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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Transportation Advisory Board 2023-12-2012/15/2023 TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD December 20, 2023 12:00 p.m. REGULAR MEETING Town Hall | Board Room AGENDA In-Person Meeting | Board, Staff, and Public 12:00 pm TAB Appreciation Meal 12:20 pm Public Comment (packet) 12:25 pm Trustee Liaison Update Trustee Martchink 12:30 pm Approval of Minutes dated November 15, 2023 (packet) 12:35 pm Mobility Services Update Supervisor Klein 12:45 pm Transportation Plan Update Supervisor Klein 1:00 pm Engineering Update Engineer Bailey 1:10 pm Administrative Update Director Muhonen 1:25 pm June 2024 TAB Meeting Reschedule Chair Morris 1:30 pm Other Business Adjourn       Transportation Advisory Board | Public Comment Form Please enter your full name. (This information is required to ensure the Town keeps accurate records of public comment.) Name * The Transportation Advisory Board welcomes input from the public at any time. Regular meetings of the TAB are held on the third Wednesdays of each month, 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Meetings are typically held in Town Hall Rooms 202/203. However, due to remodeling, meetings are being held in the Town Hall Board Room until further notice. Public comment can be attached using the Upload button below or typed into the text box below. File Upload Comments for the Transportation Advisory Board * Please note, all information provided in this form is considered public record and will be included as permanent record for the item which it references. Date joan hooper Files are limited to PDF or JPG. 25 MB limit. Video files cannot be saved to the final packet and must be transcribed before submitting. Limited to a maximum of 1000 characters. For comments over 1000 characters, please use the Upload feature above. Re: Transportation needs survey and Director Muhonen's proposed allocation for the 1% sales tax renewal: 1. My personal opinion is that higher priority (and percentage) should be allocated to wildfire mitigation, to trails expansion/maintenance and to the shuttles. But you need more public input on this issue. It should be and explicit part of the survey. 2. To get more public input, why not posters at the PO, grocery, dollar and hardware stores with a QR code? 3. The map survey is confusing to use; the text one is much better 2023-12-20 09:18:06 AM Transportation Advisory Board | Public Comment Form Please enter your full name. (This information is required to ensure the Town keeps accurate records of public comment.) Name * The Transportation Advisory Board welcomes input from the public at any time. Regular meetings of the TAB are held on the third Wednesdays of each month, 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Meetings are typically held in Town Hall Rooms 202/203. However, due to remodeling, meetings are being held in the Town Hall Board Room until further notice. Public comment can be attached using the Upload button below or typed into the text box below. File Upload Comments for the Transportation Advisory Board * Please note, all information provided in this form is considered public record and will be included as permanent record for the item which it references. Date joan hooper Files are limited to PDF or JPG. 25 MB limit. Video files cannot be saved to the final packet and must be transcribed before submitting. Limited to a maximum of 1000 characters. For comments over 1000 characters, please use the Upload feature above. proposed trails, bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths for the Transportation plan. There is a huge need for safe pedestrian/bicycle route along Hwy 7, particularly from Mary's Lake Rd to Lilly lake where the highway is narrow, climbs steeply and has no shoulder. What about reviving and improving the old Fish Creek Road (currently part is Homer Rouse Trail). The roadbed & public easements are already established so this would be a low-hanging fruit to add to our paved trails system connecting the town to the park. 2023-12-20 09:33:52 AM Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, November 15, 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 15th day of November, 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 Bernal, Finley, Gamble, Hanick, and Slack; Director Muhonen; Manager Solesbee; Engineer Bailey; Supervisor Klein; Recording Secretary McDonald; Paul Hornbeck, Community Development Planner; Public Attendees Deb Dufty, Michael Melanson, and Kristine L. Poppitz Absent: Member Ferko, Member Igel Chair Morris called the meeting to order at 12:05 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT None. TRUSTEE LIAISON UPDATE Trustee Martchink reported that the Town Board approved Ordinance 10-23 mitigating impacts of downtown construction on downtown businesses and affirmed support for continuing the 1% sales tax renewal with a modification to the originally proposed funds allocation. The 2024 ballot language for the sales tax renewal will be formally set in January but is eligible to be challenged by citizen action groups before the April vote. Trustee Martchink briefed the TAB on the Town Board’s reasons for changing the proposed funds allocation, and also indicated that neither he nor Mayor Koenig plans to run in the April 2024 municipal election. APPROVAL OF MINUTES DATED OCTOBER 18, 2023 It was moved and seconded (Gamble/Slack) to approve the October 18, 2023, minutes, and it passed unanimously. MOBILITY SERVICES UPATE Manager Solesbee advised that the ADA Transition Plan public meeting took place on November 9 but that the draft plan could be accessed and commented upon through the Town website (www.estes.org/ada). The plan’s original scope was expanded to include on-street parking and transit stops. Transportation Advisory Board – November 15, 2023 – Page 2 Two firms responded to the request for proposals (RFP) for the Visitor Center Parking Lot Redesign / US 34 Corridor Study. The proposals are being reviewed by staff and the Selection Committee; next steps are discussing the budget and negotiating fees. Manager Solesbee met with the Transportation Management Organization (TMO) to discuss relationship building with Estes Park and other communities that may wish to participate in the TMO efforts without financially committing as official members of the US 34 Coalition. The North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) is developing the intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) required for non-member communities to participate in the TMO and is also seeking a consulting firm to develop the TMO bylaws and handle start-up administrative and marketing tasks. The Big Horn Parking Structure RFP is under director review, and the project itself will be led by a new Public Works position, limited-term Project Manager. Grant agreements for the Trolley Barn project and Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Transition Plan are expected from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) by March. The Town of Estes Park is one of nine Colorado agencies to be awarded $100k in 2024 Federal Transit Administration 5311 Rural Area Formula Funds for expansion efforts. Discussion points included why Estes Park is not an official member of the US 34 Coalition; the Town’s reputation for responsiveness and good stewardship of grant funding; and how model communities will be used to develop the ZEV Transition Plan. TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE Manager Solesbee reported that the Town’s Transportation Plan (TP) survey postcard was handed out at the Dia de los Muertos event, National Philanthropy Day, the ADA Transition Plan meeting, and the recent trolley event for Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success (EVICS). Public engagement with the online survey and mapping tool is good. Staff is now reviewing Kimley-Horn’s draft Existing Conditions and Economic Conditions/Demographic summary. Discussion points included functionality aspects of the TP’s mapping tool; how to encourage further public engagement with the survey through early January, particularly for those who don’t use the computer; and the possibility of promoting the TP and survey with a utility billing mailer that invites different methods of response. 2023 PAID PARKING PROGRAM YEAR-END RESULTS Supervisor Klein walked the TAB through the “Seasonal Paid Parking Program: 2023 Year-End Results” packet report. Presentation points included a review of the program’s four goals; the impact of downtown construction on all Town parking lots; how staff carried out the operational focus on communication strategies throughout the summer; insight into the peak occupancy data for all paid and free lots on weekends compared to weekdays; data measuring the parking activity of permit holders; the breakdown of Transportation Advisory Board – November 15, 2023 – Page 3 program revenue and expenses; opportunities through which the program engaged customers and stakeholders; the strong partnership with the EVL; and the program’s key takeaways. The same report will be shared at the November 28 Town Board meeting, and an amendment to the program’s annual decision deadline (from December 31 to March 15) will be presented at the December 12 Town Board meeting. Discussion points included the “sweet spot” of 85 percent lot occupancy, which allows prospective parkers to feel confident in finding a spot; parking structure usage trends; Local Permit usage data, which did not reflect an increase of activity (weekends or otherwise) with the added hour of exemption; the willingness of customers to stay-and- pay in “good” spaces; the staff achievement of 98% positive feedback from customers; the strain of Bond Park weekend events on the program in September and October; and the transit program achievement of nearly 100k riders, which was credited in part to the electric trolleys, vehicle wraps, YMCA route, and the Zero Fare for Better Air campaign. Discussion points included the monitoring of kiosk skimmers for security issues; signage methods used when the parking structure was full; ParkMobile app issues for Apple Pay users in Estes Park; and parking structure clearance and how this is communicated to approaching vehicles. Director Muhonen advised that, after analyzing the 2023 program data and the ongoing impact of major construction downtown, Town staff determined that there will be no program changes made for the 2024 paid parking season. This decision also means that the 2024 Town Strategic Plan will not include implementing phases 3 and 4 of the Downtown Parking Management Plan (Objective 4.A.1). Instead, the 2024 paid parking program will feature communication and signage improvements, expanded transit services, and an increase in seasonal staff. It was agreed that making no changes for the 2024 season was a reasonable, balance-based decision for the community. ENGINEERING UPDATE Due to time considerations, Engineer Bailey’s report was brief. For the Cleave Street Improvements project, Xcel Energy’s contractor is awaiting a final design for the gas line relocation. The Town’s Power & Communications Department will perform underground work in December. Estes Park Sanitation District’s (EPSD) chemical treatment of their restored trench is going well. Street construction is expected to begin in February or March. Construction for the Graves Avenue Improvements/Safe Routes to School project is planned for summer 2024. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE Director Muhonen reported that the new Public Works position of Project Manager has been approved for recruitment. Additionally, he clarified the final allocation to be proposed for the 1% sales tax renewal allocation: 46% street maintenance; 28% stormwater infrastructure; 12.5% trail expansion and maintenance; 9% wildfire mitigation; and 4.5% Transportation Advisory Board – November 15, 2023 – Page 4 upgrading overhead electrical lines. The TAB agreed that it was not necessary to schedule a special meeting to further discuss this topic. TAB MEETING TIME DISCUSSION Regarding the email “survey” of possible time changes for the TAB’s regular meeting, Chair Morris reported that members mostly expressed flexibility and the overall desire to encourage the best participation from members as well as the public. It was agreed that the time change could be discussed again when the board term ends for some members on March 31, 2024. Meanwhile, the public can be encouraged to use the TAB’s online public comment form, and task forces can be formed as necessary for TAB-focused topics. OTHER BUSINESS As introduced by Member Gamble, it was agreed that public input provided at any meeting should, if necessary, be featured as a formal item on the following month’s agenda. Recording Secretary McDonald advised that the December 20 meeting would feature the TAB’s annual appreciation meal, and that the June 2024 regular meeting date conflicts with the Town’s Juneteenth holiday closure. There being no further business, Chair Morris adjourned the meeting at 2:02 p.m. Lani McDonald, Recording Secretary