M I N U T E S
CITIZENS’ TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD (CTAB)
May 2, 2006
Alamo Corporate Center, 102 S. Tejon Street
First Floor Conference Room
1. CALL TO ORDER/ESTABLISH QUORUM: Chairperson Gary Bradley called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m.
Members present: Gary Bradley, Gene Bray, Dan Cleveland, Jane Dillon, Bob Hartwig, Joe Henjum, Ann Oatman-Gardner, Brian Risley and Joe Vaccaro.
Members absent: Don Schley and David Whitehead.
Staff present: Cam McNair, City Engineer; Bruce Thorson, Roadway Design Manager; Robin Kidder, Senior Civil Engineer; Travis Easton, PPRTA Project Manager; Scott Logan, Traffic Engineering Division Manager;Dave Krauth, Principal Traffic Engineer; John Merritt, Principal Traffic Engineer; Kathie Haire, Senior Traffic Engineer; Jude Willcher, Transportation Planning Engineer; Craig Blewitt, Transportation Planning Manager; Corinne Donahue, Senior Transit Planner; Leslie Hickey, Budget & Finance Office; Caitlin Green, Public Communications; and Gaye Smith, Transportation Planning.
Others present: Craig Casper, PPACG; Mike Cathan, citizen; Bill Hethcock, Gazette; Julie Imada, High Plains Messenger.
2. CITIZEN COMMENT: Mike Cathan introduced himself; he has moved to Colorado Springs from Fairfax, Virginia, and wished to observe the meeting.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the March 7, 2006 meeting were presented. Dan Cleveland motioned for approval, Brian Risley seconded, and the minutes were unanimously approved. Absent: Bray, Schley and Whitehead.
4. SUBCOMMITTEE BUSINESS:
A. Trucking Issues Subcommittee (TISC) Report - Bob Hartwig said that the Subcommittee had developed a list of criteria for its truck route review. The transportation system has been overlaid on a land use map, which is posted on the City’s website. To score the roadways, staff has developed a worksheet similar to the one CTAB used to score projects. Approximately 25 – 30 roadways on principal arterials are being reviewed. The Subcommittee is holding a work session on May 3 and hope to provide information at CTAB’s next meeting, with public hearings to be scheduled this summer. The Subcommittee would like to have a new truck route system adopted by January 1.
- - - Board Member Bray arrives - - -
B. Addition of Planning Commission Representative to TISC – Craig Blewitt said that he, Gary Bradley and Bob Hartwig had attended the City Planning Commission’s March 30 informal meeting to give the Commissioners a briefing on the work the Trucking Issues Subcommittee has been doing. Gary had invited a member of the Planning Commission to join the TISC, and Mark Cunningham has agreed to serve on the Subcommittee. The resolution that formed the TISC authorizes the Board to appoint additional subcommittee members and alternates as it deems necessary.
Ann Oatman-Gardner moved to approve the appointment of Mark Cunningham as a Planning Commission representative to the Trucking Issues Subcommittee. Bob Hartwig seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Absent: Schley and Whitehead.
C. Replacement of CTAB member to PPRTA Citizens Advisory Committee – Bob Hartwig has asked that another CTAB member be appointed to complete his term on the CAC, which expires this December 2006. Gary Bradley volunteered to complete Bob’s term.
Jane Dillon moved that the Board recommend acceptance of Bob Hartwig’s resignation from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority Citizens Advisory Committee, and that it recommend approval of the appointment of Gary Bradley to replace Bob. Joe Henjum seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Absent: Schley and Whitehead.
5. OLD BUSINESS:
A. Transit Update – Corinne Donahue had provided a Transit Services Status Report as part of CTAB’s meeting packet, and asked if Board members had any questions. She was asked if there was any news on securing a CDOT grant to continue the Front Range Express (FREX) service, and she said that a sustainability study is being funded through the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, and the study will start as soon as all the paperwork has been processed and received.
B. Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority Update – Robin Kidder and Travis Easton provided status updates on the first three RTA Group “A” capital projects that are currently in the design phase. Bidding is estimated to begin in May/June, with construction starting in July/August, subject to right-of-way acquisition.
· Austin Bluffs/Nevada Improvements: There have been 100 accidents at this intersection in the last three years. Approximately 64,000 vehicles travel through the intersection per day, and that volume is projected to increase to 90,000 vehicles per day in the future. Proposed improvements include an additional through lane for Austin Bluffs Parkway and double left turn lanes will be added for all directions except the southbound to westbound right turn movement, which will be changed to a signal-controlled movement.
Staff is working with Señor Manuel’s restaurant to help mitigate impacts. This project preserves the status quo along that section of Nevada Avenue. Construction is scheduled for July – December 2006.
· Academy/Fountain and Academy/Pikes Peak Intersection Improvements: These two projects are being combined into a single design and construction contract to take advantage of economies of scale. Design and construction of the improvements will be made to reduce traffic congestion and accidents at these intersections, and both projects include the purchase of right-of-way and widening the roadways to accommodate turn movements. Construction is scheduled for July – December 2006.
· Fillmore Corridor Improvements, Fillmore/Union Intersection, Templeton Gap Road to Hancock Avenue; and the El Paso Street Intersection: The three projects are being combined into a single design and construction contract. The Fillmore/Union intersection will have additional left turn lanes, making it the first intersection in the City with triple left-turn lanes. The intersection is unusual in that the turning movements have more traffic than the through movements. Free right turns on this and other roads in the City are being removed, as they tend to not be driven properly and result in increased accidents. Construction could begin in August and be completed in March 2007.
C. Corridor Travel Time Results – Scott Logan provided a report on the Greenlight Coordination Project, a strategic plan designed to improve signal coordination and reporting in four areas: Traffic benchmarking and reporting, signal coordination plans, signal equipment upgrades, and public information and outreach. Traffic benchmarking and reporting involves evaluating travel speeds, delays, other driver conditions and data collection. Several of the City’s busiest corridors are being monitored for benchmarking purposes, including Academy, Powers, Platte, Cimarron/Highway 24, Union and Research. The travel time results have been used to develop a study scope that will address critical elements, and Traffic Engineering is proposing that outside traffic signal “experts” be retained to assess problem conditions. The estimated cost of the study is $75,000, which would include exploring “best practice” policies of other municipalities, reviewing challenging signal corridors, applying innovative solutions, and bolstering public information and outreach activities. This study proposal will be presented to the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) Citizens Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors for funding. Craig Casper noted that $75,000 for such a study would be a bargain.
Scott said he was looking for support from CTAB and asked for the Board’s input. He received the following suggestions:
· Clarify for the PPRTA Board what area of funding would be used, and what other projects in that funding category are vying for the same money
· As part of the presentation, note that this study will give information and experience to City staff that will help with other corridors around the City, not just the ones in the study
· Define the end goal, or what the product will look like, after spending $75,000 for the study
· Board members agreed that the public communication component of the study was important
· Be careful about using an approach that appears to be asking for additional PPRTA funds; rather, this is a new project that fits within the existing guidelines of the capital and maintenance funding groups of the PPRTA.
Board members feel that this is a worthwhile project that could be funded through the PPRTA, and asked Scott to bring this back to CTAB for a motion of support for approval of the Greenlight Coordination Study.
D. Regional Transportation Improvement Program Update – Craig Blewitt handed out the FY 2007-2012 Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) along with a spreadsheet of proposed City of Colorado Springs project submissions. PPACG is responsible for preparing federal and state required transportation plans and programs for the region. A transportation improvement program, which is a six-year program of projects, is prepared every two years. Craig explained the funding categories, which include Metro, Enhancement and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ). Funds for 2007 have been held harmless, so this process is intended for funding of projects in Fiscal Years 2008 – 2012. All CMAQ funds will go to the City of Colorado Springs, as it was the only member government to submit projects.
The public review process for the draft 2007-2012 Transportation Improvement Program will extend for 30 days, from April 12 through May 12, 2006. Board members as well as the public can review the projects on the PPACG website at www.ppacg.org, and comments on the draft 2007-2012 TIP will be accepted through May 12 and may be submitted in writing either through the website or by mail. Craig asked that the Board look over the list of City projects that have been submitted and said that he will ask for a recommendation to Council on the projects at CTAB’s
June 6 meeting. This item will be presented to City Council on June 12.
- - - Board Member Bray leaves - - -
6. NEW BUSINESS:
A. Traffic Engineering Policy and Design Manual – Traffic Impact Studies – Jude Willcher provided the Board with copies of the first draft of the Traffic Engineering Policy and Design Manual section on Transportation Impact Studies, which is being expanded to include bicycles, pedestrians and transit. She noted that the last time this document was updated was in the early 1990s, and needs to be brought up to date so that it includes items such as roundabout design standards and the Complete Streets policy. Several topics will be covered in the Policy and Design Manual, with each reviewed separately. Staff is working with internal as well as external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include Traffic Engineering, the Planning Department, Utilities and CSFD; external stakeholders include members of the HBA, consulting engineers, ADA representatives and others, such as CTAB member Dan Cleveland.
Jude also handed out a general timeline of when drafts of the sections of the Design Manual will be compiled and then ready for presentation, and asked Board members what sections of the Design Manual she should bring to CTAB.
· Bob Hartwig asked that Jude come to the Trucking Issue Subcommittee for sections involving geometrics, design criteria and vehicles.
· Dan suggested that rather than go into great detail on each section, Jude could come back to CTAB with brief summaries and examples of use.
· Jude said that toward the end of the project, the sections of the Design Manual will be compiled and brought to CTAB as part of a formal process for approval. She felt that bringing each section to CTAB in advance of that would be easier for CTAB to review and comment on.
· The Board would like to look at each section as the drafts become available.
· Gary said that Board members would look at the Transportation Impact Studies section and provide comments at the next meeting.
· The Traffic Control and Signs & Markings sections will be provided to CTAB next month.
B. Speed Limit Setting Process – Dave Krauth said that Traffic Engineering has been conducting an extensive public involvement process regarding the City’s Speed Limit Setting Policy at the request of City Council, and will present the findings of this process to Council on May 8. The policy closely follows the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) recommended practice, with speed zones only set based on engineering studies. Under perfect conditions, speed is set to the nearest five-mile increment to the 85th percentile. However, other conditions have to be taken into consideration, such as design issues, accident statistics, pedestrians, bicycles, and schools. Over 1,100 studies were conducted, and less than ten percent of City roadways received increased speed limits. Dave explained the results of the before and after studies, and then discussed the input received at the public meetings. In addition to the four public meetings held in March and April, presentations were given at two Community Action Team meetings and at a meeting with the Council of Neighbors & Organizations (CONO). Over 100 phone calls were also received, with approximately half the calls complimentary and the other half expressing concern over the proposed policy. Once the details of the policy were explained, about 75% of the callers seemed to be guardedly satisfied. Examples of comments and concerns on specific roadways were then presented to the Board.
As a result of the public input, all arterial locations, with or without specific complaints, will be re-reviewed. Restudies will be conducted every three to five years, and as part of the updates, staff will enhance the review to include correlation to CSPD high crash locations and review of CSPD enforcement issues. City Council will be given updates annually as reviews are completed.
Dave was complimented on the public input process conducted by staff. Dan Cleveland moved to support the Speed Limit Setting Policy. Joe Henjum seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Absent: Bray, Schley and Whitehead.
7. STAFF AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS:
· Craig said that Council has postponed its decision on the North Nevada Corridor Improvement Plan and asked that the plan be taken to the Urban Renewal Board. Council also wanted to know that the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs supports this plan, and asked for justification for expanding North Nevada Avenue from four to six lanes. A private traffic study for the Urban Renewal Area should be ready in approximately two months, so staff will wait until that is available before going back to Council. This will also come back to CTAB.