TAB 2018-05-14 East Arap_Public Hearing_FINAL
CITY OF BOULDER
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD
AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: May 14, 2018
AGENDA TITLE: Public hearing and consideration of a recommendation regarding the East Arapahoe/SH7 Transportation Plan
PRESENTERS: Michael Gardner-Sweeney, Director of Public Works for
Transportation
Kathleen Bracke, GO Boulder Manager
Jean Sanson, Senior Transportation Planner, GO Boulder
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The city is bringing forward the draft East Arapahoe (SH 7) Transportation Plan (EATP) to the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) for consideration of a recommendation to City Council.
Aligned with Boulder’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP), the 2040 vision plan for the East Arapahoe corridor creates a Complete Street that includes safety improvements for people using
all modes, walking and biking enhancements, improved regional and local transit, reliable vehicular travel, and urban design features.
Setting the vision for the East Arapahoe corridor is the first step in a multi-year journey. The EATP provides the vision framework to begin improving corridor conditions today for neighborhood
residents, employees and visitors; and into the future as the city works with local and regional partners to advance regional mobility improvements along the length of SH 7 between
downtown Boulder and I-25, and ultimately to Brighton.
Importantly, the EATP positions the city to work with our SH 7 partners in pursuit of regional, state, and federal funding for high quality-high frequency Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a
regional bikeway, pedestrian improvements and fi rst and final mile supportive infrastructure along the length of the SH 7 corridor. Upon acceptance, the Plan will become part of the
larger regional SH 7 project development process to advance multimodal improvements, including BRT and a commuter bikeway, in the corridor between downtown Boulder and I-25/Brighton.
Throughout the EATP planning process and at key milestones, TAB has provided input and feedback to help shape the vision. As examples, TAB has been instrumental in helping to strengthen
the Plan’s focus on the City’s Vision Zero goals, has helped to examine and critique the technical analysis; and has advised the project team on effective outreach and communication
strategies. Attachment A: Draft East Arapahoe (SH 7) Transportation Plan is a synthesis of the information provided to TAB throughout the multi-year planning process.
The draft plan is accompanied by Attachment B: Community Working Group (CWG) Statement of Findings. Note that while the intent of the CWG was not to reach consensus on a preferred vision,
through the course of ten meetings and extensive discussion and deliberation over the data-driven analysis, the CWG determined that they agreed on a preferred vision. The CWG Statement
of Findings documents this support.
The project team has also received a great deal of input and feedback on the plan vision from community members, including comments provided at the most recent open house event on February
15, 2018 and via email. The feedback received includes concerns about traffic congestion, safety for people walking and biking, and the need to improve bus service. All comments received
are documented in Attachment C: Public Input on the Recommended Alternative.
BACKGROUND
The 2014 TMP calls for a Complete Street study of the East Arapahoe corridor; and the East Arapahoe/SH7 Transportation Plan (EATP) has been underway since 2015 to identify long-range
transportation improvements.
Community Engagement and Planning Process
Broad community outreach for the EATP has been consistent with the city’s 9-step public engagement decision making process and has included 10 meetings of the EATP Community Working
Group (CWG), 5 public workshops and open houses, 34 corridor stakeholder, individual and small group meetings, as well as ongoing meetings with agency partners.
Consistent with the TMP focus areas, the city established project goals to guide the planning process and to analyze corridor alternatives. Four conceptual alternatives were identified
for transportation improvements. The alternatives, along with results of the alternatives evaluation and community feedback, have been presented to TAB at key milestones throughout
the planning process. Most recent TAB input on the evaluation of alternatives and recommended alternative was provided to staff at the Board’s meeting on September 11, 2017. More information
on the alternatives and the analysis is provided in the Evaluation of Alternatives Summary Report.
Based on input from the CWG, TAB, and broader community feedback, staff recommended Alternative 3 to City Council in December 2017. This recommendation was shared with TAB at the Board’s
meeting on January 8, 2018. See City Council Information Packet for details. Alternative 3 is the recommended complete street design option and basis for the 2040 vision described in
the Draft Plan.
Future Challenge and 2040 Vision
If no improvements are made to East Arapahoe, conditions for all travelers will deteriorate over time. Adding more lanes will not fix the problem. In the short-term, adding general purpose
lanes in the east end of the corridor would reduce some congestion, but they would quickly be filled by new traffic and those who change travel patterns. In the long-term, Arapahoe
Avenue would become so congested that additional traffic would disperse to connecting roadways making those intersections and corridors more congested.
Instead, the EATP considers how to safely move more people with better travel options in the existing right-of-way. Right lanes (or curbside lanes) in the corridor today are underutilized
because drivers try to avoid getting stuck behind buses and turning cars. The vision calls for a more efficient use of this space. Specifically, the 2040 vision for East Arapahoe creates
a Complete Street, which is one where all users are considered and safely accommodated, supporting the city’s “Vision Zero” effort to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries from
traffic collisions. In the 2040 vision, regional BRT service connects Boulder to I-25 and Brighton via State Highway 7 and east Arapahoe includes the following features:
Two general-purpose traffic lanes are maintained in each direction
Curbside business access and transit (BAT) lanes accommodate local and regional transit, right-turning vehicles, HOVs and new technologies such as shared autonomous/connected vehicles
Raised protected bike lanes with a multi-use path create safe, comfortable places for people to walk and bike
Amenity zones enhance the streetscape and public realm
The Plan is expected to enhance safety for all users, maintain auto travel times while providing a transit travel time that is competitive with the automobile, and increase access and
comfort for all people walking and bicycling. The Plan also:
Provides the flexibility to serve existing neighborhoods as well as to adapt – both to future land use changes within the corridor and to rapid technological advances that have ushered
in an era of evolution in mobility options.
Increases mobility options to improve safety, health, air quality and reduce our impact on the climate.
Reduces vehicle miles traveled in the corridor by 14% compared to making no improvements.
Creates greater visibility for cyclists, more separation from general traffic, and separates bicyclists and pedestrians, thereby increasing safety, access and comfort for all people
walking and bicycling.
Enhances livability, creating an attraction for community-oriented businesses.
Implementation
The Draft Plan outlines all elements of the long-term vision, including an approach to incrementally phase improvements. It includes near-, mid-, and long-term implementation actions,
with additional community engagement at each step.
The next phases of the project include finalizing corridor design and refining cost estimates as the city continues to pursue funding with regional partners and make progress toward
shorter term localized improvements in the corridor. Key short-term implementation items include the following:
Develop a Right-of-Way Plan to integrate right-of-way needs into development review process.
Develop an Access Management and Connections Plan to consolidate driveways and improve access points.
Design intersection configurations and traffic signal practices to enhance safety.
Complete missing multi-use path links.
Coordinate mobility hub planning with the 55th and Arapahoe Area Plan.
Work with area employers to encourage the use of parking management and transportation options, e.g., transit, ridesharing, and other TDM programs (parking cash-out, EcoPasses, etc.)
For more information, please see the East Arapahoe (SH7) Transportation Plan website.
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED
Staff is seeking a recommendation to the City Council regarding the draft East Arapahoe (SH 7) Transportation Plan (EATP). Findings will be presented to City Council for acceptance in
the 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2018.
Attachments
Draft East Arapahoe (SH 7) Transportation Plan
Community Working Group (CWG) Statement of Findings
Public Input on the Recommended Alternative