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Home My WebLink AboutPACKET Transportation Advisory Board 2020-5-12 Are Lf TOWN OF ESTES PARK Transportation Advisory Board Agenda May 12,2020 Current 11embers: Belle Morris(03/31/23) 12:00 P141—2:00 PM Lawrence Gamble(03/31/23) Gordon Slack(03,31/21) Ron T ilcocks(03/31/21) Tom Street(03/31/22) HELD VIRTUALLY Ann Finley(03/31/23) Linda rj (03/31/22) Scott Moulton(03/31/22) Janice Crow(03/31/21) The Transportation Advisory Board will participate in the meeting remotely due to the Declaration of Emergency signed by Town Administrator Machalek on March 19, 2020 related to COVID-19 and provided for with the adoption of Ordinance 04-20 on March 18, 2020 Options for the Public to Participate Remotely and Provide Public Input: 1. By Electronic Mail: Members of the public may provide public comment or comment on a specific agenda item by sending an email to publicworks@estes.org.The email must be received by 5:00 p.m., Monday, May 11, 2020.All emails will be provided to the Transportation Advisory Board and incorporated into the minutes. 2. By Telephone Message: Members of the public may provide public comment or comment on a specific agenda item by calling (970) 577-3587.The calls must be received by 5:00 p.m., Monday, May 11, 2020.All call-in information will be provided to the Transportation Advisory Board and incorporated into the minutes. 3. No public attendance at this meeting. 4. The Transportation Advisory Board meeting will be livestreamed at www.estes.org/videos. 12:00—12:05 Public Comment Chair Belle Morris 12:05—12:10 Approval of February Minutes Chair Belle Morris Introduce New Member, Larry Gamble 12:10—12:30 2020 Transit Program Parking& Transit Mgr. Vanessa Solesbee 12:30—12:50 Postponement of Paid Parking Parking& Transit Mgr. Vanessa Solesbee 12:50—1:30 Elkhorn Ave./ Main St. Closure Potential Public Works Director Greg Muhonen Chair Belle Morris 1:30—1:50 Project Updates Engineering Manager David Hook 1:50—2:00 Request for Letters of Recommendation Parking& Transit Mgr. Vanessa Solesbee Adjourn Carlie Bangs, Town Board Trustee Liaison Greg Muhonen, Estes Park Public Works Staff Liaison RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, February 19, 2020 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 19th day of February, 2020. Present: Belle Morris Gordon Slack Stan Black Tom Street Ron Wilcocks Janice Crow Linda Hanick Ann Finley Scott Moulton Also Present: Trustee Carlie Bangs, Town Board Liaison David Hook, Engineering Manager Greg Muhonen, Public Work Director Megan Van Hoozer, Public Works Administrative Assistant Absent: Stan Black Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:03 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT: No public in attendance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A motion was made and seconded (Slack/Hanick) to approve the January meeting minutes with minor edits and all were in favor. TAB PRIORITY MATRIX The TAB discussed the re-ranking of items listed on the TAB Priority Matrix. Morris thanked group for their efforts. Co-Chair Street asked if this document would help with decisions made by Public Works or if it is too complicated to be useful at this point. Director Muhonen stated Public Works would take action based on the total ranking. Member Wilcocks likes the document but doesn't feel that a consistent format is being used to rank the items, creating false rankings. Wilcocks offered to help refine the document. He recommended each member vote their top five priorities. Muhonen suggested that items listed, that are currently in the process of implementation, be removed from the list. Public Works will bring the item back to TAB when appropriate for weigh-in. Status categories were recommended be used on the document— Conceptual Planning, Funded, Construction. As each item moves through those categories, the party responsible for the item will change. Member Moulton stated the next step is to identify which items are in which category. PROJECT UPDATES (Public Works Director Greg Muhonen) Fall River Trail: Director Muhonen will be attending a presentation to the Executive Committee of the Upper Front Range Regional Planning Commission related to the Multi-Model Options Fund (MMOF). The Town's Grant Specialist Christy Crosser will be presenting. The MMOF grant, if awarded, would supplement the TAP grant. Should the Town be awarded both grants, both may be used for the other as matching funds. The grant funding would be for the Fall River Trail, however the sum of the two will not be sufficient for completion of the trail. Transportation Advisory Board — February 19, 2020 — Page 2 Downtown Estes Loop: Muhonen provided an update to the recent developments regarding gap funding for the continuation of the Loop project. CDOT has now committed to providing dollars regardless of whether or not the Town provides the requested funds. CDOT will continue with the right of way acquisition work. Phase II of the acquisition process involve several slivers of easements and rights of ways. Central Federal Lands (CFL) stated there are some funding remnants that they will try to reallocate and use to apply to this phase, which is only an idea at this point. This would allow the project to stay in motion. The agreement with CFL is currently being updated to capture changes in anticipated funding needs and the overall project timeline. West Elkhorn may be off the table unless Town provides needed dollars. Parking & Transit Update: Muhonen provided updates related to the Parking & Transit Division. He explained that the move of the RMNP Hiker Shuttle and Town Shuttles to the Events Center will not occur until 2021. Until that time the transit hub will remain at the Visitor Center/ Parking Structure. Member Slack asked Muhonen if the new electric trolley would have enough battery to continue service through 11:00 pm as is planned. It is clear there will be a time each day the shuttle will need recharged. The Town Board is supportive of the proposal to make the parking structure the transportation hub. The parking management firm, The Car Park, requested Town support of establishing a separate storefront to manage all the parking business. Member Wilcocks asked for the end date of the construction for the US 34 & MacGregor roundabout which is anticipated in early June, weather permitting. CDOT's project manager confirmed his willingness to work weekends in order to hit the earliest completion date possible. Chair Morris asked Muhonen when Larimer County may be constructing the remainder of the MacGregor Ave. trail that extends north of US 34 to the town limits, extending it to Lumpy Ridge. The Estes Valley Recreation and Parks District has established a trail committee and hired a consultant to champion this effort. The Town is not pursuing support of that as the Town's priority at this point is to have the trail gaps around the school completed with 1A tax dollars. Todd Plummer of Cycling Coalition has been advocating for completion of this trail. PROJECT UPDATES (Engineering Manager David Hook) Downtown Wayfinding: Manager Hook has been working rapidly on several fronts. There is a Consultant under contract to address the wayfinding necessary to assist with the implementation of paid parking. It is important to shift to the paid parking aspect due to its 2020 implementation. Hook is gathering designs and plans to go out to bid by the end of February. The intention is to get the program under construction and complete by March 21. The original plan for downtown wayfinding will take place after this implementation. Muhonen expressed his excitement to make Town signage consistent. He explained that every lot would have its own named sign referencing an animal name for each lot. Member Hanick stated that, related to the sign fonts, it is easier for people to read fonts like Times New Roman or something with a seraph, than using straight black letters. She stated those fonts allow a quicker read. Muhonen stated that this will be discussed with CDOT as most of the signs will be located in there right of way and the Town may not be able to stray from CDOT font standards. Fall River Trail Extension: Bids were received and opened last week, targeting two sections of the trail that have existing grant funding allocated. Only one bid was submitted that was under the Engineer's Estimate. Contract work is now occurring and is anticipated to go on the March 10, 2020 Town Board agenda. Project completion is anticipated by autumn of 2020; however, this timeline is dependent on the contractor's schedule related to work occurring at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). CDOT Project— US 34 & MacGregor Ave. Roundabout: A public meeting will take place, led by CDOT, tomorrow night in the Town Board Room from 5 — 7 PM. Transportation Advisory Board — February 19, 2020 — Page 3 Development Review Elkhorn Lodge Project: At last night's Planning Commission meeting, the Elkhorn Lodge development was continued to a special meeting to occur next week. Although still in preliminary design, the plan represents proposal of offsite sidewalk and curb & gutter, which will connect with the existing sidewalk at Mrs. Walsh's Garden. The driveway entrance will be reconfigured to align with Filby Ct. In exchange, the owners were not required to make adjacent improvements along their side of Elkhorn Avenue. Chair Morris asked if there is a plan to install a sidewalk on the north side of street, extending from Filby Ct. eastward. Hook stated the option was evaluated and there are many complications to implementing the work on that side of the road. Morris reminded Hook that there is pedestrian demand on the north side. OTHER BUSINESS Member Hanick spoke to the Cheley Camp about their interest in shuttle routes near their property, potentially a Fish Creek route. Jeff Cheley is interested and very open to additional discussions. A proposal of the cost, the established route, and frequency would be questions asked moving forward. He would like to be contacted, stating there are about 200 staff members, most without cars, this route would benefit. Chair Morris shared with the TAB that Member Stan Black will not be renewing his appointment. Black's current term ends March 31, 2020 and resigned his position on February 13, 2020. With no other business to discuss, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 1 :35 p.m. Recording Secretary Megan Van Hoozer, Public Works Department Estes Transit 2020 : Service Update & Options Transportation Advisory Board May 12, 2020 Town of Estes Park rn Parking & Transit Division tr m Department of Public Works PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Current Value of Outreach Q&A Plan Transit moo_� Fak r:11i- I I Irv ` l. • 1 CURREI PLAN TA71 CURRENT PLAN • Delayed start for 2020 season o July 1 - October 4 I °o- o Daily service o All five routes ;MN o Route deviation �'5 4/ a) A , ParK • Negotiating the most flexible 401 rmn� ;_ �� rmn • ESTES � contract for both operational and vehicle lease expenses )idA m�ro 9" ��c�b mar • Planning a number of public health le ��, ��, � measures ,, . esces � � � A . esces � EP Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 4 CURRENT PLAN • Public health measures planned for 2020: drol o Reduced capacity seating to allow for distance between riders 1 °— o Face covering requirement o Estes Park branded face coverings will be available for free to all riders o Driver protection barrier o Hand sanitizing stations at high-traffic stop locations (e.g. , Parking Structure) o Self-serve disinfectant wipes available upon boarding o Daily deep cleaning, including medical grade interior fogging for all vehicles EP o Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 5 CURRENT PLAN • Careful stewardship resources =1- 1 o 2020 base budget for transit operations: $423, 782 I °o- 1 o Phase I budget reduction : $63,929 o Current total General Fund impact: $359,853 o FTA 5311 CARES ACT funding: $94,975 • Likely to be a second round o Active 2021 transit grant pursuits • Bus facility grant • Mobility management program funds • Rural operating/admin funds EP o Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 6 VALIThI oIM rRANSII DOD 0000 JUL• � VALI ! EOrTRANSIT ' MPAC' • Quality of Life / Experience o Locals 10= 1 • Rides to work, around town • Healthcare appointments • Grocery shopping • Service for those with disabilities and/or who cannot drive o Guests • Alternative to driving and finding parking • Amenity • Experience • Refuge from busy downtown streets* *Stay Healthy Streets integration EP o Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 8 VAL ' IE OrTRANSIT: CAL IMPACT • Environmental o Reduced congestion and emissions ID- o New electric trolley(s) • Economic o Transit operator employs 26 locals who drive, maintain and clean our fleet • Financial & Strategic o Current and future grant funding o Desire for year-round service and regional connectivity EP Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 9 OUTREAC Far e • 1 OUTRFACP °ROCE - • National trends Fa:77.1 • Industry partners and peer agencies � V 4% • Transportation Advisory Board 1 1 • RMNP • Guests and visitors (via online questionnaire) it EP , Estes Transit 2020 Service Update n OUTREACIJ WHT 'AIr :ApN �^ ( I\1 °Ationall • While there is a lot of speculation, the questions of if, when and how people will return to public transit are still largely up in the air. • Concern about a " post-pandemic carpocolypse" . • Recent study showed 20% of transit users would no longer ride; 28% indicated that they would ride less often . ( IBM , 5/1/2020) • U.S. DOT is actively working to keep transit going in a safe manner. Transportation systems are always important for communities and our country, and never more so than during a crisis - U.S. DOT Secretary Chao �P Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 12 OLPTREACW WHT 'AIr ADNF f CO Industry Peers) • Around Co, ridership is down significantly. IIp= il _4 • Many agencies are operating reduced routes. . 1 • Weekly calls with CASTA to share best practices 1 1 f • 1 and bus sanitizing resources. - _ 0 . . o Denver/ RTD 1 .t fN!gi I o Winter Park (The Lift) _ ';. o Boulder - ' • - , 1 A -11 >..‘'' . _ ,,_ * ilipar o Aspen n ( RFTA) °f . .a'�'�'p dd o Fort Collins (TransFort) it ,# - CO Springs o Zion National Park 4: _.; I ---- • Aspen (RFTA) .4. EP ® Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 13 OUTREACH WHfl 'AIr ADNFF ' Local ) • Transportation Advisory Board o Special meeting on May 12 � • � • RMNP f = s o Planning similar public health measures as the Town o No firm decisions have been made • CDOT (Bustang to Estes) o Bustang currently not running; will make a decision in next few weeks o Tentatively planning on July 4 service start date o Reduced capacity, rigorous bus cleaning planned �P Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 14 OUTREACH WHT 'AIr EARNED ( Local ) • Locals and Visitors o Online questionnaire - launched May 8 � • � o Due to limited time to design and implement, not f = � designed to be a statistically significant survey O 70 responses to date o Results will be added post-survey (closes on May 14) �P Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 15 IN SUM M/ PV • As expected, transit ridership is down significantly with many predicting long-term impacts to public transportation; • Locally, both RTD and CDOT are cautiously predicating an uptick in/return to service in June. • Our plan to delay our local service season to July 1 seems in line with other CO transit agencies (reduction not elimination). • Among those locals and visitors who provided feedback about Estes Transit, [insert findings here]. A EP . Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 16 QUFflONS r DISCUSsiON SUP OPTION 1. Further delay of service start date o Budget impact: $2,649/day (week) and $3,074/day (Sat & Sun ) 2. Service Revision o Reductions based on ridership data from previous years • Route elimination • Weekend only service • Shortened season • Reduced service hours 3. Downtown Service Only o Run the Elkhorn Express trolley o Promote local on-demand transit resources (e.g. , VIA, EP Shuttles, EP Trolleys) �P Estes Transit 2020 Service Update 19 DRAFT- CONCEPT Recommendation: Stay Healthy Streets Pilot Program for Downtown Estes Park i 11.a .- .- rY rat. :K X III if'',I it ' li"! .1 -r. ,' - '' "V:4r'' ' ‘''''' ,. - f § 1 Ile..'Y ',f. , %a I hi if": . , I111/1 ;`, '4 ' .� II .:04 a it ;-' k - - - - 7 m rl f fi , i II kr ..i. _ ., ,.., i _iiiiiiiiamimiliiiimuin6-4111111E— ilibi- rilIiiiillillr The Estes Park Downtown Area is under a State Order, "Safer at Home". The Order directs critical businesses to remain open and non-critical businesses operate with restrictions. To safeguard the Estes Park community during the opening of businesses, and the influx of visitors and seasonal residents beginning to circulate in Estes Park, the Town Board issued Ordinance 7-20. The Ordinance requires wearing facial masks, or covering, to be worn in places of public accommodation and outdoors throughout the commercial downtown zoning district. Physical Distance & Masks. According to RMNP Superintendent Darla Sidles, 4.6 million people visited the national park in 2018 and 80 percent were through the east side entrances. Estes Park's proximity to RMNP, a gateway community, has influenced the number of visitors Estes Park must provide for accommodations and safe experiences. As of this writing, RMNP remains closed, but will likely open in some capacity for the 2020 season. With the number of visitors and residents accessing our downtown, TAB should consider the impact of Estes Park's narrow sidewalks and vehicular traffic that circulate during the peak months. The preventative measure, Physical Distancing, requires a 6 ft. radius to help reduce COVID19 transmission. The Open Street Downtown Transportation Advisory Board Draft 1, 5/8/2020 1 commercial downtown sidewalks are too narrow to adequately keep our pedestrians safe by only using facial masks. Adding physical distancing must be combined with the use of masks. If visitors acknowledge the lack of area available to them and their families to safely shop, the business community may experience a severe reduction in sales. Stay Healthy Streets. Across the globe, cities, towns and small communities are beginning to open their streets to pedestrians and bikes only, in order to allow added exercise opportunities while maintaining safe physical distancing. Opening up the Downtown spaces to pedestrians, trolleys, and bikes during peak visitation hours will provide a safer and more inviting experience for the thousands of people who are likely to visit Estes Park. A pilot program could be tested to provide part-time daily closures to downtown streets--Elkhorn Ave, Moraine Ave, and Riverside Dr. This may have the potential to encourage safer visitation and improve the likelihood for downtown business to thrive and remain viable. Perhaps there could be designated spaces, like Bond Park or temporarily closed parking lots, for example, where people could, with appropriate distancing, take off their masks and eat food such as ice cream or meals that they have purchased during their walk up and down Elkhorn. Closing streets to cars for the busiest parts of the day is a good idea for social distancing but it could be part of a plan that addresses some of the concerns that residents, especially downtown business owners, have had with the requirement that masks be worn outside at all times. During the "Safer at Home" orders and following future safety directed guidelines, the need for space to walk, bicycle, use a wheelchair or push a stroller, at a safe distance from others, will continue. Being active, walking and cycling is important for physical and mental health, but also maybe essential for accessing jobs and services. As warmer weather arrives in Estes Park, many will rely on safe multi-modal options that align with safe 6 feet distancing. Sidewalks in Downtown are too narrow to accommodate responsible safety guidelines. Implementing "Stay Healthy Streets", allows the needed space to be active, move throughout the Downtown and access shops safely. All users in the transportation network will be accommodated while being protected from the transmission of COVID19 by asymptomatic carriers. Economy. Providing a safe environment for visitors and locals is key to a successful business season. Most visitors are escaping their densely populated cities and towns to be in the spacious areas of Estes Park. Being assured that our Downtown makes safety a top priority allows their travels to be worthwhile. Using the sidewalks and full streets in the Downtown area allows proper distancing, mask wearing and reduction of transmission of COVID19 by asymptomatic carriers. By having a strong Stay Healthy Streets program, potential shoppers will want to choose Estes Park as their destination. Suggestions: Open Street Downtown Transportation Advisory Board Draft 1, 5/8/2020 2 1. The Farmers Market could be spread out along Elkhorn and not centrally located at Bond Park or the Visitor Center. 2. Businesses could alternate using the open street areas for their "stand". 3. Restaurants provide well marked areas for their limited outdoor dining. Recreation. The streets of Downtown are public spaces and providing entertainment will attract families. Adding FUN to the Stay Healthy Streets will lift the spirits of visitors and encourage them to make pleasant memories. Adding safe distancing entertainment can allow adequate people management- spread out locations where people may gather. • i gil It— iiiii - 4 4:t • 't r , 1 .111. 1 i .1 at -- 1 ' 1 Ili • , t o__-- el li alig:111 ........ - ,A,„ ..... . _ _._ . ..., Pilot Program. Below is a DRAFT idea on how parts of downtown streets could be repurposed during the core business parts of the day. Initially, this could be done on a pilot basis for one weekend in July (after Wonderview Ave is reopened). If this were successful, this could be expanded to additional weekends and into some weekdays during the remaining of the peak visitation months through October. To the largest extent feasible, we would get resident, business, and visitor feedback before proceeding beyond the pilot stage. The pilot would allow for "testing" the open street plan and find out what visitors appreciate about spending time in our Downtown. There would be a quick survey taken to capture their experience. Since CDOT owns and operates Elkhorn Ave and Moraine Ave, their approval will be necessary. Open Street Downtown Transportation Advisory Board Draft 1, 5/8/2020 3 ,. � ' ter r. - � ilb .... ' O� ,...., 6 , Ni 41111 J ' 4,, elilk 74116 1. During the busiest part of the day (10am to 8pm) only, close the downtown streets to through traffic (Elkhorn to Moraine, Moraine to Crags Drive and Riverside from Rockwell to Elkhorn). Keep the center lane open for use by emergency vehicles, bikes, the new electric trolley, and other shuttles. Closure limits can be refined. One idea is to implement this on Elkhorn from 34/36 to Moraine, Moraine from Elkhorn to Crags Drive, and Riverside from Rockwell to Elkhorn. Detour routing for through traffic could be set up similar to routing for Halloween or downtown parades. 2. From 8pm to 10am the roads would be fully open for deliveries, local trips, etc. 3. Emphasis is placed on extra space for pedestrians, open-container and masks-off areas outside, and whimsical recreation opportunities. Access to the downtown is via walking, biking, or riding more frequent shuttle service during these peak visitation hours. 4. The center traffic lane could be coned off to delineate this corridor for shuttle, trolleys, bikes, and emergency vehicles. A one-way circulation route could be tested (WB on Elkhorn, SB on Moraine, NB on Riverside, EB on Elkhorn back to the parking structure). Trolley and shuttles could circulate every 10 minutes for convenience and robust utilization. 5. The outer traffic lanes will be opened up to pedestrians and recreational ideas. 6. Traffic signals operate on 4-way flash with CSO manual control Open Street Downtown Transportation Advisory Board Draft 1, 5/8/2020 4 7. Town Hall and Virginia parking lot accesses to Elkhorn are closed. They still operate from MacGregor Ave only. DQ parking lot and Brownfield parking lots could be used by employees or repurposed for other activities during this period. On street parking would be prohibited along the ped/bike/shuttle corridor. 8. Allow one-way traffic flow (SB) from West Elkhorn thru Weist parking lot and south onto Moraine.. 9. Davis parking lot could be closed, repurposed, or open with access from the north (SB) on Moraine thru the Weist lot. 10. Big Horn Ave could be closed at Elkhorn, but access remains open the Big Horn parking lot. 11. This pilot program is laborious from a traffic management perspective. Closure barricades, detour and informational signs, and cones would be installed and removed daily as needed. it -. :- .'.'` tik - ,),°;i,' i'' :N I&,1. .., ;11si "ssr , Al II 1 . 1.�� _ ` ,... 11 414 1 AIL ii%iiii IIr DID YOU ENJOY USING THIS PRpTE �TED BIKE BAN 9 TEXT'BETTERBy6IKE E . � r0 3g . '144. ayTIKE 47�� • • 1 GI oT'o`N . 4 4 Open Street Downtown Transportation Advisory Board Draft 1, 5/8/2020 5 References and information: The concept of street closure, whether temporary or 24/7 has been implemented in various cities, including Denver, Oakland, New York City, Portland and various cities throughout the world. Best practices like social distancing, sanitation, 50% capacity, and providing employees masks are required by the State for retail businesses. https://www.larimer.org/sites/default/files/uploads/2020/public-health-face-covering- order.pdf https://www.6sgft.com/most-nyc-sidewalks-are-too-narrow-for-proper-social- distancing/?fbclid=lwAROycgxSgwhC168Ev0zssnhwZfh3Kl18asSTUsgnnYSBrdoiAeR2z iA37rE Links to Carless Streets with Pedestrians and Bicylists 1. Video of closed street in New York City 2. Denver closed streets due to Covid: Denver's closed streets attract people eager to break coronavirus quarantine, stretch their legs 3. The Coronavirus Shows It's Time To Remake The American City: Open Street Downtown Transportation Advisory Board Draft 1, 5/8/2020 6