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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Transportation Advisory Board 2021-4-21 Transportation Advisory Board Agenda Current Members: Belle Morris (03/31/23) April 21, 2021 Lawrence Gamble (03/31/23) Gordon Slack (03/31/21) 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Ron Wilcocks (03/31/21) Tom Street (03/31/22) Ann Finley (03/31/23) Linda Hanick (03/31/22) VIRTUAL – Zoom Scott Moulton (03/31/22) Vacant (03/31/24) 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., Tuesday, April 20, 2021. 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., Tuesday, April 20, 2021. All call-in information will be provided to the Transportation Advisory Board and incorporated into the minutes. 3. No public attendance at this meeting. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION DURING MEETING Options for participation in the meeting will be available by call-in telephone option or online via Zoom Webinar which will be moderated by the Transportation Advisory Board Chairperson. CALL-IN (TELEPHONE OPTION): Dial public participation phone number, Toll Free 833-548-0276 Enter the Meeting ID for the April 20, 2021 meeting 913 1736 3744 followed by the pound sign (#). The meeting will be available beginning at 11:50 a.m. the day of the meeting. Please call into the meeting prior to 12:00 p.m., if possible. Request to Speak: For public comment, the Chairperson will ask attendees to indicate if they would like to speak – phone participants will need to press *9 to “raise hand”. The Chairperson will be moderating the Zoom session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address the Transportation Advisory Board. Once you are announced by phone please state your name and address for the record. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (ONLINE): Individuals who wish to address the Board via virtual public participation can do so through Zoom Webinar at https//zoom.us/w/91317363744 – Zoom Webinar ID: 913 1736 3744. Individuals participating in the Zoom session should also watch the meeting through that site, and not via the website, due to the streaming delay and possible audio interference. Start Time: The Zoom Webinar will be available beginning at 11:50 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Participants wanting to ensure their equipment setup is working should join prior to the start of the meeting at 12:00 p.m. Request to Speak: For public comments, the Chairperson will ask attendees to click the “Raise Hand” button to indicate you would like to speak at that time. The Chairperson will moderate the Zoom session to ensure all participants have an opportunity to address the Transportation Advisory Board. • You will experience a short delay prior to re-connecting with the ability to speak. • State your name and address for the record. In order to participate, you must: • Have an internet-enabled smartphone, laptop or computer. o Using earphones with a microphone will greatly improve your audio experience. • Join the Zoom Webinar. o The link can be found above. • Click “Participate Virtually in the Transportation Advisory Board Meeting”. • DO NOT watch/stream the meeting via the website at the same time due to delays and possible feedback issues. Documents to Share: If individuals wish to present a document to the Transportation Advisory Board, material must be emailed by Tuesday April 20, 2021 by 12:00 p.m. to the Public Works Office at publicworks@estes.org. AGENDA NEXT PAGE AGENDA Transportation Advisory Board Wednesday, April 21, 2021 12:00 p.m. 12:00 – 12:05 Public Comment Chair Belle Morris 12:05 – 12:10 Approval of March Minutes Chair Belle Morris 12:10 – 1:30 Graves Ave. Presentation Consultant Sanderson Stewart 1:30 – 1:50 Sidewalk/Trail Inventory Task Force Update Chair Belle Morris Public Works Director Greg Muhonen 1:50 – 2:00 Parking & Transit Updates Parking & Transit Mgr. Vanessa Solesbee The Car Park GM, Matt Eisenberg 2:00 – 2:10 Engineering Updates Engineering Mgr. David Hook 2:10 – 2:20 Project /Administration Updates Public Works Director Greg Muhonen Adjourn Carlie Bangs, Town Board Trustee Liaison Greg Muhonen, Estes Park Public Works Staff Liaison Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, March 17, 2021 Minutes of a Regular meeting of the Transportation Advisory Board of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held virtually on the 17th day of March 2021. Committee: Belle Morris, Tom Street, Janice Crow, Ann Finley, Larry Gamble, Linda Hanick, Scott Moulton, Gordon Slack, Ron Wilcocks Attending: Belle Morris, Tom Street, Janice Crow, Ann Finley, Larry Gamble, Linda Hanick, Scott Moulton, Gordon Slack, Ron Wilcocks, Trustee Carlie Bangs, Public Works Director Greg Muhonen, Engineering Mgr. David Hook, Parking & Transit Mgr. Vanessa Solesbee, The Car Park General Mgr. Matt Eisenberg, Rocky Mountain National Park John Hannon Shuttle Committee: B Wells, Karin Swanlund, Teri Salerno Absent: Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:05 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT No electronic submissions of public comment were received prior to the deadline and no public was in attendance. Chair Morris announced to the TAB that today’s meeting would be Member Janice Crow’s last meeting. Crow shared with the members that she’s very appreciative to have been involved in this board, and for the knowledge shared by the other TAB members. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made and seconded (Gamble/Slack) to approve the February meeting minutes with minor edits and all were in favor. BIG THOMPSON RECREATION AREA (Parks Supervisor Brian Berg) The Town’s Parks Supervisor Brian Berg shared with the TAB, the visioning to the final plan for the Big Thompson Recreation Area. An aesthetic approach was taken and prices have risen considerably since originally proposed. Berg first discussed it with Elizabeth Fogarty of Visit Estes Park (VEP). The conversation stalled until recently, but is gaining traction and VEP recently provided $50K for costs specific to a climbing boulder for this area. Two grants have now been awarded for this project totaling $95K. Berg shared plans with the TAB reflecting an ADA accessible concrete walkway from the bridge directly to an accessible picnic shelter; and another walkway from the bridge directly to the climbing boulder. A perennial bed will be added, along with river access by embedding the rock steps into bank. A tree berm would be installed for visual and audible barrier from the highways, which would include ponderosa and/or lodge pole pine trees. Berg wants people’s experience to involve hearing the river while recreating. Berg is excited to get the project started. Currently the Grant Agreement with VEP is pending final approval. Once approved, Berg will order the boulder which takes 10-12 weeks to arrive, and the shelters which will take 3-4 weeks. All work is to be completed in 2021. Muhonen stated he’s hopeful that this would be a connection to a future multi-use trail from the parking structure to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Member Crow shared that she loves the plan and the quality location for visitors and ties into the existing Riverwalk. Transportation Advisory Board – March 17, 2021 – Page 2 2021 SEASONAL SHUTTLES (Parking & Transit Mgr. Vanessa Solesbee) Solesbee shared that the 2021 Service Planning presentation is coming. She let the group know that slight changes to the packet were required. While the bulk of this presentation will look familiar to the information shared in January’s information, the intention is to recap throughout the entire month of February and provide the updated information. The Shuttle Committee members were invited to today’s TAB meeting to share with TAB what goes into shuttle planning including background analysis by staff. The presentation shown laid out the staff considerations for the planning: Operational, Safety & Accessibility, Rider Experience, Outreach, and Budget (2021 similar to 2020) as well as supplementing with Federal aid. Safety is always Solesbee’s primary consideration for both pedestrians and drivers during the season and she always tries to gather diverse perspectives. This was reflected in the determinations made for 2021. In prior years shuttle location tracking was utilized DoubleMap however, the functionality of the software proved very unreliable and the agreement with DoubleMap has since ended. At this time there is no tool for shuttle locations. Member Gamble asked if there was a possibility of providing drive access from the parking structure to the Visitor Center. Solesbee confirmed this possibility and said she’d speak to that more in her next update. Member Crow stated that this process has considered all different aspects and appreciates and she appreciates all efforts. Morris appreciates the dialogue had with Solesbee after the February meeting, circling back regard the move of the shuttle stops to the Visitor Center. She still feels the shuttle stops should be at the parking structure and believes in a shared space. She stated there is a solution if it’s thought through more fully. Rocky Mountain Transit Manager (RMTM) Brian Wells stated that, based on feedback received on the RMTM side, he looks forward to moving shuttles back to the Visitor Center. Trustee Bangs asked Muhonen if there are any plans to add elevators or added accessibility for the parking structure? Muhonen stated there are no plans to perform those upgrades. Visitor Center Manager Teri Salerno shared her agreement with the decision to move the shuttle stops back to the Visitor Center and commended Vanessa for being very thorough and gathering feedback from all the appropriate stakeholders while maintaining safety first. Solesbee proceeded to discuss potential Senate Bill 267 funding, further stated that she does not want grant opportunities to guide the Town’s projects. Muhonen shared ideas related to the funding and the pedestrian issues with the state highways. Ten percent of grant funding can be spent on design which equates to approximately $100K. TAB members showed general support of a corridor study. SIDEWALK/TRAIL INVENTORY TASK FORCE UPDATE (Chair, Belle Morris) The Task Force has created both a Gap Map and a Deficiency Map to outline next steps for SRTS planning. Morris requested TAB member participation broken down by street, to rate the conditions. Gamble added that it may not require walking all streets in person, but that some can be done using Google Earth. Morris asked for email or a call if interested. PARKING UPDATES (Parking & Transit Mgr. Vanessa Solesbee) Manager Eisenberg updated on the 2021 Seasonal Paid Parking implementation which will be presented to the Town Board in March, also providing 2020/2021 off-season statistics. Transportation Advisory Board – March 17, 2021 – Page 3 Eisenberg shared that the pay stations were ordered and shipped last Friday. The installation is anticipated to begin the week of May 10. Mobile payment setup is complete, and The Car Park is currently hiring two full-time staff. Parking wayfinding signage is in the works and is out for bid. He also shared that significant public outreach has taken place, providing presentations to several different stakeholder groups, as well as TAB. ENGINEERING UPDATES (Engineering Mgr. David Hook) Manager Hook provided project updates since the last meeting. Parking Wayfinding: Bids have been published/solicited and over 30 companies have already downloaded the bid packet. The Town will be opening bids on March 25 and anticipate completion by Memorial Day 2021. Fall River Trail: Another segment done of this trail was completed and a different section funded by grants from the Transportation Alternative Program (TAP), which are federal funds managed by CDOT, and the Multi Modal Options Fund (MMOF) which are state CDOT funds. Graves Ave. Improvements: Design is under way and there is strong potential for a more expansive design discussion at the April meeting. Town Development Reviews: Elkhorn Lodge redevelopment plans are ongoing. Hook reminded members that, as part of this redevelopment, a new sidewalk will be installed leading to Mrs. Walsh’s Garden. The Stanley Carriage House Restaurant and Film Center are currently in review and will require new sidewalk commitments. Updates will provided as reviews progress. PROJECT / ADMINISTRATION UPDATES (Public Works Director Greg Muhonen) Director Muhonen stated that during the March 9 Town Board meeting there was an update to the Memorandum of Agreement and the Reimbursable Agreement related to the Downtown Estes Loop. The updates were primarily administrative, but one addition was a previous verbal agreement to overlay West Elkhorn. This had n ot been documented prior to this update and requires no Town funds. Muhonen reported that the Town Board provided unanimous support. Previous floodplain concerns have been discussed and solved. OTHER BUSINESS (Chair, Belle Morris) There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 1:58 p.m. Megan Van Hoozer, Recording Secretary P: \ 2 0 2 3 1 _ E s t e s _ G r a v e s _ A v e _ S R T S \ C A D D _ C 3 D \ B A S E _ D W G \ 2 0 2 3 1 _ S I T E _ B A S E . d w g , N o r t h S i d e O p t i o n 1 , 4 / 1 6 / 2 0 2 1 2 : 4 0 : 0 8 P M , V G e n t r y , 1 : 1 P: \ 2 0 2 3 1 _ E s t e s _ G r a v e s _ A v e _ S R T S \ C A D D _ C 3 D \ B A S E _ D W G \ 2 0 2 3 1 _ S I T E _ B A S E . d w g , S o u t h S i d e O p t i o n 2 , 4 / 1 6 / 2 0 2 1 2 : 3 8 : 1 5 P M , V G e n t r y , 1 : 1 P: \ 2 0 2 3 1 _ E s t e s _ G r a v e s _ A v e _ S R T S \ C A D D _ C 3 D \ B A S E _ D W G \ 2 0 2 3 1 _ S I T E _ B A S E . d w g , S o u t h S i d e O p t i o n 3 , 4 / 1 6 / 2 0 2 1 2 : 3 6 : 3 5 P M , V G e n t r y , 1 : 1 Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, March 8, 2021 Minutes of a scheduled meeting of the Sidewalk & Trail Needs Task Force of the Trans- portation Advisory Board of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held virtually on the 8th day of March, 2021 Task Force: Belle Morris, Ann Finley, Larry Gamble, Linda Hanick, Scott Moulton Attending: Chair Belle Morris, Larry Gamble, Linda Hanick, Ann Finley, Public Works Di- rector Greg Muhonen, and Ryan Barr Absent: Scott Moulton Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:03 p.m. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT The Task Force Meeting was advertised and a link to the virtual meeting was provided. No members of the public participated in the meeting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made and seconded (Hanick/Finley) to approve the March 1 meeting minutes and all were in favor. NEW BUSINESS Director Muhonen asked Ryan Barr to attend because he and Christy Crosser are work- ing on developing maps for the Master Trails Plan addendum. These include trail up- dates for Brodie Avenue, Graves Avenue, the proposed roundabout at U.S. 36 and Community Drive, and along the west side of Highway 7 from Pine Knoll Drive to Peak View Drive. Director Muhonen pointed out that the Trails Master Plan has three parts: The narrative, maps, and an appendix. Barr mentioned that he had looked at the initial Task Force map that showed trail gaps and existing pathways to be evaluated for deficiencies. From his perspective the map looked comprehensive. He offered to assist with mapping using ArcGIS. Chair Morris shared the Gaps Map she had developed and explained the legend for Barr’s benefit. She informed those present that she had added a crosswalk on Manford Avenue from the high school parking lot to the Stanley Park athletic fields. Currently there is a crosswalk on Manford Avenue near the Community Garden and the tennis courts, but since there is no sidewalk on the north side of the street, the crosswalk does not connect to anything. She also added a sidewalk along the west side of Community Drive heading south from Graves Avenue, which would provide additional connectivity. The Gaps Map she prepared also shows a sidewalk along the west side of Highway 7 from Graves Avenue to Peak View Drive. Barr concurred that it was a good idea to provide a sidewalk on Country Club Drive be- cause of the new Peak View Apartments being constructed on the west side of Highway 7, opposite Country Club Drive. It was agreed among the group that there will likely be a need for a pedestrian-activated crossing signal in that vicinity to assist pedestrians and cyclists to cross Highway 7. Chair Morris asked if a roundabout at Peak View and High- way 7 could be considered in the future to provide an “entrance” to the Highway 7 corri- dor. She further explained that the roundabout could encourage slower speeds given the current speed limit in the area is 50 mph. As a follow-up to the conversation at the last Task Force meeting about the Reclama- tion Neighborhood, Director Muhonen indicated that the Town had not developed plans for the internal walkways that extend from Second Street to Third Street. He thought it would be a good idea to include improving those internal sidewalks to accommodate pe- destrians and cyclists. As an overview for Barr, Director Muhonen pointed out that the Gaps Map was intended to show corridors. On a project-by-project basis determinations would be made regard- ing on which side of the street a sidewalk would be developed, sidewalk width, and other details. Finley asked Director Muhonen if sidewalks along a street will slow traffic speeds? Di- rector Muhonen responded that would likely only happen if pedestrians were present. Although not a safe environment for pedestrians, cars will slow down if vehicles are parked along the side of the street. It was discussed among the group that on street parking can present its own safety issues (i.e., obstruct visibility). Director Muhonen informed the group that he spoke to CDOT Region 4 about the sign- age and striping plan for U.S. 34. He requested that CDOT share the plan with the TAB. He pointed out that it will likely not be available for review until the 3rd quarter of this year. Chair Morris asked if a “green” pathway (marked bike lane) should be shown along Mall Road to extend from U.S. 34 to the Lake Estes Trail to provide connectivity. The group concurred that this would be a good idea. Chair Morris proposed an idea regarding a multi-use path that would extend from Man- ford Avenue through the school campus. The amount of pedestrian and vehicle traffic was noted as a barrier in the Brodie Avenue survey. Could designs be cconsidered to help with this problem? Barr informed the group that Dave Coleson, Transportation Manager for the school district, should be contacted about pathway connectivity through the school campus. He mentioned that the school district is considering resurfacing parking lots and that could possibly include reconfiguration of parking lots. Director Muhonen pointed out that internal pathway needs would be eligible for SRTS funding. The school district would manage construction contracts, not the Town. However, the Town and the school district could jointly apply for SRTS funding. It is not certain that there will be a funding call in 2021. Barr suggested that the next SRTS grant application could be for a more integrative approach and could be used to develop an SRTS plan. Chair Morris shared the Deficiencies Map for review. She pointed out that the existing sidewalk along the south side of U.S. 34 needed to be added to the map. Barr agreed to transfer the Gaps and Deficiencies maps to ArcGIS. He thought he could send those out to the Task Force in the near future. The Task Force reviewed the potential for a sidewalk along First Street. Gamble pointed out that cars park head-in at El Mexcal and at MedX and cars would back out over a sidewalk on the east side of the street, creating an unsafe situation for pedestrians. He preferred that the sidewalk be placed on the west side of First Street. Chair Morris pointed out that the pedestrian crossing between the Ridgeline Restaurant and El Mex- cal is well-used, but difficult for pedestrians. Pedestrian safety is compromised because vehicles pull out onto Highway 7 from First Street, and there is very limited sight dis- tance. She asked if parking could be excluded in the vicinity of the intersection for better visibility. It was concluded that a pathway/sidewalk connection should be shown along First Street, but the details would be worked out at the project level. Barr showed the group a satellite image that revealed that there are existing crosswalks on Manford Avenue in the vicinity of the high school. In response, Chair Morris advo- cated for a crosswalk at the east end of Manford Avenue. In addition, a sidewalk is needed on the north side of Manford Avenue in the vicinity of the high school. So that Barr will be up-to-date on what the Task Force has been doing, Gamble agreed to send him the minutes from the March 1st Task Force meeting and he will also send a link to the audit spreadsheet that is on the shared Google drive. The Task Force reviewed the audit spreadsheet and Gamble pointed out the edits he had made. It was agreed that data could be entered directly on the spreadsheet and those doing data entry should not type over existing entries. Everyone is to work off the spreadsheet on the shared Google drive. Director Muhonen stated that the data collected and entered into the spreadsheet should be a “high level” summary of deficiencies. He suggested that those collecting in- formation could use satellite imagery instead of walking every street and pathway. The spreadsheet can be initially populated using satellite imagery, a windshield survey done as a next step if needed, and finally a walking survey if needed. The Gaps Map, the Deficiencies Map, and the audit spreadsheet will be presented briefly at March 17 TAB meeting, and TAB members will be polled to see if they are available to conduct pathway/sidewalk inventories. Director Muhonen volunteered to preload the spreadsheet with street segments, which can then be divvied up among TAB members to be inventoried. He will also add a col- umn to the spreadsheet where the name of the surveyor can be entered. The maps and the preloaded spreadsheet can be included in the TAB packet for the March 17 meet- ing. The Task Force agreed to complete the pathway/sidewalk inventory within a 1-mile ra- dius of the school campus by April 14, which is one week before the April 21 TAB meet- ing. It was further agreed that the Task Force would not be meeting until it was recon- vened again for Phase 2 of the pathway/sidewalk gaps and deficiencies process. The meeting was adjourned at 1:11 p.m. Action Items 1. Gamble to send Barr the minutes from the March 1 TAB Task Force meeting and a link to the audit spreadsheet on the shared Google Drive. 2. Muhonen to add a column to the audit spreadsheet for the “surveyor” and preload the spreadsheet with street segments to be inventoried. 3. Chair Morris to include the Deficiencies Map, the Gaps Map, and the audit spread- sheet in the TAB packet for the March 17 meeting. 4. Barr to transfer the Gaps Map and the Deficiencies Map to ArcGIS for the area within a 1-mile radius of the school campus. Public Works Engineering Streets Facilities Fleet Parking & Transit Parks 970-577-3587 publicworks@estes.org 170 MACGREGOR AVE. P.O. BOX 1200, ESTES PARK CO. 80517 WWW.ESTES.ORG DATE: April 16, 2021 TO: Transportation Advisory Board FROM: Greg Muhonen, Public Works Director RE: Support letter request This memo serves as a request to TAB for a support letter for a grant application. The application is to CDOT’s Revitalizing Main Street Larger Safety Infrastructure Grants. The project is the US 36 & Community Drive Roundabout. This project is currently finalizing design so the timing for this grant and this project’s readiness for implementation makes it a good fit. The grant application will focus on 2 areas: 1. The construction cost shortfall. 2. Design and construct a vertical curb and attached 10’ wide multi-use path on the east side of Community Drive between the roundabout and Manford Ave. The reason for proposing this multi-use path is to increase the competitiveness of this application and focus on safety features. Safety components is 30 percent of the evaluation scoring. This trail would serve the schools and Community Center. For more information on this grant opporutnity, this is the CDOT website. (https://www.codot.gov/programs/revitalizingmainstreets) The following are specific scoring criteria that TAB may want to address in your support letter. Revitalizing Main Street, Larger Safety Infrastructure Projects Scoring criteria Safety 30% (most important - high percent) The extent to which the project addresses an identified safety need. ● Strategic. Criteria: Addresses targeted higher risk crash type (i.e. pedestrians, bikes, access or multimodal). Must demonstrate that the decision for justifying the project is data driven. ● Effectiveness. Criteria: Applies proven countermeasure https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ ● Equity. Criteria: Level of Service of Safety (LOSS) and crash pattern analysis to assess current safety performance of project location based on observed crash history. https://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/programs-and-analysis/analysis Public Works Engineering Streets Facilities Fleet Parking & Transit Parks 970-577-3587 publicworks@estes.org 170 MACGREGOR AVE. P.O. BOX 1200, ESTES PARK CO. 80517 WWW.ESTES.ORG Promotes Active Transportation 10% Extent to which the project promotes active transportation in support of public health. Project provides significant new and/or safer access to biking, walking or transit. Public Support 10% The extent to which the applicant demonstrates public support. Application includes letters of support. Points will vary depending on level of support and the studies conducted to garner public support. Your support letter will be included in the grant application which we plan to have complete by May 11, 2021, for a May 14 due date. Please address your letter to: Grant Review Committee Revitalizing Main Street Larger Safety Infrastructure Grant CDOT cdotmainstreets@state.co.us We are grateful for TAB’s support of this project and the grant application. I am available to answer your questions. If you would like “talking points” for your support letter we can provide these to you.