HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Transportation Advisory Board 2022-8-17
Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, August 17, 2022
Minutes of a Regular meeting of the TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY
BOARD of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held
in the Municipal Building in said Town of Estes Park on the 17th day of
August, 2022.
Board: Chair Belle Morris; Vice-Chair Kristen Ekeren; Members
Javier Bernal, Jessica Ferko, Ann Finley, Larry Gamble, Linda
Hanick, Mark Igel, and Gordon Slack
Attending: Chair Morris; Vice-Chair Ekeren; Members Bernal, Ferko,
Igel, and Slack; Manager Hook; Director Muhonen; Trustee
Martchink; Recording Secretary McDonald; Jeff Bailey, Public
Works Engineer; LauraJane Baur, Community Development
Planning Technician; and Dana Klein, The Car Park Manager
Absent: Members Finley, Gamble, and Hanick
Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:07 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
TRUSTEE LIAISON UPDATE
Trustee Martchink reported no updates.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED JULY 20, 2022
It was moved and seconded (Slack/Bernal) to approve the July 20, 2022, minutes
with minor amendments, and the motion passed unanimously.
PAID PARKING PROGRAM
Manager Klein (The Car Park) delivered the 2022 Mid-Season Update on Paid Parking.
Presentation points included a recap of the program goals, with an emphasis on customer
appreciation for turnover activity for the 726 parking spaces; program improvements since
2021, with an emphasis on the elevation of customer service through increased seasonal
staffing and relationships with downtown businesses; ongoing issues to be addressed for
the 2023 season, with an emphasis on increasing the WiFi quality and speed for pay
station transactions; summaries of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reports; and
focus tasks for evaluating the remaining season in preparation for 2023
recommendations.
Discussion points included the testing of Verizon and AT&T kiosk connections in the West
Riverside Lot; the possible benefits of using a push-pull reader for payment batch
collection; activity in the Post Office reserved parking; increasing bike racks in lots with
Transportation Advisory Board – August 17, 2022 – Page 2
lower parking capacity; criteria measures for the KPI reports as they relate to paid parking
goals, and how the current “boots on the ground” turnover study, as well as studying
Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) attendance, will cross-check the KPI numbers;
the pending status of the new Express Pass due to ParkMobile parking app issues; the
observed influence of paid parking on downtown visitor shopping behavior; and the
practice of issuing courtesy/warning tickets and leniency in the ticket dispute process.
TAB members are encouraged to provide ongoing feedback on the paid parking program.
DOWNTOWN WAYFINDING PLAN
Manager Hook displayed the results of the Downtown Wayfinding Plan’s (DWP) July
design survey, which captured the community’s preferences for pedestrian and auto
directional signs, informational kiosks, and signage for trails and shuttle stops. Also
presented were designs for trail signs, mile markers, auto directionals, and building-
mounted pedestrian directionals. Manager Hook briefly navigated the Google Earth image
of the DWP signage location plan.
Discussion points included the practices surrounding the use of international symbols;
signage structure and material factors in relation to wind impact and the breakaway
features of the stone; placement options for the Town logo or name on the sign posts; the
overall timeline for the DWP final designs and development phases; and the possibility of
Visit Estes Park placing an electronic informational kiosk at the Visitor Center.
Manager Hook advised that the DWP project team’s next step is offering a virtual open
house and online survey of these final design options. The open house and survey will
be available on the project webpage September 1-15; TAB members are encouraged to
complete this survey.
CLEAVE STREET IMPROVEMENTS PLAN
Manager Hook briefed the TAB on the history of the Cleave Street Improvements Plan
(CSIP), which commenced in 2019 but was delayed during the pandemic and then put on
hold during completion of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. With development activity
now being planned by the Old Church Shops and another area parcel, the CSIP project
is resuming with an August 18-29 online survey and an August 25 public meeting. The
four conceptual designs and three renderings of Cleave Street were presented.
Discussion points included the area’s drainage problems; right-of-way considerations; the
possibilities and challenges of each design option (One-Way Multimodal, Parking; Mixed-
Use Plaza, No Parking; Two-Way Roadway, No Parking, Sidewalks; and Two-Way
Roadway, Parking Sidewalks); and Cleave Street’s designation as a multi-use area in the
Downtown Plan.
Director Muhonen encouraged the TAB’s feedback on the four designs prior to the 90
percent design phase.
ENGINEERING UPDATES
Transportation Advisory Board – August 17, 2022 – Page 3
Director Muhonen advised that final plans have been received for the US 36/Community
Drive Roundabout. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) concurrence to
advertise is pending approval, and the budget increase and CDOT Intergovernmental
Agreement IGA) revision will be presented to the Town Board on September 13. Bidding
and construction should take place this fall.
Downtown Estes Loop (DEL) final plans are ready, and bidding is targeting for early
September for January 2023 construction. The Town Board approved the $500k local
match funding increase and approved amendments to the noise ordinance. Director
Muhonen will deliver a Downtown Estes Loop (DEL) presentation to the Rotary Club of
Estes Park on August 18.
The Upper Front Range Transportation Planning Region (UFRTPR) Executive
Committee recommended the $1.4m Multimodal Options Fund (MMOF) grant award for
the next phase of the Fall River Trail (FRT). The Multimodal Transportation Plan (MTP)
was not awarded this grant.
ADMINISTRATION UPDATES
Director Muhonen’s Public Works Department restructuring was approved by the Town
Board. In the coming months, 13 of 28 positions will be recruited, including the position
of Town Engineer in anticipation of Manager Hook’s January 2023 retirement. All open
positions can be found on the Town website; the TAB is encouraged to invite applicants.
OTHER BUSINESS
There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 2:11 p.m.
/s/Lani McDonald, Recording Secretary