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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/20/2022 - Memorandum From Aaron Iverson And Cortney Geary Re: Questions Raised During First Reading Of Active Modes Plan FC Moves 200 W. Mountain Ave. P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580 970.221.6705 970.224.6057 - fax fcgov.com/fcmoves Planning, Development & Transportation DATE: December 20, 2022 TO: Mayor Arndt and Councilmembers THRU: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager Caryn Champine, PDT Director Drew Brooks, Interim PDT Deputy Director FROM: Aaron Iverson, FC Moves, Senior Manager Cortney Geary, FC Moves, Active Modes Manager RE: Questions Raised During First Reading of Active Modes Plan Purpose This memo is a follow up to questions raised by Councilmembers during the First Reading of the Ordinance adopting the Active Modes Plan. Paved Trail Safety and Courtesy Councilmembers expressed concerns about trail safety and courtesy. Several City departments collaborate to address these issues: • Park Planning and Development is responsible for acquisition, design, and construction of major paved trails. • Parks is responsible for maintenance of paved trails. • FC Moves collaborates with Parks to educate the public on trail safety and courtesy. Councilmembers asked about the following strategies for addressing trail safety and courtesy including: • Permanent Signage: The Parks Department has installed 40+ signs at the major access points to all paved trails and at trail kiosks notifying trail users of the courtesy speed maximum of 15 mph. Signage also notifies trail users of designated slow zones on the Poudre Trail between the Northside Aztlan Community Center and Lee Martinez Park, at the Shields underpass of the Spring Creek Trail, the Hill Pond area on Spring Creek Trail, and at Golden Meadows Park on the Power Trail. Examples of these signs are below: DocuSign Envelope ID: C9C70D08-C333-4DAA-8144-BB7B2D895D92 • Temporary Signage: Corrugated plastic signs reminding trail users of the courtesy speed maximum are moved around the trail system as needed to address issues identified by residents. • Education: The FC Moves Adult Education team features trail etiquette as part of Smart Cycling and B(e)-bike Savvy classes. Staff also work with Parks to address specific concerns raised by residents, including doing pop-up education events with Park Rangers to engage with people walking and riding bicycles about trail etiquette. Staff also disseminate safety messaging via social media posts and newsletter articles. The Safe Routes to School program teaches trail etiquette to youth, including riding on the right side of the trail, riding single file when in a group, yielding to pedestrians, ringing a bell or saying “on your left” before passing another trail user, and maintaining a safe speed. A total of 6,000 to 7,000 K-12 students participate in hands-on bicycle and pedestrian safety training each year through this program. • Enforcement: The courtesy maximum speed limit of 15 mph is not enforced. Users are expected to use their best judgement and remain situationally aware. The City’s three Park Rangers patrol the trails on a regular basis providing information and education, but they spend most of their time responding to direct calls across 36-square miles. • Call boxes: The City has two call boxes located along trails near the Poudre Whitewater Park and in Crescent Park. • Lighting: Based on the design standards in the 2013 Paved Recreational Trail Master Plan, 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. Staff continuously improve and adapt strategies to address trail safety and courtesy. The upcoming update to the Paved Recreational Trail Plan offers an opportunity to refocus on how the design and management of the paved trail network can reinforce safety and courtesy. Spin Speed Restrictions Spin uses geofencing to control the speed and operation of shared electric micromobility devices based on the vehicle type and context as shown in the table below. Speed restrictions are one of many ways Spin and the City are committed to improving safety for micromobility users including: • Safe Vehicles: Spin inspects devices frequently. Spin received 196 maintenance requests in the first year. • Safe People: Spin promotes safe behavior with: o Messaging o Events o Penalties o Speed governors • Safe Routes: o Active Modes Plan recommendations for safe and connected networks o Vision Zero Action Plan strategies to eliminate fatalities/serious injuries DocuSign Envelope ID: C9C70D08-C333-4DAA-8144-BB7B2D895D92