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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES Transportation Advisory Board 2023-04-19Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, April 19, 2023 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 19th day of April, 2023. Board: Chair Belle Morris; Vice-Chair Kristen Ekeren; Members Javier Bernal, Jessica Ferko, Ann Finley, Larry Gamble, Linda Hanick, Mark Igel, and Gordon Slack; Trustee Patrick Martchink; Staff Liaison Greg Muhonen Attending: Chair Morris; Vice-Chair Ekeren; Members Bernal, Ferko, Gamble, Hanick, Igel, and Slack; Trustee Martchink; Director Muhonen; Manager Solesbee; Recording Secretary McDonald; Dana Klein, Parking & Transit Supervisor; Ryan Burke and Melita Pawlowski, Slate Communications Absent: Member Finley Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:03 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT Karen Jirsa (Town citizen) was in attendance as a downtown business owner concerned with the impact of downtown construction projects on businesses, particularly those on West Elkhorn Avenue. TRUSTEE LIAISON UPDATE Trustee Martchink reported that an outgoing member of another Town advisory board submitted recommendations on refining, expanding, and formalizing the training and administrative process for advisory boards. TAB members were invited to provide feedback on this topic to Director Muhonen, who would organize and submit this feedback to the Town Clerk’s office. Additionally, Trustee Martchink advised that residents are requesting pothole repair and drainage work on Virginia Lane. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED MARCH 15, 2023 It was moved and seconded (Gamble/Slack) to approve the March 15, 2023, minutes, and the motion passed unanimously. ESTES TRANSIT BRANDING PROJECT UPDATE Manager Solesbee thanked Chair Morris and Member Hanick for committee work with Slate Communications on the Estes Transit branding project, and invited consultants Burke and Pawlowski to present the Discovery Report and Brand Management Guidelines, which will also be presented at the April 25 Town Board meeting. Transportation Advisory Board – April 19, 2023 – Page 2 Presentation points included the staff and community stakeholder interview process for brand methodology; key takeaways from those discussions; bus design wrap options; and the color-and-animal-themed labels for the five routes. Discussion points included strategies for promoting transit usage among the primary and secondary markets; magnetic route signage use on the trolleys when they function as route substitute shuttles; the possibility of adding more colors to the Brown Route wrap; whether the animal art on the privately owned Estes Park Shuttle buses would conflict with the branding project’s animal art; challenges of marketing to non-native speakers who are not familiar with the animals depicted on signage and maps, or to any demographic that is not tech-savvy or likely to use QR codes; and the benefits of assigning ambassadors to each route stop and ensuring that area resort staff can educate and empower visitors to feel confident about using Estes Transit. Manager Solesbee invited TAB members to contact her with any further feedback on Slate’s presentation. MOBILITY SERVICES UPDATES Manager Solesbee reported that the Multimodal Transportation Plan & Transit Development Plan (MTP-TDP) bid was posted April 6, and requested a maximum of two TAB members to assist with proposal reviews and interviews; Member Ferko and Vice- Chair Ekeren volunteered. The Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Plan Implementation will be a Town Board Study Session item on May 9, with the goal of seeking direction on whether EV infrastructure expansion is best served by the Town or the private sector; when available, the session time and packet will be shared with the TAB. Permit and design plans are forthcoming for the Electric Trolley Facility Project; a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) grant will cover the funding gap, and the invitation to bid is planned for May/June. Manager Solesbee will be studying safety criteria for such facilities at an upcoming conference. She and Supervisor Klein are heavily focused now on field operations and communication with various local entities to ensure that paid parking and transit options are understood and promoted during the coming visitor season. Supervisor Klein reported full parking lots and a well-used parking structure during the April 14-15 Bigfoot Days. The EV Ride & Drive event had great attendance and will likely be hosted again in 2024. The Local 60 permit time-extension proposed by staff, which the TAB discussed at length on March 15, will be presented to the Town Board on May 9. As originally proposed, staff will recommend that the Town Board approve to extend the Local permit exemption time from one hour to two. Although the TAB had voted to increase the resident exemption permit to 90 minutes on March 15, members agreed with the reasons for this final recommendation by staff. It was moved and seconded (Hanick/Gamble) to increase the resident exemption permit to two hours, and the motion passed unanimously. A TAB letter of support will be prepared. There was brief discussion about how the parking structure, which was built to visually blend into the natural setting, continues to be underutilized for this reason and for its complicated access for travelers entering Estes Park on US 34. Signage indicating “Free Parking Riverwalk to Downtown” is being considered. Transportation Advisory Board – April 19, 2023 – Page 3 PROVISIONAL 2024 TOWN STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS & OBJECTIVES Director Muhonen advised that the current, provisional form of the 2024 Town Strategic Plan Goals & Objectives reflects edits incorporated after the April 5 Town Board Study Session; the final version would be approved only after a public hearing. There was brief discussion about the Big Horn parking structure development and the US 34 study-based improvements, which will be informed by the MTP-TDP. ENGINEERING & ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES Director Muhonen advised that Kimley-Horn is working toward the 100% construction plans for Cleave Street Improvements. Staff will soon review easement size and compensation before contacting property owners. Phase 1 Construction of the Downtown Wayfinding Plan continues with concrete footing installations, which should be completed by the end of April. A Street Improvement Program (STIP) contract extension with Vance Brothers was approved for 2023 Chip & Crack Seal, and the pre-construction meeting was held April 5. Bids will be opened today for the 2023 Overlaying & Patching contract. Colorado Barricade Company will manage the 2023 Striping & Pavement Markings project in May. Downtown Estes Loop construction is currently focused on the river and roundabout. Concrete columns for the new Ivy Street bridge were poured, with abutment pours and girder placement to follow in the coming weeks. Post Office parking will be extremely limited for a few days; it was agreed to provide some level of notice for the public to avoid the Post Office when the impacted dates are certain. Flood overflow pipe installation and gas line relocation continue. Contractor scheduling has delayed the concrete pour for the US 36 and Community Drive Roundabout. Director Muhonen applauded Line Crew Supervisor Boles for supplying conduit spacer racks to keep the installation phase on schedule. Xcel Energy has completed its work on the Fall River Trail Extension. Construction of Rocky Mountain National Park’s (RMNP) Fall River Entrance Station is now scheduled for completion in early fall. There was brief discussion about the status of the MacGregor Trail (Devil’s Gulch/Dry Gulch Trail). Director Muhonen advised that the Town has fulfilled its part in this privately driven project, but that a local group is accepting donations. OTHER BUSINESS In response to concern about Colorado SB23-213 affecting Estes Park, Trustee Martchink advised that the bill would likely see many revisions. Review of HB23-1233 was also encouraged. Transportation Advisory Board – April 19, 2023 – Page 4 Recording Secretary McDonald notified the TAB that, due to temporary inaccessibility of Town Hall Rooms 202 and 203, the May and June TAB meetings will be held in the Town Board Room. This meeting location will be confirmed by email prior to those meeting dates. There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 1:46 p.m. /s/Lani McDonald, Recording Secretary