HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20230918AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
September 18, 2023
4:00 PM, City Council Chambers
427 Rio Grande Place, Aspen
I.Work Session
I.A 4:00 PM - Site Visit - Holden/Marolt Mining & Ranching Museum - Meet at Museum
Entrance 40180 CO-82
I.B 6:00 PM - Main Street Bus Lane
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2023 09-18 Work Session Memo - Main Street Bus Lane.pdf
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Torre and Aspen City Council
FROM: Pete Rice, P.E., Director of Transportation & Parking
Lynn Rumbaugh, TDM-cp, Mobility Division Manager
Carly McGowan, Project Manager
THROUGH: Sara Ott, City Manager
Scott Miller, Director of Public Works
Tyler Christoff, P.E. Assistant Director of Public Works
MEETING DATE: September 18, 2023
RE: Main Street Bus Lane Policy Review
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this memo is to provide background on the Main Street bus lane and
parking alternatives that balance the needs of transit with access to the business groups
in the area.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:
• In 2003, Aspen City Council created a citizen task force to review options for
reducing traffic congestion through the S-Curves.
• Between 2003-2006, several Task Force recommendations were implemented
including the closures of Bleeker and Hallam and the installation of the Main Street
bus lane.
• In a 2022 work session, Council supported the development of Main Street
capacity and efficiency concepts along with immediate improvements to
Transportation Demand Management measures (TDM) to assist with traffic
congestion in the West End neighborhood.
• In 2023, Council adopted a set of goals including: Improve and expand our
efficient, multi-modal, and integrated transportation system to reduce vehicle miles
traveled and air pollution.
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• In August 2023, Council approved a contract for a Comprehensive Parking and
Transportation Plan, to review all parking and TDM programs and policies and
provide a plan for furthering future traffic reduction.
BACKGROUND:
In 2003, the City of Aspen created a citizen task force to review options for reducing traffic
congestion through the S-Curves. The S-Curves Task Force put forth several
recommendations that were implemented and remain in place today including the
permanent closures at Bleeker and Hallam, peak season afternoon closures at 7th Street
and the outbound Main Street Bus Lane between Garmisch and 7th Streets.
This bus lane is both innovative for a small town as well in keeping with a number of
community goals such as capping traffic at 1993 levels as well as the ambitious
Sustainability Action Plan.
The Main Street Bus Lane, implemented in 2006, was originally conceived as a peak
weekday afternoon transit amenity, with parking allowed outside of the hours of 3pm-6pm
on weekdays. Over the years, the bus lane hours have been extended to provide
additional transit priority during major events and large construction projects.
For example, in the spring of 2022, with several major construction projects underway,
the Main Street Bus Lane was modified to 24-hour operation as a means of improving the
movement of transit and provide choice ridership over single occupant vehicles. This
transfer happened successfully for several projects including the bridge joint repairs, the
Hallam Street Improvements, the Castle Creek Bridge Trail addition, and a variety of
CDOT maintenance projects. RFTA feedback indicated that the 24/7 configuration was
helpful, especially in recognition of changing traffic patterns. Traffic out of town can be
impactful throughout the day beyond the traditionally referenced 3-6pm peak.
At previous West End Work Sessions, Council supported the development of Main Street
capacity and efficiency concepts along with immediate improvements to Transportation
Demand Management measures (TDM). One concept that has been proven effective to
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relieve west end traffic is improving the flow of Main Street traffic. On September 22nd,
2022, staff submitted an informational memo that discussed this prioritization of transit to
create better choice ridership and help reduce single vehicles.
DISCUSSION:
Parking Considerations
The Main Street bus lane historically restricted parking from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, typically
considered the peak outbound period. On a typical day, parking ambassadors are
required to work in the area by 2:00 pm to clear a typical 3-4 vehicles parked in the lane
during restricted hours. Ambassadors generally reach out to the businesses along Main
Street to request removal of the vehicles. Should offenders be unreachable, a tow truck
then needs to be requested, typically taking another 90 minutes. During this period, a bus
must transition into to general traffic creating additional impacts to Main Street
congestion, encouraging more vehicles to detour through the West End and reducing the
attractiveness of transit ridership.
Regardless of whether vehicles are allowed to park in the bus lane, the bus stops must
still be clear of parked vehicles. When parking is allowed in the bus lane, there can be
confusion for vehicles that will sometimes result in the bus stop being blocked altogether
by a parked car. This decreases efficiency of the bus system.
To mitigate this reduced Main Street parking, staff met with impacted businesses
members to modify parking on surrounding streets. In most cases, the concern was
greatest from the business groups that serve injured, or ADA required customers. To
accommodate business needs, the discussion involved shorter term parking within the
neighborhood to provide better turnover. As a result of these discussions, four 2-hour
parking stalls were added to the existing ADA stalls. Further changes to parking in this
area were impeded by adjacent commercial construction and the associated
encroachments. There will be more opportunities for additional parking spaces that fit the
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needs of both residents and Main St businesses when construction near Main Street is
complete.
It’s important to remember that each business has different parking needs. A bank may
need 15 minutes zones, another business may need 2 hour turnover and a hotel needs
longer term. To date staff has attempted to balance individual interests with the needs for
the community with comprehensive policy and not in a manner that is case by case.
From a safety perspective, its preferable to place parking spaces, especially ADA spaces,
on side streets instead of Main Street. Accessing a parked vehicle on the side of the
busiest rural highway in the state poses a significantly higher potential for safety conflicts
than accessing the same vehicle on a lower volume local road.
Transit Consideration
RFTA supports the 24-hour transit lane on Main Street to improve their operations and
incentivize ridership. The outbound congestion from Aspen is impactful to the entire RFTA
system. Methods of improving on-time performance and increasing transit incentives are
consistent with several objectives of RFTA’s strategic plan as noted below:
• Strategic Plan Smart Objective 2.2: Trail and transit users move safely, quickly and
efficiently.
• Strategic Plan Smart Objective 2.3: Increase alternative mode splits throughout
the region.
• Strategic Plan Smart Objective 6.4: Provide alternative and innovative travel
solutions to help slow the growth of vehicle miles traveled in region
Included at the end of this memo (Attachment A) are two letters from RFTA that describe
the operational need for the bus lane from their point of view. It’s important to understand
that one of the largest benefits to the bus transit and choice ridership is to have the buses
bypass the congestion on Main Street. A timely and reliable transit system incentivizes
people to consider changing their transportation behavior and utilize a bus system.
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Removing parking directly impacts this bus movement and impacts the efficiency of this
important community service. Additionally, without a contiguous lane, bus merging
movements are increased, resulting in additional Main Street congestion and higher
potential for vehicular conflicts in this corridor. RFTA staff will be on hand at the
September 18 work session.
Main Street Parking Implications:
One constraint to implementing parking between 1st and Garmisch Streets is the bus
stops and loading. The existing bus stops limit potential parking in these areas and require
adequate geometry to meet CDOT standards for this roadway. Placing the parking back
on these blocks would create unpredictable merging conditions for bus traffic and the
traveling public. The anticipated merging condition between the bus lane and the general
traffic lane is included in Attachment B. The potential creation of parking within the transit
lane obligates staff to undertake daily enforcement actions which have historically proved
to be time consuming, have had mixed success, and require additional vendor support.
Before replacing parking back on these two blocks, staff recommends an analysis for
safety and movement between the buses, vehicles and pedestrians would need to be
reviewed.
Bus Lane Options
1. Keep 24/7 Bus Lane Configuration:
Benefits: Sends message about prioritizing transit; improves bus operations all hours of
the day.
Challenges: Requires new parking options for impacted businesses.
2. Eliminate 24/7 Bus Lane, Extend Enforcement Hours
Benefits: Maintains bus lane in during peak traffic hours. Provides parking for specific
businesses.
Challenges: Enforcement is time consuming and difficult, prioritizes single vehicle
occupancy over transit. Parking on the block of Main and First Streets will be difficult to
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impossible to reinstate due to the function of the bus and travel lanes with the new
outbound configuration at the Paepcke Transit Hub.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
In keeping with City Council’s significant mobility goals, staff recommends continuing with
the 24/7 Main Street Bus Lane configuration within the below parameters:
• Review bus lane policy and best practices for parking offsets as part of the
Comprehensive Transportation and Parking Plan.
• Report back to Council and review further throughout the study process.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS:
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Attachment B – RFTA Letters
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DATE: 7/26/2023
TO: Lynn Rumbaugh
FROM: Ian Adams
RE: Main Street Bus Lane RFTA’s services extend along a 70-mile corridor connecting communities in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys. Traversing this stretch on Highway 82 and I-70, there are many opportunities to encounter delays. These delays are often compounding, pushing buses further and further behind schedule. One of the earliest potential bottlenecks RFTA encounters while travelling down valley is Main Street in Aspen. Any delays encountered by Buses in this area result in the rest of their trip to running late, whether it be a short City of Aspen trip or a BRT travelling all the way to Glenwood Springs. One of the most effective advertisements for riding RFTA is the ability for buses to pass by gridlocked traffic by using dedicated byways. Many riders have multiple options for their method of travel and one of the highest priority details to consider is travel time. To capture and retain these choice riders, RFTA must provide travel times that are comparable to personal automobiles when possible., With the nature of transit having to make frequent stops, we need every advantage we can get to shorten travel times. Specific to the City of Aspen, there is also an acute limit on the availability of parking for both visitors and employees within the city limits. Use of public transit is one of the clearest solutions to this dilemma, but it requires transit to be a competitive and convenient option. By maintaining Main Street as a dedicated round the clock bus lane, RFTA is better equipped to stay competitive with other forms of transportation. Aspen's reputation as a sustainability-oriented community aligns perfectly with the introduction of a bus lane. Encouraging public transportation use will directly contribute to the town's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmentally-friendly practices. Fewer vehicles on the road will result in a reduction in carbon emissions, improved air quality, and a more sustainable future for Aspen.
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Attachment B – Merging Diagram
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