The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutPACKET Transportation Advisory Board 2023-09-209/14/2023 TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD September 20, 2023 12:00 p.m. REGULAR MEETING Town Hall | Board Room AGENDA In-Person Meeting | Board, Staff, and Public 12:00 pm Public Comment 12:05 pm Trustee Liaison Update Trustee Martchink 12:10 pm Approval of Minutes dated August 16, 2023 (packet) 12:15 pm Mobility Services Update Manager Solesbee 12:35 pm Engineering Update Engineer Bailey 1:30 pm Administrative Update Director Muhonen 1:55 pm Other Business Adjourn 1 2 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, August 16, 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 16th day of August, 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 Ferko, Gamble, and Slack; Trustee Martchink; Manager Solesbee; Engineer Bailey; Recording Secretary McDonald Absent: Member Bernal, Member Finley, Member Hanick, Member Igel, Director Muhonen Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:06 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT None. TRUSTEE LIAISON UPDATE Trustee Martchink did not provide updates. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED JULY 19, 2023 It was moved and seconded (Slack/Gamble) to approve the July 19, 2023, minutes with minor amendments, and it passed unanimously. MOBILITY SERVICES UPDATE Manager Solesbee advised that the upcoming Bond Park events season should result in a full parking structure through Elk Fest weekend, September 30-October 1. Thus far this season, full capacity has been reached four times—a 27 percent increase over 2022 utilization; usage has increased 43% overall since the recent installation of banners advertising “Free Parking & Trolley,” which DMS messaging has also featured. The July Park-n-Walk Challenge drawing revealed 35k unique plate-reads for the month. The Car Park staff is experiencing more tired and/or frustrated customers, which is not unusual as the summer tourism season wanes each year. Use of the Barnacle immobilization device is being replaced by a self-service smart boot device due to the Barnacle’s tendency to further damage windshields with existing cracks; the change of device does not impact the Town’s policy and process for vehicle owners with repeated parking violations. The Peak shuttles transported over 35k riders in July, trending with the peak monthly ridership of 44k in 2016. Bustang to Estes ridership also increased by 14% in July. 3 Transportation Advisory Board – August 16, 2023 – Page 2 The Town Board approved the Multimodal Transportation Plan (MTP) and Transit Development Plan (TDP) on July 25, and an internal kick-off meeting was held. Manager Solesbee provided Kimley-Horn with ideas on selection committee membership and invited participation from two TAB members; Chair Morris and Member Ferko volunteered. The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Visitor Center Parking Lot Redesign/US 34 Corridor Study is planned for late September; Member Finley and Chair Morris will serve on the selection committee. The Town is scheduled August 22 for routine audit by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Division of Transit & Rail. This ADA compliance audit is required every three years for entities receiving Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds. The FTA 5311 operating grant award for 2024 is 71k, but the Town remains eligible for an expansion grant to bridge the gap to the actual amount needed for operations; the parking fund may also provide supplementation. The grant agreements for the Trolley Barn project and Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Plan are still pending CDOT action. Discussion points included parking structure usage stats and current signage promotions; current shuttle routing around the parking structure and Visitor Center, and alternatives that could be developed through the TDP; the underutilization of the Events Complex for free overflow parking; the inconsistent route schedules of certain shuttles, which is being addressed by Supervisor Klein; decreased ridership on the Brown Route; the placement strategy of “free ride” messaging and sponsor advertising on the shuttles; and how Cleave Street area parking and business delivery patterns are impacted by project construction. It was agreed that the TAB page on the Town website should provide an invitation and instructions for public comments at any time, and that a button/link to a comments form existed on the TAB page of the Town’s former website platform. Recording Secretary McDonald will ensure the restoration or creation of a public comments form on the current TAB webpage and also request that the Public Information Officer send a news release reminding the public that their comments are always welcome by the Town’s boards and committees. ENGINEERING UPDATE Engineer Bailey reported that the complex Cleave Street Improvement (CSI) project was further complicated last week when the Estes Park Sanitation District (EPSD) informed property business owners that it would begin a four-week sewer main replacement project on September 11. Because the project is expected to impact all through-traffic on Cleave Street, Public Works had advised EPSD to contact owners before announcing a specific start date. Five property owners remain unresponsive about temporary easement requests; it will be evaluated whether the project can commence without the easements. Roadway work will follow the more extensive underground utility work phase. The Town was awarded $241,300 in Revitalizing Main Street Grant funding for CSI street furniture, lighting, and planters. 4 Transportation Advisory Board – August 16, 2023 – Page 3 For the Fall River Trail Extension (FRT) project, two-way traffic resumed August 4 on Fall River Road. Mill and overlay of the eastbound lane along Wall 1 is planned for early September. Attenuator installation is planned for August 28. Staff developed a project completion punch list, and a news release will be issued when the section is officially completed. The Civil Engineer I/II Limited Term position remains open after three declined offers, but an offer has been extended to a recently interviewed candidate, and another application is being reviewed. Discussion points included a situation involving postal carriers and their placement preference for cluster boxes opposite the pullouts on Fall River Road; gas line relocation work expected on Moraine Avenue; and the potential for Cleave Street business delivery traffic issues, which will be managed by a construction manager. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE In the absence of Director Muhonen, Engineer Bailey distributed a written summary of project updates for the Downtown Estes Loop and US 36/Community Drive Roundabout. (This written summary page is included in the TAB’s August 16, 2024, archived meeting packet in the Town of Estes Park Public Records Portal.) OTHER BUSINESS Discussion points included inviting Larimer County as a stakeholder for TDP topics concerning county roads; the welcome addition of 37 new diagonal parking spaces on Moraine Avenue between Snowy Peaks Winery and Molly B Restaurant; the custom temporary signs announcing “More Food & Shopping” for Gaslight Square Shops, which the business owners appreciated; the status and quality of overlay and patching on West Elkhorn Avenue; and the benefits of having TAB-led biking tours and walking audits around the community to raise awareness of multimodal safety issues, which Manager Solesbee will suggest to Kimley Horn as part of the MTP/TDP. It was agreed that the TAB may revisit, on a future agenda, the topics of meeting time, frequency, and location. There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 1:31 p.m. Lani McDonald, Recording Secretary 5