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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Transportation Advisory Board 2023-10-18Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, October 18, 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 18th day of October, 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; Members Ferko, Gamble, Igel, and Slack; Director Muhonen; Manager Solesbee; Supervisor Klein; Recording Secretary McDonald; Jennifer Waters, Public Works Engineer; Paul Hornbeck, Community Development; Gina Fox, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT); Anthony Pratt, Kimley-Horn & Associates; Colleen DePasquale, Estes Chamber of Commerce Absent: Vice-Chair Ekeren, Member Bernal, Member Finley, Member Hanick Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:07 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT Chair Morris summarized the emailed public comment that was included in the packet, which requests improvements at the CO 7 and Lexington Lane intersection. Member Igel reported on public comments provided to him by his business customers and fellow downtown business owners. Comments included that UPS services downtown are being compromised due to poor planning and communication; that Estes Park has changed so much in 40 years that it is no longer “nice” and feels more “like a city” now, especially due to paid parking; and that Cleave Street development is not happening according to what business owners were told by the Town. Manager Solesbee advised that dialogue is currently happening with certain business owners regarding UPS delivery challenges. TRUSTEE LIAISON UPDATE Trustee Martchink reported that an overview of the 2024 National Community Survey would be presented at the October 24 Town Board meeting. TAB members were encouraged to attend. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 It was moved and seconded (Slack/Gamble) to approve the September 20, 2023, minutes with minor amendments, and it passed. Member Ferko abstained due to absence from the September 20 meeting. Transportation Advisory Board – October 18, 2023 – Page 2 NAAPME OPPORTUNITY FOR MORAINE AVENUE TRAIL; US 34 & US 36 OVERLAY PAVING Gina Fox (CDOT R4 North Program) walked through her first presentation, “CDOT’s Proposed and Upcoming Projects for US 34 and US 36.” Final Office Review (FOR) plans for overlay are due October 31, with advertising to begin November 30 and the overlay planned for June 1-September 1, 2024, during the warmer months. The scope of the resurfacing project includes curb ramp repairs; ADA repairs; overall bicycle and pedestrian safety considerations; and retaining wall construction along the Big Thompson River west of Fun City, which is planned for February through May 15, 2024. The overlay has a 20-year life expectancy. Presenter Fox then explained the Nonattainment Area Air Pollution Mitigation Enterprise (NAAPME) funds opportunity for the Moraine Avenue trail. She applied for $12m but has not received an official follow-up. Member Ferko, a NAAPME Board Member, advised that Estes Park is not in a nonattainment area and may not be eligible for NAAPME funding. Resident engineers for local agencies can apply for Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds. Discussion points for both presentations included the need for communication regarding the overlay project’s impact on traffic control for Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and status of the floodplain submittal; the general inconvenience of CDOT adding to the major construction projects already underway in the downtown artery, especially without addressing other improvements that could encourage non-car transit; the preference for night work in June and July to expedite the project; the deterioration of the US 34 bike path; and how the TAB can promote Estes Park’s eligibility for Moraine Avenue trail improvement funding. CONSULTANT UPDATE ON MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN & TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN Manager Solesbee introduced consultant Anthony Pratt (Kimley-Horn and Associates) and provided some context for this agenda item. The Multimodal Transportation Plan (MTP) and Transit Development Plan (TDP) are separate plans on parallel development and contracted through Kimley-Horn and Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates; overall project planning should take 12 months and result in considerations for the 2025 Town budget. With a 20-year outlook, the MTP is intended to build off transportation mode strategies detailed in the Estes Forward comprehensive plan; the TDP is a five-year plan to examine transit ridership, routes and service types, and technology methods. The Steering Committee is in place, and the TAB is needed to provide input early in the community outreach phase. Community engagement opportunities will take place now through spring, with the draft plan expected in mid-summer 2024. Presenter Pratt explained how the overall purpose of the MTP and TDP is captured in the simplified project title of Estes Park 2045 Transportation Plan (EPTP). The term “multimodal” in the title was indefinitely set aside in favor of using “for all modes, ages, and abilities” in the tagline. An overview of the new project webpage highlighted the multilingual features in development, and the issue mapping survey tool was Transportation Advisory Board – October 18, 2023 – Page 3 demonstrated; TAB members were given a promotional EPTP postcard with the survey QR-code and asked to beta test the draft website and mapping tool before it goes completely public. Survey results will be printed and posted online in English and Spanish. Discussion points included suggestions for additional marker/comment types on the mapping survey (“accessibility” and “big ideas”); adding the survey URL to the postcard; considering the use of circles or wheels on the project webpage to reflect the plan’s connectivity nature; how survey comments pertaining to county ownership would be communicated to Larimer County; whether TAB members were opposed to the decision to drop “multimodal” from the plan title; and project outreach events currently being planned. Manager Solesbee invited members to email her if they learn of any community events that would be appropriate opportunities for public engagement on the EPTP. TAB MEETING TIME DISCUSSION It was requested that this item be moved up from the official agenda time. Chair Morris summarized the September 20 discussion of the TAB meeting time, explaining that establishing a morning time frame had been agreed upon because it might better accommodate the schedules of business owners. Discussion points included the difficulty for many members and the general public in attending the current midday meeting time; the basic pros and cons of an evening or weekend meeting time; whether more attention could be drawn to the public comment form on the website (Recording Secretary McDonald will add the form to the actual TAB webpage); and why hybrid meetings (live with virtual option) are not offered. Director Muhonen advised that the Town Board sets the meeting format protocol for Town boards and committees, but that it may be possible for Town executive leadership to reopen the discussion. It was agreed that TAB members would be surveyed via email for their meeting time preference. PAID PARKING PROGRAM DISCUSSION Supervisor Klein reported that the paid parking season closes on October 22, with signs scheduled for removal on October 23. The parking structure has been full every weekend in September and October, with “game-day” traffic demanding police and traffic control staff. Complete utilization data will be processed and presented to the TAB on November 15. Manager Solesbee explained that staff is seeking Town Board approval to amend the reporting time frame for decisions to be made about the paid parking season. Now that the Town’s fall events are essentially extending the peak season through late October, it is no longer realistic to adequately analyze the paid parking season data, engage the stakeholders, and propose meaningful changes for the following paid parking season by December 31. Therefore, a March 1 reporting time for decisions will be proposed. It was agreed that extending the decision-making period was beneficial because addressing Transportation Advisory Board – October 18, 2023 – Page 4 issues with the “one size fits all” approach for a parking season can be ineffective policy when only “problem segments” occurring within a particular season need to be addressed. MOBILITY SERVICES Due to time considerations, Manager Solesbee forfeited this agenda item but reported that she just finished writing the request for proposals (RFP) for the Big Horn parking structure design. ENGINEERING & ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES Director Muhonen reported the Downtown Estes Loop (DEL) traffic pattern change. The night work permit for Flatiron Constructors, Inc. (FCI) has been extended through Memorial Day 2024. The Post Office retains 10 spaces on the lot’s west side for postal carriers, but office customers must park in the Riverside lot. Public Works is in dialogue with the postmaster regarding the offer to remove snow and create other accommodations for patrons to navigate to the entrance. Repaving work on East Riverside Drive and East Elkhorn Avenue should be complete before the downtown Halloween event. Traffic flow is smooth at the new US 36/Community Drive Roundabout (CDRBT). The guard rail was incorrectly installed and will be fixed. Some signs will be relocated for better visibility, and the street light poles are expected in late December. Landscaping work will be completed by Memorial Day 2024. The new ranch water station opened near the ball fields on Community Drive. The Estes Park Sanitation District (EPSD) completed its infrastructure work for the Cleave Street Improvements (CSI) and will add all-weather material on the trenches. The Town’s Power & Communications Department has delayed their relocation project until early December, and Engineer Bailey is confirming the time frame for underground utilities relocation. The US 34 Coalition met October 5 to hear about the US 34 Transportation Management Organization (TMO) development progress. The TMO will be composed of private and public members focused on the future of transportation options between Kersey and Estes Park; Manager Solesbee will serve on the TMO Selection Committee. With CDOT grant funding now in place, the RFP can be issued soon and the consultant selected by January. Discussion topics for all projects included the lack of adequate parking spaces for Post Office customers, particularly for the Christmas season; the efficacy of FCI hearing public comments about Post Office parking issues at the October 3 DEL Public Meeting; the expectation of strong business participation for the October 31 Halloween event; and whether increased signage or a flashing light at the new roundabout could encourage some drivers to slow down. It was agreed that traffic behavior at the roundabout would be better monitored after the permanent street lights are installed. Transportation Advisory Board – October 18, 2023 – Page 5 OTHER BUSINESS There was brief discussion about how to secure the funding needed for the Moraine Avenue trail improvements since NAAPME may not be possible. There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 2:17 p.m. /s/Lani McDonald, Recording Secretary