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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.apz.19710831 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 100 Leaves FOllM'~ C. F. HOECKEL B. B. !!< L. CO. Study Session Aspen Planning and Zoning August 31, 1971 Meeting was called to order by Chairman Robin Molny at 5:00 P. M. with James Adams, James Breasted III and Anthos Jordan. Also present City Manager Leon Wurl and City/County Planner, Herb Bartel. Fothergill- Cutting Zoning Fothergill/Cutting Annexation Zoning - Commission request the Secretary contact Mrs. Cutting and inform her the consenS~ of the Commission is R-15 zoning which would require amendment to the Master Plan. If she has any objection to this, please let the Commission know as soon as possible. Street Circula tion Street Circulation - Mr. Bartel explained an alternate route from the hospital and Gibson Avenue area as sub- mitted to the Commission last week by Councilman Whitaker. Alternate route would include another brige, through Oklahoma Flats area and connecting with Original Street. Commission request the Secretary schedule a hearing on this item as an amendment to the circulation plan as included in the comphrensive Master Plan. Hearing scheduled for September 21st. Commission also request the Secretary inform Councilman Whitaker of this hearing. Water Capital Improvements Water Capital Improvements - City Manager Wurl outlined the proposed capital improvements for Maroon Creek which include enlargement of the present pond to a size that would accommodate 13 million gallons and a 16 million gallon per day reservoir. This construction is scheduled to begin in 1974. Presently in engoiating stages with Aspen Post and Herrick ditch people. City Manager Wurl emphasised to the Commission how import- ant it is for the City to protect their existing water rights and to obtain additional water rights, especially on the Roaring Fork River. A large portion of the rights on the Roaring Fork are owned by the Salvation Ditch people and they have received offers for their rights. It was pointed out projected growth policy should work hand in hand with the water. Discussed bringing the water from the eastern slope back to the western slope. City Manager Wurl reported a transmission line and res- ervoir are planned for next year on Red Mountain. This is necessary to balance the pressure allover the City. Uhlfelder - Chairman Molny reported he, the Planner and Building Inspector have done all they could, basic prob- lem was a mistake by the building inspector. There isn't much that can be done once a building is in the stages of construction. Did manage to get Mr. Uhlfelder to agree to put the utilities underground. Mr. Bartel request the Planning and Zoning Commission schedule a hearing for an AF zone in the City. Hearing to be held on September 21st. _--...."....0......-.---...... RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 100 Leaves FOIIIMIO C.F.HOECKELB.B.!lL.CO. Study Session, RSA, 8/31/71 Jordan moved to adjourn at 7:00 P. M., seconded by Breasted. All in favor, meeting adjourned. a:~ If::::ocrotary __.",,~_~-.-..n.,_' ~--,._,-:...._."~~._;'."',, " J "-!o-"Ti'S'l WILLIAMS STnEET. OENVEH. COlOHADO e0218 .,/ 303/321-3020 g~J~ir:w" ALAN M. VOORHEES & ASSOCI^TES, INC. ,;' TRANSPORTATION AND PLANNING COrlSULTMHS September 1, 1971 Herbert Bartel Planning Director City of Aspen, Pitkin County P.O. Box V Aspen, Colorado 81611 Dear Mr. Bartel: The attached report briefly SU1TIlnarizes our- preliminary conclusions and reC0111111endations concerning the "Immedia.te Action" traffic considerations for the central area of Aspen. Specifically, our recQmmendations include three subjects: traffic signals, one-way stre-ets. and pedestrian crossings. The recom111endations we have offered in the attached repo::.t represent our best thinking to date on the subject of immediate traffic operations -impr~ements, These recomme.ndations should be considered preliminary, however, until such time as the long-range factor shave been adequately explored, and there are reasonable assurances that the short- range improvements fit plans for traffic and transportation -improvements in Aspen that may be considered later in the study. Very truly yours, ;ft{" /J /) F--~-) "., . d ~-..///, .'. '# ./ ," -~ (~.[ ~.l.-- ,..-...:~ ';" r;;g(j '?vj/ (<' 'I?"~~hC' /; Robert E, Leigh i1 ,~ Regional Manager WA$HINGTor~, D.C. If tOi'loort II Hor":OLUUJ It OUlvrn n (lf~l^N()n 11 TOn01JTO 11 ST.lOUIS 11 CArI/,CAS 11 $(^T fU nurrAlO It ATlI..NTA 1\ S~t'l D![GO tJ LOS N!CrLFS II 7UWCH I! r-rEW F,r..\Jt.rS\','ICI\ r:I OA!r/lS 11 CHlCA(";O fl Pi1!LM1ELP',Il/\ - .' " -..-- .. ,-. .~..~ _...-' ~'.."':;""-' ......--0-,... L~:;.:t;.-.::.~ .," .-,-':;;::~L'::'-::"_,i:"-:-'N'_..1;;"':-' .-...!~'.~:'::_.-'~ ..............._ii.- --....,..-' Pr"climinary Report , ~ / AN IMMEDIATE AGTIQN TRAFFIC OPERATIONS,PLAN CENTRAL AREA Of' ASPEN August 3l, 1971 BACKGROUND ]~l1ring the nlonth of August, 1971, an extensive program of traffic counting was initiated in order to obtain current traffic data on all streets in the central area of Aspen, The se counts included some twenty-four hour counts and hourly turning-movement intersection counts at, twcnty-one street inter sections in the central arca, The traffic counts verified that traffic in Aspen is concentratcd on Main Street east of Hunter Street, on Mill Street between Main and ,. - Cooper Streets, and to a lesser extent, on Cooper Street between Mill and West End Streets and on Galena Strcet betwecn Cooper and Main Streets, Because of the concentration of traffic at Mill and Main Strects and because of the large nmnber- of turns that take place at this intersection, there is some congestion and traffic back-up on Mill Street south of Main Street, In addition, there are continuing _ conflicts between pedestrians attenlpting to cross Main Street and cast-wcst traffic on that strect, To a lesser extent, there are othcr . . .. ., . . .... .'. .~_"'h. . '-'.u,'__, ".._~. .-~ ....._. C..." .'-'-' . __"'__. . ":',,'."~.,.+., '.~'~;""'';;''" ^ 'x-:'~~.:'- '-:~'.' '.,:.:..,';::"':':'".;"'..?-.~- .,"~:;.",-,,;l-"',."",- . ,. ,.-<-'-----::..~..;.c:'. .- .. '_. ~.' '. .:::.~.~,.,_,\i...... ;-,.~,. , .---... \ " I locations where pedestrian traffic conflicts witTi vehicular traffic . but the problem is not as severe as it is at Mill and Main Streets. Figure I shows the present traffic volumes on all streets in the d-owntown area and the pedestrian volumes at major street crossings. '. ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS A number of traffic solutions arc possible to improve the traffic situa,tion in Aspen. Two alternative types of solutions appear to offer the greatest possibilities for solving existing and future traffic problems in Aspen. These are (1) traffic signalization at major i]-tel'-sections, and (2) a system of one-way streets throughout the central area, A combination of these two types is also possible. .,. A. Traffic Signals The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, published by _the Bureau of Public P.oads, U, S. Departnlent of Transportation, lists six warrants for the signalization of street intersections. These warrants ar"e as follows: 1. Minhnum vehicular traffic volumes which would require there be at least six hunch'ed vehicle s per hour on the major street for any eight hours of a day and that for the salne eigllt hours there 111ust be at least 150 vehicles per hour on the intersecting streets. (Seventy percent of these . . .. .;.....;., . ._._' .....':..u_'..i...~~.;,_.:..:...'_.:.;,..,:._'~.__., . ..'",-._;":':',,,.J.'" ::':"~..f::"----:~:"" '.J,,"-':'_~:'.::..'_:::'_ values are allowable for isolated urban areas of less than --,.. 10,000 people,) 2. Interruption of continuous traffic which require s that for - any eight hours of a day, there be at least 900 vehicles per hour on the major street and for the same eight hour period at least 75 vehicles per hour on the minor cross- - street, 3. The minilnum pedestrian volume warrant is .satisfied when for each of any eight hours of the day, there are at least as many vehicles on the main street as Warrant No, I and thcre are at least 150 or lnorc pedestrian crossings per hour for the salne eight hour period on the highest volume crosswalk crossing the ,major street, (There are - additional refinements of this tra.ffic signal warrant. ) 4~ The progressive movement warrant for traffic signals, which is considered in order to nlaintain proper groupings o'f vehicle s and effectively regulate. group or platoon speed, when, in an otherwise established 'signal system, traffic signals a,re so far apart as to lose the desired degree, 5. Warrant No.5, the accident cXEerience warranto' is based 6. on accident experience record. I Warrant No, 6 is a, COlnbination of all other five warrants, I Un~ler this warrant, if no one single warrant is lnet, but two I or morc arc satisficd to thc 'extent of eighty pcrccnt of the statcd values, Warrant No, (, is mct, ,. - -"~. ...... .,.-'------- . _',i-:'.:::':".::;"" ,~.t....:'!..'';..L.:,',,--:..',_:;_'~ ' Preli1ninary evaluations of the traffic volunle dilta for Aspen, the '.-.accident' experience records, pe'destrian cros~ings and other factors , - indicate that only the inter section of Mill and Main Streets- meets signal installation warrants to the sufficient degree to allow signals to be installed there, In a signal warrant study conducted by the Colorado Department of Highways, in September, 1970, warrants for signalization at the intersection of Mill and Main Streets proved sufficient to allow the v installation of signals at this intersections, Al~hough a trfl-ffic signal installation at Mill and Main Streets would undou.btedly facilitate easier traffic flow on Mill Street, especially the left turns from Mill Street to Main Street, we do not believe that one signal installation at the, most ~eavily used inter section ... will solve all the transportation proble111S of Aspen's central area, The short-ternl r'esults of a signalized intersection at Mill and Main . . _Streets will be to improve the operation of Mill Street and to slow traffic on Main Street, In the long run, however, the effect of this signal will be to increase the conge stion of this intersection because of an increased concentration of traffic the re, II ' If the City desiU,s to institute a program of traffic signals, we believe such c_ system IJ,ould include signals at the' following intersections: I I . ". . Main and Garn1.isch, Main and Mill, Main and Spring, and Cooper and " ~^"_.._. - '-. -..-.__....~ -.-..........-- -, ._.~_...>.._"..: ~..." ___ .,~ ,_ .. .~"~.~. -, '~"'-;f. "r,;.~o.:~..;'. .:,<,,:::,;"': - ~:i,' . "~U .~,':':1:;;:;'d:.:V:;'-"..~..",2:;.~.'-, .-:"'; :--- Original. These four signalized intersections,woulcl allow ord.erly i progression o~ traffic along U, S. 82 and \\Qul~ provide at least o three lnajor inter sections along Main Street where cross street traffic could operate easily, The four signalized intersections suggested could be interconnected to a master located at the intersection of Mill and Main Streets. Signal progression could be timed for a speed of 25-30 miles per hour and signals set at . a sixty- second cycle length. The signals at Mill and Main Streets could include a pedcstrian phasc of maXi111U1U 17 seconds to allow pedestrians to cross Main Street. While the cost of installing these signals probably would be borne by t~e-Colorado Highway Department, it is well to have some approx- imation of theil' costs, A minimum -installation, including signals ,. .. hung,/rom span wires, would probably range from $5000 to $6000 per intersection, Traffic actuation devices (loop dctectors) would cost about $1000 per inte:,scction. Interconnection of the signals through the use of overhead wires would probably run an additional $1000 per intersection. A higher type installation, including mast arms rather than span wires, probably would cost about $12,000 per intersecticn. . ' Local costs for the signals would include c1ectrlc power and main- tenance of the signals themselvcs. Power costs would probably average $250 to $300 per intersection pcr year, andlnaintenance would average $500 to $600 per intersection pel' year. .... .. _ ~"':-"-.o;;,,;.....:'-':"'::'::.':'_..::...:';'"~,:..c:~~~;.~ _,._~ .~_. " '- -----"': B. One- Way Streets One-way streets in the central area of Aspen would have. ; the advantage of simplifying intersection turns by merely cutting down on the number of turns possible, This would eliminate some COl"!gestion and provide a greater degree of safety for pedestrians. A second major advantage of one-way streets is that they tend to spread the traffic load over several streets, thereby reducing the concentration - of traffic on a small mllnber o'f streets, One-way operations also increase the capacity of streets and are relatively simple to effectuate, Several one-way systems are possible for the central area of Aspen. One suggested by the Colorado Highway Department includes a one~ way -reciprocal pair system designating Hopkins Street one-:-vay westbound and Hyman Street one-way eastbound, This pair would extend'"fr ci'm Original Street on the east to Third Street on the west. Another one~way system is possible utilizing the north-south streets. A nmnber of cOlnbina.tions are possible in this area but a key street in the one-way system lnust be Mill Street, the most heavily travelled north- south street in the city, RECOMMENDA TIONS It is-recommended that Aspen implement the one-way systeln suggested in Figure 2, The basic elements of this one-way plan are the establish- ment of a "core area" surrounded by a peripheral systeln of two-way "" ",.,-.-, .-,~ -'-,~..:._.._' .,. ;,:'---,.---.:--... _ ~__ ;~-':',:,-', ,..__: ,,_~__ -.,~:' '~~-<<:.:,:.-.';_,~ -'_'.__:.'.';;;'-' - .. ,';','.; ";"~:::~'~..c:_~,c,,,,,,,,:,:, .,.. ...,~":':-"':~".,-:;'-.-.."~""'=";:;', "i"""'," / .-.- , , . streets, and an interior system of one-way streets within the core. Two-way streets include Main Street on the north, Origil1al on the east, Durant on the south and Ganllisch on the west, Main Street, the most heayily travelled of these four, would provide two traffic lanes in each direction with left-turn lanes on alternate blocks, Other two-way streets . would be one lane in each direction, In the interior of the core area, one-'way east-west streets include Hopkins eastbound and Hy'nan westbound, In the north- south direction, three one -way reciprocal pair systems are proposed, These include Aspen and Monarch, Mill and Galena, and Hunter and SpringsStreets, The 1110st important one-way pair in the north- south direction would be Mill and Galena Streets. Each of these str_eets is proposed to extend beyond the nO'-".th and south confines of the core area of Main and Durant, On the north, Mill and Galena would .~ join in the vicinity of the present Mill Street bridge (the optimum plan). On the south. Mill and Galena would extend at least to Dean Street, and possibly further s0uth, To illustrate the traffic advantages of the one-way systeln, Figure 3 has been prepared. It shows the probable readjustment of 1971 traffic to the one-way system. As indicated, traffic is reduced substantially on Main Street ~nd increased on Hopkins and Hyman. Traffic is also increased on Garmisch, Durant and Original Streets, all of which have I . sufficient capacity to handle increased traffic loads. Heavy left turns that now take place on Mill Street into Main arc distributed mnong '. "" . ',:..~.~ u '..~..~'S._ '-'~.'':''~_~.~'''.:,,- :.. ,':'~'. .,...........:..:.:.:<...:.. ,__.....;.-'"...~. ~;.:.;.._......'.;.""'..;,~.~_...~_.._.:.....:;...:.., '_" :""-,--.oe:..'~-"-'.-,-.";': .'-,-_':-,:""" .~. .~_ ..'~___ ~...;....i-. ..-~ . -~:.::::-: ,- Monarch, Galena, and Spring Streets, alternate block locations, . where they do not conflict with left turns from Main into the cros s streets, The provision of one-way cross st;reets also allows construction of planter median islands on alternate blocks at very appropriate locations: across from Paepcke Park, across from the Jerome Hotel, and across'from the Pitkin County Courthouse. These planter medians could also serve as pedestrian refuges for pedestrian crosswalks across , ' Main Street. In the one-way system, Cooper Stre/t remains two-way and could be appropriately down- graded as a major traff{c earrier. As shown, - the > bloc.k between Mill and Galena on Cooper could easily be closed completely, or it could be altered to di~courage through traffic use '~ (such as ci: provision of more diagonal parking on both sides of the street), " .. ..