�87 miles� The trail is in overall excellent condition� The newness of the trail results in few improvements being needed with the only action items being the need for additional shade and continued signage improvements� The North Branch of the Fossil Creek Trail has a section in place east of Ziegler Road that connects to Radiant Park and Zach Elementary School and 9 continued signage improvements� The Rendezvous Trail starts at Stewart Case Park and travels for 0�80 miles east along the Foothills Stormwater Outfall towards Drake Road� The trail is in excellent condition� The only action item for this trail is continued signage improvements� The Hickory Trail starts at Lee Martinez Park and travels north for 0�50 miles to Hickory Street� The trail bridge over the Poudre River is not set above the 100 year flood elevation; but is a break-a-way bridge� The only action item for this trail is continued signage improvements� The 109 Connections from the trail system to the on- street bicycle and pedestrian system are well planned and will continue to improve as new trails are added to the system� See Map Two� The Safe Routes to School program also reviews how trails help school children safely access their schools and seeks opportunities to improve these conditions� The 2014 Bike Plan update will analyze opportunities and barriers to improve the on-street to trail connections� The Bike Plan and Capital Improvement Bicycle Project list will prioritize connection gaps� Signage Improvements In 2012, an inter-departmental, technical team undertook a comprehensive signage initiative to make it easier and safer for trail users to navigate the trail system� The technical team evaluated existing conditions on the paved trail system as a basis for phasing out antiquated signs and replacing the signs with new, updated information� Sign planning and placement was determined by closely examining routes and key intersections along the paved trail system� Signs were generally categorized as “destination”, “etiquette” and “safety”� Destination signs were classified as either Wayfinding or Mile Marker. Wayfinding signs were placed at decision points along the trail and other key locations leading to and along the trail to reinforce to trail users that they are heading in the right direction. Wayfinding signs familiarize trail users with the network of trails, identify the best route to destinations, and increase connectivity between the trail system and existing neighborhoods, Downtown, parks, natural areas, adjacent schools and city facilities� Mile Marker signs use arterial streets to divide the trails directionally� Mile Markers were redesigned to better assist trail users with direction, distance, and location� Mile Markers are also an integral component of the Emergency Locator System (ELS)� If an emergency occurs, trail users are directed to find the nearest Mile Marker/ELS sign and report that information to proper authorities� Etiquette and safety signs encourage responsible use of paved trails� Etiquette signs were designed to give a softer tone to regulatory messages, such as encouraging bicyclists to use an audible signal when passing other trail users� Etiquette signs 10 CHAPTER SEVEN: Recreational Trail Design Standards Introduction: The following design standards are intended to provide trail planners and designers guidance to produce an enjoyable, safe trail system for all users� The standards also ensure the trail is durable and efficient to maintain. Right-of-Way: The recommended right-of-way width is 50 feet� The minimum trail right-of-way width is 30 feet for short distances� These distances allow for the trail to meander and allow for the placement of the adjacent gravel path� Horizontal Alignment: The horizontal alignment for the trail is controlled by many factors including the topography, natural and man-made obstacles, and the amount of right- of-way that can be obtained� An alignment that allows for a pleasant horizontal flow to the trail should be the goal� Sharp horizontal corners should be avoided� Where sharp corners are unavoidable, the right-of-way should allow for a minimum 40 feet centerline radius that will accommodate construction and maintenance vehicles� Vertical Alignment: Trail grades should be less than 5 % where possible to provide an enjoyable experience for the trail user and to minimize cuts and fills. When grades reach more than 5% and up to 8% for a sustained distance, the trail should have rest areas of 2% grade for a distance of 10 feet for every 2�5 feet of rise/fall along the trail center line� Grades over 8% to 10% should only be used for very short distances (less than 50 feet) and have ADA handrails� Grades over 10% should not be used on the trail� Trail Placement and Environmental Sensitivity: Within the urban context of the Fort Collins trail system there is a spectrum from disturbed to less disturbed habitat areas� Waterways are generally considered a critical habitat element and function as movement corridors for a variety of species within Fort Collins� Many of the stream corridors are already highly altered habitats due to the history of agriculture and the urban setting� This however, does not diminish the importance of streams, rivers and even ditches serving as movement corridors, and critical habitat and refuge areas for wildlife� Trail placement should avoid high quality and/or sensitive habitat areas� Trail alignments should avoid fragmenting high quality habitat and be aligned along habitat edges to minimize impact� Trails with a wide buffer from the built environment can function as corridors for wildlife between good habitat patches� The number of river, stream and wetland crossings by the trail should be minimized� As well, efforts should be made to minimize disturbances to and find opportunities to restore floodplain function (e�g� allowing the river or stream to periodically 11 meander back into the riparian areas to provide that balance of good stewardship and visitor experience� It is difficult to set a determined length to how often and for how far these meanders should occur� When opportunities exist to pull the trail further from the waterway, for example when the trail runs through a natural area, the opportunity should be considered while balancing the environmental value with the recreational trail value� Trail Planners and Natural Areas staff will continue to work in collaboration toward this end� Opportunities for Restoration: Construction of new or efforts to widen or realign trails create opportunities for restoration of native vegetation especially within riparian and stream corridors� The City’s Stormwater Department recently assessed the habitat along several stream reaches with the goal of restoring many of these reaches� It is imperative that all future trail work within the City’s stream corridors include consultation with the Stormwater and the Natural Areas Departments to assess restoration opportunities� Width: The trail paved surface should be 10 feet wide - unless in a high congestion area where the width can be 12 feet� The trail thickness should be from 5 to 6 inches, include fiber mesh, light brown color, and have a heavy broom finish. The trail should have a minimum 3 feet wide level shoulder from the trail edge� The trail should be widened at critical areas such as: intersections with other trails; smaller radius curves; underpasses; etc� to allow for safe travel by trail users� The gravel path should have a surface width of 5 to 6 feet, and a depth of 2 to 3 inches� There should be a 3 feet level shoulder from the path edge� Where possible the gravel path should be separated from the trail by a distance of 3 feet to 5 feet� Cross Slope: The trail cross slope should be between 1% and 2%� Horizontal Clearance: The edges of the paved trails should have a minimum 3 feet of horizontal clearance from vertical obstructions� The gravel path should also have 3 feet of horizontal clearance on both sides� Vertical Clearance: The trail and gravel path should have a minimum vertical clearance of 8 feet� Design Speed: The trail does not have a design speed� It is designed to function as a recreation trail that can also be used for commuting� The City Code prohibits bicycle users from riding in a manner that endangers others and riders are encouraged to ride at a controlled speed so they can safely negotiate the trail� Sight Distances: Efforts should be made to provide ample sight distances at intersections and at junctions with streets, underpasses, etc� Curves along the trail 12 Design Guidelines for Grade-Separated Pedestrian, Cyclist, and Equestrian Structures Trail underpasses of busy roads often serve to help wildlife get across the roads� Wildlife use of underpasses should be considered when underpasses are planned and designed� Drainage Structures: Trail bridges should be rated for a 10,000 lb� vehicle, be a minimum of 10 feet wide, have a railing height of 52 inches, utilize weathering steel and iron wood or concrete deck, have a rub rail, and be break-a- way if required for City Stormwater approval� Drainage pipes, box culverts, etc� should be engineered to support the needed construction equipment and the trail loading� Drainage improvements will meet the City’s Stormwater Department regulations, design, and construction standards� All trail crossing and drainage structures will be constructed and placed in a way that does not impede fish passage. Trail designers will work with the City’s Stormwater Department, Natural Resource Department, and if needed Colorado Parks and Wildlife for guidance on this item� Street Connections: The trail design at street crossings or access points to the street should be determined by City Traffic regulations and design standards� Signage: Trail signage should comply with the Uniform Traffic Control Manual. Fencing: The standard fence along the trail should be the Western two-rail� A non-climb horse fabric can be installed on the fence for animal control� Other types of fencing may be needed depending upon the situation and should be determined site-by-site� Fencing along the trail should be wildlife friendly and passable� This includes considering height of the fence as well as analysis with Natural Areas Department staff as to where considerations for wildlife should be made� Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has guidelines that should be followed for appropriate wildlife fencing for the specific wildlife species found in the area� Mesh fabric can greatly impede movement of smaller animals along riparian corridors and has been a problem for snapping turtles� Tall privacy fences have created barriers to deer, forcing them to cross busy streets� CPW guidelines for wildlife- friendly fencing is ideally 16 inches off the ground and a maximum height of 42 inches on level ground� When mesh is needed in key wildlife movement areas, periodic openings can alleviate problems� Elevating the mesh above the ground, where possible, helps create passages for small wildlife� Keeping the fencing height to a minimum allows safe passage for young deer� Seeding: 13 trails will have an Emergency Locator System for communicating trail location during emergency response situations� Accurate location reporting by trail users helps police dispatchers guide the appropriate responders to the emergency site� Safety signage identifies such conditions as; slow zones, sharp corners, road crossing, etc� and are installed after careful review of conditions� Park and Natural Area Rangers patrol trails and can issue misdemeanor citations for riding in a careless manner and warn users who are not abiding by trail courtesy� Rangers also patrol for unleashed dogs who pose a safety hazard to other trail users� Chapter Summary The recreational trail design standards developed over the years has resulted in a trail system that is safe, sustainable, cost effective and functional� CHAPTER EIGHT: Recreational Trail Use Recreational trail use information was gathered in 2012 by a variety of sources, including automatic trail counters and volunteers who counted and interviewed trail users� See Appendix B for detailed use information� Methodology; The volunteer counts and interviews were conducted based on guidance by the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation project (bikepeddocumentation�org)� Counts were conducted over two-hour periods at ten different locations� In total, 228 separate counts were taken� The count data included type of user (bicyclist, runner/jogger, walker, other), gender, direction of travel, helmet use, and use of leash with dogs� Similar to the counts, surveys were conducted over two-hour periods at ten different locations� In total, 588 interviews were completed� The survey data included questions on zip code of residence, trip frequency and purpose, reasons for choosing that particular trail, as well as suggestions for improvements� 80 volunteers donated over 300 hours to this data collection effort� Eleven automatic trail counters were deployed at a variety of trail locations� These counters collected user counts continually but unlike the volunteer count data, the automatic counters did not distinguish the type of user or direction of travel� Where possible, the volunteer count data was used to calibrate the automatic trail counts� Results; Staff estimate 1�9 million trail visits in 2012 based on count data� The heaviest use was on the Spring Creek Trail with 650,000 visitors while the Poudre Trail had 474,000 visitors� The Mason Trail, Fossil Creek Trail, and the Power Trail ranged from about 240,000 to 296,000 annual visitors� On a typical day there are about 5,000 visitors on the trails� The highest two hour count was 321 visitors on the Spring Creek Trail� 14 time pedestrian visitors were on the trail was about 52 minutes with the reported average distance traveled being about 4 miles� Bicyclists spent about 65 minutes and traveled about 17 miles on average� Pedestrians choose their trail based on accessibility, scenic qualities, and lower traffic volumes. Similarly, bicyclists choose their trail base on accessibility, scenic qualities and separation from vehicle traffic. Chapter Summary There are nearly 1�9 million trail visits each year with Spring Creek Trail seeing the heaviest use� Bicyclists make up 70% of trail users and male visitors outnumber females 61% to 39%� Trail visitors come from all areas of the city and use trails primarily for exercise, recreation, and commuting� People use the trails frequently and throughout the year� CHAPTER NINE: On-Line Questionnaire and Outreach The community provided 541 responses to the questionnaire which was available for comments from July to September, 2012� 85% of survey respondents indicated they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with how well the trail system meets their needs� Also, 82% were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with how well the trail system is meeting the needs of the community� Respondents (75%) indicated the City’s paved trails are “very important” to their quality of life while 95% said the paved trails are “important” or “very important” to their quality of life� When asked about the 10’ wide concrete trail standard 90% of the respondents felt this was the right width� 57% felt that the 10’ trail width was adequate in heavy use sections of the trail, while 42% felt the width needed to be wider� Respondents were asked to choose their top three new trail projects� The breakdown of projects chosen was: • Fossil Creek Trail between College Avenue and Shields Street (55�3%); • Poudre Trail from the CSU Environmental Learning Center to Arapaho Bend Natural Area (55�1%); • Poudre Trail from Arapaho Bend over I-25 to Timnath (46�8%); • Canal Trail from Horsetooth Road to Drake Road near Taft Hill Road (33�5%); • Trails in northeast Fort Collins (25�9%); • Fossil Creek Trail near Bacon School in southeast Fort Collins (24�5%)� It was important to respondents that trail improvements include underpasses, that trails are located close to nature, have scenic qualities, and continue to have the snow removed� Respondents were interested in easy detours when trails are closed, drinking fountains and restrooms, and better lighting and trailhead parking� Respondents (83%) believe other trail users are “courteous” or “very courteous” with 16% 15 Respondents were asked what one change would make their visit to the trails more enjoyable or more frequent� The top responses were the need for more trails, more underpasses/overpasses; fix the trail by Centre Avenue; new trail along Overland Trail Road; improve running paths, complete missing trail links; Poudre Trail to Windsor; and more trails in southeast Fort Collins� The online questionnaire asked about e-bikes and their use on the trail system� E-bikes are electric assist powered bicycles that typically have a top speed of 20 miles per hour� Respondents (53%) said e-bikes should not be allowed on the recreational trails while 47% felt they should be allowed on the trails� A similar question was asked in the volunteer interviews of trail users� Of those responses, 36% of bicyclists and 28% of pedestrians supported the use of e-bikes on trails� Larimer County also conducted an extensive survey in 2012 to better understand how citizens in the County are using trails and open lands� They received 2,170 responses with 60% coming from Fort Collins residents� The most popular household activity was walking, hiking or running on paved trails or roads (73%), followed by walking, hiking or running on natural surface trails and roads (68%), followed by biking on paved trails (67%)� These activities were also the most frequent with walking, hiking or running on paved trails or roads 8�8 times per month and biking on paved trails 5�1 times each month� The County survey also found that children (18 and under) walked, hiked or ran on paved trails or roads 4�7 times a month and biked on paved trails 3�9 times each month� Families with school-age children are an important trail user group� According to feedback through the Safe Routes to School program, parents consider the City’s trails to be a critical factor when selecting a safe route to school� The Safe Routes program recommends that families begin their route selection process by finding which off-street trails can be included on their children’s trips to and from school� The City’s paved trails provide one of the safest route choices for schoolchildren by keeping them away from traffic and facilitating arterial street crossings via trail underpasses� Chapter Summary The outreach effort verified that the recreational trail system is very important to resident’s quality of life� There is a high level of satisfaction with our trail system� Trails are well used (with approximately 1�9 million annual visitors) but are not generally congested, the 10’ wide concrete trail is working well, and trails are well maintained� People want more trails, gaps in the trail system finished, and more underpasses and overpasses of busy roads� It is important for trails to be scenic and close to nature and the removal of snow is valued by trail visitors� Trail visitors are courteous and people generally feel safe on our trails� The results of the 16 PRIORITIZED TRAIL PROJECTS: (See Map No� 3) 1� Replace and realign the Spring Creek Trail east of Centre Avenue; (2013 funded) 2� Construct the Trilby Road underpass east of Lemay Avenue and finish the trail from Trilby to Carpenter Road; (2014 funded) 3� Replace and realign the Poudre River Trail on the Woodward Technology Center site; (2013- 2014 funded) 4� Complete the Mason Trail from Prospect Street to Laurel Street; (2013-2014 funded) 5� Realign the Poudre River Trail at Lemay Avenue including a new bridge downstream from Lemay in conjunction with the CDOT Mulberry Bridge replacement project; (2014 funded) 6� Extend the Fossil Creek Trail at Shields Street to Trilby Road after the installment of the Xcel pipeline; (2014 funded) 7� Construct the Fossil Creek Trail between College Avenue and Shields Street, including an underpass of the railroad tracks; (2014 funded) 8� Construct the Power Trail railroad underpass at Keenland Drive; (2015 partially funded) 9� Construct the Poudre River Trail from Arapaho Bend Natural Area across I-25 to Timnath; (2015 funded) 10� Construct the Poudre River Trail from CSU Environmental Learning Center to Arapaho Bend Natural Area; (2016 partially funded) 11� Widen, repair/replace the Spring Creek Trail between Welch Street and Shields Street; (2016 unfunded) 12� Construct the Canal Trail from Horsetooth Road to the Spring Creek Trail; (2016 partially funded) 13� Construct the Fossil Creek Trail from Ziegler Road to near the Power Trail; (as R�O�W� is obtained, partially funded) 14� Construct the Boxelder Trail from the Poudre River Trail north to Mulberry Street (2017 or later, unfunded) 15� Construct the new Overland Trail from Drake Road to the Poudre River Trail; (2017 or later, unfunded) 16� Construct the main spur of the northeast trail system from the Poudre River Trail north near Timberline Road to Turnberry Road near Richards Lake Road; (2017 or later, partially funded) 17� Construct the Shields Street Trail from Trilby Road south to Loveland in partnership with Larimer County and the City of Loveland; (2017 or later, partially funded) 18� Construct the south branch of the Fossil Creek Trail east along Carpenter Road to near I-25 and north to Harmony Road; (2017 or later, partially funded) 19� Construct the east-west spur of the northeast trail system, north of Vine Drive from College Avenue to Timberline Road; (2017 or later, partially funded) 20� Construct the south spur of the northeast trail from Timberline Road to Mulberry Street; (2020 il il il il il il il il il il il il il ( ( ( ( hk hk hk ( Lind Richards Lake Maple Hill Trailhead Iron Horse Lake Canal Airport Eastridge Huidekoper Sidehill Elementary School Interstate Fossil Lake Northeast Community Park Southeast Community Park East Community Park Spring Canyon Community Park Blevins Park City Park Nine Golf Course Library Park Old Fort Collins Heritage Park Water's Way Park Indian Hills Park Alta Vista Park Overland Park Rolland Moore Coll ege Lak e Terry Lake Richard's Lake H orsetooth Reservoir Long Pond Claymore Lake Harmony Reservoir Parkwood L ake Dixon Reservoir Lake Sherwood Foss i l Creek Res e rvoir Lind e nmeier L a ke Larimer and Weld Canal Lari m er and Weld C anal War r en Lak e D u ck La k e W Horsetooth Rd N Taft Hill Rd W Mulberry St S Shields St Laporte Ave il il il il il il il il il il il il il ( ( ( ( hk hk hk ( !1 !11 !16 !14 !9 !10 !12 !7 !2 !13 !18 !15 !4 !5 !3 !19 !17 !6 !8 !20 Northeast Community Park Southeast Community Park East Community Park Lind Richards Lake Maple Hill Trailhead Iron Horse Lake Canal Airport Eastridge Huidekoper Sidehill Elementary School Interstate Fossil Lake Spring Canyon Community Park 1 PAVED RECREATIONAL TRAIL MASTER PLAN APPENDIX A RECREATIONAL TRAIL EXISTING CONDITION Packet Pg. 304 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 2 This appendix material is intended to familiarize the reader with the condition of the existing trail system as of 2012. The trail condition information is listed in segments between major street crossings. Historical information is included where needed to provide perspective. POUDRE RIVER TRAIL Poudre River Trail west of College Avenue – This trail section starts at the underpass of College Avenue (State Highway # 287) with Mile Marker 0.0 and proceeds west until the trail reaches Lions Park and joins Larimer County’s trail. North College Avenue to Shields Street – This is one of the older sections of trail in our system. The right-of-way for the trail and its original asphalt surface was in place by 1985. The section of trail at the College Avenue underpass can be underwater each year due to heavy spring Poudre River flood flows. Detour access to the street system is provided during these times at Lee Martinez Park and Old Fort Collins Heritage Park The section of trail from the College Avenue underpass to near the tennis court parking lot in Lee Martinez Park was constructed as 10 foot wide concrete in about 1996 when the new trail underpass was installed with the replacement of the North College Bridge. The trail surface in this section is still in excellent condition due, in large part, to the solid gravel/cobble base that protects the concrete. The fiber-mesh mixed into the concrete prevents deterioration of the surface from freeze-thaw events. The Union Pacific Railroad protective structure just west of College Avenue is in excellent condition and was also installed in about 1996. The section of trail from Lee Martinez Park west to Shields Street was converted from asphalt to 10 foot wide concrete in the mid 2000’s. The trail surface is in excellent condition. There is a gravel path along the edge of the concrete. The gravel path is not separated from the concrete trail due to the proximity of trees and shrubs and the desire to keep trail users within the trail corridor to minimize environmental impacts. The section of trail near Shields Street was repaired after a flood washed it out and still needs a better shoulder and soil with vegetation needs to be installed over the exposed rip-rap. Natural Areas is working to improve the river in this section and has identified this work item in their Poudre River Management Plan. West of this wash out section the trail has a few places where it is located very close, less than 2 feet, to the easement line fence due to right-of-way constraints. The existing trail underpass at Shields Street will be replaced when Larimer County replaces the road bridge in 2014. Plans are to improve the sight distance for the trail Packet Pg. 305 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 3 user at the new underpass. Also, plans for the bridge replacement include the creation of additional trail and river parking in this area. Trail spurs connect to College Avenue just west of the College underpass, to Cherry Street near the Museum of Discovery, to Sherwood Street through the parking lot near the tennis courts in Lee Martinez Park, and to the McMurray Natural Area. The spurs that lead south to the street system can be used to divert trail users when the College trail underpass is not passable due to flood conditions. Action Items: This section of trail is overall in excellent condition. Items that would help the trail user include: • new spur connection from Wood Street to the trail through the planned residential development • the widening of the junction area were the trail spur goes to the Lee Martinez Park parking lot near the tennis courts • finishing the repairs at the wash out area • Additional land and adjustment of the trail west of the wash out area for better separation from the fence Shields Street to Taft Hill Road –This section of trail had the asphalt replaced with 10 feet wide concrete in about 2000. The section is located on easements obtained from the landowner just west of Shields Street and gravel mining companies on to Taft Hill Road. Near to Shields Street the trail is rather close to the easement fence for a short distance. Much of the trail is located on top or adjacent to the ELCO Water District’s main water line. The replacement of the asphalt with concrete encountered the sandy fill material over the pipe and resulted in some areas being difficult to stabilize for the concrete trucks. The trail separated grade crossing located about ½ mile east of Taft Hill Road was put in to allow gravel mining vehicles to access gravel south of the trail for the plant located north of the trail. This crossing was installed in 1987 as a joint project with the gravel company. The fill material, surface gravel, and select backfill belong to the gravel company and can be returned to them if the structure is ever removed. The ELCO water line is located in this area and caution must be used if the structure is ever removed due to one wing wall’s concrete footings being very close to a “thrust block” for the water line. The City also has a sanitary sewer line in the location of the structure. One manhole was raised as part of the project. The parking lot at Taft Hill Road has functioned very well over the years and was a standard design that allowed for horse trail and bus parking along with vehicles. The surface of the lot is gravel and upgrading it to asphalt may be beneficial. Packet Pg. 306 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 4 The surface crossing of Taft Hill Road was installed with Larimer County approval when the trail was extended west of the road. The crossing signal appears to be working well for trail users to cross the road. The crossing has considerable site distance in each direction which helps provide a safe crossing. Larimer County replaced the Taft Hill Road Bridge over the Poudre River several years ago and at the time the City paid for a trail underpass bench to be installed along the south abutment of the bridge. The thought is if the land from the existing trailhead area on the east and west sides of the road to the river is ever available for a trail then the trail could be rerouted to the underpass. The existing road surface crossing could be removed or remain depending upon the trail alignment north to the river. Action items: This section of trail is in excellent condition. Items that would help the trial user include: • See if some time the fence section close to the trail can be adjusted for more buffer for trail users • The separated crossing can hopefully be removed sometime in the future • It would be a service level upgrade to install at vault restroom at the Taft Hill Trailhead and pave the lot • Continue to monitor the travel on Taft Hill Road and the safety of the surface crossing and if possible, in the future, utilize the planned trail underpass at the river Taft Hill Road to Lions Park –This section of trail is on a “rails-to-trails” designation from Taft Hill Road until the trail reaches the Butterfly Woods Natural Area. The ability to obtain the easements for the trail in this area required nearly 10 years of effort. The City ended up paying “fair market” value for the “rails-to-trails” land as a good faith effort to the landowners. The trail meanders along the old rail line a considerable distance west of Taft Hill Road and appears to be working well. An overpass for gravel mining equipment and movement of the gravel was installed at about the mid-point in the trail section. The agreement with the gravel company is that the earthwork is their contribution to the project and remains theirs if the overpass is ever removed. The section of the trail that crosses the Poudre River near Overland Trail Road was constructed with removal of only two trees. The elevated trail along the south bank of the river protects vegetation that supports the Brown Eyed Butterfly. Floodplain elevations in this section of the river are extremely constrained and the bridge was constructed to avoid flooding impacts to neighboring properties. Action items: This section of trail is in excellent condition. Items that would help the trial user include: • A shade shelter along the trail section would provide relief from adverse weather Packet Pg. 307 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 5 • There is a tight spot on one of the bridge angles along the elevated section that is difficult for vehicles to get past. The fix would likely involve an adjustment to the bridge railings provided this did not affect the bridge loading integrity Poudre River Trail east of College Avenue - The trail starts at the underpass of College Avenue (State Highway # 287) with Mile Marker 0.0 and proceeds east until the trail reaches the CSU Environmental Learning Center. College Avenue to Mulberry Street (Hwy. #14) This section of trail is all in 10 feet wide concrete installed since the mid 1990’s. The concrete just west of the College Avenue Bridge to the BNSF railroad is the oldest concrete and was installed when the College Avenue Bridge was replaced in about 1996. A new trail connection from College Avenue near the CSU engines lab is planed with their expansion. The trail adjacent to Old Fort Collins Heritage Park was replaced when the “coal tar” clean-up was completed in about 2004. The surface crossing of Linden Street has been in place since the trail was first installed in asphalt in the early 1980’s. The surface crossing still seems to be working fine even though traffic continues to over time increase on Linden Street. This crossing should be monitored and a crossing signal installed if needed. The trail was placed on top of the levee between Linden Street and Lincoln Avenue in 2010. The trail is in this location since plans for this section of the river show the widening of the river bottom between the levee and the west bank of the river. The trail underpass of Lincoln Avenue has been in place since the early 1980’s and is functional but needs a connection to the street on the downstream side of Lincoln Avenue. The trail south of Lincoln Avenue is on a tight easement area along the east river bank until the trail reaches the Link-N-Green golf course. The re-development of the golf course may present an opportunity to remove some fencing along the trail and add trail connections east to Lemay Avenue and north to Lincoln Avenue. The trail underpass of Mulberry Street was installed in the early 1990’s and has functioned very well over the years. The replacement of the Mulberry Street Bridge by CDOT in 2014/15 will preserve the trail underpass. Action items: This section of trail is in excellent condition. Items that would help the trial user include: • A rest area with drinking fountain, tire station, etc. • When the Linden Street Bridge is ready for replacement the community should have a discussion about the trail going under the new bridge. Thoughts for this area include having the trail user use a widened sidewalk on the north side of the new bridge and then circle into the Gustav Swanson Natural Area and under the Packet Pg. 308 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 6 east abutment for the underpass of the road. Another option would be to construct a trail bridge across the river north of the new bridge into the Gustav Swanson Natural Area leading to an underpass along the east abutment of the new bridge • The re-development of the Link-N-Greens golf course will open up connection options to Lincoln Avenue and Lemay Avenue Mulberry Street to Timberline Road The current alignment of the trail and the use of the Lemay Avenue Bridge will be eliminated with the Mulberry Street bridge replacement. The trail will go under the north abutment of the Lemay Avenue Bridge and cross the Poudre River with new trail bridges downstream of Lemay where the new trail ties into the existing trail. One spur trail connection will remain to the Lemay Avenue/Riverside Avenue intersection. The trail downstream from Lemay Avenue is located on a berm in a heavy vegetated area until the trail reaches the Nix Farm area. The trail is located on sugar beet by-product (lime) material to Timberline Road. This material is very unique in composition and difficult to build upon. The trail in this area has a reinforced subgrade to support construction equipment and the finished concrete trail. Vegetation re-establishment in this area is extremely difficult due to the lime material. Action items: This section of trail is in excellent condition. Items that would help the trial user include: • A shaded area about ¼ mile west of Timberline Road • The re-alignment of the trail at Lemay Avenue Timberline Road to Prospect Road The trail east of Timberline Road was adjusted away from the river in conjunction with the Timberline Road bridge project. The project was completed in 1999. This section is located on the sugar beet by-product material (lime) and likely has some stabilizing material, pit run rock, under the concrete trail. The grey concrete was installed in the late 1980’s and has some reinforcing steel in the slab. This was one of the earlier concrete sections of trail and there may be a #4 reinforcement bar running parallel with the trail about 1 foot in from each edge to help give the concrete more support in the area where a vehicle wheel load would be applied. This section of trail has held up well. The concrete culvert over Spring Creek has been in place since the mid 1980’s and is holding up well. The concrete east of the bridge was installed in 2010 to the junction with Spring Creek. Packet Pg. 309 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 7 The section of trail behind the office complex near Prospect Road was installed in about 1995 and is in good condition. The County had created the underpass a few years before when the bridge was replaced. Action Items: This section of trail is in good condition. • We could improve the gravel path next to the trail particularly in the tree area. The existing gravel path has developed through use Prospect Road to CSU’s Environmental Learning Center (ELC) This section of trail has an interesting history as it works around the private property at the intersection of Sharpe Point Drive and Prospect Road. The property is used as a winter feedlot for cattle moved in from the mountain pastures. The trail is contained in road right-of-way along Prospect Street and Sharpe Point Drive to minimize impacts to the property. The landowner resisted the trail placement for many years due to concerns about trail users conflicting with trucks bringing in cattle, hay, etc. Signage at their entrance is very important. This trail section was the first 10 feet wide concrete trail. The asphalt section has held up very well but should be replaced when funding is available to bring it up to current standards. The two ditch crossings are typical; but the Fossil Creek Inlet ditch crossing has a bit more fencing than normal. This is due to the fact the ditch is larger than most of the ditches we cross and thus carries deeper flows. The bank just upstream of this ditch did experience some damage as a result of a flood in the early 2000’s. This damage did impact the trail since a short section was washed out. Action Items: This section of trail is in good condition. • The old asphalt along Sharpe Point Drive should be replaced as funds are available; unless it begins to deteriorate at a faster rate • The bank just upstream of the Fossil Creek Inlet Diversion Structure needs to be checked with Stormwater to ensure it can survive future floods SPRING CREEK TRAIL Packet Pg. 310 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 8 Spring Creek Trail west of College Avenue – The trail starts at the underpass of College Avenue (State Highway #287) with Mile Marker 0.0 and proceeds west until the trail reaches Spring Canyon Community Park and the Fossil Creek Trail. College Avenue to Shields Street The trail starts at Creekside Park and goes to the BNSF Railroad underpass. The 10 foot wide concrete in the park withstood the 1997 flood as did the spur bridge to the Dairy Queen area. The bridge moved during the flood but did not break loose. This was a fortunate happening since the bridge did not move downstream and block the College Avenue Bridge. The railroad underpass was installed in the early 1980’s when the trail was 8 feet wide. The underpass is close to 9 feet wide (at about chest high on a person due to the egg shape of the structure. ) The Mason Corridor bus route will add about 20 feet to the east side of the underpass. The trail from the railroad underpass west to the Hill Pond area used to follow the irrigation ditch. At the time of the development of The Gardens and Center Avenue the trail was placed in the current location. This section of trail was placed in asphalt with the intent of converting to concrete. Unfortunately, CSU has spent considerable time developing plans for their land west of the tracks and the conversion to concrete has been delayed. The 10 feet wide concrete trail and adjacent gravel path west of Center Avenue to the Hill Pond area was installed with the creation of The Gardens in about 2004. The trail in the Hill Pond area and west to Shields Street was installed as 8 feet wide concrete in the early 1980’s. The right-of-way in the Hill Pond area for the trail is 10’ either side of the trail centerline. The trail underpass of Shields Street uses the south most box culvert and is not ideal. The street connection on the east side of Shields has a blind intersection and a gas line on the west side of Shields causes a steep rise as the trail daylights. Action Items: Some sections of this trail are in very good condition while others need work. • The trail underpass of the BNSF railroad is modeled into FEMA stormwater models and would be extremely difficult to widen or change in height. A larger opening would allow additional water to flow downstream in a flood event and could cause increased flooding at downstream properties; nonetheless, the adjustment of the underpass to a wider width is worth a feasibility study before it needs major repairs • The old asphalt section from the railroad to Center Avenue needs to be replaced. CSU has approved the new alignment at the staff level in 2012 and final approvals should be secured in 2013. • The old 8 feet wide concrete trail in the Hill Pond area needs to be replaced and widened to at least the 10 feet width. It may not be possible due to topographic Packet Pg. 311 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 9 conditions for the addition of a gravel path next to the widened concrete. A check should be made to see if the trail centerline matches the legal centerline description to ensure any widening stays within the right-of-way • The development of the vacant land north of the trail near Shields Street should allow for a new connection from the street and the removal of the existing south connection. In this area the trail could be adjusted to the mid-point or even the top of the berm on the north side of the trail. The adjustment to the top of the berm may work well with a developer’s need to connect to the trail and to provide a better buffer to the creek • The cost to relocate the gas line west of Shields should be investigated and line should be lowered to smooth out the rise in the trail if this is not cost prohibitive. This work could be done at the time the road bridge is replaced Shields Street to Drake Road This section of trail is in good condition and was upgraded to the 10 feet wide concrete in sections starting in the late 1990’s. The last adjustment was the straighter concrete section across the Ross Natural Area. Stormwater improvements in about 2007 redid the spur connection to Shields Street on the north end of Rolland Moore Park. The small berm the trail is located on at the north edge of the park is an important stormwater elevation to prevent flood water from entering into the apartments north of the park. Any work on the trail in this area should be checked with Stormwater for approval. The final section of asphalt on the spur to Stuart Street will be replaced in 2012. The trail underpass of Drake Road was completed in 1997, just in time to sustain damage from the late July record flood. Repairs were made and the underpass has been useable ever sense. The City has an agreement with the owner of the parking lot south of the Ross Natural Area to use a part of the lot for trail user parking. Action Items: None Drake Road to Taft Hill Road This section of trail was installed in about 2002 and is 10 feet wide concrete. The landowners just east of Taft Hill Road would only sell trail row at the extreme edge of their property near Spring Creek. The result was the double bridges across the creek. The bridges are break-away and are set very low to the ground so their abutments minimize flood impacts. The trail underpass of Taft Hill Road is in good condition and has an unusual berm on the west side of the road. This berm causes the trail to rise up and then drop into the Packet Pg. 312 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 10 underpass. The berm is engineered to prevent any additional flood water entering the trail underpass and causing additional flooding downstream. Action Items: • The acquisition of the property just east of the Taft Hill/Drake intersection by Poudre Fire Authority will allow the trail connection to Taft Hill Road to be made in this area • Development to the south of Spring Creek in the area of the fire station should allow for the planned Canal Trail to link up with the Spring Creek Trail • Redevelopment of the land east of the fire station, on the north side of the creek, may open up the potential to have the trail remain on the north side of the creek and eliminate one bridge Taft Hill Road to Spring Canyon Community Park Much of the right-of-way for this trail section was obtained in the late 1980’s and the trail installed shortly thereafter. The rise in the trail to the west of Taft Hill Road prevents any additional water, not planned for in the flood modeling, from reaching the east side of Taft Hill Road. The trail is located in a narrow right-of-way as it leaves the detention pond area. With the purchase of the property to the south of the trail by the City for stormwater purposes the trail can now be shifted south a short distance when it is due to be replaced. This will make the trail experience more enjoyable and provide a better buffer to the residential back yards. The trail section in the north area of Cottonwood Glen Neighborhood Park was developed in 1992 with fabric and large fill material used to cross the small wetlands that were on the park at that time. Since then the land has gotten a higher water table and more area is in cattails. The section of trail in Spring Canyon Community Park was developed along with the park in 2007. The trail ends at the junction with the Fossil Creek Trail in the area of the basketball courts. Action Items: • Look to adjust the trail in the stormwater section near Taft Hill Road when the concrete is ready for replacement. This adjustment will also help with the 90 degree turn and rather steep grade in this area of the trail Spring Creek Trail east of College Avenue – The trail starts at the underpass of College Avenue (State Highway # 287) with Mile Marker 0.0 and proceeds east until the trail reaches the junction with the Poudre River Trail. The trail from College Avenue east to Edora Park was installed in the early 1980’s and is 8 feet wide concrete. Packet Pg. 313 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 11 College Avenue to Lemay Avenue This section of trail has a variety of construction dates. The section from College to Spring Park was constructed in about 1988 when the underpass of College Avenue was installed. The 8% grades going east from the underpass was the result of needing to avoid a sanitary sewer manhole and matching grades with the street curb. The trail section from College Avenue to Remington Street is not the current standard of 10 feet wide. The next section from the Fire House at the west end of Spring Park and through the park was installed in 1990 and is 10 wide concrete. The trail shoulder is very limited near the park irrigation pond. The Stover/Stuart stormwater project in about 1994 resulted in the trail being installed from the east end of Spring Park to East Alpert Court with the 10’ wide concrete. A sanitary sewer was relocated to upstream of the Stuart Bridge to allow for enough headroom for the trail under Stuart Street. The sewer line is encased in the rock drop that is across the creek. The section of trail from the end of East Alpert Court to Lemay is very interesting in how it developed. This section was constructed in 1982 in a narrow right-of-way 25’ wide. Lost in time is the reason the trail crosses the creek and then re-crossed father to the east. Landowners willing to grant a trail easement likely caused this strange alignment for the trail. The 8’ wide concrete has held up very well with some pieces being replaced near the first bridge after the 1997 flood. The Lemay Avenue trail underpass was also installed in the early 1980’s. The section of trail upstream of the underpass was damaged in the 1997 flood and was repaired. Action Items: • Widen the 8 feet sections of trail to 10 feet • Review the landowner situation to see if the trail could be located entirely on the north side of the creek past the first bridge east of East Alpert Court • Attempt to obtain better site distance by re-aligning the trail in the 90 degree turn areas just west of Lemay Avenue Lemay Avenue to Timberline Road The section of trail east of Lemay Avenue was also installed in the early 1980’s as 8 feet wide concrete to Welsh Street. The trail easement runs from the north developed property line to the center of Spring Creek. A sanitary sewer line runs basically parallel just off the north edge of the trail. The trail in Edora Park has been improved to 10’ wide concrete in the early 2000’s with spur connections to park features. Packet Pg. 314 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 12 The underpass of Riverside Avenue was installed in the early 1990’s as well as the section east toward Prospect Road. The final alignment of the trail under the Colorado and Southern Railroad occurred in the early 2000’s along with the new Timberline Road bridge improvement. Previously, trail users had to access the sidewalks on Riverside Avenue and Prospect Road to reach the underpass at Timberline Road. Action Items: • Widen 8 feet sections east of Lemay Avenue to 10 feet Timberline Road to junction with the Poudre Trail The trail from Timberline Road to the junction with the Poudre River Trail is 10’ wide and was converted to concrete starting in the late 1990’s with final completion in 2009. Action Items: • A shelter installed in the area of the drinking fountain would provide relief from adverse weather FOSSIL CREEK TRAIL Fossil Creek Trail West of College Avenue - The Fossil Creek Trail’s west terminus is where the trail meets the Spring Creek Trail in Spring Canyon Community Park. The trail is planned to be constructed west of College Avenue to Shields Street when approval for the underpass is obtained from the BNSF Railroad. Hopefully, this will happen in late 2013 with construction in 2014. The underpass of College Avenue and the connection to the south end of the Mason Trail was installed in 2006. The east sidewalk from Fossil Creek Drive to the trail underpass at Burns Tributary is in City ownership. The intent is to widen the sidewalk to 10 feet when the trail is connected to the east to College Avenue. The trail from Shields Street and the underpass of Shields Street, at the Burns Tributary, to Taft Hill Road was installed in 1996. The trail has thickened edges where it crosses Burns Tributary for protection from floods. The underpass of Taft Hill Road was installed in 1997 and is a bored steel tunnel. The joint trailhead for natural area users and trail users was installed in 1999. The trail west of Taft Hill Road was installed in 1998 to Luther Lane. The section of trail from Luther Lane north, including the underpass of County Road No. 38E, was installed in 2011. The trail ends when it meets the Spring Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Community Park at basically where the access to the park is from the north parking lot. Packet Pg. 315 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 13 Action Items: • Trail could use more shade shelters along its length Fossil Creek Trail East of College Avenue - The trail travels along Fossil Creek Parkway until it reaches the Fossil Creek Community Park. The trail was installed in 2003 for the majority of its length. A small section of about 400 feet will be widened in early 2013 to complete this trail section. The trail underpass was installed when Fossil Creek Parkway crossed Fossil Creek when the park was developed in 2003/2004. The trail through the park and the underpass of Lemay Avenue was also installed during the park development. The City has additional right-of-way for the widening of the existing sidewalk on the east side of Lemay Avenue to Trilby Road. The trail from Lemay Avenue east along the north side of Trilby Road along with the planned underpass of Trilby Road will be constructed in 2013. The trail south of the underpass will connect to the Fossil Creek Trail section on Stanton Creek near Carpenter Road that was completed in 2012. The trail along the north side of Trilby Road will also cross Fossil Creek and link to the Power Trail. The stormwater structure under Carpenter Road, for Stanton Creek, was designed to include a trail underpass along the east abutment. This underpass was funded by Conservation Trust funds. Larimer County will use the underpass to construct their portion of the trail to the Loveland City limits. The Fossil Creek Trail will go east along Carpenter Road to Timberline Road and farther east to Fossil Creek Reservoir. A portion of the gravel path for the trail was installed on the Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area in about 1999. The trail will go around the reservoir and head north toward Harmony Road and connect with the Poudre River Trail at the Arapaho Bend Natural Area. This long loop is called the “South Branch of the Fossil Creek Trail”. The “North Branch of the Fossil Creek Trail” is planned to start west of Bacon School and proceed east by Kinnard School, Zach School and east to connect with the South Branch of the Fossil Creek Trail near Strauss Cabin Road. The North Branch is not able to follow a defined drainage and thus must be located along roadways and cross some streets. The trail is in place east of Ziegler Road to just east of Zach School. Action Items: • Complete planned missing trail links of the main trail at the Trilby Road underpass in 2013 • Complete missing links of the South and North Branches of the trail Packet Pg. 316 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 14 POWER TRAIL The easement for the Power Trail was granted by Platte River Power Authority in 1996 as part of their new land ownership for the power line from the Union Pacific Railroad. The trail easement is 25 feet each side of the power line centerline. The trail could be placed anywhere within the 50 feet easement but was not placed close to the power poles to accommodate maintenance work. Platte River Power Authority did place new wires on the line in about 2010 and should not have to do this work again for many years. To date, the trail and power line operations have co-existed with minimal impact on the trail users or the trail affecting Platte River Power Authority’s operations. EPIC to Golden Meadows Park – This section of trail was constructed from 2000 to 2010 and is 10 feet wide concrete with gravel path. The trail crossing lights at Drake Road and Horsetooth Road have been adjusted a few times to provide the most safety for trail users while minimizing impacts to vehicle traffic on the roads. The City’s Transportation Department has been the lead on the road crossing signals. Additional fencing to protect trail users from errant golf balls at Collindale Golf Course was installed at the direction of the golf staff. Action Items: • Continue to modify, if needed, the road crossings signals • Conduct a feasibility engineering study to determine the ability to install an underpass/overpass at Drake and Horsetooth Roads • Shade shelters along the trail will improve the visitors experience Golden Meadows Park to Trilby Road – This section utilizes the pedestrian lights at McMurry Avenue for trail users to safely cross Harmony Road. This crossing is working well for trail users. The ability to surface cross Harmony Road along the power line alignment is not possible for two reasons. The City Transportation Department has placed a center median in the area where the power line crosses Harmony Road. This and a missing piece of trail easement south of Harmony Road makes this crossing impossible. The sale of the power line easement form the railroad to PRPA did not include a section of land south of Harmony Road because the railroad had sold this land previously. The first power pole south of Harmony Road is situated in this sold off land with no ability for the trail to follow this alignment. Packet Pg. 317 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 15 The use of McMurry Avenue with its bike lanes and sidewalks for trail users to reach Keenland Drive and reconnect to the off-street trail has been working well. An underpass of the railroad is planned to connect Keenland Drive and Battle Creek Drive. The trail in this section from Keenland Drive to Trilby Road has been working well. Action Items: • Install the trail underpass of the railroad at Keenland Drive • Conduct a feasibility study for an underpass/overpass for trail users at Harmony Road • Investigate if the railroad would grant additional easement for the trail south of Harmony Road • Shade shelters along the trail will improve the trail visitors experience MASON TRAIL The trail is a part of the Mason Corridor Project and connects to the Spring Creek Trail on the north and the Fossil Creek Trail on the south. The trail is 10 feet to 12 feet wide concrete and was installed primarily as a commuter trail. The last portion of the trail to Prospect Road was completed in 2010. The trail will extend north from Prospect Street as a widened sidewalk through CSU to Laurel Street. Action Items: • Improve the sight distance at the intersection with the Spring Creek Trail at the railroad tunnel • Conduct a feasibility study for an underpass/overpass of Harmony Road, Horsetooth Road, Drake Road and Prospect Street. RENDEZVOUS TRAIL This trail starts near Case Park and follows the stormwater outfall east toward the realigned Drake Road. The trail is 10 feet wide and is being installed as development progresses to the east. Action Items: • None CANAL TRAIL Packet Pg. 318 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 16 The first section of the Canal Trail was installed in about 2003 as a connection to Westfield Park. The trail follows the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal and will end at Harmony Road. The beginning of the trail will be at the Spring Creek Trail just east of Taft Hill Road at Drake Road. There is additional City land along the west side of the canal north of Horsetooth Road where a stormwater channel may need to be installed in the future. The trail can be located in this area and coordinated with the City’s Stormwater Department. Development activity adjacent to the east side of Taft Hill Road near Spring Creek should allow for the trail to leave the canal and proceed north to the Spring Creek Trail near the fire station. Action Items: • None HICKORY TRAIL The Hickory Trail was installed in the early 1990’s by the City’s Transportation Department as a connection for residents living west of College Avenue and north of the Poudre River. The intent of the trail was to improve pedestrian and bicycle access in this area of town. At the time no sidewalks existed along North College Avenue (State Highway #287) resulting in limited north/south access for residents. The trail is 10 feet wide concrete and is in good condition and well used. Action Items: • Monitor the bridge over the Poudre River during flood events since the bridge was not set above the 100 year flood event elevation Packet Pg. 319 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 1 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan APPENDIX B RECREATIONAL TRAIL USE Packet Pg. 320 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 2 Trail User Count Summary Data Locations Three rounds of two-hour trail counts were conducted by volunteers in May, July, and September at 10 different locations on paved trails throughout Fort Collins. For each month counts were taken on two weekdays 7-9a, 12-2p, and/or 5-7p and one weekend 12-2p, as volunteers were available; thus for each month a maximum of seven counts were taken at each location. Overall, volunteers conducted 128 counts across the ten locations, as summarized in Table 1. Table 1. Number of Counts Taken by Location # Location May July September Total 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot 5 6 4 15 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 7 7 6 20 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 5 2 4 11 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake 6 6 4 16 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park 6 2 1 9 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park 5 2 3 10 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park 5 2 2 9 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park 7 6 4 17 9 Mason Trail at Horsetooth 5 4 0 9 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth 6 5 1 12 TOTAL 57 42 29 128 The count locations are depicted on the map in Figure 1. These are identical to the locations at which interviews were conducted. Methodology The methodology used for counting trail users followed guidance from the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (bikepeddocumentation.org). Counts were conducted over two-hour periods at ten different locations. The count data collected included type of user (bicyclist, runner/jogger, walker, other), gender, direction of travel, helmet use, and use of leash with dogs. An example count form used is shown in Figure 2. Packet Pg. 321 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 3 Figure 1. Volunteer Trail User Count Locations Packet Pg. 322 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 4 Figure 2. Example Trail User Count Form Results Packet Pg. 323 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 5 Table 2 shows the bicyclist, pedestrian, and total counts collected by location. Adverse weather conditions that may have affected the counts (e.g., smoke from fires, rain, over 90 degree days) are also denoted in the table. Observations Overall - The highest 2-hour count was 321 users observed on the Poudre Trail Saturday 7/7/2012 12-2p., followed by 275 on the Spring Creek Trail at Drake Saturday 9/8/2012 12-2p. - Overall, counts across the three months were fairly consistent. The average count across all months and all locations was ~125 users. - Average counts across time periods varied slightly o 7-9a: 126 o 12-2p: 120 o 5-7p: 140. By Direction - Overall, across all locations and time periods, directional splits hover around 50/50. - At specific locations, the following trends were observed: o Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot: 7-9a consistent EB trend o Spring Creek Trail at Drake: 7-9a consistent EB trend, 5-7p consistent WB trend o Spring Creek Trail at Lilac: 7-9a consistent EB trend, 5-7p consistent WB trend o Mason Trail at Horsetooth: 7-9a consistent NB trend Bikes v Peds - Overall, bicyclists outnumbered pedestrians 70% to 30%. o Two sites with particularly high pedestrian use included Fossil Creek at Spring Canyon Park (56% bicyclists, 44% pedestrians) and Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez (61% bicyclists, 39% pedestrians). o Two sites with particularly high bicyclist use included Mason Trail at Horsetooth (82% bicyclists, 18% pedestrians) and Poudre Trail at Timberline (80% bicyclists, 20% pedestrians). - On weekdays, the bicyclist/pedestrian split was 71% to 29%. On weekends, the bicyclist/pedestrian split was 66% to 34%. Males v Females - Overall, male trail users outnumbered female trail users 61% to 39%. - Overall, male bicyclists outnumbered female cyclists 2 to 1 (67% male, 33% female), while female pedestrians had a slight majority over male pedestrians (53% female, 47% male). Packet Pg. 324 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Table 2. Bike/Ped Counts by Location May # Location Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot 52 14 66 92 20 112 - - - 38 14 52 26 6 32 91 31 122 - - - 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 99 32 131 137 85 222 101 94 195 77 80 157 59 111 170 127 94 221 50 57 107 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 50 10 60 61 25 86 - - - 30 5 35 - - - 48 15 63 27 19 46 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake 113 84 197 98 50 148 132 54 186 104 34 138 - - - 174 47 221 35 65 100 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park 118 30 148 120 39 159 145 48 193 108 36 144 - - - 149 30 179 49 20 69 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park 163 21 184 168 90 258 229 45 274 133 30 163 - - - - - - 49 13 62 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park 119 48 167 - - - - - - 77 42 119 74 28 102 126 76 202 56 63 119 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park 38 68 106 52 22 74 89 42 131 29 40 69 32 44 76 92 67 159 16 22 38 9Mason Trail at Horsetooth - - - 48 10 58 - - - 68 12 80 51 19 70 121 27 148 30 19 49 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth 84 21 105 68 53 121 125 37 162 92 19 111 - - - 94 23 117 25 19 44 TOTAL 836 328 1,164 844 394 1,238 821 320 1,141 756 312 1,068 242 208 450 1,022 410 1,432 337 297 634 12-2p Sat 5/19/2012 Count Date/Time Thu 5/17/2012 7-9a 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p Wed 5/16/2012 12-2p 5-7p July # Location Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot 112 51 163 53 18 71 69 22 91 90 28 118 56 25 81 54 17 71 - - - 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 114 42 156 98 110 208 101 39 140 118 50 168 111 111 222 102 70 172 221 100 321 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 80 18 98 64 1 65 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake 130 50 180 115 18 133 123 47 170 98 46 144 74 26 100 65 21 86 - - - 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park - - - 119 24 143 - - - - - - 83 27 110 - - - - - - 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park 187 45 232 137 54 191 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park 159 50 209 98 45 143 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park 74 72 146 26 15 41 34 13 47 48 92 140 31 11 42 - - - 102 38 140 9Mason Trail at Horsetooth 82 11 93 96 13 109 - - - 72 12 84 33 7 40 - - - - - - 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth 72 13 85 38 14 52 - - - 97 34 131 78 15 93 33 6 39 - - - TOTAL 1,010 352 1,362 844 312 1,156 327 121 448 523 262 785 466 222 688 254 114 368 323 138 461 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 12-2p Count Date/Time Tue 7/3/2012 Thu 7/5/2012 Sat 7/7/2012 Packet Pg. 325 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) September # Location Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot - - - 69 21 90 64 27 91 - - - 40 14 54 78 35 113 - - - 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 197 62 259 79 40 119 - - - 68 30 98 48 32 80 80 52 132 116 35 151 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline - - - - - - 62 10 72 38 17 55 - - - 55 16 71 63 11 74 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake 201 74 275 153 63 216 72 23 95 - - - 92 43 135 - - - - - - 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park - - - - - - 143 40 183 - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park - - - 180 77 257 - - - 151 25 176 140 49 189 - - - 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park - - - 145 49 194 120 64 184 - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park 114 33 147 39 35 74 - - - 17 27 44 37 32 69 - - - 9Mason Trail at Horsetooth 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth - - - - - - 46 12 58 - - - - - - - - - - - - TOTAL 512 169 681 485 208 693 687 253 940 106 47 153 348 141 489 390 184 574 179 46 225 Trail Construction/Detour 12-2p Count Date/Time Sat 9/8/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Thu 9/13/2012 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p Key: = smoke from fires = rain = over 90⁰ - = no count conducted (volunteer not available) Packet Pg. 326 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Helmet Use and Dogs - Overall helmet use was just under 60%. - Overall, 965 dogs were observed on the trails during the counts, of which 95% were on-leash. Locations with higher # of dogs included Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez, Spring Creek at Edora Park, and Fossil Creek at Spring Canyon Park. Summary Tables The following table summarizes the maximum 2-hour count taken at each location, the date and time period of that count, as well as the average 2-hour count taken across all three months. The highest count of 321 users was taken on the Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park. The highest average count (199) occurred on the Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park. Table 3. Maximum and Average Counts Maximum # Location Average 2-Hour Count Date Time Period 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot 163 Tue 7/3/2012 7-9a 88 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 321 Sat 7/7/2012 12-2p 171 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 98 Tue 7/3/2012 7-9a 66 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake 275 Sat 9/8/2012 12-2p 158 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park 193 Wed 5/16/2012 5-7p 148 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park 274 Wed 5/16/2012 5-7p 199 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park 209 Tue 7/3/2012 7-9a 160 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park 159 Thu 5/17/2012 5-7p 91 9 Mason Trail at Horsetooth 148 Thu 5/17/2012 5-7p 81 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth 162 Wed 5/16/2012 5-7p 93 Annual estimates were calculated using National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation project extrapolation factors and are summarized in Table 4 and Figure 3. Spring Creek at Creekside is estimated to have the highest number of visits annually (approximately 650,000), followed by the Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park (474,000). Overall the total annual number of visits on the trail system is estimated to be approximately 1.9 million. Note that the Spring Creek and Poudre Trails had counts collected at multiple count locations; for the purposes of estimating total annual number of visits for the trail system, the highest value collected on each trail was used (bolded and denoted by “*” in Table 4). Packet Pg. 327 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Table 4. Annual Estimates Location # Location Minimum Maximum Average 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot 103,000 442,000 271,000 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park* 182,000 765,000 474,000 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 78,000 278,000 203,000 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake 170,000 867,000 477,000 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park 117,000 668,000 472,000 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park* 105,000 948,000 650,000 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park 202,000 763,000 515,000 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park* 65,000 550,000 264,000 9 Mason Trail at Horsetooth* 83,000 512,000 240,000 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth* 75,000 560,000 296,000 TOTAL SYSTEM AVERAGE (sum of bolded rows) 1.9 million Packet Pg. 328 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Figure 3. Annual Estimates Packet Pg. 329 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) More detailed two-hour trail counts for each location are provided in the subsequent figures. Blue bars how the number of bicyclists, and red bars show the number of pedestrians. Inclement conditions/weather that may have had an impact on the count are also noted. Packet Pg. 330 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 12 52 92 38 26 91 112 53 69 90 56 54 69 64 40 78 14 20 14 6 31 51 18 22 28 25 17 21 27 14 35 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Thu 7/5/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Thu 9/13/2012 Trail Users by Type: Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 331 Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 13 99 137 101 77 59 127 50 114 98 101 118 111 102 221 197 79 68 48 80 116 32 85 94 80 111 94 57 42 110 39 50 111 70 100 62 40 30 32 52 35 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 14 50 61 30 48 27 80 64 62 38 55 63 10 25 5 15 19 18 1 10 17 16 11 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 7-9a 5-7p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 12-2p 5-7p 12-2p 5-7p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012 Sat 5/19/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Thu 9/13/2012 Trail Users by Type: Poudre Trail at Timberline Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 333 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 15 113 98 132 104 174 35 130 115 123 98 74 65 201 153 72 92 84 50 54 34 47 65 50 18 47 46 26 21 74 63 23 43 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 5-7p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 7-9a Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/201S2at 5/19/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Thu 7/5/2012 Sat 9/8/2012Tue 9/11/2012 Thu 9/13/2012 Trail Users by Type: Spring Creek Trail at Drake Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 16 118 120 145 108 149 49 119 83 143 30 39 48 36 30 20 24 27 40 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 5-7p 12-2p 12-2p 12-2p 12-2p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012 Sat 5/19/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Thu 7/5/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Trail Users by Type: Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 335 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 17 163 168 229 133 49 187 137 180 151 140 21 90 45 30 13 45 54 77 25 49 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012 Sat 5/19/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Thu 9/13/2012 Trail Users by Type: Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 336 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 18 119 77 74 126 56 159 98 145 120 48 42 28 76 63 50 45 49 64 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012 Sat 5/19/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Trail Users by Type: Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 337 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 19 38 52 89 29 32 92 16 74 26 34 48 31 102 114 39 17 37 68 22 42 40 44 67 22 72 15 13 92 11 38 33 35 27 32 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 12-2p 12-2p 7-9a 7-9a 12-2p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012 Sat 5/19/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Thu 7/5/2012Sat 7/7/2012 Sat 9/8/T2u0e12 9/11/20T1h2u 9/13/2012 Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 20 84 68 125 92 94 25 72 38 97 78 33 46 21 53 37 19 23 19 13 14 34 15 6 12 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 7-9a 5-7p 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p 12-2p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012 Sat 5/19/2012 Tue 7/3/2012 Thu 7/5/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Trail Users by Type: Power Trail at Horsetooth Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 339 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 21 Trail User Interview Summary Data Locations Three rounds of interviews of trail users were conducted in May, July, and September at 10 different locations on paved trails throughout Fort Collins. For each month counts were taken on one weekday 12-2p and/or 5-7p and one weekend 12-2p, as volunteers were available; thus for each month volunteers were dispatched to conduct interviews at each location a maximum of three different time periods. A total of 588 surveys were conducted, including 218 from pedestrians (37%) and 370 from bicyclists (63%) 1 . Table 5 summarizes the number of interviews conducted at each location. Table 5. Number of Interviews Conducted by Location May # Location Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot - - - 11 5 16 9 - 9 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 6 7 13 6 13 19 - - - 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 6 9 15 5 5 10 5 5 10 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake 5 7 12 12 3 15 - - - 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park 10 8 18 - - - 7 5 12 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park 10 4 14 - - - - - - 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park 7 3 10 - - - 14 4 18 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park - - - 5 6 11 2 2 4 9 Mason Trail at Horsetooth 6 3 9 3 4 7 6 2 8 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth 6 7 13 11 1 12 7 2 9 TOTAL 56 48 104 53 37 90 50 20 70 12-2p Interview Date/Time Thu 5/31/2012 Sat 6/2/2012 12-2p 5-7p 1 This is generally consistent with the 70%/30% bicycles/pedestrian split of trail users determined through our counts. Packet Pg. 340 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 22 July # Location Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot 8 5 13 12 3 15 - - - 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 2 8 10 - - - 9 3 12 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 9 1 10 - - - - - - 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake - 0 - - - - 6 2 8 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park 6 1 7 - - - - - - 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park 9 2 11 14 5 19 7 1 8 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park 7 8 15 - - - - - - 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park 9 0 9 9 6 15 - - - 9 Mason Trail at Horsetooth 7 2 9 - - - - - - 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth 9 3 12 - - - 10 - 10 TOTAL 66 30 96 35 14 49 32 6 38 12-2p Interview Date/Time Thu 7/12/2012 Sat 7/14/2012 12-2p 5-7p September # Location Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot Bike Ped Tot 1 Poudre Trail at Taft Hill Parking Lot - - - 8 5 13 - - - 2 Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park 1 4 5 9 10 19 - - - 3 Poudre Trail at Timberline 3 4 7 8 2 10 10 3 13 4 Spring Creek Trail at Drake - - - 10 10 20 - - - 5 Spring Creek Trail at Lilac Park - - - - - - - - - 6 Spring Creek Trail at Creekside Park 4 4 8 - - - - - - 7 Spring Creek Trail at Edora Park - - - - - - 4 5 9 8 Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park 3 4 7 3 5 8 - - - 9 Mason Trail at Horsetooth 10 Power Trail at Horsetooth 6 3 9 - - - 9 4 13 TOTAL 17 19 36 38 32 70 23 12 35 Trail Construction/Detour 12-2p Interview Date/Time Thu 9/20/2012 Sat 9/22/2012 12-2p 5-7p Key: - = no survey conducted (volunteer not available) Packet Pg. 341 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 23 The interview locations are depicted in the map in Figure 4. These are identical to the locations at which counts were conducted. Figure 4. Volunteer Trail User Interview Locations Methodology Packet Pg. 342 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 24 The methodology used for interviewing trail users followed guidance from the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (bikepeddocumentation.org). Volunteers were stationed over two-hour periods at ten different locations and asked trail users to participate in the survey. Users were asked in a consistent manner (e.g., every pedestrian, every third bicyclist) in an effort to minimize any bias in results. The survey data included questions on zip code of residence, trip frequency and purpose, reasons for choosing that particular trail, as well as suggestions for improvements. The interview questions used are shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6. The questions were largely consistent for both bicyclists and pedestrians, with some minor differences in Questions 8 and 9. Packet Pg. 343 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 25 Packet Pg. 344 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 26 Figure 5. Bicyclist Survey Form Packet Pg. 345 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 27 Packet Pg. 346 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 28 Figure 6. Pedestrian Survey Form Packet Pg. 347 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Interview Summary Last updated: 06/02/13 29 Results The subsequent charts summarize the data from the interviews of trail users. Blue bars show the bicyclist responses, and red bars show the pedestrian responses. The charts include: - Respondents by Zip Code - Trip Purpose - Frequency of Use - Seasons of Use* - Average Trip Length (Distance, Time) - Why This Route* - Improvements to Route* - Improvements to Community* - E-Bikes on Trails - Respondents by Ethnic Group* Charts denoted by “*” are for those questions for which more than one response could be chosen. Those questions for which respondents could offer separate comment (Questions 9 and 10) include the raw set of comments, separated by bicyclist versus pedestrian respondent. Observations • Trail visitors came from every zip code in the community with the most from the southeast and southwest quadrants of the city. • Most trail visitors were using the trail for exercising, recreational activities, and commuting. • Many trail visitors use the trail daily or between 11 and 20 times per month. • Many use the trails all year long, which underscores the need for snow removal on the trails. • The average time pedestrian visitors were on the trail was about 52 minutes with the reported average distance traveled being about 4 miles. Bicyclists spent about 65 minutes and traveled about 17 miles on average. • Pedestrians choose their trail based on accessibility, scenic qualities, and lower traffic volumes. Similarly, bicyclists choose their trail base on accessibility scenic qualities and separation from vehicle traffic. • 36% of bicyclists and 28% of pedestrians supported the use of e-bikes on trails. Speed was the most common concern related to the use of e-bikes on trails. Packet Pg. 348 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 30 Packet Pg. 349 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 31 Packet Pg. 350 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 32 Packet Pg. 351 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 33 Packet Pg. 352 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 34 Packet Pg. 353 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 35 See Other Responses section for Comments Packet Pg. 354 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 36 See Other Responses section for Comments Packet Pg. 355 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 37 See Other Responses section for Comments Packet Pg. 356 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 38 Other Responses 9. Improvements to Route (Pedestrians)* Comment Count A lot of bikes 1 amazing, no complaints 1 AUDIBLE SIGNALS FROM BIKERS 1 Bathroom 1 better connection so you can stay off roads 1 Better connection to Power Trail 1 Better signage on shield bridge 1 better surface 1 clean horse manure 1 complete any 1 Confusion on private/non private property 1 content 1 cyclists ride too fast 1 dedicated walk and bike lanes 1 dirt path in Rolland Moore-mow it wider 1 DIRT TRAIL BESIDE PAVED TRAIL 1 dog stops with bags 1 dog walkers pick up poop 1 doggie bags 1 East Poudre Trail - straighten (bridge over river); cut out steep hill sharp curves 1 extend south of Harmony 1 extend trail 1 Extended/cleaner in LaPorte 1 fine 1 Floods by Epic 1 Good job 1 habitat/connection to other trails 1 happy 1 I think it's very nice 1 Improved pavement 1 Improved underpasses-visual-can't see 1 Its all good 1 just moved here 1 Less dogs off leash 2 less signage, but likes mile markers! 1 less trees more sun 1 less use of pesticides-tolerate weeds, need port-o-potties 1 Packet Pg. 357 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 39 likes signs for slow biking 1 lines to separate traffic 1 Make sure plowed 1 mile markers-don't understand current markers 1 more restrooms/ashtrays 1 more shade 1 MORE SIGNS 1 More soft surface on edges of trail/more leash law enforcement 1 MORE TRASH CANS 1 More water fountains 1 None 1 Nothing 3 okay 1 Open up old dirt trail near Harmony 1 PARKING LOT PAVED TIMBERLINE POUDRE TRAIL 1 pave parking lot 1 perfect 1 restroom? On river 1 RESTROON 1 ROUGH SPOTS, CRACKS 1 Running trails 1 Safety issues under RR tunnel 1 separate bikes and pedestrians 1 Sharp dropoffs in River (for children) 1 Signage to keep right 1 Signage/official light to stop traffic at Taft Hill (or over/underpass) 1 SIGNAL/SIGNAGE ACROSS CENTER AT NRRC 1 Soft path and mowing around weeds 1 Speed limit for bikes 1 Speed limits for bikes 1 SPEEDING CYCLISTS 1 straighter sidewalks 1 thinks the trails are great 1 toilet 1 trail closed to go up to Foothills 1 trails are great 1 TREES 1 trim trees 1 trim trees on sidewalks 1 underpasses 1 views of river and benches 1 W of RR track surface 1 Packet Pg. 358 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 40 Water fountain 1 water fountains 4 widen older part of trail 1 WIDER SIDEWALKS 1 work and people 1 yellow lines. Improve sidewalk condition 1 Grand Total 91 9. Improvements to Community (Pedestrians)* Comment Count benches, shade trees (not Power Trail) 1 better connections 1 Bike path for Lemay+Epic+College+Prospect 1 clean horse manure 1 dirt running route on both sides of trails 1 doggie bags every mile 1 extend trail 1 extending connections 1 fine 4 Greeley extension 1 habitat/connection to other trails 1 happy 3 ineligible 1 It's all good 1 just moved here 2 Lack of sidewalks sometimes 1 Larger sign for crossing Horsetooth/guard rail 1 likes signs for slow biking 1 more connections and spurs to and from trail from neighborhoods and fences along trail to block shortcuts; more running paths and lanes 1 more drinking fountains, on earlier 1 More parallel soft trails; more connectivity between trails 1 more paths 1 More paths connect to Greeley 1 More signs, traffic safety education for cyclists & walkers 1 More soft surface on edges of trail/more leash law enforcement 1 more trails 2 more water fountains 1 replace asphalt with concrete where it still exists on trails 1 SAVE OPEN SPACE 1 separated walking/biking 1 side trail to avoid fast cyclists 1 soft surface options, mile markers 1 Packet Pg. 359 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 41 Spring Creek too bumpy and not as good Road crossing 1 thinks the trails are great 1 TRAIN STOPPING TRAFFIC 1 TREES 1 underpasses 1 water fountain, more benches 1 water fountain, no tracks n trails 1 water fountains, more advertising 1 work and people 1 Grand Total 48 Packet Pg. 360 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 42 9. Improvements to Route (Bicyclists)* Comment Count " 8 acess to trails 1 air pump broken 1 air pumps 1 air station 1 ALL GOOD 2 Asphalt needs replacing 1 attitude change to better alternative traffic 1 Behind Hilton trail improvement needed 1 behind Holiday Inn-asphalt 1 Best in town 1 best place ever ridden 1 better drinking fountains 1 Better signage for wayfinding and turns 1 Better surface west of RR track 1 Better surface west of RR tracks 1 Better trail etiquette 1 BETTER WAYFINDING 1 bicycle etiquette 1 Bike pumps compatible with all valves 1 Bridge transitions too bumpy 1 brush trimmed away at curves 1 Bugs 1 cameras bike sensitive 1 CENTER & MASON SURFACE 1 clear weeds/goatheads. Horseback riders pick up poop 1 College to (ineligible) 1 complete extension over Harmony. More track crossings 1 CONNECT TO GREELEY 1 Connect to Loveland trails 1 connection 1 connection from FC and Loveland needed 1 Connection to Cathy Fromme get finished 1 connection to Windsor/other links 1 CONNECTIVITY 1 connector to CSU, more air pumps 1 content 1 CONTINUE TO GREELEY 1 Packet Pg. 361 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 43 crossing at Harmony 1 crossing to stores a problem sometimes 1 dismount zones labeled 1 do away with paved sections 1 Don't like crossing Linden. Connection to Overland Trail needed. Have people keep their dogs in correct lane. 1 DRINKING FOUNTAINS NOT WORKING 1 DRINKING WATER 1 eliminate barbed wire. 1 EXCELLENT 2 Extend access to trails 1 extend north 1 extend over Harmony 2 EXTEND PAST HARMONY 1 EXTEND ROUTE 2 extend route, shade trees 1 EXTEND SOUTH 1 extend to Harmony and beyond; more trails 1 FC has great bike trails 1 fine 4 Further extension 1 Go farther after LaPorte/connection from Mason Trail through Applewood 1 GOOD 1 GRADE SEP. 1 graffiti, but all ok 1 great 1 Great trail 1 Harmony and Mason light crossing 1 Harmony crossing 1 Harmony crossing; expansion to Loveland; "wait time" indication for ped/bikes 1 I love it! 1 It's OK as is 1 landscape, trees 1 Lemay bridge where you have to go on road-snow plowing and bus stop a problem 1 Lemay/Mulberry too sharp of a turn/Lincoln Green golf course 1 light issues 1 lights and drinking fountain; solar lights 1 lights during dark hours-does not feel safe riding after dark 1 lights, signs, safety at Drake and Timberline 1 Linden intersection--flashing lights, tree trimmed. Wife was hit crossing 1 Packet Pg. 362 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 44 Linden on Trail. Trees on street had partially impaired drivers' vision. lines (center) of trails 1 longer 2 longer and more trails 1 longer to Windsor 1 love the trails! 1 MASON CRR SURFACE OF TRAIL 1 mirriors at sharp turns, caution signs 1 More air/tire pumps; Taft Hill underpass 1 more is better! 1 More shade 1 More signage for out-of-towners 1 more signs 3 More soft trail on side of paved 1 More trees, river access 1 MORE UNDERPASSES 1 More water fountains 2 More water fountains clost to trail 1 more water, especially near CSU stadium 1 NA 1 need concrete 1 new lights 1 No new stadium/connect campus to Hughes 1 No shade 1 NONE 3 none. Love "bike friendly" 1 none-very nice 1 Nothing 1 Nothing wrong with this trail, all awesome 1 off-road type trails 1 on/off ramps need wider turns 1 Overland Park has no connection w/Poudre 1 Path courtesy/regulations 1 perfect 1 Power trail and Drake, Horsetooth 1 pretty good 1 Raise bridge under road near EPIC 1 RE: maintenance: trash 1 Remind people to use audible signal; better maintenance on asphat section 1 restrooms, air pumps 1 RIDERS SIGNALING 1 River access from trail; extension to Mason trail 1 Packet Pg. 363 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 45 road grade 2 ROLLAND MOORE SIGNAGE & TRAIL SURFACE 1 Safety issues at RR tunnel 1 Safety issues at RR tunnel and College Ave bridge 1 Safety issues at RR tunnel and Remington crossing 1 Safety issues at RR Tunnel/ Tight turns E of Stover to Lemay 1 Safety issues under RR Tunnel/visibility 1 separate bike lane only 1 Signal-cars confused at light (see note above) 1 Signals 1 Signs for improved trail manners 1 some bumpy spots. Better connection to Overland vs. Laporte 1 SPRING CREEK UPDATE (NOT SO NICE AS PR TRAIL 1 Taft/Drake underpass 1 This path is great-from Spring Creek to Cathy Fromme To Fossil Creek 1 trail ettiquitte 2 Trails connect 1 trees, water stop 1 tunnel at Shields-dangerous 1 Turns on N side of Spring Creek Park fence too close (sharp corner) near bridge; drinking water 1 Under passes 1 Underpass at Shields could be widened and safer 1 Underpass or overpass 1 underpasses 1 WATER 2 water fountain 1 Water fountains 2 Water/bathroom/trash cans 1 West of RR 1 wishes riders used better signalling for passing 1 yellow lines to mark lanes 1 Grand Total 173 9. Improvements to Community (Bicyclists)* Comment Count asphalt 1 " 2 better connection to transit 1 Better links and connection down south, east 1 better trail access from her home in SE (80528) 1 better way-finding 1 bike lanes 1 Packet Pg. 364 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 46 bikes rules/yield 1 BRIDGE/TRAIL SURFACT DON'T MEET FLUCH TUNNEL UNDER SHIELDS NARROW CAUSED ACCIDENT BROKEN RIBS 1 call boxes/security 1 connect Poudre trail to Greeley 1 Connect the loop. Greeley to Laporte? 1 connection from Cathy Fromme 1 connection to other towns 1 connection to Windsor 1 connections; appreciate lights now 1 continuted improvements and connections "MORE" 1 Crossing at Mason Trail-McClelland and Horsetooth is very dangerous and confusing 1 Crossing at Mason/Swallow 1 crossing to stores a problem sometimes 1 dead ends at prospect 1 Do like bike signals, especially yellow flashes; mess of traffic; irritating 1 East-West trails like Spring Creek 1 enforcement/education 1 ettiquitte 1 Extend Cathy Fromme to Mason 1 extend route, shade trees 1 fine 1 get to commercial areas from trails 1 GRADE SEP 1 GRADE SEPARATION 2 Harmony/Fossil Creek connection 2 harsher ? Laws 1 keep trails cleaner 1 lanes too narrow on Lemay 1 LESS CON?? WITH KIDS BETTER 1 lighting on some trails 1 lights and drinking fountain; solar lights 1 maps 1 Mason needs work-traffic crossing 1 MASON POOR SIGNAGE 1 Mason Trail improvements: crossing lights 1 mile markers 1 MORE BIKE PATHS 1 MORE BIKE PATHS, CONNECTIVITY 1 more cross trail connections 1 More E to W west trails 1 Packet Pg. 365 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 47 More Greeley extensions 1 more paths/trails 1 More routes connected to each in the rest of the city 1 more trails 11 More trails at inter-connections 1 more trails like this one 1 More trails N/S - staying with grandparents. Bikes to work at USDA 1 MORE WATER FOUNTAINS 1 N. Overland, Tunnel under 287! 1 Need Harmony Greeley connection 1 No connection between Spring Canyon and Lyons Park 1 no curbs or turns 1 no mopeds/slower speeds 1 NONE 1 Overland Park has no connection w/Poudre 1 paths are wonderful 1 pretty good 1 rail link to Denver 1 RE: bike lanes: down Harmony 1 RE: Shoulders: Horsetooth-waiting space 1 replace blacktop with concrete. 1 Safety issues at RR tunnel 1 shade trees, trails 1 Some trails narrow in spots 1 Taft/Drake underpass 1 Trails connect 1 TRAILS MORE CONNECTED NORTH (COUNTRY CLUB) 1 Underpass or overpass 1 underpasses 1 Watch where snow is piled when plowing in winter; better connections between trails 1 water, restrooms 1 Whedbee @ Mulberry needs better (shorter) signal 1 Grand Total 92 Packet Pg. 366 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 48 10. E-Bike Comments (Pedestrians) Comment Count of Comments also people riding gas powered vehicles; doesn't like either 1 As long as not excessive speed 1 as long as they are clear when they announce and give enough time to get out of the way 1 better than cars 1 Better than driving a car 1 Concern with speeds 1 DEFINE SUPPORT E BIKE 1 do not know what they are 1 DOESN'T WANT TO SEE TOO MANY 1 don't fit on Poudre trail-too many users, too curvy 1 Don't know enough 3 DON'T LIKE THE INCREASED SPEED 1 esp. for elderly, handicap 1 for elderly, ok. Too crowded on weekends. Allow certain hours only-not peak congestion times. 1 H Cap okay but not for …ineligble 1 harder to stop then bikes 1 If they follow the rules 1 licensed and permitted-limit number-allow for accessability for disabled 1 maybe, OK with center lines to keep them on "their" side of the trail 1 NO E-BIKES ON TRAILS 1 no opinion 1 ok for elderly, disabled--some bikes are noisy 1 OK FOR MEDICAL REASONS 1 ONLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED 1 Proper monitoring only 1 Speed concerns 1 speed limit needed; see gas powered bikes on trails frequently! Usually Poudre trail around Shields. 1 speed limit, only for people who really need them 1 They can go a little too fast 1 TOO FAST AND DANGEROUS - NOT ALLOWED 1 too fast less control 1 Transfort a bit better/# of buses/$ for buses 1 unless handicap 1 Packet Pg. 367 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 49 with good speed limits 1 with speed limit 1 worried about speed 1 Grand Total 38 Packet Pg. 368 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 50 10. E-Bike Comments (Bicyclists) Comment Count of Comments 12-15 mph speed limit 1 Absolutely not 1 as long as they are courteous 1 As long as they are very regulated/handicap 1 as long as they control their speed 1 audible signals and noise from e-bikes; speed limits 1 better than driving! 1 But maybe for handicapped 1 but stay on trails 1 can go on roads 1 can only muck up traffic 1 complicated; issue is speed 1 courtesy needed by all cyclists 1 Defeats the purpose of cycling 1 DISABLED USE ONLY, SPEED LIMITS NOT ENFORCED, SAFETY, LIKE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE, TOO MUCH MASS 1 doesn't care either way 1 don't care either way 1 Don't know much about them 2 Don't like E-Bikes except for disabled people. 1 encourage more people or alternate transit 1 for disabled 1 for disabled people 1 for handicapped 2 gut instinct 1 husband (no) and wife (yes) /on tandem 1 IF MEDICAL NEED 1 IF NEEEDE 1 If people can get out, it is a good thing 1 if too many, may have change of heart 1 Keep e-bikes off trail 1 KEEP UNDER 3 hp; BE COURTEOUS, AS LONG AS NOT TOO MANY GOING TOO FAST 1 limit speeds 1 limit their speed 1 more e-bikes, enforcement, courtesy 1 Need to know more 2 never seen 1 No E-Bikes - wouild increase trail congestion and danger 1 Packet Pg. 369 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Last updated: 06/02/13 51 factor. No E-Bikes at all "I hate E-Bikes" 1 no experience 1 no motorized on bike trails 1 No motorized vehicles 1 no motors exept wheel chrs on trails 1 no petrol 1 Not allowed - too much traffic, too fast. 1 NOT CAUTIOUS ENOUGH 1 Not on trails 1 Not scooters 1 not sure; doesn't think so 1 not too many-does not want to see too many on trails 1 OK for people who are handicapped but that's it 1 Okay if not too fast 1 opposed 1 register as a car, on streets. Should not be used in bike lanes 1 should be cautious 1 so many variables 1 speed 1 Speed and momentum issues 1 Speed control 1 speed is concerning 1 speed issue 1 speed limit and enforcement 1 speed limits for children 1 speed, need more info 1 Suggested speed limit, W/E bike sign usage 1 The should be allowed - drives up from Loveland just to bike these trails. Better trails than Boulder. Best trails ever used anywhere. Would like to see LESS signage - some signs are silly. Ie; slippery when icy. 1 They should be allowed 1 TOO FAST; HANDICAPPED USE ONLY 1 too fast--like the signs that use a controlled speed 1 Undecided 2 with limitations 1 wonder about environmental impact 1 Grand Total 75 Packet Pg. 370 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Community Services 215 North Mason Street 3rd Floor PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.416.2265 970.221.6586 - fax fcgov.com DT: December 14, 2012 TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers TH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Wendy Williams, Assistant City Manager FR: Marty Heffernan, Director Community Services RE: December 11, 2012 Work Session Summary – Trail Study All member of Council were present with the exception of Councilmember Kottwitz. Council was asked if they had any questions about the trail data and to identify particular issues, problems or concerns that should be addressed in the Trail Plan. Council supported the Trail Study and had the following requests: Provide more information showing separate responses by bicyclist and pedestrians Provide information on the removal schedule of the old asphalt section of Spring Creek Trail at Center Avenue. Darin will visit with Dr. Frank about this project. Provide more information on why some trail users felt the trails were unsafe Provide more information on bicycle speed Provide information on the need to mow grasses next to the trails. Staff will provide this information in a follow-up memo. Provide information on the number of runner and pedestrian responses Include ideas in the draft Trail Plan that address pedestrian concerns regarding safety that may be keeping people, especially seniors, from using the trails Provide information on the miles of trail that have an adjacent soft path Provide more information about the number of youth using the trail and possible methods to encourage more youth users Provide more information on the methodology used to collect the data Except as noted, the information requested will be included in the draft Trail Plan. Next steps include reviewing the trail data with City boards and commissions to gain their comments and insights. Staff will then draft the Trail Plan and review the Plan with the boards and commissions. Staff will then bring the Plan back to Council for possible adoption. Packet Pg. 371 Attachment15.2: Work Session Summary, December 11, 2012 (Trail Master Plan) ATTACHMENT 3 Packet Pg. 372 Attachment15.3: Commission on Disability minutes, August 22, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 373 Attachment15.3: Commission on Disability minutes, August 22, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 374 Attachment15.4: Land Conservation Stewardship Board minutes, August 14, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 375 Attachment15.4: Land Conservation Stewardship Board minutes, August 14, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 376 Attachment15.4: Land Conservation Stewardship Board minutes, August 14, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 377 Attachment15.5: Parks and Recreation Board minutes, August 28, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 378 Attachment15.5: Parks and Recreation Board minutes, August 28, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Natural Resources Advisory Board June 19, 2013 Packet Pg. 379 Attachment15.6: Natural Resources Advisory Board minutes, June 19, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) ATTACHMENT 7 Packet Pg. 380 Attachment15.7: Senior Advisory Board minutes, August 14, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 381 Attachment15.7: Senior Advisory Board minutes, August 14, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) TRANSPORTATION BOARD ATTACHMENT 8 Packet Pg. 382 Attachment15.8: Transportation Board minutes, August 21, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 383 Attachment15.8: Transportation Board minutes, August 21, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) Packet Pg. 384 Attachment15.8: Transportation Board minutes, August 21, 2013 (Trail Master Plan) 11 2013 PAVED RECREATIONAL TRAIL MASTER PLAN CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATION NOVEMBER 19, 2013 The need for a trail plan was identified in Plan Fort Collins and the Transportation Plan update in 2010 City staff from Park Planning and Development, Transportation Planning, Natural Areas and the Bicycle Coordinator worked together on the Plan Packet Pg. 385 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) 22 PURPOSE OF THE TRAIL PLAN The Trail Plan answered the following questions: • How well is our trail system meeting the current needs of the community? • How can we improve the trail system to meet the future needs of the community? Packet Pg. 386 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) 33 COMMUNITY OUTREACH • Volunteers conducted 588 interviews with trail users • Automatic trail counters were used to count the number of trail users • 541 people completed the on-line trail questionnaire • Several City boards and commissions reviewed the Plan and recommend its adoption Packet Pg. 387 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) 44 FINDINGS • 95% of Respondents to the Trail Questionnaire said paved trails are important or very important to their quality of life • Trails are popular and well maintained, but generally not congested • People want more trails, the gaps in the trail system finished, more underpass, and trails that are scenic and close to nature • Bicyclists outnumber pedestrians, males outnumber females and people generally feel safe on the trails Packet Pg. 388 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) 55 TRAIL PLAN CHAPTERS • History of the Recreational Trail System • Trail Funding • Recreational Trails in the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan • Recreational Trails in Plan Fort Collins and Transportation Plan • Trails in Peer Communities Packet Pg. 389 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) 66 TRAIL PLAN CHAPTERS • Trail Inventory • Trail Design Standards • Trail Use • On-Line Questionnaire and Outreach • Action Items Packet Pg. 390 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) 77 TRAIL FUNDING • Trail construction has primarily been funded by the Conservation Trust Fund • Since 2001 $730,000 of the ~$1.2 million from Conservation Trust has been used for park and trail maintenance • Natural Areas funding of $350,000 has been used for paved trails since 2003 but this funding may not be available after 2014 Packet Pg. 391 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) 88 TRAIL FUNDING • Current plans call for development of an additional 31 miles of trail, including 10 underpasses at a cost of over $23 million • It will take 53 years to build out the trail system using the $470,000 currently provided by Conservation Trust • If all Conservation Trust funding ($1.2 million) was used for trail construction it would take 19 years to build out the trail system Packet Pg. 392 Attachment15.9: Powerpoint presentation (Trail Master Plan) - 1 - RESOLUTION 2013-096 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS ADOPTING THE 2013 PAVED RECREATIONAL TRAIL MASTER PLAN WHEREAS, on February 15, 2011, the City Council adopted Resolution 2011-016, adopting revisions to the City’s Transportation Master Plan, an element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, as part of the 2010 Plan Fort Collins effort; and WHEREAS, the Transportation Master Plan update recommended a review of various aspects of the City’s paved recreational trail system, including design standards, to determine if changes were needed to improve customer service; and WHEREAS, in furtherance of this goal and at the direction of the City Council, City staff collected a great deal of information on the trail system and trail users through methods that included interviews with trail users, automatic trail counters, and an on-line questionnaire; and WHEREAS, this information was presented to the City Council at a work session on December 11, 2012; and WHEREAS, this information, along with information on the history and condition of the trail system, trail design standards, funding issues, and recommended trail projects and action items, has now been incorporated into the 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (the “Trail Plan”); and WHEREAS, a copy of the Trail Plan is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and available for inspection; and WHEREAS, the Trail Plan was reviewed by the Commission on Disability, Land Conservation and Stewardship Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Board, Senior Advisory Board and Transportation Board, all of which recommended adoption of the Trail Plan; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the Trail Plan meets the objectives of the Transportation Master Plan update and Plan Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, the City Council has further determined that the Trail Plan is in the best interests of the City and should be adopted. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan is hereby adopted as a plan of the City. Packet Pg. 393 - 2 - Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 19th day of November A.D. 2013. ____________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: __________________________________ City Clerk Packet Pg. 394 Trail Users by Type: Fossil Creek Trail at Spring Canyon Park Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 338 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 334 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) 12-2p 12-2p 7-9a 5-7p 7-9a 12-2p 5-7p Wed 5/16/2012 Thu 5/17/2012Sat 5/19/2012Tue 7/3/2012 Thu 7/5/2012 Sat 7/7/Sat 2012 9/8/2012 Tue 9/11/2012 Thu 9/13/2012 Trail Users by Type: Poudre Trail at Lee Martinez Park Pedestrians Bicyclists Type Site Name_Filter Packet Pg. 332 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Blevins Park City Park Nine Golf Course Old Fort Collins Heritage Park Water's Way Park Fossil Creek Community Park Indian Hills Park Alta Vista Park Overland Park Rolland Moore Community Park City Park Troutman Park Soft Gold Park Washington Park Golden Meadows Park Avery Park Woodwest Park Homestead Park Beattie Park Romero Park Harmony Park Radiant Park Archery Range Freedom Square Park Lee Martinez Community Park Cottonwood Glen Park Southridge Golf Course Maple Hill Park Lilac Park Miramont Park Leisure Park Eastside Park Warren Park Collindale Golf Course Rabbit Brush Park Registry Park Greenbriar Park Edora Community Park English Ranch Park Rogers Park Westfield Park Rossborough Park Grandview Cemetery Ridgeview Park Spencer Park Roselawn Cemetery Sheldon Lake Coll ege Lak e Terry Lake Richard's Lake H o rsetooth Reservoir Long Pond Claymore Lake Harmony Reservoir Portner Res e rvoir Parkwood L a ke Dixon Res ervoir Lake Sherwood Foss i l Creek Res e rvoir Lind e nmeier L a ke Larimer and Weld Canal Larimer an d Weld Canal R obert Ben s on Lake War r en Lak e D u ck L ake W e s t S p r i n g C r e e k T r a il V erm o nt Trail Ren d e zv o us T r ail Mason Trail Hickory Trail Redwood Trail Pleasant V a lley Trail Fo s si l C re e k T r a il West Po u dre Trail F o s s i l C r e e k Trail E ast Spring Creek Trail E a s t P o u d r e T r a il Poudre Riv e r T r ail Power Trail W Horsetooth Rd N Taft Hill Rd W Mulberry St S Shields St S Timberline Rd Strauss Cabin Rd Ziegler Rd 9th St W Laurel St W D r ake Rd E M ulberry St W Willox Ln S Taft Hill Rd Richards Lake Rd W Mountain Ave S tat e Highway 392 E Wi l lo x L n E T rilby Rd Landings Dr N Mason St W Prospect Rd Jefferson St W Elizabe t h St N Howes St N Lemay Ave W County Road 38E E County Road 50 Mountain Vista Dr E Harmony R d N Timberline Rd Kechter Rd E C o unty Road 38 County Road 54G W Harmony Rd W Douglas Rd W Vine Dr E Horsetooth Rd E County Road 36 Main St E Prospect Rd W Trilby Rd E Drake Rd W Boardwalk Dr C a rpenter Rd J ohn F K en nedy Pkwy S US Highway 287 E County Road 52 S County Road 11 S Sum m it View Dr S County Road 7 N County Road 17 N U S High w ay 287 E County Road 48 N County Road 19 E County R o ad 30 E County Road 54 E Douglas Rd S County Road 19 N County Road 5 Giddings Rd N County Road 9 S County Road 9 Riv e r s ide Ave S Lemay Ave N Shields St S Overland Trl N College Ave G r e gory Rd S M ason St N Overland T r l Boardwalk Dr S County Road 13 S County Road 5 Country Club Rd E L i ncoln Ave Turnberry Rd E Vine Dr S Lemay Ave !"`$ ÉZYXW ôZYXW ÕZYXW ÕZYXW ³I ³I ³I Map 3 Trail Projects CITY OF FORT COLLINS GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM MAP PRODUCTS These map products and all underlying data are developed for use by the City of Fort Collins for its internal purposes only, and were not designed or intended for general use by members of the public. The City makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness, and in particular, its accuracy in labeling or displaying dimensions, contours, property boundaries, or placement of location of any map features thereon. THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS MAKES NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR WARRANTY FOR FITNESS OF USE FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THESE MAP PRODUCTS OR THE UNDERLYING DATA. Any users of these map products, map applications, or data, accepts them AS IS, WITH ALL FAULTS, and assumes all responsibility of the use thereof, and further covenants and agrees to hold the City harmless from and against all damage, loss, or liability arising from any use of this map product, in consideration of the City's having made this information available. Independent verification of all data contained herein should be obtained by any users of these products, or underlying data. The City disclaims, and shall not be held liable for any and all damage, loss, or liability, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, which arises or may arise from these map products or the use thereof by any person or entity. Printed: November 05, 2013 hk Proposed Community Parks il Proposed Neighborhood Parks ( Park Land Acquired Proposed Trails Existing Trails Major Streets Railroads Existing Parks Water Features GMA City Limits 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 Miles Scale 1:63,360 © K:\ArcMapProjects\Parks\Park Trails Map\Maps\Map3_TrailProjects11x17.Pmaxdcket Pg. 303 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) S Timberline Rd Strauss Cabin Rd Ziegler Rd 9th St W Laurel St W Drake Rd W Willox Ln S Taft Hill Rd Kechter Rd Richards Lake Rd Remington St W Mountain Ave State Highwa y 392 E Wi l lo x L n E T r ilby Rd Landings Dr N Mason St W Prospect Rd Jefferson St W Elizabe t h St N Howes St N Lemay Ave E Mulberry S t W County Road 38E E County Road 50 Mountain Vista Dr E Harmony R d E C o unty Road 38 County Road 54G W Harmony Rd S Howes St W Douglas Rd W Vine Dr E Horsetooth Rd E County Road 36 Main St W Trilby Rd E Drake Rd John F Ke n nedy P k w y S US Highway 287 E County Road 52 E Vine Dr S County Road 11 S Sum m it View Dr S County Road 7 N County Road 17 N U S High w ay 287 N Timberline Rd E County Road 48 N County Road 19 E County R o ad 30 E County Road 54 E Douglas Rd S County Road 19 N County Road 5 Giddings Rd N County Road 9 S County Road 9 Riv e r s ide Ave S Lemay Ave N Shields St S Overland Trl N College Ave G r e gory Rd S M ason St N Overland T r l S County Road 13 S County Road 5 Country Club Rd E Pro spect Rd E L i ncoln Ave Turnberry Rd S Lemay Ave !"`$ ÉZYXW Spring Canyon Community Park Blevins Park City Park Nine Golf Course Old Fort Collins Heritage Park Water's Way Park Fossil Creek Community Park Indian Hills Park Alta Vista Park Overland Park Rolland Moore Community Park City Park Troutman Park Soft Gold Park Golden Meadows Park Avery Park Woodwest Park Homestead Park Beattie Park Romero Park Harmony Park Radiant Park Archery Range Freedom Square Park Lee Martinez Community Park Landings Park Buckingham Park Spring Park Southridge Golf Course Maple Hill Park Lilac Park Miramont Park Leisure Park Eastside Park Warren Park Collindale Golf Course Rabbit Brush Park Registry Park Greenbriar Park Edora Community Park English Ranch Park Rogers Park Westfield Park Rossborough Park Grandview Cemetery Ridgeview Park Spencer Park Roselawn Cemetery Ea s t P o u d r e T r ail R en d e z vous Trail Mason Tra i l Hickory Trail Redwood Trail Pleasant V a lley Trail Fo s si l C re e k T r a il W est Po u dre Tra il F o s s i l Creek Trail Bl u e S ky Trail Poudre River Trail Power Trail ôZYXW ÕZYXW ÕZYXW ³I ³I ³I Map 2 Trail-Street Connections CITY OF FORT COLLINS GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM MAP PRODUCTS These map products and all underlying data are developed for use by the City of Fort Collins for its internal purposes only, and were not designed or intended for general use by members of the public. The City makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness, and in particular, its accuracy in labeling or displaying dimensions, contours, property boundaries, or placement of location of any map features thereon. THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS MAKES NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR WARRANTY FOR FITNESS OF USE FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THESE MAP PRODUCTS OR THE UNDERLYING DATA. Any users of these map products, map applications, or data, accepts them AS IS, WITH ALL FAULTS, and assumes all responsibility of the use thereof, and further covenants and agrees to hold the City harmless from and against all damage, loss, or liability arising from any use of this map product, in consideration of the City's having made this information available. Independent verification of all data contained herein should be obtained by any users of these products, or underlying data. The City disclaims, and shall not be held liable for any and all damage, loss, or liability, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, which arises or may arise from these map products or the use thereof by any person or entity. Printed: November 05, 2013 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 Miles Scale 1:63,360 © K:\ArcMapProjects\Parks\Park Trails Map\Maps\Map2_Trail-StreetConnections11x17.mxd Connections Local Collector Arterial Existing Trails Proposed Trails Suggested Route Major Streets Railroads Existing Parks Water Features GMA City Limits Packet Pg. 302 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Community Park City Park Troutman Park Soft Gold Park Washington Park Golden Meadows Park Avery Park Woodwest Park Homestead Park Beattie Park Romero Park Harmony Park Radiant Park Archery Range Freedom Square Park Lee Martinez Community Park Landings Park Cottonwood Glen Park Southridge Golf Course Maple Hill Park Lilac Park Miramont Park Leisure Park Eastside Park Warren Park Collindale Golf Course Registry Park Greenbriar Park Edora Community Park English Ranch Park Rogers Park Westfield Park Rossborough Park Grandview Cemetery Ridgeview Park Spencer Park Roselawn Cemetery Sheldon Lake Coll ege Lak e Terry Lake Richard's Lake H o rsetooth Reservoir Long Pond Claymore Lake Harmony Reservoir Portner Res e rvoir Parkwood L a ke Dixon Re servoir Lake Sherwood Foss i l Creek Res e rvoir Lind e nmeier L a ke Larimer and Weld Canal Larimer a nd Weld C a nal War r en Lak e Duck Lake W e s t S p r i n g C r e e k T r a il E a st P ou dr e T rail Verm o nt Trai l Ren d e zv o us T r ail Mason Trail Hickory Trail Redwood Trail Pleasant V a lley Trail Fo s si l C re e k T r a il West Po u dre Trail F o s s i l C r e e k Trail East Spring Creek Trail Bl u e S ky Trail Poudre River Trail Power Trail W Horsetooth Rd N Taft Hill Rd W Mulberry St S Shields St Laporte Ave S Timberline Rd Strauss Cabin Rd Ziegler Rd 9th St W Laurel St W D r ake Rd E M ulberry St W Willox Ln S Taft Hill Rd Richards Lake Rd W Mountain Ave State Highway 392 E Wi l lo x L n E T rilby Rd Landings Dr N Mason St W Prospect Rd Jefferson St W Elizabe t h St N Howes St N Lemay Ave W County Road 38E E County Road 50 Mountain Vista Dr E Harmony R d N Timberline Rd Kechter Rd E C o unty Road 38 County Road 54G W Harmony Rd S Howes St W Douglas Rd W Vine Dr E Horsetooth Rd E County Road 36 Main St E Prospect Rd W Trilby Rd E Drake Rd W Boardwalk Dr C a rpenter Rd J ohn F K en nedy Pkwy S US Highway 287 E County Road 52 S County Road 11 S Sum m it View Dr S County Road 7 N County Road 17 N U S Hig h way 287 E County Road 48 N County Road 19 E County R o ad 30 E County Road 54 E Douglas Rd S County Road 19 N County Road 5 Giddings Rd N County Road 9 S County Road 9 S College Ave Riverside Ave S Lemay Ave N Shields St S Overland Trl N College Ave G r e gory Rd S M ason St N Overland T r l S County Road 13 S County Road 5 Country Club Rd E L i ncoln Ave T u rnberry Rd E Vine Dr S Lemay Ave !"`$ ÉZYXW ôZYXW ÕZYXW ÕZYXW ³I ³I CITY OF FORT COLLINS GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM MAP PRODUCTS These map products and all underlying data are developed for use by the City of Fort Collins for its internal purposes only, and were not designed or intended for general use by members of the public. The City makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness, and in particular, its accuracy in labeling or displaying dimensions, contours, property boundaries, or placement of location of any map features thereon. THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS MAKES NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR WARRANTY FOR FITNESS OF USE FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THESE MAP PRODUCTS OR THE UNDERLYING DATA. Any users of these map products, map applications, or data, accepts them AS IS, WITH ALL FAULTS, and assumes all responsibility of the use thereof, and further covenants and agrees to hold the City harmless from and against all damage, loss, or liability arising from any use of this map product, in consideration of the City's having made this information available. Independent verification of all data contained herein should be obtained by any users of these products, or underlying data. The City disclaims, and shall not be held liable for any and all damage, loss, or liability, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, which arises or may arise from these map products or the use thereof by any person or entity. Printed: November 05, 2013 hk Proposed Community Parks il Proposed Neighborhood Parks ( Park Land Acquired Proposed Trails Existing Trails Major Streets Railroads Existing Parks Water Features GMA City Limits 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 Miles Scale 1:63,360 © K:\ArcMapProjects\Parks\Park Trails Map\Maps\Map1_ParksTrailsPlan11x17.mxd Map 1 Parks & Trails Plan Packet Pg. 301 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) or later, unfunded) OTHER ACTION ITEMS • Update this Paved Recreational Trail Master plan as part of future updates to the Parks and Recreation Policy Plan • Continue to seek additional funding for the trail program to keep pace with future needs • Construct trail connections to the street system on existing and future trails at no greater than a ½ mile interval in residential and commercial areas • Continue to employ best practices in locating, building and maintaining trails to avoid, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts • Add landscaping and trees to beautify the trails and provide shade for trail users where appropriate • Continue to improve the trail system by adding such items as: trailheads, restrooms, drinking fountains, benches, etc� • Connect trails to the brewery industry • Continue to track trail use and survey trail users to refine project priorities and identify ways to continually improve the trail system • Incorporate Safe Routes to Schools in future trail expansion projects where appropriate • Analyze the feasibility and cost of constructing trail underpasses/overpasses of arterial and collector streets and determine priority locations based on feasibility, cost, safety and benefits to greatest number of trail users • Analyze detour routes and signage around flood prone trail areas to determine if any can be improved • Complete implementation of trail location, safety, and destination signage • Maintain or improve best management practices related to trail maintenance Packet Pg. 300 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) public outreach indicate that the trail system meets the needs of the community� Public input validated the prioritized list of trail projects and improvements needed to ensure the trail system meets the needs of the community in the future� CHAPTER TEN: Action Items The culmination of gathering input from the community, and examining trail-use, existing trail conditions, connections to the on-street system and to schools, current trail standards, and comparisons to peer communities has resulted in a prioritized list of trail projects and several action items� Packet Pg. 299 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) indicating they are “somewhat courteous”� To better understand trail safety the recreational trail on-line questionnaire asked users “how safe do you feel when using the trail system?” 541 responses were generated: 241 respondents felt very safe, 225 safe, 48 somewhat safe and 27 unsafe� Expressed as a percentage, users who felt safe represented 95 % of the total responses and users who felt unsafe represented less than 5% of respondents� Respondents who felt unsafe were asked to elaborate on their answer and 7 of the 27 respondents provided additional information� Four of the seven respondents felt unsafe at dusk or night, especially on the Spring Creek and Poudre Trail� The other responses were concerns on recreational safety (ie: use of audible signal when passing�) When respondents were asked where else the trails should go the top responses were: • More trails to schools, Downtown, and parks; • Extension of the Power Trail across Harmony Road; • A trail connecting the Foothills Trail to Overland Trail Road; • More trails to CSU; • Extension of the Power Trail to Loveland; • Trails to the Foothills Mall� Packet Pg. 298 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Bicyclists comprised 70% of trail users while 30% were pedestrians (10% runners/joggers, 19% walkers, and 1% other (e�g�, skateboarders))� Pedestrian visitors went up to about 34% of all users on the weekends� Trails in community parks tended to have a higher than average number of pedestrians� Trails closer to the City limits tended to have a higher than average number of bicyclists� Male trail visitors outnumbered females 61% to 39%� Male bicyclists outnumber female bicyclists 2 to 1� 53% of pedestrians were female� Overall helmet use by bicyclists was just under 60%; this is notably higher than the national average of 25%� Trail visitors enjoyed bringing along their four- legged companions� About 6% of trail visitors had a dog with them and 95% of those dogs were on a leash� The number of dogs on the trail during a year is estimated at about 114,000, or about 312 each day� Trail visitors came from every zip code in the community with the most from the southeast and southwest quadrants of the city� Most trail visitors were using the trail for exercising, recreational activities, and commuting� Many trail visitors use the trail daily or between 11 and 20 times per month� Many use the trails all year long which underscores the need for snow removal on the trails� The average Packet Pg. 297 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) The required seed mix for when the trail is not bisecting irrigated turf areas should be a blend of buffalo grass, blue gramma, and little blue stem� These short growing warm season grasses require less water and mowing� The short grasses should be planted in the 3 foot shoulder area of the paved trail and/or the gravel side path� Any additionally disturbed areas beyond the trail and shoulder width (including staging areas) should be planted with the native seed mixes recommended by the City’s Natural Areas Department� In any of the non-turf areas, no exotic species will be allowed to be planted, specifically no smooth brome (Bromus inermis) or crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum)� Trail Safety: As noted in Chapter Eight, the great majority of trail users feel safe on our trails� Relatedly, paved Packet Pg. 296 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) alignment should not be greater than a 90 degree angle� More pronounced curves require the trail to be placed to avoid any sight distance obstruction being within 30 feet of the trail centerline at the midpoint of the curve� Trail underpasses and bridges should have a straight section of at least 20 feet approaching the structure� Trail Lighting The trail system is not lit except at underpasses where “dark sky” friendly light fixtures are used to help trail users enter, travel through, and exit these facilities� Underpasses: Trail underpasses should comply with the City’s Design Guidelines for Grade-Separated Pedestrian, Cyclist, and Equestrian Structures� Packet Pg. 295 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) over-top its banks)� Trail alignment should avoid or minimize or mitigate removing native trees or shrubs, especially in riparian areas� All setbacks and seasonal closures for rare, sensitive, threatened or endangered plants and wildlife should be respected with regard to trail placement� When possible and appropriate, trails should be aligned where there is already an existing disturbance, such as a utility right-away or crossing streams at existing roads and bridges� Also careful placement of the trails should be considered to discourage off-trail use in sensitive habitat areas� As new trails are developed along or extending past the urban core of Fort Collins, more sensitive habitats will be found� Trail planners should work with Natural Areas Department staff and Colorado Parks and Wildlife as necessary to assess potential sensitive habitats and to ensure best or next-best case trail placement options� Trail Placement in Riparian Buffer Areas: Many existing trails follow river and stream corridors, which as mentioned above are considered sensitive and important habitat� The condition of this habitat varies greatly throughout the city� Trails are permitted within the development buffers of these waterways� However to alleviate the added pressure on wildlife in these corridors and to help create wildlife refuge areas, the trail should not remain in the riparian buffer for the entire stretch of the corridor� Along river and stream corridors the trail should periodically be pulled toward the edge of the buffer to create areas without constant disturbance from trail users� The trail can then Packet Pg. 294 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) were designed to inform users that the trail system is “multi-use” and shared by bikers, pedestrians and equestrians� Safety signs included messages warning visitors of potential conflict areas and areas where trail users should heed caution� Safety messages included identifying bicycle slow zones and encouraging bicyclists to keep right except to pass� In 2012, destination, etiquette, safety signs, and new quarter mile marker signs were designed for the trail system and installed on the Poudre Trail� The new signage is being installed on the Spring Creek Trail in 2013 and will be installed on the remaining trails in 2013 and 2014� Chapter Summary The existing trail system is overall in excellent condition� The more important action items include the removal of old asphalt and the widening of trails from the old 8 feet standard to the current standard at 10 feet to 12 feet� Studies for trail underpasses/ overpasses are needed at several major street crossing� The new signage program will provide a much needed level of service upgrade� Packet Pg. 293 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) presently ends at Strauss Cabin Road� The trail is only a few years old and is in excellent condition� The Power Trail starts at EPIC and travels south for 3�89 miles to its end at Trilby Road� The trail is in overall excellent condition. The more significant action items include: • the need for shade along the trail • study to determine if an underpass/overpass is feasible at major road crossings • investigate if the UP railroad would grant additional easement just south of Harmony Road where the underpass/overpass is planned to allow a missing section of trail to be completed • signage improvements • railroad underpass at Keenland Drive The Mason Trail begins at Prospect Street and travels South for 3�85 miles to the parking lot south of Harmony Road� The Fossil Creek Trail west of College Avenue ties to the Mason Trail just south of the parking lot� The trail is in excellent condition� The more significant action items include: • a need to improve the sight distance where the trail crosses the Spring Creek Trail • study to determine if an underpass/overpass is feasible at major road crossings • signage improvements The Canal Trail has a half mile section completed south of Horsetooth Road that is in excellent condition� The only action item for this trail is Packet Pg. 292 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) distance� Fort Collins only counts our main paved trail system in our mileage� The mileage of recreational trails varies greatly across the country: Ann Arbor, MI (pop� 115,000) has 55 miles of trails while Chicago, IL (pop� 2�7 million) has only 65 miles of trails� Nationally, cities average 0�20 miles per 1,000 people; which Fort Collins beats with an average of 0�22 miles per 1,000 people� Chapter Summary The length of the Fort Collins’ trail system is very comparable with other Colorado communities, peer communities, and communities across the nation on a per capita basis� Packet Pg. 291 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) linkages and connections between the trail system and key destinations across the City�” The Recommended Changes and Updates associated with the Alternative Vehicle and Trails section included the following Near Term Changes and Updates (2011-2012): “Staff will review the current and future proposed trail network and identify trails and/or trail segments that are more suited for transportation purposes vs� those that should be designed as recreational trails and/or go through sensitive natural areas� Staff will also review changes that need to be made in design standards, regulations and policies, and education and awareness efforts for the different types of trail classifications and locations.” (Status: Transportation staff determined through this planning effort that our current trail design standards are suited for transportation purposes�) Packet Pg. 290 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) into the transportation system� An example is the connection of the trails planned with transportation corridors in the Mountain Vista Sub area Plan�) • Review bicycle parking needs at all park access points, prioritizing parks that connect to side paths, multi-use trails, or greenway trails� (Status: Bicycle parking at parks has been improved and parks are well connected to the trail system�) • Continue making connectivity a priority in trail construction in the City’s trail system� Coordinate with the Transportation Planning and Administration Departments to provide bike and pedestrian connections� (Status: Trail connectivity is a top priority and trail staff has been working with Transportation staff on bike and ped connections� An example is Packet Pg. 289 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) complete the trail system, assuming Conservation Trust revenues keep pace with construction inflation. If a trail impact fee is substituted for the Natural Areas funding (with average annual fee revenue projected at $500,000) it would take 25 years to complete the trail system with the current level of Conservation Trust funding� If all Conservation Trust funding (currently $1�2 million) was directed to trail construction it would take 19 years to complete the trail system, again assuming funding increases commensurate with inflation. The trail system could be completed in 15 years utilizing all Conservation Trust funding and trail impact fee revenues� Chapter Summary Funding for the recreational trail system has been primarily from the Conservation Trust Fund� This Fund has grown in revenue as the community has grown and is a very reliable and steady funding source for the trail program. However, a significant amount of Conservation Trust funding has been reallocated to park and trail maintenance� Funding help from the community ¼ cent capital taxes, grants, and Natural Areas have been important for trail development to keep pace with needs� At current funding levels, it will take years to build out the trail system, not including underpasses of major arterial streets on the Mason and Power Trails� Packet Pg. 288 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA)� The City received about $50,000 in Lottery revenue in 1984 and today receives about $1,200,000 annually� City Council by Resolution 83-173 on October 4, 1983 adopted a policy that Lottery monies should be utilized primarily for 1) the acquisition and development of Open Space and Trails, and 2) any other project deemed appropriate by City Council� However, due to General Fund shortfalls, Conservation Trust Funding was redirected by Council to parks and trail maintenance beginning in 2001� Currently, $730,000 is used for maintenance leaving only $470,000 for trail planning, design, right-of-way, and construction� To help offset the loss of Conservation Trust funding, the Natural Areas Department has contributed about $350,000 annually to trail construction since 2003� The Natural Areas Program contribution to trails may not to be available after 2014 due to program funding needs� The Conservation Trust Fund has funded the majority of the paved trail system� Historical records indicate the Conservation Trust has contributed about $18,000,000 since 1984 toward the development of the trail system� The Conservation Trust Fund is scheduled to sunset in 2025 unless renewed by the state legislature� In addition to Conservation Trust funding, the City has been very successful in securing trail grants� Over the years the City has received 11 grants totaling $2,731,312, primarily from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) which is also funded by the Packet Pg. 287 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) street� The trailhead parking lot at Shields Street was built when the raptor observatory was built on the Cathy Fromme Prairie in 1997� The Fossil Creek Trail underpass of Taft Hill Road was constructed in 1997 with the parking lot built in 1999� The trail west of Taft Hill Road to Luther Lane was built in 1998 and remained the terminus of the trail until 2011 when the trail was extended north under County Road #38E to Spring Canyon Community Park� The Fossil Creek Trail at Fossil Creek Community Park was installed when the park was constructed in 2003� Work at this time also included the underpasses of Fossil Creek Drive and Lemay Avenue� The section of trail from the park west to College Avenue was constructed in 2001� The underpass of College Avenue and connection to the Mason Trail were completed in 2006� The north branch of the Fossil Creek Trail from Ziegler Road East was constructed in segments starting in 2002 with the current trail ending at Strauss Cabin Road completed in 2012� The Canal Trail has 0�50 miles in place south of Horsetooth Road� This section was constructed in 2003 and improves neighborhood access to Westfield Neighborhood Park. The trail will follow the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal for a considerable distance� The Hickory Trail starts at Lee Martinez Park at the Packet Pg. 286 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan) The land along the Poudre River and Spring Creek was rural with agricultural uses when the early easements were obtained for the trail� Land for the trail was typically obtained fairly close to the river banks to avoid the agricultural operations� As the City’s natural area program developed and the city became more urban, trails were better located to avoid sensitive environmental areas along waterways; while still providing a pleasant experience for trail users� Packet Pg. 285 Attachment15.1: 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan (Trail Master Plan)