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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Transportation Advisory Board 2023-05-17Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, May 17, 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 May, 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, Gamble, Hanick, and Slack; Director Muhonen; Manager Bailey; Supervisor Klein; Recording Secretary McDonald; Dana Paiement, Visit Estes Park Absent: Member Ferko, Member Finley, Member Igel, Trustee Martchink Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:16 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT Dana Paiement, Senior Destination Development Manager for Visit Estes Park (VEP), was in attendance to invite collaboration with the TAB on communication efforts for the Downtown Estes Loop (DEL) project, particularly regarding Moraine Avenue business owners who are impacted by DEL construction. Discussion points included examples of how the merchants could entice locals and visitors to shop throughout the construction period; the benefits of cooperative advertising by those businesses; the usefulness of placing phase-based DEL progress maps and printed project updates at lodging establishments; and the types of DEL resources currently on hand. Paiement will share the discussion points with VEP and possibly the Estes Chamber of Commerce; Member Hanick volunteered to assist. TRUSTEE LIAISON UPDATE Trustee Martchink was not in attendance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED APRIL 19, 2023 It was moved and seconded (Slack/Ekeren) to approve the April 19, 2023, minutes, and the motion passed unanimously. MOBILITY SERVICES UPDATE Supervisor Klein reported that the paid parking season begins May 26. The Town Board approved increasing the resident exemption for paid parking (Local Permit) from one hour to two. Payment kiosks now feature push/pull card readers, substantially reducing transaction time. Lot signage placement is in progress, as is training for The Car Park staff and Community Services Officers. Again this year, courtesy notice/welcome cards Transportation Advisory Board – May 17, 2023 – Page 2 will be issued in place of parking violations for the first few weeks of the paid parking season. The folded parking maps were presented. For transit updates, Supervisor Klein advised that a new general manager will be replacing Brian Wells at Rocky Mountain Transit Management. Manager Solesbee and Slate Communications received Town Board support to move forward with vehicle wraps and updated transit brochures and signage for stops. Six proposals were submitted for the Multimodal Transportation Plan; the selection committee is reviewing now for early June interviews. Electric trolley 1, now fitted with the same battery as trolley 2, is on its way back from the vendor. The Red Route hours have increased to run from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily; Director Muhonen will investigate whether Flatiron workers would utilize this option if hours are further extended to accommodate night shifts on the DEL. The trolley barn construction grant agreement will be presented at the June 13 Town Board meeting in preparation for the bid process. CDOT has canceled implementation of the Elkstang to Estes brand; service as Bustang to Estes resumes on May 27. Manager Solesbee, along with staff from Power and Communications and Platte River Power Authority, will present the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure and Readiness Plan at the May 23 Town Board Study Session at 5:00 p.m.; Board direction will be requested and the TAB is welcome to attend. Current public outreach efforts by Supervisor Klein and Manager Solesbee include media projects and scheduled presentations to various community groups. ENGINEERING UPDATE Manager Bailey reported that the Fall River Trail Extension (FRT) project was delayed by 60 days due to Xcel work, but that Dietzler Construction is quickly recovering the lost time to achieve completion of this project phase in July. The bus pullout will be poured next week, and the traffic light and flagger will remain through late June. Grant funding sources are Colorado the Beautiful (CtB) and the pending Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP); if the TAP grant is awarded at $2.2m, the final segment phase could be completed in late 2024 or 2025. The Cleave Street Improvements project is currently focused on detailed jointing plans for the concrete roadway, transformer location discussions, and sewer and electrical placement. Construction should begin this fall. The Graves Avenue – Safe Routes to School project is awaiting one easement and will not be completed before school resumes in August. DOWNTOWN ESTES LOOP UPDATE Director Muhonen advised that the girders were successfully set for the new Ivy Street Bridge, and gas line relocation should be completed by May 29. Public Works has offered use of its Elm Road yard for Flatiron’s equipment storage, which has been dominating the Post Office lot, and fencing will be removed before paid parking begins. Director Muhonen is also seeking commitment from Flatiron staff to utilize the parking structure for personal vehicles this summer. Transportation Advisory Board – May 17, 2023 – Page 3 Discussion points included whether food truck placement or restaurant vouchers could be used to incentivize construction staff to use the parking structure; the need to harmonize public information about the DEL between its dedicated project website and Flatiron’s construction schedule; and the general misperception of flow conditions at the new Ivy Street Bridge, which is strategically engineered to manage more flow. ENGINEERING & ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE Director Muhonen reported that the US 36/Community Drive Roundabout project continues with the May 15 pouring of the concrete lid for the trail underpass extension and the relocation of fiber and electrical, which is being expedited by the Town’s Power and Communications crew. The contractor is now ready to excavate and cut for the roundabout, and the Town’s Street Division will assist in backfilling the trail underpass beginning May 19. Material supply issues continue, but the project should see completion in June. There was brief discussion about the project’s impact on the Estes Park Marathon weekend, June 17-18. OTHER BUSINESS TAB members agreed that the variety of colors developed for Estes Transit branding will be of great benefit for users, and that the FRT project benefits from the reduced traffic entering Rocky Mountain National Park during its concurrent Fall River Entrance Station reconstruction. There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 1:53 p.m. \s\Lani McDonald, Recording Secretary