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04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program CITY OF BOULDER TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM MEETING DATE: April 11, 2022 AGENDA TITLE: Curbside Management Briefing and TAB Feedback PRESENTER(S): Erika Vandenbrande, Director of Transportation and Mobility Natalie Stiffler, Deputy Director of Transportation and Mobility Valerie Watson, Transportation Planning Manager Chris Hagelin, Principal Transportation Planner Liv Lewin, Senior Transportation Planner EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This memo provides a status update on the Curbside Management project. The purpose of the project is to develop a policy framework and implementation guidebook to support the management of the space in the street adjacent to the curb that has typically been used for on-street parking, bus stops, and loading zones. With innovation in mobility technology and a greater need than ever for sustainable mobility choices, there are new and increasing demands on accessing the curb from the public right-of-way. Balancing these competing needs comes with inherent trade-offs. While supporting the city’s transportation and sustainability goals remains our north star, this effort will focus on creating policies and procedures to address these competing needs and trade-offs and produce a guidebook for future implementation of changes within the curb zone. Additionally, the project aims to organize the street to support great neighborhood/districts & places, structure efficient and consistent implementation across departments, and to test out concepts through the use of pilot projects The project timeline spans from Fall 2021 through Spring 2023. TAB will continue to be engaged throughout the project through membership in the Access Allies stakeholder group and periodic agenda items at monthly meetings. This memo summarizes the results of the community engagement process to date. It also includes an update on the progress of documenting existing conditions and the process to identify potential pilot projects to test new curbside management strategies and technology. BACKGROUND: The Curbside Management project will create a new plan for managing curbside space in a way that meets the needs of everyone who uses our streets and achieves our community goals for transportation access and parking management. The project is part of the implementation of the Access Management and Parking Strategy (AMPS) implementation and focuses on the commercial districts of downtown, Boulder Junction, and University Hill (see Attachment A). These three areas of focus were chosen 04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program Page 1 of 7 because they show the highest demand for curbside space, have the largest variety of competing demands, and where the city has already been adapting curbside uses in response to COVID and its impact on travel behavior. Curb space is important because it provides the most direct access to offices, stores, and residences in our busy commercial districts. Changing policies and how we designate the curbside uses will involve tradeoffs because of the increasing demand and new ways in which the curb is being used. For example, we need to improve safety and reduce traffic delay relating to the pick-up and drop-off of people using Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). In addition, with COVID, came an increased demand for short-term loading and unloading and food pick-up. The city’s goal is to manage the curb so that it is accessible, safe and easy to use for all visitors, residents and employees. The project, funded by a grant from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), will be completed in early 2023. The primary deliverables of the project will be a set of policies to manage curbside demand and an implementation guidebook that will establish standard operating procedures for staff on how curbside uses are determined, identified through signs and markings, operated, and the process for responding to requests for changes in curbside uses. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Access Allies One of the key approaches to Community Engagement for the Curbside Management project is continuing the Access Allies group that was begun for previous AMPS-related efforts. For the Curbside Management project, the group was reconvened, and additional members were invited to ensure broad representation from all three commercial districts as well as other organizations, including TAB. The group has met twice so far (December 2021 and February 2022), with the next meeting on April 7, 2022. The role of the Access Allies stakeholder group in this project is to provide focused guidance from subject matter experts within the community, as well geographically-specific, on-the ground-knowledge of local conditions to inform the overall project process. For example, they recognized the influence that curbside choices have on the human experience and that each of the three areas have localized conditions that may require different approaches to address. Community Engagement Process The purpose of the engagement activities was to gather input on which types of curbside uses community members would like to see more or less of and to present some initial existing conditions for comment. This feedback will roll into a set of reports that will form the basis for the development of pilot projects and ultimately policy direction and the implementation guidebook. The first round of community engagement took place February-March 2022 and included focus groups, presentations to boards and commissions, an online questionnaire, in-person pop-up events and Spanish-language engagement on social media. Focus groups were conducted with transportation service providers, freight delivery providers, and business/property owners in the districts of focus. The purpose of the focus groups was to understand how the curb is currently used and accessed, problems or issues faced by service providers or business owners and understand how the city could better manage curbside access and adapt to changing conditions or needs. 04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program Page 2 of 7 City staff met with the Downtown Management Commission (DMC), Boulder Junction Access District (BJAD), and University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission (UHCAMC) to introduce them to the project and receive initial feedback on goals, process, and deliverables. The project team also developed an Online Questionnaire and posted that on the project website (http://www.access4boulder.com). The questionnaire was designed to get feedback on how people currently access the curb, problems faced with accessing destinations, and ideas on how the city can better manage the curb to improve mobility and access. We have received 267 responses to the questionnaire. To guide people to answering the questionnaire, the project team held a series of pop-up events in downtown Boulder, Boulder Junction and University Hill. These in-person events also provided opportunities for in-depth conversations on curbside access, problems faced with visiting these focus areas and ideas for improving access and mobility. To address social equity needs in community engagement processes, the city also implemented a series of Spanish-language posts on Facebook. Key Themes Focus Groups and Boards and Commissions - Desire to improve safety and reduce congestion through designated pick up and drop off locations for TNCs - High demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on-street - Parking availability and intuitiveness is important, while balancing the desire to use the curb to promote mode shift goals - The success of temporary street closures fluctuates with seasons and hinge on effective design - Design the curb to improve business activity - Consider the unique needs of freight vehicles when planning loading zones - Improve access to the curb for transit vehicles - The curb should evolve to reflect changes in technologies and travel preferences - Curb space should be dedicated to people biking rather than vehicles Questionnaire Overall, participants indicated general support for repurposing curb space for a variety of uses in their responses to the questionnaire. The majority of respondents wanted more trees, greenery, and art and less on-street parking in all three areas. Other themes included: - More street closures that serve as parklets o Desire to make Pearl Street temporary closure permanent. Others do not like the closure. Lots of comments on this topic. - Parking o Free parking in garages on weekends. More intuitive payment for parking on-street o Better direct people to available parking and garages through wayfinding. Prioritize garages for private vehicle parking and curbside spaces for other uses such as ADA, curbside pick-up, and parklets. o Desire for more parking as well as a desire for less parking o Better program for employee parking o Desire for motorcycle parking 04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program Page 3 of 7 - Dislike of traffic calming treatments that remove parking - More high turnover curbside pick-up spaces - Desire for initiatives that encourage alternative transportation, e.g.,: cycling, scooters, walking, electric vehicles, public transportation, etc. o More and improved bike/scooter parking; reduce the number of micromobility devices on the sidewalk and reduce bike theft o Need for more bike facilities (although this is not captured in the existing data shown) o More ADA accessible parking. Concern for parking availability and access for those with mobility challenges. o Better pedestrian crossings o More greenery, but be aware of maintenance and visibility o Curb treatments that improve traffic safety and personal safety; improved activation The input will be used to develop recommendations and pilot projects in the next phase of the project. EXISTING CONDITIONS: One of the first steps of the project was to conduct a detailed inventory of curb uses and parking utilization in the three commercial districts, as well as to conduct field observations. Aside from driveways and curb space preserved for sight distance for safety, the vast majority of curb uses remaining were for on-street paid parking in all three districts, and much smaller shares of parklets/bike corrals, loading zones, and bus stops (see example in Figure 1 on the next page). Typically curbsides have been focused on parking; throughout this process will re-envision how to use the curbside to meet new and emerging demands and balance competing interests for the use of the curb zone. Some of the existing issues to address include: • Unsafe movements with drop-offs taking place in the travel lane • TNCs cruising to find passengers • Lack of clear and intuitive signage on curb regulations • Move the city towards its sustainability goals • Promote safer/more convenient loading activity with smaller vehicles • Provide food access for areas that do not have convenient access to restaurants • Non-compliance/safety concerns for loading, curbside pick-up, and passenger pick-up/drop-off The project team has also started reviewing the regulations in the Boulder Revised Code that govern the use of public streets. These are largely in Title 7: Vehicles, Pedestrians, and Parking (Boulder Traffic Ordinance) and may need to be updated to support changes proposed in the ultimate guidebook. In addition, staff is reviewing and documenting existing standard operating procedures related to curbside management to be updated through this process and included in the guidebook with the intent of consistent and streamlined implementation across city departments. Staff are actively collaborating across city departments to ensure that this project is cognizant of and coordinating with related, ongoing efforts within the city. These related projects include the evaluation of continued outdoor dining demands, changes in parking pricing and duration stemming from the previous AMPS effort, and vehicle charging infrastructure plans. 04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program Page 4 of 7 Figure 1. Downtown Curb Uses PILOT PROJECTS: As part of the policy evaluation and the development of the implementation guidebook, the project team will conduct a series of pilot projects. These will be informed by best practices from other cities and will be customized to address the specific demands and issues experienced in Boulder. For example, pilot projects could include testing designated TNC pick-up and drop-off locations and flexible loading zones that allow a variety of uses, such as passenger and goods loading as well as short-term curbside pick-up and drop-off. Pilots could also address new and emerging technologies, such as the use of electric vehicles for delivery of goods and services. Initial conversations are underway with Access Allies, city staff, and district commissions to identify possible pilot projects and appropriate locations. Once implemented, the project team will evaluate the impact of the pilot projects, its effectiveness in managing demand, and determine whether or not the treatment is applicable for continued implementation in that location and other areas of the city. It is anticipated that pilot projects will be identified and designed in Q2 2022 with implementation in Q3 and evaluation to be completed by the end of the year. NEXT STEPS: Next steps include completing the Existing Conditions technical document, providing an update to City Council (Q2 2022), and identifying the final list of pilot projects for design and implementation in Q2 and Q3 2022. Staff will return to TAB with an update on the project in Q3 2022. 04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program Page 5 of 7 QUESTIONS FOR TAB: 1. Do you have any additional feedback or questions about the community engagement key findings? 2. Does anything in the existing conditions summary stand out as noteworthy for informing the continued project process? ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A – Focus Area Map 04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program Page 6 of 7 Attachment A – Focus Area Map 04.11.22 TAB Agenda 8 Curbside Management Program Page 7 of 7