HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 06/02/2015 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 063, 2015, APPROPRIAgenda Item 6
Item # 6 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY June 2, 2015
City Council
STAFF
Nancy Nichols, Safe Routes to School Coordinator
SUBJECT
First Reading of Ordinance No. 063, 2015, Appropriating Unanticipated Grant Revenue into the Transportation
Services Fund for the Safe Routes to School Program.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to request appropriation of unbudgeted funds received through a grant for the Safe
Routes to School program (part of the City’s FC Moves Department). The Colorado Department of
Transportation (CDOT) has awarded a $55,038 grant for implementation of a new school-rotation schedule in
Fort Collins schools. This school-rotation plan ensures that students in all public schools in Fort Collins receive
bike-pedestrian safety education on a regular basis.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a nationwide effort to get more children biking and walking to school for their
health, academic achievement and the environment. SRTS focuses on the Five Es of transportation services:
Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation. The City’s SRTS program emphasizes
education, encouragement and evaluation activities, while collaborating with other City departments to address
engineering and enforcement issues.
In 2014, the SRTS program reached a total of 15,000 local residents with bike-ped education and
encouragement programming, including 12,000 K-12 students and 3,000 parents and other adults. Of the
12,000 students, 6,500 received personal instruction on bike-ped safety from an SRTS instructor during PE
class or at another school or community event.
The success of the program is based on collaborations with local partners including Poudre School District
(PSD), Thompson School District, Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition, Safe Kids Larimer County, Boys
& Girls Clubs of Larimer County, Bike Fort Collins, various City departments (Traffic Operations, Police,
Engineering, Recreation, Streets), local businesses, individual schools and parents.
This grant supports the following City of Fort Collins plans:
City Plan: Policy SW 2.3 - Support Active Transportation
Support means of physically active transportation (e.g., bicycling, walking, wheelchairs, etc.) by
continuing bike and pedestrian safety education and encouragement programs, providing law
enforcement, and maintaining bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, lighting, and facilities for easy and
safe use, as outlined in the Pedestrian Plan and Bicycle Plan.
Transportation Master Plan: Policy T 8.1 - Support Active Transportation
Support physically active transportation (e.g., bicycling, walking, wheelchairs, etc.) by
Agenda Item 6
Item # 6 Page 2
continuing bike and pedestrian safety education and encouragement programs, providing law
enforcement, and maintaining bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, lighting, and facilities for easy and
safe use.
2014 Bicycle Plan: Recommendation 2.7 - Expand Safe Routes to School Programming
With the assistance of local advocacy organizations and community partners, the SRTS
program will educate at least 8,000 K-12 students annually by 2020. A new school-rotation
schedule will ensure regular bike-ped educational opportunities for students at all public
schools.
This grant funding will allow implementation of the first two years of the new school-rotation schedule without
taking away from other SRTS programming. Fourteen schools are scheduled to receive programming through
this grant: Linton Elementary, Tavelli Elementary, Werner Elementary, Cottonwood Plains Elementary, Coyote
Ridge Elementary, Johnson Elementary, Lab School, Lopez Elementary, McGraw Elementary, Zach
Elementary, Kinard Middle School, Lesher Middle School, Preston Middle School and Webber Middle School.
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
This is the latest of several grants received by the City’s Safe Routes to School program since 2007, totaling
$785,000. CDOT is providing the full $55,038, with no matching funds required. The City can begin utilizing the
funds immediately upon City Council’s approval of this appropriation.
BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Transportation Board and its Bicycle Advisory Committee receive periodic updates from the SRTS
program. Both groups have shown strong support for the program’s goals as well as for grant funding to
support the program. The PSD SRTS Steering Committee supports implementation of the new school-rotation
schedule.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
SRTS public outreach occurs on an ongoing basis through presentations to school PTOs/PTAs, school
wellness teams and community groups. Public outreach is also accomplished through an SRTS annual
summary and other information posted on the SRTS website, fcgov.com/saferoutes.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2014 Summary of Activities (PDF)
2. School Rotation Schedule (PDF)
2014 Summary of Activities
Safe Routes to School Program
FC Moves Department, City of Fort Collins
Background
Safe Routes to School is a nationwide effort to get more children biking and walking to school for their health,
the environment and academic achievement. The City of Fort Collins Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is
administered by an SRTS coordinator (0.80 FTE) housed within the FC Moves Department. Our goal is to get
at least 50 percent of local K–12 students biking or walking to school on a regular basis. Funding is provided by
the Keep Fort Collins Great (KFCG) tax initiative and grants from the Colorado Department of Transportation
(CDOT), BNSF Railway and other sources. Major program partners include Poudre School District (PSD) and
Thompson School District; Bike Fort Collins; Safe Kids Larimer County; Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition
(BPEC) and its member organizations; local bike shops and other businesses; and several City departments, including
Police Services, Engineering, Traffic Operations, Environmental Services and Recreation. Information on Safe Routes
to School is available at fcgov.com/saferoutes, coloradodot.info/programs/bikeped/safe-routes, saferoutesinfo.
org, and saferoutespartnership.org.
Financials
• Expenditures: $114,000 ($74,000 City KFCG funding and $40,000 grant funding).
• New grant funding received: $355,725.
• New City funding approved for 2015–16: $100,000 annually for SRTS Strategic Traffic Infrastructure.
Education and Encouragement Activities
• Education and encouragement activities for Fort Collins K–12 students and preschoolers were delivered by the
SRTS coordinator and through contracted services by Bike Fort Collins. This programming reached approximately
12,000 students and 3,000 adults in 2014. Of this number, 6,544 students received a high-quality educational
contact with an SRTS instructor; these high-quality contacts came in the form of helmet fittings (and free helmets),
bike-ped safety education in PE classes and after-school programs, Family Bike Rodeos, bike field trips, walking
school buses and similar activities. A total of 24 PSD schools and four non-PSD schools were served by SRTS in
2014 (including PSD Options for homeschoolers). In addition, SRTS reached several youth organizations, including
Center for Family Outreach, La Familia, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, KidsThatTri and BASECamp. High-quality adult
educational contacts were made at train-the-trainer workshops, with 124 adults receiving SRTS training in 2014.
• The Safe Kids Larimer County Strap & Snap program, an SRTS partner organization, reached an additional 1,622
third-graders with helmet-safety instruction during the year.
• The coordinator gave SRTS informational presentations to nine school and community groups.
• The coordinator facilitated community-wide celebrations of National Bike to School Day and International Walk
to School Day.
• A new partnership program was developed with the City’s Recreation Department in offering B.I.K.E. Camps
during the summer led by SRTS instructors.
• Train-the-trainer workshops included a training for BASECamp instructors and a Basic Bike Maintenance
workshop for SRTS instructors.
• About 600 free bike helmets were distributed to students and parents in the community.
• New ride-leader bags with first-aid supplies and on-the-road repair kits were created for use on practice bike rides.
• The coordinator worked with FC Bikes to implement a grant-funded Boltage Demonstration Project and Junior
Bicycle Ambassador Program.
• The coordinator wrote the following BPEC columns, published in the Coloradoan: “This Land Is Your Land,
So Grab Your Bike” (Jan. 27), “Fort Collins Trails a Diamond in the Making” (June 16) and “Start a Trend on
International Walk to School Day” (Sept. 22).
• The coordinator wrote an article titled “Two-wheeled Families Have More Fun” that was published in Ride
magazine.
Engineering Activities
• The CDOT-funded grant for 40 new bike racks at 15 PSD schools was completed.
• SRTS assisted PSD Wellness with acquisition and installation of bike fix-it stations at the four major PSD high
schools.
• SRTS received $314,903 in grant funding from CDOT and PSD for a new multi-use trail serving Tavelli
Elementary.
• Traffic Operations coordinated many SRTS-related projects, including an enhanced crosswalk on Swallow Road in
the vicinity of Rocky Mountain High School and a new radar speed display on Prospect at Bauder Elementary.
• The Engineering Dept. completed several sidewalk projects near schools as part of the Pedestrian Needs
Assessment program, including in the areas of Irish Elementary and Barton Prekindergarten.
• A new pedestrian overpass was built on the Mason Trail near the Spring Creek Trail as part of the MAX Bus
Rapid Transit project, and a new pedestrian underpass was built on the Mason Trail at Troutman as part of the same
project.
Enforcement Activities
• Fort Collins Police and School Resource Officers assisted with SRTS-related enforcement in school areas.
• The FC Moves Dept. continued funding of the PSD Crossing Guard Program, administered by PSD.
Evaluation Activities
• Mode-of-transportation tallies and parent pre-training and/or post-training surveys were administered, collected
and delivered to the National Center for Safe Routes to School for schools receiving grant-funded SRTS activities.
• Pre- and post-tests were created and conducted as part of the Blevins Middle School “Bike PE” program.
• Feedback was solicited and received from PE teachers and train-the-trainer workshop participants to help improve
future programming.
• Feedback was provided to Bike Fort Collins relating to its contractual services.
Program Administration
• The program’s expenditures for 2014 included $74,000 in KFCG funding plus approximately $40,000 in grants,
totaling $114,000.
• New grants received during 2014 amounted to $355,725, including $314,903 for the Tavelli multi-use path,
$25,822 for educational programming at PSD schools and a $15,000 grant from New Belgium for SRTS Stategic
Equipment for Fort Collins Youth.
• Routine administrative functions included grants administration, including budget management, subcontractor
oversight and reporting. Final reports were submitted to CDOT for the 2011–12 Infrastructure Grant (bike racks)
and 2012–13 Non-infrastructure Grant (education/encouragement). A final report was also submitted to BNSF
Railway for its $10,000 grant.
• The coordinator wrote and submitted several offers as part of the City’s “Budgeting for Outcomes” process for
the 2015–16 budget. One enhancement that received funding is for $100,000 annually for SRTS Strategic Traffic
Infrastructure.
• The coordinator wrote and submitted a 2015–16 CDOT SRTS Non-infrastructure Grant proposal (anticipated to
receive funding in the amount of $55,000).
• The SRTS warehouse moved to an improved facility at 220 N. Howes St., and the SRTS program acquired a new
cargo van (shared with the FC Moves Dept.).
• The SRTS bike fleet was delivered to schools/events where needed; 45 new bikes were added to the SRTS fleet,
bringing the total to 98 bikes (including 20 bikes housed at Lincoln Middle School and 25 bikes housed at Bauder
Elementary).
• The coordinator asssisted in the acquisition of a new pedaling school bus to be used at encouragement activities
at schools. A local fabricator is building the new school bus with funding provided by a private donor. It was test-
ridden in 2014 by students at Harris and Beattie elementary schools.The bus will be completed in 2015.
• The coordinator attended a mandatory CDOT SRTS grantee training in May for the 2014–15 non-infrastructure
grant. The coordinator also attended the Colorado Bike Summit/Winter SRTS Rally and the New Partners for
Smart Growth conference in Denver.
• The coordinator served on the following committees: City of Fort Collins Bike Plan Planning Management
Team, Bike Plan Technical Advisory Committee, West-Central Area Plan Technical Advisory Committee, Bike
Share Business Plan Technical Advisory Committee, Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Coalition (BPEC), Built
Environment Work Group, Poudre River/Spring Creek Trail Wayfinding Task Force, Rocky Mountain High School
Wellness Team, Fort Collins High School Bike Program and Healthier Communities Coalition Council.
• The coordinator participated in the Ride of the NoCo Leaders, the League of American Bicyclists’ “Getting to
Diamond” ride and the Lesher Middle School “Green Ribbon School” celebration.
• The coordinator participated in a CDOT Road Safety Plan Workshop and Bike-Ped Emphasis Team meetings, a
Larimer County Community Health Improvement Plan implementation meeting, a City of Fort Collins Bike Plan
Visioning Workshop, a PSD Wellness Workshop and a United Way “Make a Difference Day.”
• The coordinator chaired meetings of the PSD SRTS Steering Committee.
• The coordinator participated in the interview process for a new FC Bikes program specialist (Jamie Gaskill-Fox).
• The coordinator maintained/updated the SRTS program website, fcgov.com/saferoutes, and updated the SRTS
Coordinator Procedures Manual.
• The coordinator responded to SRTS-related inquiries from schools, parents and the public.
Report prepared by:
Nancy Nichols, SRTS Coordinator, nnichols@fcgov.com, 970.416.2357, fcgov.com/saferoutes.
Safe Routes to School Bike-Ped Safety Education
Fort Collins School Rotation Schedule
fcgov.com/saferoutes
Rotation focuses on K-12 public schools in Fort Collins. Assistance
also provided (by request) to private K-12 schools and
public/private preschools as well as youth organizations.
Year: 2015, 2018, 2021 Year: 2016, 2019, 2022 Year: 2017, 2020, 2023
PSD K-5 (11 schools, 4,800 students) PSD/Thompson K-5 (11 schools, 4,500 students) PSD K-5 (11 schools, 4,700 students)
Irish (spring 2015) Cottonwood Plains (Thompson) Bacon
Laurel (spring 2015) Coyote Ridge (Thompson) Bennett
Linton (fall 2015) Johnson Dunn
O'Dea (fall 2015) Lab Harris
Putnam (spring 2015) Lopez Kruse
Tavelli (fall 2015) McGraw Riffenburgh
Werner (fall 2015) Zach Shepardson
Note: Bauder, Beattie, Olander and Traut receive bike-ped ed every year presented by PE teacher. Fullana Learning Center (preschool) also leads its own Family Bike Rodeo every year,
with assistance from SRTS. These schools included in student total.
PSD Middle (two schools, 500 students) PSD Middle (two schools. 750 students) PSD Middle (3 schools, 600 students)
Kinard Preston Blevins
Lesher Webber Boltz
Lincoln
Note: Middle school program for sixth grade only until additional funding becomes available.
PSD High School* (est. 500 students) PSD High School (est. 500 students) PSD High School (est. 500 students)
Centennial Polaris RMHS
Fossil Ridge Poudre FCHS
Liberty Common Poudre Community Academy
Ridgeview Classical
Charter/Alternative School (600 students) Charter School (600 students) Charter School (400 students)
Liberty Common (K-6) Ridgeview Classical (K-8) Mountain Sage (K-5)
PSD Options (K-8)
PSD Global (K-12)
TOTAL: 6,400 TOTAL: 6,400 TOTAL: 6,200
Note: Goal is to serve every school category (K-5, middle, high) once every three years with in-depth SRTS bike-ped program. This gives K-5 students one to two year's exposure to in-depth
program, plus Strap-n-Snap in third grade
and SRTS bike-safety assembly in fifth grade. In middle school, the program focuses on sixth grade only (until funding becomes available to serve all grades). Individual students may
participate in many additional bike-ped activities
such as International Walk to School Day, National Bike to School Day, school walkathons/triathlons, after-school biking/walking clubs, bike-ped assemblies, Family Bike Rodeos, biking/walking
field trips, BASECamp bike-ped activities,
summer bike camps, and other SRTS-related activities in the community. The newest charter school, Fort Collins Montessori School, to be added to rotation schedule after school is operational.
Cache La Poudre Elementary and Middle School
in Laporte may be added to this list in the future because a large percentage of those students reside in Fort Collins.
* High-school program takes the form of TS101, High School Bicycle Ambassadors, or other more advanced (adult-level) programming. Unlike at K-8 schools, many of these students opt in
to programming; therefore student total is estimate.
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ORDINANCE NO. 063, 2015
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED GRANT REVENUE IN THE TRANSPORTATION
SERVICES FUND FOR THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Safe Routes to School Program established by the Colorado Department
of Transportation (CDOT) is designed to promote the safety of students traveling to and from
school and to encourage more students to choose walking or bicycling to and from school; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fort Collins FC Moves Department has received a federal grant
through the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in the amount of $55,038 for the
Safe Routes to School Program; and
WHEREAS, no matching funds are required for this grant; and
WHEREAS, the grant funds will be used to implement a new school-rotation schedule
which will ensure that students in all public schools in Fort Collins receive bike-ped safety
education on a regular basis; and
WHEREAS, the following fourteen schools are scheduled to receive programming
through this grant: Linton Elementary, Tavelli Elementary, Werner Elementary, Cottonwood
Plains Elementary, Coyote Ridge Elementary, Johnson Elementary, Lab School, Lopez
Elementary, McGraw Elementary, Zach Elementary, Kinard Middle School, Lesher Middle
School, Preston Middle School and Webber Middle School; and
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits the City Council to make
supplemental appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year, provided that the
total amount of such supplemental appropriations, in combination with all previous
appropriations for that fiscal year, does not exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated
revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, City staff has determined that the appropriation of the grant funds as
described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in the Transportation Services
Fund to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received in that fund
during any fiscal year; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS that there is hereby appropriated for expenditure from unanticipated revenue in
the Transportation Services Fund the sum of FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND THIRTY-EIGHT
DOLLARS ($55,038) for the Safe Routes to School program.
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Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 2nd day of
June, A.D. 2015, and to be presented for final passage on the 7th day of July, A.D. 2015.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 7th day of July, A.D. 2015.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk