Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20180327 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 27, 2018 4:00 PM, City Council Chambers MEETING AGENDA I. Hallam Street & Castle Creek Bridge Project Update P1 1 MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM : Peter Rice, PE, Senior Project Manager, Engineering Dept Kevin Dunnett, Planning, Design and Construction Manager, Parks Hailey Guglielmo, EIT, Development Engineer, Engineering Dept Justin Forman, PE, Senior Project Manager, Engineering Dept THRU: Austin Weiss, Director, Parks & Open Space Dept DATE OF MEMO: March 23rd, 2018 MEETING DATE: March 27th, 2018 RE: Castle Creek/Hallam Street Project Update SUMMARY: City staff seeks to provide an update and seek input from Council regarding the construction of the pedestrian and bicycle improvements for the Castle Creek/Hallam Street Connectivity project. The goals for the work session include the following:  Project Schedule  Public Outreach and Feedback  Decision Point #1: Extended Work Hours BACKGROUND HISTORY: As early as 2013, The City of Aspen Open Space and Trails Board along with Engineering, Parks, and Transportation staff identified the Castle Creek Bridge and Hallam Street corridor as a deficient link in Aspen’s bicycle and pedestrian network. Due to topographic, property, and geometric constraints safe and efficient travel options for cyclists and pedestrians are limited through this area. The project design has been a collaboration with many stakeholders including the departments in the City of Aspen including Transportation, Streets, Engineering, Parks and Utilities. Colorado Department of Transportation and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority have been critical stakeholders through the design of this project. The Castle Creek/Hallam Street Connectivity Study follows the ideals of the AACP. The Plan states “Aspen’s future should be one in which the automobile plays a smaller role in people’s everyday lives… (We) should increase the percentage of trips made via alternative modes of transportation. This can be accomplished by continuing to make the pedestrian/bike trail system more convenient, efficient, accessible, affordable and enjoyable. Our commitment to alternative modes of transportation helps reduce traffic congestion, improves air quality, reduces P2 I. 2 greenhouse gas emissions, promotes public health and reduces our dependence on non – renewable resources.” In the spring of 2014, the City contracted with Loris & Associates to develop a conceptual plan that would improve the corridors overall function and safety. The conceptual planning process included multiple public meetings to solicit input on alternative designs for the project. Staff directed Loris & Associates to proceed with construction drawings following the January 22nd, 2016 council meeting. The projects key components include an eight-foot concrete trail from Bugsy Barnard Park across the north side of Castle Creek bridge to 7th street and Hallam, new BRT bus shelters both in and outbound, guard rail between vehicles and pedestrians on the bridge, new intersection design and crosswalk locations to improve pedestrian safety, new landscaping bike parking and paint for the bridge. In the October 27th, 2015 work session, Council directed staff to continue planning for the Living Lab Experiment due to public and stakeholder concerns that narrowing the roadway lanes on the bridge would have a negative impact on traffic and congestion. During the summer of 2016, staff implemented the experiment which did mimic the proposed design to assess real conditions. The experiment determined that there are no substantial impacts to traffic flow and traffic patterns created by the proposed design. During the winter of 2017, staff also conducted a Snow Lab experiment which studied the impact of relocating the Hallam Street pedestrian crossing at 8th Street and the impact on bus movements, traffic flow and snow removal operations. With input from RFTA, the public, city staff and the design team, the appropriate adjustments were made based on the outcome of this experiment. City staff through the public outreach process learned that a majority of the public supported these proposed improvements and felt that the project will be a positive improvement for the community. January 22, 2018, resolution #2, Series of 2018, consent for the construction of the project was awarded. DISCUSSION: Project Schedule: Construction Begins on April 2nd with an estimated completion date of October 2018. The project will be constructed in three primary phases with a no traffic impact work period during peak summer season. The first two phases will begin April 2nd and terminate on June 11th. It is anticipated that work being done between June 8th and June 11th will have minimal impacts on vehicular traffic. P3 I. 3 Due to concerns from the business community, staff will suspend work from June 12th thru August 12th. Many members of the community have reached out to staff with concerns of working in the mid-August period. Staff will continue to work with the contractor to minimize the schedule in August, but the construction schedule modification will be dependent on weather conditions and the existing condition of the underground infrastructure. The third and final phase will begin on August 13th. The project schedule is based on the final end date of November 1st when right-of-way construction in the city is finished for the season. Each work period will have traffic, bike and pedestrian detours. During work periods requiring traffic detours, motorists should prepare for significant delays during peak travel times for both inbound and outbound traffic. During construction, motorists are asked to follow detour signage and go slow for the cone zone. Bus stops on 8th Street will be closed for the project duration and pedestrians and bicyclists will be required to utilize an alternate route during this period. A pedestrian and cyclist detour via Marolt Open Space Trail will be in effect from April to October. Clear wayfinding signage will be provided. All 8th Street bus services will be relocated to 4th Street. Both up valley and down valley BRT bus stops will be added at the roundabout during project construction. The project team is working with We-Cycle to provide two stations at 4th Street and we are anticipating placing one station at the roundabout. A clear message to the community is to use the bus, as it is anticipated to be the faster route. Two additional buses are being added for the route between the Intercept Parking Lot and Rubey Park during peak periods. During the phases where outbound traffic is utilizing Power Plant Road, the bus route out of town will stay on the Castle Creek Bridge. The Downtowner services will be available for local neighborhoods impacted most by the traffic. Access will remain open for all local residents and businesses, including restaurants and churches within the traffic impact area. Staff is anticipating a lot of feedback from the community as the project progresses and will modify transportation services as needed. Detailed maps of the traffic configurations for each phase of the project are located in Attachment A. All project information and updates can be found through the following: Website: castlecreekbridge.com Email: info@castlecreekbridge.com Phone: (970) 618-5379 (call or text) P4 I. 4 Public Outreach and Feedback: Pre-construction outreach has included seven public hearings, a mailer to property owners near the project area (the city code states within 300 feet of the project area, but we extended this through a large portion of the west end), public open houses, paid newspaper advertising, press releases/newspaper articles, English & Spanish radio advertising, EOTC, flyers, banners on the bridge, in-person meetings with citizens, as well as social media and digital engagement. APPROXIMATE TIMELINE WORK ACTIVITIES Phase 0 April 2-6 Mobilization, Utility work on Hallam Street, Prepare for Phase I Detour Phase I April 9-May 6 South side Hallam Street reconstruction including demolition, utility work, bus shelter foundations, sidewalk and roadway construction. Fence removal and installation of cable on north side Phase II May 7-June 11 North side Hallam & 7th Street reconstruction including demolition, utility work, bus shelter foundations, sidewalk and roadway construction. Castle Creek Bridge work will include removal of asphalt and sidewalk, bridge deck repairs NO WORK June 12-August 12 No Work, side work without traffic impacts allowed Phase III August 13-October North side Hallam & 8th Street reconstruction including demolition, sidewalk, roadway construction, construction of bus shelters, landscaping. Bridge work will include removal of fence and installation of cable on south side, sidewalk extensions, Wyoming rail and paving. APPROXIMATE TIMELINE TRAFFIC IMPACTS Day: Inbound traffic on Hallam, outbound traffic on Power Plant. Periodic holds on inbound traffic for outbound RFTA. Night and Weekend: Normal traffic configuration with lane closures Phase I April 9-May 6 Day & Night: Inbound traffic on Hallam to 6th Street (one way), outbound traffic on 5th Street (one way) to Hallam Street Day: Inbound traffic on Hallam, outbound traffic on Power Plant. Periodic holds on inbound traffic for outbound RFTA. Night & Weekend: Inbound traffic on Hallam, outbound traffic use 5th (one way) to Smuggler to 8th (one way) to Hallam NO WORK June 12-August 12 Day & Night: Normal traffic configuration Day: Inbound traffic on Hallam, outbound traffic on Power Plant. Periodic holds on inbound traffic for outbound RFTA. Night: Two-way traffic resumes as normal Phase III August 13-October APRIL - OCTOBER 2018 Dates are approximate and are subject to change. During work periods requiring traffic detours, motorist should prepare for significant delays. Phase 0 April 2-6 Phase II May 7-June 11 P5 I. 5 One of the examples of door-to-door outreach included a walk around the downtown core to speak with business owners and to invite them to a stakeholder meeting. Contact information for questions and concerns was provided. Staff delivered 550 flyers to neighborhoods including residents within the neighborhoods of 4th through 8th Streets and between Hopkins and Music Tent. The project team has also met in person with several neighborhoods who have reached out including Harbour Lane residents and Aspen Historical Society neighbors. HOA representatives from The Villas of Aspen, Aspen Villas, and Red House Enclave have been directly communicating with the project team. In partnership with RFTA’s commuter and carpooling events, staff has distributed over 600 project information sheets in English and Spanish. Staff has also been in communication with agencies and organizations likely to feel major project impacts, including RFTA, CDOT, Pitkin County, ACRA, Aspen School District, Aspen Music Festival and School, Aspen Country Day School, Yellow Brick, Aspen Historical Society, Forest Service, Emergency Services, and Pitkin County Open Space & Trails. A public information and outreach log is included in Attachment B. In general, there has been some apprehension from the community due to the impact on traffic. In most of those cases people are excited for the project and the improvements, but concerned about the impact for their commute. Staff is accommodating neighborhoods and acting on concerns when it is appropriate. Decision Point #1: Extended Work Hours The project team hosted a contractor conference call with developers, contractors and architects on February 28, 2018. Members of the development community also took part in a Facebook Live Q&A on March 15, 2018. During both of these events, numerous contractors indicated an eagerness to participate in flexible hours if offered. Contractors expressed concern that the expected delays will not only cause delays for the hundreds of daily construction commuters, but the presence of those commuters during regular morning and evening rush hours will greatly add to the congestion facing visitors, emergency services, regular business deliveries, and the many other users of this corridor. The purpose of this adjustment is to lessen the impact of construction traffic during peak usage times during the Castle Creek Bridge Detour. By temporarily revising the permitted construction work hours, much of the construction related traffic will be spread out, helping to mitigate some of this congestion. Existing permitted hours are 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturdays, no work on Sundays. Staff Recommendation: Based on community and development input, as well as experience from last summer, staff recommends that hours for limited impact interior work be adjusted to 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday for the duration of the bridge detour, April 2-June 11, and August 13-October. No changes are recommended for Saturday or Sunday work. This P6 I. 6 extension of hours would be treated as probational, meaning projects abusing this exemption may face corrective action and or revocation of extended hours. The adjusted hours will apply to limited impact interior work. Activities such as heavy excavation, mechanical soil stabilization, jackhammering, and other high impact work would be limited to standard work hours. Standard city work regulation would resume upon resumption of bridge traffic. The above staff recommendation aligns with what was permitted in Aspen last summer during the Grand Avenue Bridge closure. Does Council approve extending construction work hours for all projects for limited impact interior work to 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM Monday through Friday for the duration of the bridge detour? Extended work hours will not apply June 12 through August 12. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: Attachment A – Traffic Control Configurations for Each Phase Attachment B – Public Information and Outreach Schedule & Log P7 I. Inbound Traffic & Buses Outbound Traffic Outbound Buses Closure Area Pedestrian/Cyclist Detour RFTA Bus Stop Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic DETOUR MAP / DAYTIME: April 2 - 6 May 7 - June 11 August 12 - October P8I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Traffic & Buses Outbound Traffic Outbound Buses Closure Area Pedestrian/Cyclist Detour RFTA Bus Stop Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon DETOUR MAP / Night & Weekend: April 2 - April 6 August 13 - September 30 P9I. Inbound Traffic & Buses Outbound Traffic Outbound Buses Closure Area Pedestrian/Cyclist Detour RFTA Bus Stop Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon NOTE: ONE WAY: 5th Street (from Main to Hallam), Hallam Street (from 5th to 6th), 6th Street (from Hallam to Main). DETOUR MAP / Day, Night & Weekend: April 9 - May 6 P10I. Inbound Traffic & Buses Outbound Traffic Outbound Buses Closure Area Pedestrian/Cyclist Detour RFTA Bus Stop Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic DETOUR MAP / Night & Weekend: May 7 - June 11 P11I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Bus Transit Outbound Bus Transit RFTA Bus Stop Closure Area Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon BUS DETOUR MAP FOR: April 2- April 6 P12I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Bus Transit Outbound Bus Transit RFTA Bus Stop Closure Area Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon BUS DETOUR MAP FOR: April 7 - May 6 P13I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Bus Transit Outbound Bus Transit RFTA Bus Stop Closure Area Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon BUS DETOUR MAP FOR:May 7 - June 11 (7 AM - 7 PM)P14I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Bus Transit Outbound Bus Transit RFTA Bus Stop Closure Area Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon BUS DETOUR MAP FOR:May 7 - June 11 (7:01 PM - 6:59 AM)P15I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Bus Transit Outbound Bus Transit RFTA Bus Stop Closure Area Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon BUS DETOUR MAP FOR: June 12 - August 12 P16I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Bus Transit Outbound Bus Transit RFTA Bus Stop Closure Area Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon BUS DETOUR MAP FOR: August 13 - September 30 P17I. Power Plant Rd will be open to Inbound traffic Inbound Bus Transit Outbound Bus Transit RFTA Bus Stop Closure Area Local Traffic Only (3-5pm) Rapid Flashing Beacon BUS DETOUR MAP FOR: Aspen School District Bus B & Bus C April 2 - September 30 P18I. Public Information and Outreach Schedule & Log Updated: March 15, 2018 Outreach Tasks & Activities Date Location Approx. Reach Community Development eNewsletter February 9 Email 600 Direct Mailer to Project Area Property Owners Mailed February 16 Mailed Letter 1,000 Public Safety Meeting #1 February 13, 9-10am Council Chambers & Call-In option 25 EOTC Meeting February 15, 4pm Snowmass Council Chambers Press Release #1/Media Relations February 15 Email and Website -- Businesses Door-to-Door Outreach February 21, 12-4pm Downtown Core 100 Email Blast to Contractors February 22 Email 50+ Community Development eNewsletter February 23 Email 600 Contractor Conference Call #1 February 28, 12pm Call-In #: 218-339-7800 Access Code: 230 0335 10 Press Release #2/Media Relations February 28 -- Neighbors and Businesses Meeting – Two Sessions March 1, 9:30-10:30 AM & 12:30-1:30 PM Pitkin County Library 15 Commuter Connect eblast March 6 Email Press Release #3/Media Relations March 6 City of Aspen Lunch and Learn March 7, 12-1 PM Council Chambers 100+ Email Blast March 7 Email 68/128 EOTC Meeting March 8 Community Open House #1 March 8, 5-7pm Pitkin County Library 20 Community Development eNewsletter March 9 Email 600 Bridge Banners Posted March 12 Castle Creek Bridge -- RFTA Bus Rider Event (Info Handout) March 13, 3:30-5:30pm Rubey Park 300+ Press Release #4/Media Relations March 13 -- Door-to-Door Outreach March 14 Project Neighborhoods 550 Email Blast March 14 Email 72/153 Facebook Live Q&A March 15, noon Facebook 135 unique viewers (as on 3pm on 3/15) Bus stop closed signage posted March 15 Closing bus stops -- Project Info Board at Rubey Park TBD Public Posting at Rubey -- Press Release & Travel Advisory / Media Relations March 19 -- P19I. Public Information and Outreach Schedule & Log Updated: March 15, 2018 Email Blast to Contractors March 19 Email RFTA Carpool Event (Info Handout) March 20, 6:30-8:30am Airport Carpool Kiosk Roundtable Press Conference March 22, TBD Pitkin County Library City Matters/GrassRoots TV TBD TBD Community Development eNewsletter March 23 Email 600 Community Conference Call – Two Sessions March 26, noon & 5:30pm Call-In #: 218-339-7800 Access Code: 230 0335 Aspen City Council Worksession March 27, 4pm City Council Chambers Contractor Conference Call March 28, noon Call-In #: 218-339-7800 Access Code: 230 0335 P20I.