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AGENDA
INFORMATION UPDATE
June 23, 2020
5:00 PM,
I.INFORMATION ONLY
I.A.Information Update
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MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:John Krueger and Lynn Rumbaugh, Transportation Department
THROUGH:Scott Miller, Director Public Works
Trish Aragon, City Engineer
MEETING DATE:June 23, 2020
RE:Information Only: Transportation Re-Opening Updates
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this memo is to provide Council with up-to-date information on several topics
related to the reopening of transportation services, programs and facilities as well as status
updates on various grant awards.
DISCUSSION:
Transit/Free Aspen Shuttles: For safety and driver shortage reasons, four service reductions
have occurred on City of Aspen free shuttle routes since March 17 including the early end to
some season winter services as well as reductions in hours of service. The current transit
schedule, effective through June 27, operates the Burlingame, Castle Maroon, Cemetery Lane,
Hunter Creek and Mountain Valley routes from approximately 8:00am-8:00pm. Transit safety
measures include daily disinfectant fogging of buses, driver and rider face covering requirements
and distancing on all transit vehicles.
Impacts to the transit system include the loss of revenue associated with the lodging, sales and
use taxes as well as the reduction to paid parking revenue. Transit reductions will be in place for
the rest of 2020 and into 2021 for this reason. CARES Act funding (see Grants below) will also
help to shore up the Transportation Fund.
Additional impacts include the loss of ridership associated with COVID-19 concerns and
reduced service levels (see Attachment A). Noise complaints have also increased due to the
inability to operate smaller shuttle vehicles on some Aspen routes.
Next steps are as follows:
RFTA and Transportation staff will continue to monitor vehicle availability, driver
availability and health orders and adjust services accordingly.
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On June 28, RFTA will implement its Phase 5 service schedule which will include
increased BRT headways more Hogback service and service to the Maroon Bells.
On June 28, the City will implement a modified summer schedule including:
o Increased hours of service (approximately 6:30am-12:00am daily) on the
Burlingame, Castle Maroon, Cemetery Lane, Hunter Creek and Mountain Valley
routes.
o Addition of the Cross Town Shuttle route from 7:24am-11:00pm daily using a
full-size bus on a modified route until a shuttle becomes available.
o Continuation of the combined Burlingame/Mountain Valley route as a cost
savings and driver/vehicle shortage mitigation measure.
Car To Go: The Car To Go program suspended service and closed to new memberships on
March 17. During the closure period, staff worked closely with public health staff to determine
best practice and submit appropriate safety plans. On June 1, the Car To Go program reopened to
current members. To allow for daily fleet disinfection with existing staff, the program opened
with three vehicles only. The following COVID-19 safety measures are in place:
Daily vehicle disinfection/deep clean
Disinfection supplies (wipes/sanitizer) stocked in all cars
50% maximum occupancy allowed
Face coverings required of members
Members educated via website and reservation confirmations
Impacts to the program include loss of usage income, continued expenditures related to fixed
costs and loss of new membership opportunities. Car To Go will continue to monitor usage,
compliance and ability to maintain daily deep cleanings with the goal of slowly adding vehicles
back to the fleet and eventually opening for new memberships.
WE-cycle:Although WE-cycle was not yet open when COVID-19 issues arose, the program has
been impacted by a delayed opening necessitate by the careful development of appropriate safety
plans in collaboration with staff. The program opened on June 8 with several safety measures in
place including:
Employee health checks
Aspen stations consolidated to allow for more frequent cleaning; temporary elimination
of the ARC, Roundabout and Marolt stations.
Collaboration with Transportation staff to provide sanitizer to Aspen passholders.
Extensive pass-holder educational efforts.
Impacts to the program include loss of sponsor and contract income and decreased station
presence. Staff will work with WE-cycle to review station locations throughout the season.
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On a positive note, the arrival of three pilot electric bikes is anticipated soon. These bicycles are
the result of Council’s March (pre-COVID) direction to pilot docked electric bikes with WE-
cycle rather than pursue dockless programs. In the coming weeks, staff and WE-cycle will circle
back with local bicycle shops to get their input on pricing and restrictions needed to avoid
competition with traditional e-bike rentals. It is hoped that these bicycles will go into service in
mid to late July to allow for short transit connections, such as from the 8th Street bus stop to
Aspen Valley Hospital.
Downtowner: Due to concerns for driver and passenger safety, Downtowner ceased service in
mid-March. Staff has been working with Downtowner and Public Health to develop appropriate
safety plans which have been approved. The Downtowner program will reopen on June 28,
providing service within its existing boundaries from 11am-11pm daily. The following COVID-
19 safety measures will be in place upon reopening:
Employee health checks
Employees and riders to wear face coverings
Rider education via app
Limit of 50% occupancy in vehicles
Disinfection of high touch areas after each trip
COVID-19 related impacts to the program include the loss of revenue to the vendor and the need
to continue payment for fixed costs. Anticipated impacts once service resumes will be increased
customer wait times associated with occupancy limits as well as the reduction in ability to group
customers into shared rides. Staff will continue to monitor health orders and consider increased
occupancy as appropriate.
Rubey Park Transit Center: Due to safety concerns, the Rubey Park Transit Center lobby
closed to the public on March 14, followed by the closure of the public restrooms on March 17.
Transportation is in the process of collaborating with RFTA, Public Health, Risk Management
and vendors to develop a cleaning protocol that will allow the restrooms to open on or near the
June 28 transit service increase. The impact of this reopening will be financial, with the need for
increased cleanings not currently budgeted.
Employer Services:Transportation’s employer services program (known as TOP) has been a
key focus during this time. Staff has been in frequent contact with participants to provide
education about program and service changes, assist with safety question and provision of grants
for continuity of employer programs.
Events:Colorado Bike to Work Day, originally scheduled for June 24, has been rescheduled to
September statewide.
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FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Transportation staff implemented budget reductions of $1.4 million for 2020 as part of the spring
supplemental budget process to try to balance expenses with the loss of revenue. These budget
reductions included major reductions to transit, programs, facilities and services.
Additional Funding/Grants:Staff continues to proactively seek grant funding opportunities.
Below is a summary of current funding and grant status.
Funding/Grants Award Purpose Status
CARE’S Act
Funding-Phase 1*
$1,230,648.00 COVID relief / funding transit
operations
Executed and
currently in use
5304 Planning
Grant
$ 40,000.00 Planning / Aspen Transportation
Impact Analysis update
Grant contract to come
to Council in July.
Multi-Modal
Operations Fund
Grant
$ 600,000.00 Construction / Paepcke Mobility
Hub
Grant contract to come
to Council in July.
*CARE’s Act Funding-Phase 2 will occur sometime in July/August of this year. The funding for
the City transit is estimated to be in the range of $500-800,000.
NEXT STEPS:
Staff will provide continued updates as information develops. The Transportation Department
website is also a good source of information.
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ATTACHMENT A
TRANSIT RIDERSHIP
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
5,500
RidershipRFTA COA Services: Daily Ridership (Preliminary)
BURLINGAME CASTLE MAROON CEMETARY LANE
CROSS TOWN GSS: GALENA STREET SHUTTLE HD: HIGHLANDS DIRECT
HUNTER CREEK MOUNTAIN VALLEY Total COA
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ATTACHEMENT B
DAILY TRAFFIC COUNTS
3,000
7,000
11,000
15,000
19,000
23,000
27,000 03/01/2003/04/2003/07/2003/10/203/13/2020*03/16/2003/19/2003/22/2003/25/2003/28/2003/31/204/3/2020*04/06/204/9/2020**04/12/2004/15/2004/18/2004/21/2004/24/204/27/2020**4/30/2020*05/03/2005/06/205/9/2020*05/12/2005/15/2005/18/2005/21/2005/24/2005/27/2005/30/2006/02/2006/05/2006/08/2006/11/2006/14/20Daily Traffic Counts
March-May 2020 v 2019
2020 Daily Total 2019 Daily Total
Poly. (2020 Daily Total)Poly. (2019 Daily Total)
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INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
TO:Mayor and Council
FROM:Nathaniel Ross, Management Analyst
THROUGH:Karen Harrington, Director of Quality
Alissa Farrell, Administrative Services Director
Sara Ott, City Manager
DATE OF MEMO:June 12, 2020
RE:Council Goals and COVID-19 Relief Outcomes Update
PURPOSE:
This memo is intendedto inform Council about the current status of the 2020/2021 Council Goals
and future steps to track and monitor progress of both Council Goals and COVID-19 Relief
Outcomes.
BACKGROUND:
During the 1st Quarter of 2020, City Council formally adopted Resolution #16 establishing the
2020-2021 Council Goals with the expanded version enclosed. The Council goals consist of
eight individual goals organized into two distinct tiers which are as follows:
Tier I Goals
1. Affordable Housing
2. Childcare Sustainability
3. Waste Management
4. Stormwater Financing
Tier II Goals
5. Energy Conservation
6. Community Engagement
7. Local Businesses
8. Boards and Commissions
Specific leadership team members were assigned to each goal in order to guide and champion
the goal’s progress. Tracking and reporting to Council was planned to take place on a quarterly
basis.
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During the 2nd Quarter of 2020, in the midst of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, City
Council formally adopted Resolution #33 establishing outcome statements to best guide the
City in providing relief efforts. Each outcome, which contains multiple objectives, are as follows:
1. Increase economic security for vulnerable people by aiding in securing shelter, food,
utilities, healthcare, childcare and transportation.
2. Encourage good mental health hygiene.
3. Support the Pitkin County Incident Management Team.
4. Proactively and swiftly work to minimize further economic disruption and actively
encourage its recovery.
5. Provide essential municipal government services with minimal interruption.
6. Effectively and regularly communicate with, and listen to, the community during the
response and recovery efforts.
DISCUSSION:
The City Leadership team has recently met to revisit the Council Goals and reassess statuses
and needs in light of shifting priorities due to the COVID-19 response and ongoing recovery
efforts. Staff will pivot back to the fulfillment of these goals, with quarterly reporting to Council
commencing in July.
Staff have identified several Council Goals that may need adjustment due to the economic
situation and community priorities associated with COVID-19. These items will be brought to
Council for discussion and guidance during the work session scheduled on July 27, 2020.
Activities to implement the objectives associated with the COVID-19 Relief Outcomes are on-
going. Reporting on progress of the COVID-19 Relief Outcomes will take place on the same
schedule as 2020-2021 Council Goals.
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Strategic Focus Area Definitions
Safe & Lived-in Community of Choice: Ensure Aspen is an attractive, diverse and
safe city to live, work and visit year-round. This includes opportunities to access
childcare, healthcare, housing, transit, parks, recreation, and technological
connectivity.
Community Engagement: Ensure a trusted dialogue and relationship in the
community that encourages participation, consensus building, and meaningful
engagement.
Protect Our Environment: Ensure that policy decisions, programs and projects
manage impacts to the environment, climate, and public health and well-being.
Smart Customer Focused Government: Provide value to the community by
continuously improving services and processes based on feedback, data, best
practices, and innovation.
Fiscal Health & Economic Vitality: Promote economic sustainability of the Aspen
community by advancing a healthy, diverse local economy while responsibly
managing revenue streams, community investments, and financial reserves.
2020 - 2021 City Council Goals
Tier I Goals
Affordable Housing: Advance the quality of life through affordable housing
opportunities that address financing, incentives, and maintenance through
partnerships.
a. Resources:Increase the City’s resources for affordable housing development by
leveraging existing funds in tandem with partnering with regional entities.
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b. Incentives.Review adopted regulations that affect the development of affordable
housing including a study of the affordable housing fee-in-lieu rate, the Certificate of
Affordable Housing Credit program, employee generation and mitigation rates, and
multi-family replacement requirements.
c. Financing.Establish and utilize a financial advisory board to advise, evaluate, and
make recommendations on the long-term economic stability of affordable housing
development.
d.Work with partner agencies and homeowners’ associations to formulate options to
address delayed affordable housing maintenance, including insufficient capital
reserves policies.
Childcare Sustainability: Engage with the business community and local stakeholders
on ways to finance and expand childcare availability and create workforce development
opportunities.
a. Education. Increase the awareness regarding the values, benefits, and success of
Kids First and early childhood education programs.
b. Resources. Leverage the collective interests of the Roaring Fork Valley to identify
and advance opportunities to increase capacity, with emphasis on the need for
quality infant and toddler spaces.
c. Workforce. Encourage workforce development and program expansion through
creative and immediate actions that develop a qualified workforce and talent
pipeline for early childhood educators.
Waste Management: Develop a long-range community waste management plan to
reduce waste in the highest impact landfill diversion areas.
a. Incentives. Evaluate and implement incentives that increase voluntary diversion of
solid waste.
b.Policy. Evaluate and consider policy changes that address wildlife conflicts, balances
community values surrounding construction impacts, and supports the longevity of
the community’s landfill.
Stormwater Financing: Identify and implement capital funding sources to address and
expand the aging stormwater system as well as finance projects focused on treating
outfalls to the Roaring Fork River.
Energy Conservation: Reduce the energy use in commercial and multi-family buildings
through increased incentives and the advancement of Building IQ, which requires
energy use tracking and improved energy efficiency. *
*Council discussion scheduled to move this goal to Tier II.
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Tier II Goals
Community Engagement: Evaluate decision making authority for quasi-judicial boards
and commissions.
Local Businesses: Create and implement a community engagement strategy that
incorporates participation data to inform and increase future public participation in
policy decisions.
Boards and Commissions: Analyze opportunities to retain and attract essential, small,
local and unique businesses to provide a balanced, diverse and vital use mix supporting
the community.
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