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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Transportation Advisory Board 03-20-19 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, March 20, 2019 Minutes of a regular meeting of the Transportation Advisory Board of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in the Room 202 of Town Hall on the 20th day of March, 2019. Present: Gordon Slack Tom Street Belle Morris Stan Black Ann Finley Linda Hanick Ron Wilcocks Also Present: Trustee Carlie Bangs, Town Board Liaison Greg Muhonen, Public Works Director Vanessa Solesbee, Parking & Transit Manager Megan Van Hoozer, Public Works Administrative Assistant David Hook, Engineering Manager Absent: Amy Hamrick Janice Crow Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:02 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT: No public comment. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A motion was made and seconded (Black/Street) to approve the February meeting minutes with suggested edits and all were in favor. PARKING WARRANT DISCUSSION: Manager Solesbee provided a recap of the purpose of the parking warrant and began discussions regarding the document and the associated process. Solesbee reviewed, with the TAB, the first draft of the document at the February TAB meeting. The second draft, presented today, was modified as a result of the feedback provided. The next step will be to provide the document at a stakeholder meeting to be scheduled in the coming weeks. Solesbee will request a representative TAB member be present during this meeting. The first opportunity for feedback from the Town Board Trustees will be at the Study Session on April 23. Once the trustee feedback is received, Soles bee will further refine, with hopes to have all finalized in May, 2019. Member Wilcocks, after reviewing the provided document, feels that almost all categories listed needs further definition and understanding in order to provide quality feedback. Wilcocks stated that each metric should be related to a 'why'. Solesbee stated that the purpose of this document is to further understand the characteristics of each of our facilities (lots) by using a variety of indicators. Wilcocks wants defined which are more important and how each is relevant. He stated this understanding would make the parking warrant more usable. Solesbee will add the requested definitions to the document. Muhonen stated that the traffic warrant process (MUTCD) describes the traffic issue and how the warrant is measured. The intention is to have a similar process to determine need for paid parking, additional shuttle service, no action, etc. The name of the process could potentially be changed to ‘Parking Management Warrant’ so that it is understood this warrant process isn’t just focused on paid parking. Transportation Advisory Board – March 20, 2019 – Page 2 The discussion continued regarding the appropriate process for determining the need for paid parking in a given parking lot/on-street parking area. Wilcocks asked that an item be added to the warrant document. He stated that, with the Downtown Estes Loop, drivers will have the ability to travel through Estes Park without having to stop at the downtown businesses. The item requested would be something similar to ‘Entering Visitor Intercept Area’. Solesbee will note this request stating this tool could potentially be a benchmark process. Member Black doesn’t want all to lose sight of the years of discussion regarding added parking capacity or other management. It has already been decided that paid parking is appropriate for downtown parking. Have worked toward this process for years with a majority of the data already being collected and enforcement beginning this year. Slack asked which spaces would be ticketed for parking over the allotted time limit. He stated that we’re more likely to see the violations occur more frequently in the shorter time spaces. According to the Republic Parking Study, not having 3-hour spaces could hurt business. Muhonen stated that regardless of whether they violate the posted time limits, the most important information to gather is the actual length of their stay through the License Plate Recognition technology. Solesbee will further investigate how and what data will be collected for addition to the warrant. Muhonen asked the TAB if all were in agreement to gather the data during the business part of the season (June 1 – October 15). Trustee Liaison Bangs wants to ensure we’re not going to miss a trend by collecting data in this timeframe. Black stated that all the October weekends during 2018 were incredibly busy. Solesbee will work to figure out the best method to capture data throughout all October weekends but maybe not the weekdays. Wilcocks reminded all that if the data points are different, it deteriorates the quality of the data overall. Solesbee will plan and schedule a Special TAB Meeting in the coming weeks to review the revisions she’ll be making and to provide additional time for discussion. TRAIL MASTER PLAN (Chair Morris): Chair Morris stated that the review of the Trail Master Plan needs updated for identified, needed trail connectivity. Member Finley stated the goal of the original review of this plan was to provide connectivity specifically to the core trail network and improve school trail access. She then reviewed with the TAB, the document prepared by Members Finley and Hamrick in recent years past wherein the connectivity opportunities were identified. Several of the stated suggestions have been captured in existing planned work. The question was asked if the TAB is satisfied with safe pedestrian access into town from the Events Center Parking Lot? The group’s consensus is that this access is not satisfactory. Manager Hook stated that, based on feedback received at public meetings, the public is not satisfied either. Updates to the map include a Brodie segment, a Graves segment, a new facility coming down to Graves/Lexington or Pine Knoll, and an added facility on 4th Street to Community Drive. Member Wilcocks stated he’d like to see the Fish Creek Trail paved moving forward. Finley asked if the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) Hiker Shuttle could be based at the Event Center parking lot/transit hub. Muhonen stated the question would have to be deferred to RMNP’s John Hannon. This would change the transit dynamics and would aid in alleviating congestion at the Estes Park Visitor Center. Chair Morris stated the trail along Hwy 7 needs refreshed as it is getting crumbly. Muhonen reminded that the allotted trail funds are for specifically for expansion, not maintenance. Transportation Advisory Board – March 20, 2019 – Page 3 COMPLETE STREETS PUBLIC MEETING (D. Hook): Manager Hook stated that the Complete Streets public meeting is scheduled for today. Morris will be presenting at 4:45 pm in the Town Board Room. Displays will be in place and slides will be made available to citizens in attendance. Hook stated that it would be beneficial for attending TAB members to share their perspective with citizens. The final policy will be taken to the Town Board as an action item at a date yet to be determined. PROJECT UPDATES (G. Muhonen – Public Works Administration) Muhonen informed the TAB that the Elkhorn Avenue overlay project contract was p ulled from the March 12 agenda due to concerns raised during legal review. The standard CDOT contract stated that the Town of Estes Park would maintain all work completed for the life of the pavement. Once concerns are addressed satisfactorily, the item will be added again to the Town Board agenda. It is anticipated to be added to the March agenda using language with applicable caveat/agreement. All work is anticipated to be performed by Memorial Day. Morris asked if there would be any green striping for bicycles. Muhonen stated that this has been discussed but there’s not enough time to get in completed in the allowable work window. He reminded the group that all would be redone in 2024 as part of the Downtown Estes Loop project. The Community Drive/ Hwy 36 Roundabout project has caused the budget requirements to far exceed what has been allotted . Public Works must request additional funding from the Town Board. The construction costs have gone from $700K for the turn lane, to $2.2M for the roundabout, with additional costs needing added for project management. It is projected that the costs will be $1M over budget. This adjustment will need justified to the Town Board. Public Works will continue to identify relevant grants and other budget solutions. PROJECT UPDATES (D. Hook – Engineering Manager) 4th Street Rehabilitation: Manager Hook provided a handout from the 4th Street Rehabilitation project’s open house reflecting how the Complete Streets checklist is being applied to this project. There were many differing views reflected in the feedback from the meeting. Much support was conveyed for eliminating parking on 4th Street and bicycle accommodations. Additionally, the importance of the placement of the mailbox clusters was also highlighted. Hook then shared with the TAB a few different alternatives for 4th street. Very strong opposition for intersection improvements was communicated. The improvements discussed are no longer in the plan but generated good dialogue. Hook has applied the feedback appropriately and the final page of handout shows the new direction. The need for parking and bicycles is vying for space. There will be 10' paths with narrower lanes and no bike lanes. The pedestrians and bicycles will share the path that will have either painted or thermoplastic symbols, potentially with texture, to designate space for each. The path will narrow at the end of the block due to the street's turn lane. The plan also includes a raised shelf crosswalk. PROJECT UPDATES (V. Solesbee – Parking & Transit Manager) Solesbee shared the update from the Shuttle Committee. She stated that the first electric trolley has been ordered as is being built, with plans to receive it by the end of 2019. Grant work continues for the new electronic vehicle charging station will go to the Town Board on April 23, 2019. Solesbee then informed the TAB there will be a Transit Operations Audit site visit occurring in July. OTHER BUSINESS With no other business to discuss, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 2:04 p.m. Recording Secretary Megan Van Hoozer, Public Works Department