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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES Transportation Advisory Board 2024-06-26Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, June 26, 2024 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 26th day of June, 2024. Board: Chair Belle Morris; Vice-Chair Kristen Ekeren; Members Jessica Ferko, Larry Gamble, Linda Hanick, Joan Hooper, Misti Marcantonio, Wallace Wood; Trustee Mark Igel; Staff Liaison Greg Muhonen Attending: Chair Morris; Vice-Chair Ekeren; Members Gamble, Hanick, Hooper, Marcantonio, Wood; Trustee Igel; Director Muhonen; Manager Klein; Manager Pastor; Engineer Waters; Engineer Wittwer; Recording Secretary McDonald; Paul Hornbeck and Karin Swanlund, Community Development Department; Lucy Harrington, GEI Consultants; Public Attendees Patti Brown, Tom Hannah, William Oster, Jane Stewart Absent: Member Ferko Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:08 p.m. Prior to commencing the official agenda, Chair Morris welcomed the TAB’s new members (Hooper, Marcantonio, Wood) and invited all present to provide a brief introduction. PUBLIC COMMENT Tom Hannah (Town Citizen) explained crosswalk safety issues at Colorado Highway 7 (CO 7) and 1st Street, where parked cars hinder traffic visibility. He suggested that the crosswalk be moved to 2nd Street to improve visibility and be equidistant to other CO 7 crosswalks, and has shared this request with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). He thanked the TAB for past support of the reconstruction for one-way travel on 3rd Street. Jane Stewart (Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success/EVICS) announced the pending development of a new childcare center on US 34 near the Estes Ark, and suggested that year-round transit service to this area of town would also benefit nearby workforce housing residents and patrons of Salud Family Health Center and Crossroads Ministry. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED APRIL 17 & MAY 15, 2024 It was moved and seconded (Ekeren/Hanick) to approve the April 17 and May 15, 2024, minutes, and it passed with 6 votes in favor, with 1 new member abstaining. TRUSTEE LIAISON UPDATE Transportation Advisory Board – June 26, 2024 – Page 2 Trustee Igel advised that the Town Board approved the TAB Bylaws Revision item on June 11. Discussion continues about development options for the Town-owned parcel at Elm Road. DOWNTOWN RIVER CORRIDOR STUDY Engineer Waters introduced Lucy Harrington of GEI Consultants and summarized progress of the grant-funded Downtown River Corridor Study, which is made possible by the Federal Emergency Management Association’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and issued by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency (DHSEM). Project resources are accessible on the Town’s Floodplain Management webpage. Project information was featured this morning at the Bike Estes Day event; feedback was good, with strong support for the trail construction envisioned in the 2018 Downtown Plan and further suggested in the 2018 Stormwater Master Plan. A September 10 Town Board Study Session about the project will include the conceptual plans and options for trail development. Discussion points included floodplain permit activity for the intended project area; the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) authority in floodplain management; trail construction preferences, limitations, and priorities; recommendations provided by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW); and the possibility of replacing the Riverside Drive public restrooms with a bus stop. Director Muhonen advised that many of the questions being raised were too detailed to address so early in the study. Engineer Waters advised that the study began with a focus on downstream issues and will study upstream issues later in the process. TAB members were encouraged to provide feedback directly to her or by accessing the online interactive polling and other digital options provided through the June 12 presentation link on the project webpage. PARKING & TRANSIT UPDATES Manager Klein reported that downtown core parking has been at or near capacity for weekend occupancy since the season launched on May 24, with at least two weekends seeing third-level use of the parking structure. Payment data reflects that the parking duration average now exceeds two hours, and that more guests are choosing the mobile app or text payment options. Parking ambassadors are presently focused on space- finding for guests and improper parking rather than overall enforcement. Revenue is up, despite some lots being limited. Red Route ridership is trending up, with 10,291 guests since May 24. RATP Dev is staffing up to launch The Peak’s remaining routes (Blue, Brown, Gold, and Silver) on July 1. Chair Morris encouraged TAB members to take riding tours of all routes. Thanks to the recently awarded Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) Ozone Season Transit Grant, all routes can now run 9am-9pm; the next print run of transit maps will reflect this time extension. Transportation Advisory Board – June 26, 2024 – Page 3 Bustang numbers have not yet been released, but the drivers report a successful start to the season. ENGINEERING UPDATES Director Muhonen reported that the Graves Avenue–Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project is at 99% completion for the south side concrete trail of Graves; work on the street’s north side begins this week. Storm sewer work should be done by June 27. The project is on schedule for August completion, and the public has expressed appreciation for the quick and efficient progress. Cleave Street Improvements (CSI) project updates continue to be provided through the project webpage and weekly email communication. Power & Communications Division work has slowed down behind the Old Church Shops due to challenges of subterranean conditions. Trenching for services and pedestrian light locations is planned for next week. Cleave Street continues to be watered for dust control. Xcel has been unresponsive regarding the bollard issues on private property. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES Director Muhonen advised that the Strategic Plan (SP) pages in the packet reflect the transportation goals and objectives that will need to be justified to the Town Board on July 9 for inclusion in the budget. At this point, any feedback from the TAB must be offered by members individually. For the 2025 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) updates, TAB input is due by July 8. CIP projects exceed $50k, and some of the projects will continue in phases beyond 2025. TAB members should review the SP and then the CIP before providing comments. Chair Morris invited TAB members to offer three CIP priority preferences at this meeting. Alternatively, she would write a TAB letter of support, or members could send to Director Muhonen further public comments that do not oppose the TAB’s final decision in the letter of support. Discussion points included prioritizing CIP projects estimated to cost under $1m; how potential grant funding is considered during the prioritization process; the benefits of providing a construction estimate when applying for a grant; and how bridge conditions are assessed for work. Additionally, in response to a request received by Director Muhonen, the TAB discussed how to formally quantify the efficacy of the Downtown Wayfinding Plan (DWP) signage, which members agreed are a “well-used, upscale addition” to Downtown Estes. Chair Morris summarized the TAB’s CIP priorities to be the Fall River Trail–Final Segment 2024; Downtown Wayfinding–Phase 2 Downtown Loop; and Community Drive Multi-Use Trail. Consultant proposals for the Big Horn Parking Structure Design are due July 9. Transportation Advisory Board – June 26, 2024 – Page 4 Director Muhonen reminded the TAB to follow the Downtown Estes Loop construction and CDOT US 34/36 Overlay project updates by visiting the dedicated websites (see agenda links) and signing up for the weekly email updates. UPDATE ON PAST PUBLIC COMMENT Per the TAB Public Comment Form submitted on June 2, it was agreed that speeding is an ongoing issue on Fish Creek Road, which is primarily used by locals. Director Muhonen advised that speed enforcement there is enforced by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. There was brief discussion regarding the value of dummy cars and radar speed signage to discourage speeding. OTHER BUSINESS None. There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 2:04 p.m. /s/Lani McDonald, Recording Secretary