The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink Aboutagenda.council.worksession.20230213AGENDA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION February 13, 2023 4:00 PM, City Council Chambers 427 Rio Grande Place, Aspen I.Work Session I.A New Castle Creek Bridge Public Education Outreach Summary and Next Steps Recommendations Zoom Meeting Instructions Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87433286769? pwd=eUQ5TTh5TzErajVTWUZGL3FmcUUzZz09 Passcode: 81611 Or join by phone: Dial: US: +1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 874 3328 6769 Passcode: 81611 International numbers available: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kbGjfqpnCq New Castle Creek Bridge Outreach Project Report_Final.pdf New Castle Creek Bridge Outreach Project Summary and Next Steps.docx 1 1 THENEWCASTLECREEKBRIDGE This report summarizes e orts through January 25, 2023. An updated summary will be provided a er February 13, 2023, the conclusion of Phase 1. Awareness Plan Summary | Phase 1 2 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 2 BACKGROUND For more than 40 years, the City of Aspen, alongside community partners and local government agencies, has been discussing the best transportation options in and out of Aspen – an e ort known as the “Entrance to Aspen”. Since the existing Castle Creek Bridge is nearing the end of its lifespan, Aspen City Council directed sta to initiate a community awareness process to provide information about the Preferred Alternative, as outlined in the 1998 Record of Decision (ROD), which was updated in 2007. The current Castle Creek Bridge was built in 1961 with an estimated lifespan of 75 years - expiring in 2036. It was rated “fair” by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in 2022 (50.3 out of 100). If the bridge falls below 50, CDOT could put weight restrictions on vehicles crossing the bridge in order to protect the safety of our community. This could have a signiﬁ cant impact on the businesses and consumers in Aspen. The process for design and construction of a new Castle Creek Bridge could take up to 12 years, so we would need to start the planning now. The New Castle Creek Bridge project, which would a ect our community characte r, includes many phases throughout design and construction. It’s integral that community members throughout Aspen, the Roaring Fork Valley, and the state are included in the process. The City of Aspen is in the initial stages of the project which includes revisiting the ROD and re-igniting a project that began with a public vote in 1975. WHYNOW? HOWWILLTHE COMMUNITY BEINVOLVED? In the initial “Phase 1” of public participation, the project team focused on bringing awareness to the community about the history and current state of the existing Castle Creek Bridge and future options for the Entrance to Aspen by: • Presenting high-level information about the ROD and the Preferred Alternative, plus the history, the urgency of action needed, and the process moving forward. • Helping break down the complexity of the situation. • Recording questions and changing messaging as needed to address those questions. • Sharing information and community questions (via sta ) with Aspen City Council so Council feels conﬁ dent making recommendations about next steps for the process. 3 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 3 SUMMARY The New Castle Creek Bridge awareness plan for Phase 1 was framed based on best practices outlined by the International Association for Public Participation. With Council direction, the project team developed and executed tactics that supported an inform-based approach with a promise to the public that is grounded in transparency, accessibility, inclusivity, intentionality, and impact. PHASE AUDIENCES Aspen residents and voters Residents whose property could be negatively impacted Commuters traveling to Aspen for work Media Aspen businesses Aspen workforce Special interest groups Local governments and agencies Spanish and English speakers 4 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 4 AWARENESSMESSAGING The following messages were relayed across communication channels (events, website, presentations, printed material, advertising) during the awareness phase of the project. • The Castle Creek Bridge history, design life, and current state of repairs. • The Record of Decision, 10 Project Objectives, and a detailed explanation of the Preferred Alternative. • Marolt-Thomas Open Space right of way (ROW), land exchange and future opportunities for pedestrian access via a land bridge. This includes a new vote to change ROW usage from light rail to buses. • Pros and cons of the Preferred Alternative - “It is not a silver bullet”. • If implemented, this project could negatively impact homeowners near the bridge and roadway. • Transit-oriented solution that focuses on improved ﬂ ow and travel times for buses and future technology. • None of the 43 alternatives evaluated solve tra c congestion. The Preferred Alternative improves the ﬂ ow of single occupancy vehicles. • The timing of revisiting the project. • Importance of improved emergency evacuation and access. • The path forward for rebuilding the existing bridge or building the Preferred Alternative. Note: Throughout the progression of the campaign, sta continuously pivoted and updated messaging to address questions that arose from the community. This included addressing property impacts, open space acquisition, funding projections from previous research, congestion, and conceptual renderings. Existing Castle Creek Bridge.Proposed bridge with land bridge/wildlife corridor and new open space. 5 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 5 NOVEMBERJANUARY AWARENESSCAMPAIGN GUESTCOMMENTARIES The project team hosted open community events, as well as met community members where they traditionally gather. The project team utilized several channels to create project awareness, which included the CastleCreekBridge.com website, print, digital, and radio news advertisements, social media, e-newsletters, direct mail, and project posters put up at various locations between Basalt and Aspen, as well as in-person and virtual events. This coordinated communications initiative was intended to maximize information shared with the community and clearly identify opportunities for community members to learn about the project both in-person and virtually. On the next pages are key numbers and ﬁ gures of the awareness campaign. GENERATINGAWARENESS GUESTCOMMENTARIES City of Aspen Employee Open House Rubey Park Pop-up Event Site Tour Site Tour City of Aspen Employee Open House City of Aspen Employee Open House 6 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 6 AWARENESSCAMPAIGNBYTHENUMBERS EMAIL NEWSLETTERS Events COMMUNITYOUTREACH Small Group Meetings One-on-ones PARTNERENEWSLETTERDISTRIBUTION SOCIALMEDIA LOCALTV SPANISHSOCIALMEDIAPARTNERSHIPS PUBLIC AWARENESS EVENTS out of Days of Campaign WEBSITEPAGE VIEWS MEDIARELATIONS See Appendix C Impressions Subsribers Aspen Public Radio, ACRA, Ann Mullins’ Colorado Conversations, Community Development Update Posts Mentions Post Views La TricolorPaid/Organic The Locals Show, Grassroots TV Interview Clicks Reactions Radio Interview Likes Iliana Renteria’s Channel BILLINSERTS POSTERSBILINGUALFLYER DIGITALADS PROJECTVIDEO NEWSPAPERPRINTADS English Impressions Aspen UtilityNovember, January Aspen to CarbondaleDistribution at Brush Creek Park & Rde YouTube Views Spanish Clicks NEWPAPERCOLUMNS Guest Commentaries Columns RADIOADS English Spanish Lorenzo Semple & Paul Menter 7 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 7 PRINT&DIGITALADVERTISING CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Scan For More Information: Let’s talk about the New Castle Creek Bridge EVENTS THIS WEEK Open Houses: December 6 • 12-2 pm • Aspen City Hall December 7 • 6-8 pm • Aspen City Hall December 8 • 6-7 pm • Online Presentation (RSVP on website) Site Tour: December 8 • 12-2 pm • Bugsy Barnard Park (Cemetery Lane and HWY 82) *This is a conceptual rendering . Project Video CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Scan For More Information: Let’s talk about the New Castle Creek Bridge EVENTS THIS WEEK Open Houses: December 6 • 12-2 pm • Aspen City Hall December 7 • 6-8 pm • Aspen City Hall December 8 • 6-7 pm • Online Presentation (RSVP on website) Site Tour: December 8 • 12-2 pm • Bugsy Barnard Park (Cemetery Lane and HWY 82) *This is a conceptual rendering . Social Media English & Spanish | Paid & Organic Castle Creek Bridge is reaching the end of its design life. Planning and building a new bridge could take up to 12 years. CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM This is your transportation future. Get up to speed. SOURCE Colorado Department of Transportation Newspaper Print Ads English Spanish Newspaper Digital Ads Impressions Clicks Views Likes YouTube Views 8 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 8 PRINTCOLLATERAL For more than 30 years, the City of Aspen and the community have been discussing the best transportation options in and out of Aspen – an e ort known as the “Entrance to Aspen”. Since the existing Castle Creek Bridge is nearing the end of its lifespan, it’s time to get serious about building a new bridge. Existing Castle Creek Bridge[ maintains connection with Cemetery Lane and McLain Flats ] Improved and continuous winter/summer trail The S-Curves New open space where Highway 82 once was 5.4 acres used by highway, 2.5 returned by land bridge/wildlife corridor and new open space 2 general purpose lanes+ 2 exclusive bus lanes [ Until funding for light rail is available, and pending voter approval ] A new bridge over Castle Creek Allows both mass transit and cars to ﬂ ow more smoothly with continuous bus lanes from the roundabout into downtown. = general purpose lane = exclusive bus lane THENEWCASTLECREEKBRIDGE Get up to speed! Watch a 5-Minute Video CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM EMERGENCYACCESS&EVACUATION Due to climate change, our community faces a rising danger from wildﬁ res and mudslides. The S-Curves and Power Plant Road are not e ective routes for egress and ingress in the case of emergencies. The Preferred Alternative would double evacuation routes. HISTORY The current Castle Creek Bridge was built in 1961 and is expected to last until 2036. Therefore, we must start the 8-12 year bridge planning and implementation process now. WHYANEWCASTLECREEKBRIDGE? Your Transportation Future THECURRENTPLANKnown as the Preferred Alternative, the new alignment would extend Main Street over a new Castle Creek Bridge and under a land bridge that meets the existing Highway 82 near the roundabout. CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOMCASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Watch a 5-Minute Video THEPATHFORWARDTWOCHOICES There are currently two options for how to move forward: For more than 30 years, the City of Aspen and the community have been discussing the best transportation options in and out of Aspen – an e ort known as the “Entrance to Aspen”. Since the existing Castle Creek Bridge is nearing the end of its lifespan, it’s time to get serious about building a new bridge. A New Castle Creek Bridge Your Transportation Future Get Up to Speed! CASTLECREEKBRIDGEREMAINS THEPRIMARYENTRANCE&EXIT BUILDTHEPREFERREDALTERNATIVE& REPAIRTHECURRENTBRIDGE • More frequent repairs and vehicle weight limits. • CDOT controls the process. • One lane of tra c (18-24 months) during repairs and reconstruction. • Power Plant Road is widened and realigned for a safe detour. • Community engagement on design details, aesthetics, and open space. • Voters approved a two-lane parkway and light rail. Another vote is needed to allow bus lanes until funding is available for rail. • Minimal construction impacts on drivers and commuters. • Improved tra c ﬂ ow for faster transit times for buses. COA_CCBridge-RackCard.indd 1COA_CCBridge-RackCard.indd 1 12/19/22 4:34 PM12/19/22 4:34 PM Rack Cards Posters Aspen to Carbondale150 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Aprende más: Ver un video de 5 minutos CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Aprende más: Ver un video de 5 minutos CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Aprende más: Ver un video de 5 minutos CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Aprende más: Ver un video de 5 minutos ¿Porqué Ahora? • El puente actual tiene que ser reemplazado en 8-12 años. • Es necesario mejorar el acceso y evacuación de emergencia. ¿Porqué Ahora? • El puente actual tiene que ser reemplazado en 8-12 años. • Es necesario mejorar el acceso y evacuación de emergencia. ¿Porqué Ahora? • El puente actual tiene que ser reemplazado en 8-12 años. • Es necesario mejorar el acceso y evacuación de emergencia. ¿Porqué Ahora? • El puente actual tiene que ser reemplazado en 8-12 años. • Es necesario mejorar el acceso y evacuación de emergencia. El Plan Actual La calle Main se extendería sobre el puente Castle Creek nuevo y por debajo un puente terrestre que se conectaría con la autopista 82 existente cercas de la glorieta. El Plan Actual La calle Main se extendería sobre el puente Castle Creek nuevo y por debajo un puente terrestre que se conectaría con la autopista 82 existente cercas de la glorieta. El Plan Actual La calle Main se extendería sobre el puente Castle Creek nuevo y por debajo un puente terrestre que se conectaría con la autopista 82 existente cercas de la glorieta. El Plan Actual La calle Main se extendería sobre el puente Castle Creek nuevo y por debajo un puente terrestre que se conectaría con la autopista 82 existente cercas de la glorieta. Un Puente Castle Creek Nuevo El puente Caste Creek está llegando al ﬁ nal de su vida útil, por lo que es hora de tomarse en serio la construcción de un nuevo Puente. Un Puente Castle Creek Nuevo El puente Caste Creek está llegando al ﬁ nal de su vida útil, por lo que es hora de tomarse en serio la construcción de un nuevo Puente. Un Puente Castle Creek Nuevo El puente Caste Creek está llegando al ﬁ nal de su vida útil, por lo que es hora de tomarse en serio la construcción de un nuevo Puente. Un Puente Castle Creek Nuevo El puente Caste Creek está llegando al ﬁ nal de su vida útil, por lo que es hora de tomarse en serio la construcción de un nuevo Puente. Get up to speed! Watch a 5-Minute Video CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM This is your transportation future. Get up to speed. TAKEASITETOUR December 8 • 12-2 pm • Bugsy Barnard Park ATTENDANOPENHOUSE December 6 • 12-2 pm • Aspen City City Hall December 7 • 6-8 pm • Aspen City City Hall December 8 • 6-7 pm • Online Presentation CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Scan For More Information: Castle Creek Bridge is reaching the end of its design life. Planning and building a new bridge could take up to 12 years. SOURCE Colorado Department of Transportation Bill Inserts English + Spanish November & January Bilingual Flyer Distribution Brush Creek Park & Ride Fact Sheet English Spanish English Spanish 9 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 9 COMMUNITYEVENTS CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM Hablemos de un nuevo puente Castle Creek. UNASOLUCIÓNORIENTADAALTRÁNSITO • Elimina dos puntos de unión con carriles continuos para autobuses desde el aeropuerto • Disminuye los impactos de construir un puente nuevo • Elimina las curvas-S, lo que ayuda a mejorar la seguridad y la eﬁ ciencia para el público viajante • Permite tecnología nueva a futuro, como tranvías sin rieles, autobuses sin conductor o trenes ligeros • Mejora el acceso de emergencia y capacidad de evacuación Tú Futuro en Transporte. Ponte al día. Puente existente de Castle Creek [mantiene conexión con Cemetery Lane y McLain Flats]Un sendero mejorado y continuo en temporada invierno/verano Las curvas-S Nuevo espacio abierto donde alguna vez estuvo la autopista 82 5.4 acres usados por la autopista, 2.5 regresados por puente terrestre/corredor de vida silvestre y nuevo espacio abierto 2 carriles de uso general+ carriles exclusivos para autobuses [Hasta que esté disponible el ﬁ nanciamiento para la vía ligera, y está pendiente la aprobación de los votantes] Un nuevo puente sobre Castle Creek Permite que tanto el tránsito pesado como los automóviles ﬂ uyan sin problemas con carriles continuos para autobuses desde la glorieta hasta el centro. = carril de propósito general = carril exclusivo para autobuses NOTA Esta es una representación conceptual destinada a mostrar imágenes de alto nivel de la Alternativa Preferida. COA_Open House Banner. Spanish.indd 1COA_Open House Banner. Spanish.indd 1 11/30/22 10:36 AM11/30/22 10:36 AM CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM CASTLECREEKBRIDGE.COM Scan here to watch a 1-minute video Let’s talk about a new Castle Creek Bridge. The New Castle Creek Bridge Site Tour INFORMATION STATIONS: 1. Current Castle Creek Bridge 2. History and Plan Overview 3. The New Bridge 4. The Land Bridge + Open Space 5. New Highway Alignment 6. Main Street Connection (viewpoint only) Holden Marolt Mining & Ranch Museum Main Street Community Gardens Open Space START 4. 5. 6. 3. 2. 1. Event Outreach Site Tour Map Site Tours: 3 Events - 27 Attendees Open Houses: 3 Events - 52 Attendees Online Presentations: 3 Events - 57 attendees Pop-Up Events: 3 events - 167 Attendees [Spanish & English-Speaking] Site Tour Information Boards Open House Standup Banners English + Spanish Site Tour Rubey Park Pop-Up Event Open House Event 10 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 10 SMALLGROUP&ONOUTREACH Small Group Presentation: 25 Meetings / 472 Attendees [see Appendix A for details] One-on-One Meetings: 7 total [see Appendix A for details] Ruby Park Pop-up Event Cemetery Lane Small Group Open House Event Aspen Police & Fire Small Group Presentation Site Tour Public Open House 11 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 11 COMMUNITYSENTIMENT Some individuals wanted to revisit one or more of the 43 alternatives that were not chosen. Others thought the Preferred Alternative was just right. Individuals whose property would be directly impacted by a new Castle Creek Bridge were, understandably, not in favor of the project. The majority of those with whom we met felt it was time for a new bridge. Within this group, there were varying opinions about elements of the Preferred Alternative and the best path forward, as well as an expressed desire to be part of the decision-making process, and numerous questions and concerns voiced (see page 13). Although the project team did not solicit speciﬁ c feedback during the awareness campaign, many participants o ered thoughts and asked questions. The next phase of the project is focused on answering the questions raised by the community, partners and City Council. See Appendix B for a full list. 12 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 12 DOESN’TSOLVECONGESTION THSTINTERSECTION BEINGGIVEN ONLYONE CHOICE OPENSPACE DISRUPTION IMPACTONNEARBYPROPERTIESTOOLATETO GIVEINPUTON THEPLAN CHANGESEXPERIENCEOFENTERINGASPEN CEMETERYLANEACCESSTOSCHOOLS&HOSPITAL These visuals outline the support and concerns expressed by the community. SUPPORT CONCERNS CONTINUOUS BUSLANE FASTERTRANSIT TIMES LANDBRIDGES FEWER CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS NEEDANEWBRIDGE EMERGENCYEVACUATION SOMETHINGNEEDSTOBEDONE EMERGENCYACCESS Note: Concerns were di cult to rank as each special interest group or neighborhood had concerns about one issue based on their location, values, etc. 13 CASTLECREEKBRIDGECOM 13 1 VOTING A. When will the vote happen? B. What will the vote be about? C. Why does there have to be a vote? D. Who gets to vote? 2 COST& FUNDING A. How much will the proposed plan cost? B. Who will pay for the project? 3 DETAILED PLAN&DESIGN INFORMATION Examples: A. Where will the pedestrian paths and winter trails be located? B. How will people access the Holden-Marolt Museum? C. Will the 8th Street bus stop move? D. What will the intersection at 7th Street be like? E. Could there be more than one land bridge? 4 CONGESTION A. Will the plan decrease vehicle travel times into town? B. If not, is there a plan to address tra c? 5 SMALLTOWN CHARACTER A. How will the new entrance redeﬁ ne the small-town character of Aspen? 6 PROPERTY IMPACT A. What properties will be impacted? B. What properties will need to be acquired? Is this consideration included in the project cost? C. What’s the process for acquiring property? THECOMMUNITY’SPENDINGQUESTIONS Outlined below are some of the questions that were frequently asked by the community at the public events and conversations that the project team hosted with identiﬁ ed audiences. Many of these questions require additional research in order to resolve further. See Appendix B for a full listing of questions and comments. 14 Small Group Presentations - Complete Date Number of Attendees Open Space and Trails Board 11/17/22 13 Five Trees 11/21/22 7 Hunter Creek 12/1/22 38 Rotary Club of Aspen 12/1/22 55 Aspen Skiing Company 12/6/22 12 Aspen Highlands Village 12/7/22 23 Town of Basalt 12/13/22 8 Aspen School District Board 12/14/22 22 ACRA Public Affairs 12/15/22 7 Villa HOA - Small Group 12/15/22 13 Aspen Villas 12/15/22 10 Aspen Historical Socity 12/19/22 6 CCLC 1/5/23 12 Aspen Senior Center 1/5/23 10 Aspen Fire Department + Police 1/6/23 22 Snowmass Town Council 1/9/23 9 Pitkin County BOCC 1/10/23 13 ACES 1/10/23 27 Burlingame HOA 1/11/23 19 Meadowood HOA 1/11/23 11 Cemetery Lane 1/12/23 31 Pitkin County Staff 1/13/23 10 Douglas Elliman Staff 1/17/23 34 Pitkin County Public Safety Council 1/18/23 29 Aspen Valley Hospital Leadership Team 1/25/23 28 Small Group Total 469 Community Events Site Tour - #1 12/3/22 14 Site Tour - #2 12/8/22 13 City of Aspen Open House 12/6/22 35 City of Aspen Online Staff Presentation 1/11/23 31 In Person Open House 12/6/22 8 In Person Open House 12/7/22 9 Online Presentation 12/1/22 13 Online Presentation 12/8/22 13 Rio Grande Pop Up 12/13/22 22 Brush Creek Park & Ride December 500 15 Rubey Park Pop Up #1 12/13/22 85 Rubey Park Pop Up #2 12/15/22 60 1-on-1 Meetings 7 Community Event Total 810 Total Community and Small Group 1279 Small Group Presentations - Scheduled Harbour and Sneaky Lane 2/1/23 Small Group Presentations - In queue West End Group Aspen School District - Staff CORE Centennial HOA Red Conclave Roaring Fork Safe Passages NextGen Aspen Valley Hospital Board Mobility Task Force - Aspen Institute Sotheby's Real Estate Brokers Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Brokers Aspen Skiing Company Staff Aspen Hospital Staff and Board Truscott HOA 16 Date Comment/Question 10/24/22 The ideal outcome is that the useability and the experience of the open space is not degraded. 10/24/22 It’s ideal that the open space is contiguous; it allows for wildlife, you can ski through it, has openness 10/24/22 He said there are tradeoffs, but he’s reconciled that this change is inevitable and if done 1st class, “I’m okay with it.” 10/24/22 How will you approach the City’s commitment not to degrade the user experience? 10/24/22 He’d like the cut and cover to run longer to keep more open space. After learning about the fire requirements, he suggested that a series of land bridges would allow for more open space. 10/24/22 The Galena Living Lab “kinda tarnished the image of the City” vs the positives of the Castle Creek Bridge future. 10/24/22 Urgency is the most important message we can share. There is no urgency now in people’s minds re: the status of the current bridge. 10/24/22 Must get beyond people claiming that the city just needs to stop issuing building permits. 10/25/22 He supported the 2002 vote for light rail that failed 10/25/22 Thinks people are more obsessed with growth now than ever and this is an easy “no” to vote against growth 10/25/22 Suggested targeting Burlingame as they are auto-oriented 10/25/22 Feels there are three categories - auto-oriented, transit-oriented and persuadable - hard to get stuff passed because of this split 10/25/22 Open space going to be an issue 10/25/22 People have a hard time looking that far out in the future - 10 or 20 years to see the need for the bridge 10/25/22 Build a bridge simulation - they used the bridge in the 2000s and it didn’t seem to make people want to vote for it 10/25/22 This is going to be a long education process, vote too soon will fail, wait until 2024 10/25/22 Focus on the possibility of the bridge failing and emergency egress 10/25/22 Suggested starting a proposal to rebuild Power Plant road 10/25/22 Need good polling to see where people stand and why they are opposed 11/10/22 Does there need to be a vote on open space use or would there be a taking? 11/10/22 Can CDOT take over the existing bridge if the bridge gets to the end of its life? 11/10/22 Does CDOT have the right to take over the bridge if citizens take no initiative? 11/10/22 Can CDOT take over and go through Marolt to build a new bridge without voter approval? 11/10/22 Is the structure of the existing CC Bridge solid? Can you extend the life of the structure? Can the structure be brought up to standards? What is the life of the piers? Can the structure of the bridge remain so that just the steel girders are replaced by CDOT? 11/10/22 What does a decommissioned bridge look like? 11/10/22 By right, what exactly can CDOT do? How can they do it? How would it be used? 11/10/22 What can CDOT build? 11/10/22 The phrase “Preferred Alternative” implies that we have choices. So the name itself sounds like the public will be able to look at the alternatives. 11/10/22 The dynamics of the community have changed since the vote in 1995 – type of people, economic forces, technology, transportation. 17 Date Comment/Question 11/10/22 Assuming that the values of the community are the same is false. “We aren’t the same community demographically, economically. Those changes determine how we want to access our community.” 11/10/22 Why can’t we go back and review? 11/10/22 The vote that’s needed is confusing. 11/10/22 Can CDOT do whatever they want? 11/10/22 Is the vote to use the right of way over open space or a vote to use buses instead of light rail? 11/10/22 Can they build 4 lanes and decide whatever they want to happen on those four lanes (without approval from the citizens)? 11/10/22 Why are you going to educate now instead of trying to influence the vote? What aren’t you talking about the vote? 11/10/22 There cannot be ANY ambiguity. 11/10/22 Can we use the system we have and improve on the bus flow? 11/15/22 Dan stated his opinions were part of the minority. He comes to this project with his environmental values forefront. 11/15/22 He is concerned about the public misinterpreting the project to mean increased general-use vehicle capacity and time coming into town. 11/15/22 He’s also concerned with the view planes and the experience of coming into Aspen via a highway and tunnel. 11/15/22 Jack mentioned that this is a transit priority project with environmental values as a driver. 11/15/22 Dan mentioned that his opinion of the project has improved over time due to the conversation around emergency egress from Aspen, the uninterrupted bus lane from the airport and the focus on BRT being the best way to get into town. 11/15/22 When looking at the alignment, he was surprised it wasn’t straighter or closer to the community garden. He also thought that the cut and cover tunnel was longer. 11/15/22 He thinks a dog-friendly and Nordic use on the north side of the open space could be a good thing and the more seamless connection of trails 11/15/22 Felt objectives were broader goals for the region/community but felt liveable communities was a stretch 11/15/22 “A highway through open space is a tough pill to swallow”, it will fundamentally change the open space 11/15/22 He asked if it ties us to light rail and if we need a vote to have buses on the ROW 11/15/22 Dan originally opposed the project because the benefits didn’t outweigh the costs (disruption to open space and two lanes of traffic in each direction) 11/17/22 Are we obligated to convert the two bus lanes to light rail? 11/17/22 Increasing future transit options - Bus, tackless trams 11/17/22 Having bus outside of the general lanes will smooth traffic. 11/17/22 2017 - RFTA did a study - price for light rail from Brush Creek and it only saved drivers 2 min to come into town, need to address this 11/17/22 Mills property - didn’t understand the exchange - because of 1996 vote CDOT purchased Mills and gave to the city of Aspen When did the property exchange happen? Thomas plat shows easement Marolt plat has ROW - need to clarify 18 Date Comment/Question 11/17/22 No net loss of acreage or deterioration of open space? I would hope that you discuss MORE land bridge acres to cover the highway and reduce the visual impact of the hard surface going into town 11/17/22 Bus lane means we will continue the bus lanes as they are continuous from the airport 11/17/22 Landbridge - wildlife/ped - is there research for how the two interact? 11/17/22 Is there an envisioned timeline for when this will go to voters 11/17/22 Air quality - are we still nonattainment 11/17/22 People like to use open space as a reason to say no to something - this will impact our decision to support this or not in the future 11/17/22 Concern on not loosing any open space at all That corner of Marolt is not that used, almost feel like it could possibly improve the open space 11/17/22 Typical ETA convo is focused on people wanting to drive into town more quickly. Drive into town in an uninterrupted fashion and this project won’t impact that in any way. 11/21/22 Concerns for nordic inclusion across the landbridge. It’s important to include these uses. 11/21/22 Questions the reduction of single occupant vehicles and their time, but supports the emergency egress that it provides. 11/21/22 Would like to see a cost estimate for the project. 11/21/22 A lot of community pushback historically. Do we have a sense of the community values at this point because the project makes sense?11/21/22 Are there homes and properties that would be affected? 11/23/22 So all this time and $$ fixing these bridges to just redo them entirely? Seems… counterproductive? Or am I getting my bridges confused 12/1/22 Is it just a continuation of main street and getting rid of the s-curve? 12/1/22 Don’t see a connection from cemetery lane to the preferred alternative. Do you have to go into town? 12/1/22 Why aren’t we looking at doing 4 lanes instead of 2? Wouldn’t that help mitigate traffic and help congestion? 12/1/22 The City hired consultants 5 years ago that said more lanes equals less congestion which then motivates more people to drive. They said that would create two unintended consequences. You have congestion again. And you have more cars competing for parking in town. Is that why the goal is not to reduce congestion? 12/1/22 What happens to all the parking on Main Street from 7th to bridge? The problem with moving parking to the alley is that’s where the children play. 12/1/22 Is this just a vote with city voters? So many others are impacted and she fears that without their input, a city vote could fail. 12/1/22 Why wasn’t the ’96 vote implemented “since it was fully funded?” There was an “advisory” vote in ’ 98 when he moved here. (Was there?) Why is a public vote needed now? Didn’t the ’99 vote kill the plan? 12/1/22 Is the last block of Main St wide enough for 5 lanes (with light rail)? It doesn’t look like it. Is there right of way available? 12/1/22 Is this the same plan as was voted on in ’99? 12/1/22 Elaborate on the process with the tunnel. Why is it so important since it’s much more expensive? Is it just for the wildlife corridor or for open space? 12/1/22 Is it possible to soften the S-Curves? To go diagonally to the right, curved sort of like Glenwood Bridge? 19 Date Comment/Question 12/1/22 How much will the bridge cost city voters and what are the tax implications? Will a vote be required to fund the Preferred Alternative? 12/1/22 Will this plan require any property condemnation? 12/1/22 How will this impact the current Marolt Open Space and when will it go to voters? 12/1/22 How will people who live on Cemetery Ln access the roundabout - high school - hospital et al.? 12/1/22 I assume that if the new bridge is approved, that construction would occur without impacting the current traffic configuration, which would have minimal impact on entering and exiting the city. That is good. If the new bridge proposal is rejected, what will be the traffic impact of refurbishing the old bridge on accessing the city and how long will that last? 12/1/22 What do you have to say to people who currently live on west main street where this 4-lane highway is to be built? This will be catastrophic for their quality of life and property values. Will there be compensation from the city? 12/1/22 Is it worth noting that currently, the only alternative to the bridge is a road that runs underneath that same bridge. If the current bridge fails the only other road below would be unusable leaving no access in or out? 12/1/22 This is not an education project, it’s more like hard sell on the city staff’s part 12/1/22 Two things. A gondola from Snowmass intercept lot, airport business center / airport right to town. Would be very environmentally friendly. Also I would build the connection underground and do a green space on top adding more parks and trails 12/1/22 Wait the bridge that keeps getting repaired - costing millions and creating insane traffic… just needs to come down now? 12/1/22 Both bridges are a disaster 12/2/22 The PA had full funding from the state and the feds ($125 million). 12/2/22 What killed the light rail plan? 12/2/22 Implementing all elements of the IMS reduces CO2 by over 25 tons/years and reduces if not eliminates traffic jams via “congestion pricing,” during peak times. It isn’t a toll but a fee in single occupancy vehicles. 12/2/22 Just 2-3% can take you into or out of congestion. 12/2/22 John would love to see a six month trial implemented, like they did with paid parking. It’s an experiment, then put it up for a vote. The IMS and the infrastructure are complementary and need to go together. 12/2/22 People will ask, “What does this plan do for me” Does the plan as now written reduce CO2 emissions? Does it reduce traffic congestion? These two questions will be critical for many people when they vote. 12/2/22 If the eventual vote includes the IMS, John could push for it. 12/2/22 This plan doesn’t save time – 2 minutes on a bus isn’t enough of an incentive. A 12 min savings as the IMS shows would make a difference. 12/2/22 The IMS Steering Committee members have all shown support for combining the IMS and the PA except for Patty Clapper, who John is working on. 12/3/22 Was disappointed how staff presented the project to Council. Didn’t feel like the villas were represented fairly. 12/3/22 Mostly gaining information on options and discussions about specifics for ROW. 12/3/22 Very against the project due to the impact on the villas and the property values. 12/6/22 How far would you have to go into town to get back on HWY 82 from Cemetery Lane? 12/6/22 Is Main Street alignment changing? 12/6/22 Is there going to be a vote? 20 Date Comment/Question 12/6/22 What are the anticipated consequences of people living in town and on Cemetery Lane? 12/6/22 Will people be given housing when the highway is being built? 12/6/22 Is the Preferred Alternative still valid? 12/6/22 Why does there have to be a vote? There were many in the 90s. 12/6/22 Is the land bridge and the open space part of the original design? 12/6/22 Can CDOT just do what they want? 12/6/22 When you talk about changing from LTR to buses – would the design accommodate LTR in the future or would that be another project if you did LTR in the future? 12/6/22 There is no need to do LTR in the future – driverless buses are better. Is this analysis being considered? 12/6/22 Will properties be impacted? 12/6/22 Will there be dedicated bus lanes to Main Street? 12/6/22 Will there be changes to zoning in the construction area? 12/6/22 How will the project impact the area around the Hickory House and Hickory House parking? 12/6/22 Will there be a dedicated bus lane 24/7, or will usage change throughout the day/week? 12/6/22 What happens if voters vote, “No”? 12/6/22 What happens at the end of the bridge’s lifespan? 12/6/22 Why does this step in the Preferred Alternative need a vote? 12/6/22 Who will pay for the bridge? 12/6/22 Can CDOT move forward with the Preferred Alternative even if voters vote, “No”? 12/6/22 What will the ballot language look like? Will it include multiple questions? 12/6/22 Are we confident that current residents agree with the 10 project objectives even though they may not have been here when the objectives were determined? 12/6/22 What’s the total width of the bridge? 12/6/22 When will the new Castle Creek Bridge be constructed and when will the old Castle Creek Bridge be reconstructed? 12/7/22 Are the only people who can vote those who live in the city of Aspen? 12/7/22 Frustrating because I am a business owner in Aspen, but can’t vote because I don’t live in city limits. 12/7/22 I don’t understand how this will help those who live down valley if it doesn’t decrease drive times. 12/7/22 The preferred alternative would do nothing to solve the congestion problem. 12/7/22 Local businesses are having a hard time finding workers/less costumes because people don’t want to come into Aspen because congestion is so bad. 12/7/22 Why can’t we just renovate the bridge we have now? Why do we need a new bridge? 12/7/22 I was under the impression that one bridge would be one way traffic one way and the other bridge would be one way traffic the other way. 12/7/22 Why would you remove the decommissioned piece of highway besides to create more open space? Why not have two bridges that connect to the highway? 12/7/22 The current view of the open space is pleasant and changing it could deter peoples’ votes. 12/7/22 Would the Berger Cabin be demolished? 12/7/22 Would the roundabout need to be changed? We just spent money to get it fixed. 12/7/22 If we make riding the bus more attractive to people, there needs to be more room on buses and more parking spots at bus stops. 21 Date Comment/Question 12/7/22 Why can’t we install a light rail right away? 12/8/22 The stoplight at Cemetery Lane is responsible for much of the backups at the roundabout. A light at 7th and Main will be much further from the roundabout and make the roundabout more efficient. Absent the preferred alternative, the Cemetery Lane signal will need to be replaced by a roundabout, also encroaching on the open space area. 12/8/22 You mentioned a community vote won't happen in March; when do you expect that vote to occur? 12/8/22 Straight shot. 12/8/22 This would cripple tourism and effect all businesses in the core/downtown aspen. I think we need to develop a temporary route prior to one lane in and out this just won’t work and will effect business and locals trying to get in and out. 12/8/22 So you can leave when independence pass is open …works for me. 12/13/22 What are the property impacts? 12/13/22 Town is too big, things are just going to get bigger 12/13/22 We have to do something 12/13/22 It won’t solve congestion 12/13/22 Something should have been done already 12/13/22 Will the Berger Cabin be okay? Moved? 12/14/22 The stoplight at Cemetery Lane is the primary cause for the backup. If there’s no new bridge, moving the light would allow for a longer backup to 82. Would need a roundabout at Cemetery Lane if there’s no new bridge. Would improve the flow. 12/14/22 Access to Holden Marolt is horrible now. Could we have a dedicated access to 82 from Castle Creek? 12/14/22 OTAC’s original estimate for traffic was that the PA would increase capacity (?) by 30%. 12/14/22 He suggests we talk about the quantifiable benefits – Less CO2 if cars aren’t stopped. 12/14/22 Replacing the existing bridge doesn’t solve the problem. 12/14/22 People in the business community need support. 12/14/22 Burlingame - lots of new voters. 12/15/22 How many traffic lights would be as part of the PA? 12/15/22 Where will the parking structures be? 12/15/22 Congestion happens from 2 to single lane convergence? Is 7th the only new light contemplated? 12/15/22 Zipper will still happen on main coming out of town. Is there anyway to defer the “zipper” can be different or go away? 12/15/22 Can’t get employees, what is the consideration for making it easier to get people into town. 12/15/22 What is the detractors offensive? 12/15/22 Induced demand - is this a real thing? 12/15/22 More voters on the other side of the bridge - if it does get 4 lanes, how long until the capacity is gone? 12/15/22 Where is the money coming from? 12/15/22 Is there an opportunity to combine the airport improvements with this? 12/15/22 Why is the county not involved at this point? 12/15/22 Wouldn’t it be better if it decreased traffic times? 12/15/22 Upset the city is only showing one proposal 22 Date Comment/Question 12/15/22 This is a not an informational campaign and false information is being shared 12/15/22 Voters need to know exact details on design plan and cost before they vote 12/15/22 Traffic lights at 7th and main will cause a backup at 7th and make traffic worse 12/15/22 Wildlife will be significantly impacted 12/15/22 Misleading to suggest a five lane highway can be measured in acres - affects all of the land not just the land that is paved 12/15/22 What does "hope the city will contribute" mean? Voters need to know the costs before the vote 12/15/22 Disappointed in the small mindedness and lack of innovative thinking 12/15/22 How would we be compensated for the loss in our property values? 12/15/22 The has been no listening by the city and no reaching out to us - created a lack of trust with the city 12/15/22 Wants exact information before this goes to vote - doesn't want conceptual stage after vote 12/15/22 Employee housing is the biggest issue Aspen faces - if we’re going to ruin the open space why not build homes for employees which would actually help alleviate some of the traffic 12/15/22 Environmental impacts would be severe 12/15/22 Would only shift congestion and possibly even make it worse 12/15/22 Villas aren't even in the city's graphics 12/15/22 Information is presented in a misleading way 12/15/22 Bridges are repaired all the time - why can't we just repair the original Castle Creek bridge? 12/15/22 The 18 months of construction will be unfortunate but will have no lasting effects like the preferred alternative 12/15/22 The preferred alternative is a neighborhood killer 12/15/22 Backup/traffic will be worse with the preferred alternative 12/15/22 It would be cheaper to repair existing bridge 12/15/22 The preferred alternative has no regard for our neighborhood 12/15/22 Would be detrimental to the wildlife 12/15/22 There has been a lack of transparency by the city and feels like there is an ulterior motive 12/15/22 Concerned about only having one road as access to the hospital - tunnels can be closed all the time 12/15/22 Regularly use the bus stop at 8th st - it’s a transfer point - where would you move it? There’s no room at 7th st 12/15/22 Five lane highway into a dead end town is nonsense 12/15/22 Why are we pushing a campaign when we haven’t even decided a vote yet? 12/15/22 Have you considered accelerated bridge repair? 12/15/22 If the city is so concerned about emergencies what is it doing now to prevent them? 12/15/22 How much would this project cost? 12/15/22 Why is the cut and cover being cut from 400 ft to 300 ft? 12/15/22 Is it worth destroying the open space and property values to save a few minutes for buses? 12/15/22 must acknowledge and address the fact that the Berger cabin was designed by Fritz Benedict. We need to have a real plan for its future. “There has to be some magic” in how we address the issue. 23 Date Comment/Question 12/15/22 Recognize the cabin as an historic structure. Must relocate it to possibly the other side of the open space in Holden Marolt. 12/15/22 How do we sweeten the pot for the Villas? 12/15/22 Generally thinks CDOT does good and he trusts them. 12/15/22 It seems that politically we have shifted within the last 25 years about building a new highway. 12/15/22 The part he finds confusing are all the components of the previous votes. 12/15/22 Last summer during the ACRA Destination Plan process, they said that a no vote would cause us to run the risk of losing CDOT funding. 12/15/22 Would the existing bridge be replaced? 12/15/22 Seems a little alarmist to talk about safety and evacuation 12/15/22 haven’t heard anything about the environmental benefits of this plan, ie, less cars idling means fewer greenhouse gases. 12/15/22 Where does the 8th St bus move to? 12/15/22 Suggest using every opportunity to respond to letters to the editors as they are written & offer our thanks 12/19/22 If there is a fire, how do we get to the museum? 12/19/22 How do they access their property (the museum)? 12/19/22 Does the dirt road that is there now going away? 12/19/22 Are you keeping access to the old bridge until the new bridge is done? 12/19/22 Does the pedestrian bridge over Castle Creek go away? 12/19/22 What is the current rating of the bridge? 12/19/22 Will the vote be in November? We will have a new council and possibly a new major too right? 12/19/22 The path by the community gardens would be a new one? 12/19/22 Is LTR a potential option? 12/19/22 Wasn’t LTR in the ROD? 12/19/22 How far down valley would the LTR go? 12/19/22 LTR does a great job in the snow! 12/19/22 Would the bike path go away? Would the LTR go on the Rio Grande 12/19/22 Don’t think it will decrease the traffic in the West End - go through west end and go to the light at 7th 12/19/22 How do we get from AHS to the highway? 12/19/22 It is not going to be faster for cars, then people will go through West End. 12/19/22 How will this impact the school bus route? 12/19/22 Have you explored 3 lanes each way? 12/19/22 If this doesn’t get approved then we are stuck with the old bridge? Or CDOT comes in and does what they want to do? 12/19/22 Is the PA a more expensive alternative than others? 12/19/22 If voters don’t approve it will CDOT change the plan to make it less expensive? 24 Date Comment/Question 12/19/22 Right now we have a ROD and a vote with the PA, but not the buses, the only part that voters have to approve is the buses. What will be ballot language be? Does it include people approving the PA or just the buses? 12/19/22 It's not the community that uses it that gets to vote. The people that live in Aspen get to decide how the rest of us get to commute. 12/19/22 When do we get to have a voice in the Marolt-Thomas open space and museum access? 12/19/22 What happened to alternative 8? Split shot? 12/19/22 Does the new proposed bridge have to be 4 lanes? Could it just be two? 12/19/22 Can we take a step back and have a discussion about the other alternatives? 12/19/22 Can’t keep having the discussion, we have to do something about it. 12/19/22 Why didn’t it happen in 1998? Why did we wait until the last minute? 12/19/22 This would be great if it included LTR today. 12/19/22 Cabins were moved a couple years ago and will they need to be moved? 12/19/22 Is there going to be a vibration risk to historic buildings or the housing close to the new highway? 12/19/22 The “formal” engineer plan hasn’t been done? 12/19/22 Junk pile will go away? 12/19/22 Who wants to have a wedding with a highway going by it? At the museum 12/19/22 Concerns about the community gardens? 12/19/22 Is the EIS still valid? Is the ROD valid? This is a lesser time consuming process than starting over right? 12/19/22 If we say yes in September - when would the construction begin? 12/20/22 Didn’t like the idea of pushing for an early vote. 12/20/22 He thought Council should know more of the details of the ROD before making any decisions. 12/20/22 He does agree that a new bridge is required. Doing nothing is not an option. 12/20/22 He is worried that the direction of the city is going down the wrong road for a no vote. We should not be presenting “do nothing” competing with the Preferred Alternative. 12/20/22 Advised to give the community a clear choice between rebuilding the bridge in the old location or the new location. 12/20/22 He is not in favour of the preferred alternative. 12/21/22 Why now? This has been a “call wolf” campaign for years. 12/21/22 The radio ads are so long. Don’t want to hear them anymore. 12/21/22 The City isn’t going to do anything. 12/22/22 Complete the modified entrance now! No more S Curve 12/22/22 I drove over that bridge hundreds of times when I lived there. The congestion must be so frustrating with all that construction now! When is it scheduled to be completed? 12/22/23 If you get a chance go check out the river underneath the bridge right now - it’s nearly overflowing onto the road, and one of the bridge supports is fully encased in river ice! 12/22/23 Well let’s put this in the capable hands of Aspen City Council… they have such vast experience in ownership and management. What could go wrong after a $60M city hall project for a town of 5500??? 12/22/23 Let’s make a bridge this time that holds and also that will facilitate the new reality of our traffic flows! 25 Date Comment/Question 12/22/23 Please fix the whole one lane in, one lane out issue while you are at it. K thanks. 12/22/23 absolutely 12/22/23 The city needs to cut down all the dead trees on shadow mountain it’s a powder keg and nightmare waiting to happen 12/29/22 How do you get to/from cemetery lane? @cityofaspen 12/29/22 or maybe add a second wildlife crossing 12/29/22 maybe expand the tunnel segment but much improved 12/29/22 Just do it 12/29/22 It's about time 12/29/22 Aspen and Snowmass Village has been about build, build, build, while ignoring the infrastructure of our roadways. How long will it take for Snowmass Village to build a roundabout at Brush Creek rd, and Owl Creek rd intersection? 12/29/22 Looks great! 12/29/22 Have you considered taking it to the right side of open space and have the natural overpass more down valley? 12/29/22 stop talking about it and just do it #50yearsinthemaking 12/29/22 Where is the light rail commuter link? 12/29/22 RE: light rail - excellent question, along with, what problem does it actually solve, at what cost, and what problems will it create? 12/29/22 RE: ....what problems will it create - i do ride RFTA. the buses are very full this time of year at rush hours, but a high level of service needs to be maintained all day long, thus the off hour empty buses. RFTA is training drivers as fast as they can. It has been very difficult, but they are making progress. The demand is enormous, and so is the cost. I rode one of their new buses yesterday. And there are at least 10 more on order. Rfta is buying a 40 plus room hotel to renovate into long term housing for drivers, and has an aggressive recruitment program. The public is welcome to attend the monthly board meetings, either online or at Cdale town hall on the first Thursday of the month. Public comment is welcome. 1/3/23 Why not light rail? 1/3/23 We voted for bus but not rail? Will the next vote be about the lanes or the entire plan? 1/3/23 So the corridor or general plan wouldn’t be a vote? 1/3/23 Will the existing bridge still stay and be used? 1/3/23 If it was only repaired, how long would it last after the major repairs? 1/3/23 How will you get access to Cemetery when the old bridge is taken down or repaired? 1/3/23 Reduction expansion 2x is where the congestion comes from - is this going to be changed? 1/3/23 What happens if the vote fails? 1/3/23 Why is this a vote at all? 1/3/23 Is there potential for litigation in general and would it hold up the process? 1/3/23 Is there a risk that things could drop down on Power Plant road while there is bridge construction? 1/3/23 Is it 4 lanes all the way through? This won’t solve traffic if it is just two. 1/3/23 Is there a discussion to have Pitkin County get to vote on this? Since they use it the most? 1/3/23 What happens to the S-Curves? 1/3/23 Can traffic come from 7th to Main Street? 26 Date Comment/Question 1/3/23 Is there potential for more conversation to connect the section of highway that will be decommissioned for emergency access only? Even for incidence response from AVH to Cemetery Lane 1/3/23 The big question is “when are we putting more lanes in?” we need to think bigger and do better because this isn’t solving the problem 1/3/23 Reality is traffic isn’t going to get better, you are just trying to make sure it doesn’t get worse 1/3/23 A lot of traffic coming in/out of town is from the airport - people not riding buses or shuttles 1/3/23 How does the traffic impact air quality? 1/4/23 What happens if the voters don’t approve again? 1/4/23 What made the weight restrictions go away on the Maroon Creek Bridge? 1/4/23 Is there a time frame for the light rail? In 20-25 years, things (technology) can change so much. Is anything being discussed that would affect the possibility (of light rail)? 1/4/23 Why did the project fail in the ‘90s? 1/4/23 The big concern is that this doesn’t solve the traffic issue. I’m concerned that we will be doing all of this and it doesn’t solve anything. 1/4/23 Are there components that will make transit different? 1/4/23 Is there any discussion of undergrounding? 1/4/23 One of the biggest issues is the fire danger. Is scary when the canyon is closed. 1/4/23 If the existing bridge isn’t used so heavily, it will still work. That’s a key in the messaging. 1/4/23 Will the old bridge be under construction after the new bridge is built? 1/4/23 Safety is the most important thing to talk about. Lots of people don’t understand that. The Fire Dept comments will help. 1/4/23 The main reason people will vote against it is the change in community character issue. 1/4/23 How did the Grand Avenue bridge change the community character of Glenwood Springs? 1/4/23 Why are the parking structures in the ROD not planned for now? 1/4/23 This is very complex. You’ll need your yes or no answers. If you are nebulous, you’ll get a no vote. The more definitive you can be, the better. 1/4/23 Where’s the funding coming from? What’s the commitment from Aspen (funding wise)? 1/4/23 What’s the timeline for funding from the state? 1/5/23 Will the original bridge still be used? 1/5/23 What is in the area of the land bridge on the conceptual rendering? 1/5/23 Why does there have to be a vote? 1/5/23 What if the voters say no on the vote? 1/5/23 Can they build two new lanes where the new location is and keep the old bridge? 1/5/23 You are going to fix the bridge even if we do the PA? 1/5/23 What is currently on Main street that would need to be moved or changed? 1/5/23 No matter what there will only be one lane in and one lane out of town? 1/5/23 How do you get to Cemetery lane? 1/5/23 The current Marolt open space trail/nordic trail is impacted? 1/5/23 What is the total net loss of open space? 1/5/23 This won’t do anything to solve the traffic problems? 1/5/23 Good solution for the bridge but not much of a solution for the traffic. 27 Date Comment/Question 1/5/23 How are we going to cut back speed at which people are entering town? 1/5/23 Right now the hope is to have more ridership on the buses? 1/5/23 If we do build a rail system where will it start/stop? 1/5/23 There is only one LTR system in the country that pays for itself, who would end up paying to maintain it? 1/5/23 Do we have a choice or is this the only one? 1/5/23 Where would the bike route be to get into town? 1/5/23 Where are the community gardens? 1/5/23 Will this stop people from coming into or out of town via the West End? 1/5/23 Can you go from Cemetery lane to 82? 1/5/23 If everything goes smoothly, when will it be finished? 1/5/23 Would there have to have property acquired? Will condemnation be used? 1/5/23 You can’t make the existing bridge wider? 1/5/23 Is there an organized opposition to this? 1/5/23 Have there been any studies on how much it might or increase traffic/volume into town? 1/5/23 Where did the old railroad come across the river? 1/5/23 What is the land bridge for? 1/5/23 State and feds may not like the land bridge because of the cost? 1/5/23 In another 50 years, will we be able to add something different to the transit lane instead of buses? 1/5/23 Do you know when the vote will be? 1/5/23 Property acquisition would be expensive 1/6/23 What deteriorates on a bridge? 1/6/23 He likes the land bridge best but it’s expensive. It’s a big thing to consider but it makes sense. 1/6/23 Will the existing Castle Creek bridge remain? 1/6/23 There’s a different mindset from people who live in town vs downalley. Part of the problem is that the people who have to deal with the traffic don’t get to vote. 1/6/23 He had little sympathy for complaints about West End traffic. “They are public streets!” 1/6/23 He said he used to discount the issues of egress in an emergency until the Marshall Fire occurred, which is when he realized how critical it is to be able to quickly leave a fire area. 1/6/23 This plan would clog up Main Street 1/9/23 Would the land be flat or undulating? 1/9/23 Will you walk us through the Mill/Jaffee open space exchange for Marolt/Thomas? 1/9/23 What were the Jaffee/Mill properties before they were acquired as Open Space? 1/9/23 Are the properties near Brush Creek owned by CDOT? 1/9/23 Will the new route affect properties being taken down? 1/9/23 What’s the reaction we’re getting from the community? 1/9/23 Now that there will not be an alternative route to get to the hospital and school at Cemetery Lane, what happens? 1/9/23 What happens when the rating goes down more? 1/9/23 If you don’t do the Preferred Alternative, how long could it take? 1/9/23 What does the weighting mean? 28 Date Comment/Question 1/9/23 You have $150,000 to spend on the education campaign. What is next? 1/9/23 Does this need to go to a vote? 1/9/23 It’s a two-lane highway that will affect properties along the route. It affects the Villas of Aspen. 1/9/23 I’m a big proponent of the bus system and think the more we use Brush Creek the better. 1/9/23 I think the light rail is too expensive to implement and maintain. The short-term solution is moving this project along. 1/9/23 I think something needs to be done, and it should have bus lanes. The current bridge doesn’t accommodate this. The solution seems to be to build a bridge in another location to accommodate transit. 1/9/23 The key is having a low impact on Marolt/Thomas Open Space and having natural terrain where the bridge will be. 1/9/23 This is a hard conversation and some folks are always going to question the why. I think there are enough reasons to do this. 1/9/23 The bus is great, but the reality is that the bus doesn’t work for everybody. It’s unrealistic that everyone will take the bus. 1/9/23 More folks may take the bus more often if it’s free. 1/10/23 Is the land bridge over the road, or the road under the land? 1/10/23 Can you get back to Highway 82 by going further West on cemetery lane? 1/10/23 Are there any homes that will need to be taken out? 1/10/23 What will the grade of the new bridge be? 1/10/23 Will the new bridge be a two lane or four lane bridge? 1/10/23 Have you guys compiled an easy read format of all the other alternatives and why were they not chosen? 1/10/23 What is the county’s role expected to be? 1/10/23 It looks like the land bridge would send wildlife onto the golf course. 1/10/23 Concerns over what issues we are solving with the evacuation routes if the old bridge isn’t connected to the roundabout. 1/10/23 Moving the light to 7th and main makes for a lot of lights people can hit on their way in and out of town. 1/10/23 Think that the tunnel will be better perceived if it’s portrayed as a wildlife bridge 1/10/23 Fan of old bridge for traffic out of town and new bridge only two lanes for traffic into the town. 1/10/23 There are people who are impacted by this and don’t get to vote. 1/10/23 Where does the grading start? What is the grade difference – from Marolt into Main Street? 1/10/23 Does the existing bridge stay and connect to McClain Flats? Will you still be able to go down to Powerplant Road? 1/10/23 Are there bike lanes that will be on the new bridge? 1/10/23 Congestion management – recommendations related to congestion management need consideration. 1/10/23 Was the bridge built poorly? 1/10/23 What are the biggest misconceptions or concerns? 1/10/23 Seems like there is already a shortage of RFTA drivers – have you guys addressed this? 1/10/23 When they built the bridge in 1961, they weren’t expecting the traffic of 2020, what is the future of transportation going to be and does the infrastructure of this plan accommodate for them? 1/10/23 What about e-biking from Brush Creek or anywhere outside of town? 29 Date Comment/Question 1/10/23 How is this paid for? And does the cost of the project include the imminent domain? 1/10/23 Is a legal battle possible from the residents that are impacted? 1/10/23 Will there be a stoplight at 7th? 1/10/23 How would the construction impact the community – for the PA? 1/10/23 If we move forward with the new plan what is the timeline? 1/10/23 Where would the road to the community garden go? 1/10/23 By going with the PA will pedestrian access to improved during construction? So another 18-24 months of no direct bike access. 1/10/23 Holden Marolt Bridge would say open correct? 1/10/23 People think that the highway will “center punch” Marolt, but this one really doesn’t do that. No it doesn’t. 1/10/23 What does Jeffrey Evans think about the PA? 1/10/23 You can see spikes of people biking when there is traffic on 82 1/10/23 Are you suggesting that they wouldn’t build the LTR corridor? 1/10/23 Currently voters approved 2 lanes and LTR right? 1/10/23 But you need a vote to go to buses right? 1/10/23 There are not a lot of great options. This is the preferred one after a lot of studies. 1/10/23 Has the ROD been validated since 1998? 1/10/23 Are there any other projects in other cities that is similar to this? 1/10/23 I find the most interesting is that this won’t improve traffic, I’m surprised you are not getting more heat because of that. 1/10/23 When this started in the 90s people wanted to make traffic because they didn’t want more people in town. 1/10/23 We know there is no way to reduce congestion. Driving on 16 lane highways is terrifying. 1/10/23 There will be people that want four lanes. 1/10/23 When will the vote be? 1/10/23 You have a battle on the one issue of congestion. 1/11/23 It seems to me that a lot of the traffic backup on Main St results from the reduction of 4 lanes of traffic to 2, as well as the traffic light at Cemetery Lane (similarly, the backup at the Airport results from 4 lanes to 2 and the traffic lights at Buttermilk and the Golf Course). If we stick to the preferred alternative, none of this traffic backup will be alleviated. What is the plan to address this? 1/11/23 When would this be anticipated to go to public vote and what would the language say? 1/11/23 Does engineering suggest any alternative way for the buses to get out of town now without having to merge into lane of traffic? 1/11/23 Why eliminate the connection of the old bridge/cemetery lane to HWY 82 on the west side of the river? Is it to avoid congestion from the merging that would be required? 1/11/23 Is there any consideration for providing alternative routes for school traffic to access Maroon Creek Road and alleviate the bottlenecks at the roundabout? 1/11/23 I’ve heard grumbles from folks on 8th and Main. Also, I’ve heard that it’s time and we need a new bridge. School traffic coming in from Mclain Flats is heavy. The 8th Street bus stop wouldn’t be a usable spot. Is there no longer a direct shot to school and Highlands? 1/11/23 Cemetery Lane is inundated with school traffic. Please take into consideration that having cars coming up from mclain flats into town now first then to school will not benefit congestion. 30 Date Comment/Question 1/11/23 I’m most concerned about the environmental impacts of standstill traffic coming in and out on HWY 82, in addition to frustration regarding bottleneck. Have you done studies on the level of customer service as a result of keeping current configuration vs. the PA? 1/11/23 When people see this project they make an assumption that this solution will alleviate frustrations with congestion. 1/11/23 During the public presentations, and the references to multi-mode transportation, we may improve public perceptions of voters by specifically referencing/highlighting existing trail connections and probable enhancements to the existing multi-use trail network. 1/11/23 Evacuation might not be the best plan in case of a wildfire. If there is not a solution for congestion, evacuation might not be the best option. There are probably other options in case of a wildfire emergency. 1/11/23 I was under the understanding that there are other evacuation routes available, like Maroon Creek trail. Is this true? I have heard that the pedestrian bridge, while can bear the weight of an emergency vehicle, it is very narrow. The bridge near Aspen Institute is not able to handle the weight of a vehicle. Also, where you get on the Rio Grande Trail, you would not be able to get under Mill Street. When someone leaves their vehicle during an evacuation, it can impede the evacuation process. 1/11/23 Will it improve traffic? 1/11/23 Are you considering more fluidity at the roundabout? 1/11/23 Why would construction take so long? 1/11/23 How large will the new bridge be? 1/11/23 Where would the bridge start? 1/11/23 Why hasn't construction started already? 1/11/23 The Aspen mayor's office and its councilors years ago must have thought that the city was expanding and should have started modernizing the infrastructure for the current times. Just imagine the many cars driving on that bridge alone and the construction machines. You have to make decisions. Just think of the trucks full of drinks, food trucks, and buses with more than 200 people, each person 190 pounds or more. It's a miracle it's still working. They should no longer waste time on bureaucracy; they should have already started building new infrastructure as they did in Glenwood Springs, a modern bridge. 1/11/23 The bridge is an excuse the city uses because they don't know what to do with our taxes. That bridge is constantly under repair every summer, yet the bridge continues with the same problem. The entrance to Aspen with Millionaires is always a terror; sometimes, it goes from the airport to Aspen, and sometimes takes more than an hour to get in. Authorities should look for competent people with fresh ideas that solve the problems, not extend them! The Construction of a new bridge equal to the existing one will not solve the Traffic Problem! 1/11/23 The new bridge would be somewhere else. It would be a completely new project for the same reason to help traffic flow. They have only been fixing that bridge provisionally from Arriba. What worries the city is that the structure is already weakening due to so much traffic; we are currently overpopulated in the valley; that is the reality. 1/11/23 Who votes? 1/11/23 What's the life of the new bridge in terms of its need for repairs and maintenance? The repairs on the old {existing} bridge have been horrific. 1/11/23 Why doesn’t the plan include dealing with traffic congestion? 1/11/23 Why go to all the expense and disruption when we really aren’t solving all the problems? 1/11/23 You’re talking about a 25-year-old plan. You couldn’t come up with something more creative? 1/11/23 The buses come through every 15 minutes - How does this reduce pollution? 31 Date Comment/Question 1/11/23 I’m not sure the community has grown. The number of people haven’t changed but the traffic has gotten worse. You’re doing things halfway and I don’t get it. 1/11/23 What is the noise impact? Give me an overview of all of the impacts. 1/11/23 If this plan is about urgency, then did we wait too long {to ask for a new bridge}? 1/11/23 This is really a vote to replace the old bridge, not to create a new one. 1/11/23 I don’t think this plan addresses the community concerns over traffic congestion. We can solve the problems with parking and traffic in town. 1/11/23 This should be an alternative to something {based on the PA name}, but there is really no choice because we have to replace the bridge. 1/11/23 That {plan} is the result of poor management and poor leadership. 1/11/23 We’re stuck with a 25-year-old idea and we’re desperate. We’re stuck because of the timing issues. 1/11/23 I don’t want to sit in traffic for 30-40 minutes to get into town. 1/11/23 I like the proposed solution but I’d like to see a better examination of ideas that reduce worker traffic.This plan doesn’t address that. 1/11/23 What are the direct impacts to Meadowood? 1/11/23 How would Cemetery Lane access Hwy 82? 1/11/23 Why not take Cemetary Lane directly to the roundabout? You’re pouring Cemetery Lane people into town to get them out of town. 1/11/23 Have you ever thought of changing the roundabout? Of doubling it? It’s a choke point. 1/11/23 Why not add two extra lanes {to handle Cemetery Lane and other traffic}? 1/11/23 What about a contra flow so you could increase lanes according to the AM or PM traffic? 1/11/23 He wants to see elimination of Cemetery Lane traffic into town and put in a better access for them to head downvalley. 1/11/23 He’s concerned about the impact on the residential neighbors on West Main. 1/11/23 This is funded by federal dollars so a vote should be of more than city residents. 1/11/23 He suggests we build a 3rd lane over Castle Creek. 1/11/23 He’s concerned about the impact on the Marolt Open Space and doesn’t want more trees planted - that destroys the beauty of open space. 1/11/23 This project affects the whole Valley, so it’s short sided and unfair that they can’t vote. 1/11/23 So many people who have to move in and out of town; disenfranchising them is a huge mistake. 1/11/23 How does the logic work in terms of why traffic will be less on Cemetery Lane? 1/11/23 This “plan” is so negative for us. 1/11/23 Why can’t there be a local egress option - one lane to get to Hwy 82? 1/11/23 Isn’t congestion going to be either there or in town? You’re not eliminating congestion, you’re just moving it around. 1/11/23 The light controls the traffic and allows us to manage it more efficiently. 1/11/23 We’d have to wait at a light to get into town. 1/11/23 One of the biggest issues now is traffic backing up on Cemetery Lane to the river in the morning. So this won’t change any of the backup into town in the AM. 1/11/23 The bottleneck starts at the airport. 1/11/23 This plan could attract more people onto Cemetery Lane. 1/11/23 One of the problems I notice is at the 8th St. bus stop and people pushing the crossing light. An underground would fix that. An easy problem to resolve. 32 Date Comment/Question 1/11/23 This plan means more money will be spent to fix the existing CC bridge AND build a new bridge. 1/11/23 Bus stop does back up Main St. Having the bus stop at 7th street with a stoplight there will control the pedestrian crossing. 1/11/23 You have to put a lane where the path is. Otherwise, you’ll turn a 5 min trip for us into a potential 45 minute trip and add 6 blocks of driving instead of having Cem Lane backed up. 1/11/23 There was a split shot considered years ago – where #4 (on the map) would be downvalley and #5 would be in- bound later. 1/11/23 The S Curves will be available both ways. So could drivers take a right at 7th St as they do now at Power Plant? 1/11/23 What if that assumption is off by 30% - what does it do to your analysis? I think a lot of people will take that right at 7th and go out of town via Cemetery Lane (just like they do now on Power Plant road). 1/11/23 It would be nice if this solved traffic issues either into or out of town. 1/11/23 We’re not getting a ton of benefits, but if outbound lanes could be used.... 1/11/23 Today it was 20 min to get from my house to AVH – I can’t get around round a bout….so Cem Lane could have 2 lanes out of town directly off of Cem Lane. If the rt lane (around the roundabout) had a (continuous) bus lane, seems it could work. 1/11/23 Have you done a time study from Cem Lane to AVH? 1/11/23 Clarify that the choice would be the same as what we’d voted on before. 1/11/23 I feel a little held hostage – like, if we don’t look at this we will be screwed, so why don’t we look at the others preliminarily? 1/11/23 Make those 43 alternatives available to discuss now – as we decide on this proposed plan. 1/11/23 This isn’t perfect but it’s the best alternative…the idea that Cem Lane would improve for Cem Lane. But for those who said open space is important, it would be a bad idea. 1/11/23 Every solution has pluses and other considerations. 1/11/23 It’s a little bit of a false choice because we don’t know what else is out there. 1/11/23 This really really does affect us tremendously – cause more of us live here full time with a lot of families and kids than many other neighborhoods. 1/11/23 West End is highly mobilized to support it. 1/11/23 Would you consider going back and thinking of a northbound (?) road but it would have to be both directions….It’s not a 5th lane but how does the merge happen with the roundabout? Why couldn’t it be at the roundabout – a bus lane only(?) or further along on 82. 1/11/23 Why couldn’t you create a duplicate of the land bridge so the connection from Cemetery Lane could be over or under it ? 1/11/23 Instead of the traffic light at 7th st, which seems to serves just the west end, why not extend cem lane to where #3 on the map is and then we could go in or out of the new highway there? i.e. connecting #1 to #3 and put the light there? 1/11/23 Is the decision either this plan or the existing bridge with no modifications? 1/11/23 How will it read on the ballot? 1/11/23 Idea – some places have 4 lanes turned into 3 lanes downvalley in PM and switched in AM. Have you looked at it? 1/11/23 If commute times are the same, many people will say why do it? 1/11/23 Could the ballot say we have reversible lanes? 1/11/23 Q on emergency access – If there were serious wildfires, are we at a major risk as a community? I advise that the existing emergency plan be provided to the people now so they are aware of the serious limitations of the evacuation plans now. 33 Date Comment/Question 1/11/23 If you improved the everyday traffic situation and improved the Cemetery plan, we’d vote for it. 1/11/23 Everyone is in favor of a new bridge…..but the challenge is, and why you’re getting no’s, is the egress and ingress to our neighborhood. 1/11/23 Will it be better or worse if I have to wait at that light? Worse. 1/11/23 When will next phase studies come out on traffic and engineering? 1/11/23 It doesn’t seem fair to have a vote before those analyses come out. 1/11/23 The City put their head in the sand from 2007 to 2022 but I’m excited that we’re now looking at this. It was inappropriate before. I compliment you on the communications – it's more detailed and explanatory than we’ve seen before. 1/11/23 Why wasn’t it implemented since the plan was done in 1998? 1/11/23 Seems to me that the residents approve it but the hangup is at city council. 1/11/23 Same old same old, like the repairs that were done this summer right? 1/11/23 It is nonsense, the voters have approved it and the hangup is with you. 1/11/23 This is the first time I’ve seen the diagram, I thought it was a cut/cover but it looks more like a bridge? 1/11/23 I support this idea, this is a long time coming. There are many residents that are against it. It changes the character of the town. 1/11/23 We have made the bus system so much better, LTR won’t help. It’s construction workers, moms with babies going to the grocery store, going to red mountain to work on houses. There are people that just can’t get out of their cars. 1/11/23 Social media will go further than meetings like this. 1/11/23 I lived dv when they widened the Snowmass canyon highway expansion. 1/11/23 I hope it happens. 1/11/23 I worry a bit about the cost of the cut/cover. It gets more expensive every year. 1/11/23 Thinks social media and the newspaper are good ways to reach people. 1/11/23 Every meeting there is only a handful of people. If you do a BBQ in the summertime on a Friday night. Not email. 1/11/23 Why Maroon creek bridge closed the road to the golf course, make them go all the way to the light. All golf courses in America you can be on. Cuts 80% of 300 people that can’t use the pedestrian bridge. 1/11/23 How long will it take to build the bridge? 1/11/23 What happens if the community doesn’t want to do the PA? 1/12/23 S Curves are sexier 1/12/23 Ed Holden with the late 1800’s Bridge Block! It’s all his fault- exhume the body for a good ol fashioned public flogging! 1/12/23 So the Ore Plant is gone now, right? And the bridge is falling apart, right…? 1/12/23 This is great but we live in the present and w/ out closing the entrance to Aspen for two year to reconstruct the poor planning issues of the past there is no logical way. Please get on with it. You can memorialize the update with an amazingly designed new entry to an amazing town that deserves one. 1/13/23 Where will the merge point be? 1/13/23 It looks like we will continue the bridge into the future. Would it be the City taxpayers responsibility to pay for those repairs? 1/13/23 Will the homes that are affected by this – will they file something in court? 1/13/23 What about the existing trails through Marolt? How does it impact cross country trails? 34 Date Comment/Question 1/13/23 Why not 4 lanes into town? 1/13/23 Where will any new in-town parking structures be located? 1/13/23 For the cut and cover, is that more of a park function (rather than a wildlife corridor)? 1/13/23 It is whittling down to a dedicated vehicle lane and a dedicated bus lane? 1/13/23 Do you have all of the ROW? 1/13/23 Eliminating the S Curves will improve the flow and we should consider adding information about Cemetery Lane reduced traffic as an advantage. 1/13/23 Something’s got to give on those backroads – people cutting in, not watching for pedestrians. They are not through streets. 1/13/23 I feel like the traffic backs up before the golf course, and it’s not just the S Curves. 1/13/23 I like that you are keeping just two lanes for the cars, and encouraging people to use the bus. 1/13/23 When this process started in the 1990s, I don’t that the city and county were geared up enough (didn’t have bus lane, the intercept lot) – I really like this. Now, we’ve done everything that we could to incentive transit. The retailers in downtown Aspen don’t give their employees transit passes, and I think that they should have to as part of their business license. 1/13/23 RFTA doesn’t have capacity in the peak. That needs to be addressed. 1/13/23 18 years doing the commute – and pro change. Getting tired 1/13/23 Video was really good. 1/13/23 People like to be able to wrap their arms around what they are voting for. 1/13/23 It looks better. 25 years ago, when I first came here, I was like “where is the real entrance to Aspen?” 1/17/23 I don’t understand why this is going to be “better”? 1/17/23 While you are building the PA will the existing bridge be usable? 1/17/23 Why didn’t they do the total repairs last fall? 1/17/23 Two lanes coming out of Aspen could go over the CCB? The split shot? 1/17/23 Could a third lane be put on the existing bridge when it is rebuilt? 1/17/23 The Marolt open space is akin to Wheeler opera house. I’m reluctant to changing the feeling of arriving in Aspen. I would be supportive of the three lanes on the current bridge. City and County haven’t done yet are deal with the traffic coming into town. Rifle and Co river valley have 1/17/23 Many years ago they spoke about a large parking structure and gondolas into town. Is that still on the table? 1/17/23 What about doing reversible lanes? 1/17/23 They did the study in 1998 – feels traffic is worse than then. How can it be 1994 levels. I’ve never seen traffic like it is in the last couple years. 1/17/23 People who are impacted most are not the City voters 1/17/23 Why wouldn’t they tackle that at the same time? Congestion and the bridge. 1/17/23 Two in and one out during peak times. 1/17/23 How much will it cost and who pays for it? 1/17/23 Once the highway is moved, who is responsible for the bridge? 1/17/23 How long until the bridge needs to be fully replaced? 1/17/23 What is the time frame for the PA to be completed? 1/17/23 When will this go to a vote? 1/17/23 Was there a cost placed on three lanes? 35 Date Comment/Question 1/17/23 If impact from the airport to the bridge going to be the same? Everyone turns off on woody creek. 1/17/23 What if this gets voted down by the COA? 1/17/23 Is Hickenlooper involved in this? 1/18/23 Slow down, review other options 1/18/23 People are worried about emergency evacuation. If is not if, but when 1/18/23 Discussion about evacuation plan 1/18/23 Wildlife crossing, would like Tom Cardamone to comment on that 1/18/23 Community concern that we have already decided where we want to go 1/18/23 What is the Record of Decision 1/18/23 What can we do without reopening the Record of Decision and re-doing the EIS 1/18/23 Where are we now in the process 1/18/23 Did not want to get into all of the history about where we were. Wants to talk about where we are now. 1/18/23 City Council is already getting comments 1/18/23 Reminder that Pitkin County BOCC and Snowmass Town Council signed onto the Preferred Alternative 1/18/23 This is a choice about the alignment of the corridor; not sure how that construction could even be done – and it would require a new ROD 1/18/23 Alignment across Marolt has already been mitigated for with the Mills property behind Brush Creek 1/18/23 Might be possible to modify the ROD in very limited ways 1/18/23 Unknown if the State would pay for a new Record of Decision – and we would need joint funding partners for that 1/18/23 A new EIS does not necessarily result in a better solution 1/18/23 Fundamental question of whether the PA should be transit-oriented or traffic/SOV oriented 1/18/23 I think about this like we don’t imagine that anything catastrophic will ever happen to use, but we won’t get visitors into town with a failed bridge. 1/18/23 When we talk about where we are now – I support the Aspen Institute’s efforts and the IMS – and we are doing those management program things. We need the infrastructure to make the IMS work. We have already done so many of those things: bus rapid transit, micro transit, paid parking, etc. 1/18/23 There are tradeoffs and it is not perfect. 1/18/23 I want to see transit as a priority in the future and to see as little open space utilized as possible. 1/18/23 We haven’t scheduled a vote – but how many millions and how much time do we need to invest for a different outcome. 1/18/23 There needs to be a new bridge in a different location 1/18/23 I agree with the alignment and doing a two lane bridge extending Main Street, but not a four way bridge 1/18/23 My second principle that two bridges are very important for evacuation 1/18/23 If there were a wildfire and a need for a mass evacuation, if you could send them separate ways down Cemetery Lane and Highway 82, it would provide more evacuation route 1/18/23 Would like two inbound lanes on the new bridge and two outbound lanes out Castle Creek 1/18/23 This would make both bridges CDOT bridges, so the City would not have to take a bridge 36 Date Comment/Question 1/18/23 Leave highway 82 between Cemetery Lane and the roundabout and put a separate land bridge over the existing highway 82 1/18/23 Final thought there needs to be four lanes going into Aspen, two of them for buses. 1/18/23 Current bridge is unfair for bus riders, they are doing their part and they get stuck in traffic 1/18/23 Approximately 11,000 dump trucks will go across the Castle Creek Bridge when the Lift One project starts to be discussed 1/18/23 The emergency evacuation is a problem now. What, if any, things we can do together, improvements or temporary, to improve the current evacuation situation. 1/18/23 Wants to understand how we evacuate 1/18/23 Wants to understand how the Castle Creek Bridge will be replaced. Would like the Engineering Assessment 1/18/23 Would also like to understand the condition of the current bridge 1/18/23 Would like to have a meeting sooner with Valerie MacDonald to talk about an evacuation plan 1/18/23 Pointed out that the hospital and the ambulance district need to be involved in the emergency evacuation discussion 1/25/23 What does traffic look like in general? 1/25/23 What would construction impacts look like? There would be substantial construction in the area between Highway 82 and the new bridge location. 1/25/23 How would access to Cemetery Lane work and would people have to use Power Plant Road? 1/25/23 Could lanes be extended between the airport and the roundabout for increased traffic flow? 1/25/23 Has there been any talk of a bypass? 1/25/23 How would this project be funded (local contribution)? 1/25/23 Would the land bridge be eliminated from the project (to save expense)? 1/25/23 What does an additional BRT bus stop look like? 1/25/23 Could the bus go up Castle Creek Road and then back to the roundabout into town? 1/25/23 What happened to the vote for a monorail through the valley? We would have been in a better position if there were a train. 37 Source Article Name Date Reporter Web Link Aspen Daily News No magic potion for Aspen 8/14/2022 Joh Hornblower LINK Aspen Times Opinion: The sky may be falling, but probably not the Castle Creek Bridge 9/17/2021 Roger Marolt LINK Aspen Times Siegel: Need a new bridge 9/14/2022 Neil Siegel LINK Aspen Times Hauenstein: Old things need to be fixed 9/25/2022 Ward Hauenstein LINK Aspen Times Aspen City Manager: Replacing Castle Creek Bridge takes commitment, money, and patience 10/5/2022 Sara Ott LINK Aspen Daily News Guest Commentary: Replacing the Castle Creek Bridge takes commitment, money, patience 10/6/2022 Sara Ott LINK Aspen Daily News Don’t hold your breath 10/8/2022 Maurice Emmer LINK Ann Mullins Newsletter Colorado Conversations - via email with link to COA website - see weblink 10/20/2022 Ann Mullins LINK Aspen Daily News Menter: Political courage and Captain Obvious 10/26/2022 Paul Menter LINK YouTube New Castle Creek Bridge 11/18/2022 City of Aspen LINK Aspen Times In Brief: Passed over in Glenwood, assistant city manager goes to Aspen 11/21/2022 Staff Report LINK Aspen Times Aspen City Council moves ahead with community education about aging bridge to town 11/29/2022 Josie Taris LINK Aspen Daily News New Castle Creek Bridge outreach campaign launches this week 11/29/2022 Megan Webber LINK Aspen Times Opinion: Of turbines and light rail 11/30/2022 Jim Markalunas LINK Aspen Times Opinion: Aspen sacred and needs proper entrance 11/30/2022 Karen West LINK Aspen Times Entrance to Aspen decision delayed past March 12/1/2022 Josie Taris LINK Aspen Daily News Opinion: Awaiting more info 12/2/2022 Neil B. Siegel/Aspen LINK Aspen Daily News Opinion: The aging bridge 12/4/2022 Jim Markalunas LINK Colorado Conversations New Castle Creek Bridge Community Outreach 12/4/2022 Ann Mullins Aspen Daily News First of several Castle Creek Bridge site tours happens Saturday 12/5/2022 Megan Webber LINK Aspen Times Siegel: No vote until informed on bridge 12/5/2022 Neil B. Siegel/Aspen LINK Aspen Times Guth: Skeptical of bridge project 12/7/2022 Bill Guth LINK Aspen Times In Brief: City begins bridge outreach effort 12/7/2022 Staff Report LINK Aspen Daily News Menter: Another Aspen-only election about Highway 82 12/7/2022 Paul Menter LINK Aspen Daily News Commuter conundrum 12/10/2022 Fred Stewart/Grand Junction LINK Aspen Daily News Alternative entrance idea 12/13/2022 Rich Lind/Aspen LINK Grassroots TV City of Aspen "New Castle Creek Bridge"12/14/22 Erik Skarvan LINK Aspen Daily News Further loss of community 12/15/22 Dee Matthews/Aspen/Washingto n, D.C.LINK Aspen Times Matthews: My preferred alternative makes more sense 12/15/22 Dee Matthews/Aspen/Washingto n, D.C.LINK Aspen Times Lagarrigue: Flows and clogs 12/15/22 Juan Lagarrigue LINK Aspen Times Thompson: That isn't going to work 12/15/22 Brian Thompson LINK Aspen Daily News Semple:The Entrance to Aspen-there's that confounded bridge 12/17/22 Lo Semple LINK Aspen Times Survey Results and new questions 12/18/22 Staff Report LINK Aspen Daily News Transit common sense 12/18/22 Fred Stewart/Grand Junction LINK Aspen Times Lewis: A bridge too far 12/19/22 Greg Lewis/Snowmass Village LINK Aspen Times Aarons: Preferred Alternative will make it worse 12/20/22 Martha Aarons/Aspen LINK Aspen Daily News Last nail in the coffin 12/21/22 Martha Aarons/Aspen LINK Aspen Daily News No perfect answer to Aspen’s entrance 12/25/22 Richard Felder/Aspen LINK Aspen Times Fuchs: One bridge is enough 12/26/22 Peter Fuchs LINK Aspen Times Felder: ‘Preferred alternative’ not an option 12/27/22 Richard Felder/Aspen LINK 38 Source Article Name Date Reporter Web Link Aspen Daily News Whiting: A look back at 2022 … I’m sorry (check Nov 28 entry)12/29/22 Wendle Whiting LINK Aspen Daily News Peaks & Valleys 12/29/22 Christine Benedetti LINK Aspen Times Knudson: A three-lane bridge to Aspen 12/29/22 Miles Knudson LINK Aspen Daily News Ireland: A few deep trivia facts for our newbies 1/2/23 Mick Ireland LINK Aspen Daily News Marolt: The unknown price of forgetful thinking 1/3/23 Roger Marolt LINK Aspen Times Beeman: What are the unintended consequences?1/3/23 Josh Beeman/Aspen&Philadelphi a LINK Aspen Daily News Preserve Marolt open space 1/3/23 Doug Otten LINK Aspen Daily News Unintended Consequences 1/4/23 Josh Beeman/Aspen&Philadelphi a LINK Aspen Times Weinberg: Just build a new Castle Creek Bridge 1/6/2023 Dr. Daniel R. Weinberger LINK Aspen Times Siegel: City has wasted a lot of time 1/7/23 Neil B. Siegel/Aspen LINK Aspen Daily News Evacuation routes?1/8/23 Neil B. Siegel/Aspen LINK Aspen Daily News Mesirow announces reelection campaign for city council 1/9/23 Megan Webber LINK Aspen Daily News Aspen staff updates Snowmass officials on ‘Preferred Alternative’1/10/23 Megan Webber LINK Aspen Daily News Blumenthal: 2023, the year small-town community character died?1/13/23 Mel Blumenthal LINK Aspen Daily News Tracy Sutton to take on Torre in Aspen mayoral race 1/14/23 Megan Webber LINK Aspen Times Lewis: Bridge of Size 1/15/23 Greg Lewis LINK Aspen Daily News Getting to know 2023’s Aspen City Council candidates 1/15/23 Megan Webber LINK Aspen Daily News County and city electeds to meet jointly on Tuesday 1/16/23 Andre Salvail LINK Aspen Times Hall: Put that ill-spent money into housing 1/17/23 Elizabeth Plotke Hall/Aspen LINK Aspen Daily News Concerns over bridge project proposal take center stage 1/18/23 Megan Webber LINK Aspen Times Aspen Skiing Co. urges Pitkin County commissioners to pursue more employee housing, ban natural gas in new buildings 1/18/23 Rick Carroll LINK Aspen Times Bruff: Need rational analysis rather than community frustration 1/18/23 Hal Bruff LINK Aspen Daily News SkiCo CEO urges county to make ‘tough, unpopular decisions’ on housing 1/19/23 Scott Condon LINK Aspen Daily News Flaws in the alternative 1/20/23 Hal Bruff LINK Aspen Times Simon: Let’s be practical about entrance 1/20/23 Eric Simon/Snowmass Vlg LINK Aspen Times Felder: Need a new plan for Entrance to Aspen 1/22/23 Richard Felder/Aspen LINK Aspen Daily News Is it an entrance or an exit from the game we seek?1/23/23 Mick Ireland LINK Aspen Times West: Clock ticking on better Entrance options 1/23/23 Karen West LINK Aspen Times Madsen: Don’t forget Rio Grande 1/23/23 Martha Madsen LINK Aspen Daily News Clock is Ticking 1/24/23 Karen West LINK 39 Date Email Message 11/23/2022 I would like to mention making the current bridge a double decker (GWB Lower Level) like the George Washington Bridge or below in Tulsa but just for vehicles. Keep the same width just build up – two lanes in two lanes out? 11/29/2022 How do you connect the new bridge and road past the roundabout? With another bridge? I assume the new bridge is to the left of the old one when leaving Aspen? 11/29/2022 Could you please expand upon how Aspen residents who live on and past Cemetery Lane will access westbound HQ 82 after the completion of this project as shown? 11/29/2022 Does this mean that for those with homes off of Cemetery that in order to go to the hospital, ER, airport, AABC etc…that all traffic will have to turn left, cross over old Castle Creek Bridge…then make 2 right turns (basically a U-Turn) in order to do such? 11/30/2022 Aspen has a special means to enter her sacred space, just as a temple has a sando and shinkyo to prepare one for arrival. As discussions arise to consider other means to arrive in Aspen, let us consider what is at stake. Let’s consider the Upper Valley Mobility Study that was conducted five years ago. 12/1/2022 What will be the route for people to access the Holden Marolt Mining and Ranching Museum and Community Garden by car during and after construction? 12/3/22 How are you proposing to resolve this amicably if this project is allowed to move forward? Who should I speak with at the city to have a better understanding of my options? How is the city going to mitigate the losses of our neighbors? When is this scheduled for vote in the City of Aspen? What happens if the "City" says no but Pitkin County votes yes? Does the current plan include knocking down our homes? 12/8/2022 My biggest concern is traffic noise and road noise. Please make sure the new road and bridge surface is smooth and quiet. Not like the old castle creek bridge even after all the repairs there is a constant thump noise as vehicles enter the bridge because of the connecting surfaces. Also to deflect traffic noise from the bridge. Will there be a wall along the bridge like in other cities or towns where a bridge or new road passes through residential areas..? Also the roundabout needs to be bigger and better designed as it creates huge traffic backup, thus defeating the idea of a straight shot main st bridge. It really needs to be a straight shot at the roundabout with off ramps to castle ck rd and highlands road......without a roundabout fix the traffic will still be backed up in and out of town. 12/15/2022 I do not understand why we do not improve the road easement we already own. I believe the congestion is because you have four lanesthat merge into two. I think we could do a lot better with our existing road easement and use more electric buses to and from Aspen andour Brush Creek Intercept lot. I think we need fewer cars in Aspen. 12/20/22 Can you please send the updated presentation you referenced from our call with the “corrected renderings”? I am trying to see where you expect the placement of the five lane highway. 12/22/2022 I would suggest staff be prepared to answer more of why the preferred alternative was selected. The biggest complaint I have heard is 7th street stop light. I do not think this would be as bad as S curves/Cemetery Lane light combination but it is a legitimate concern. To some degree, being able to connect to roundabout from Cemetery Lane to go in or out of town would be better than a 7th street stop light that would clog inbound & outbound traffic, but I am sure that would create other challenges – inability to recapture some open space plus another leg to roundabout, not to mention people could still travel over existing Castle Creek Bridge/through west end 12/24/22 A Bendy Bridge from Cemetery Lane to 8th and Main (as wide as Main Street). That would keep schoolchildren from laying in the mud in front of the bulldozers trying to cut a road straight through the Marolt open space. In 2017 The Bendy Bridge solution worked at the Glenwood Springs end of CO82. Their sacred land is the Hot Springs and Pool, not the Marolt. Buttermilk is the real entrance to Aspen -- let's be honest with ourselves. The exit from Aspen needs to skip the S-Turns AND the Marolt while NOT WIDENENG CO-82 between the current traffic circle and Buttermilk. Maybe that would Aspen-ize the solution enough to get the city voters behind it. Especially those voters in the West End and out past the S-Turns. 12/30/22 I drove over that bridge hundreds of times when I lived there. The congestion must be so frustrating with all that construction now! When is it scheduled to be completed? 12/30/22 Where is the light rail commuter link? (they are referring to the rendering of the PA). 40 Date Email Message 1/2/23 This weekend I rode the gondola with the head of “the largest construction company in Australia.” He said tunneling (under the roundabout?) would be the best solution. I just hope our community can become aware that San Francisco’s newest attraction is the Tunnel Tops - and by all accounts it is a huge success. We must find a way to mitigate the congestion, but also allow wildlife safe passage. It soundsto me like a tunneled entrance and rebuilding the Castle Creek bridge would be the best move forward for our town. I hope we can get the community on board! 1/12/23 I was hoping you could provide me some better photos of the alignment of the new bridge as it pass through W. 8th ST. ? Cant seem to find any close up views 41 MEMORANDUM TO:Mayor and City Council FROM:Trish Aragon, P.E., City Engineer Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager THROUGH:Sara Ott, City Manager Scott Miller, Director Public Works Jenn Ooton, Senior Project Manager Pete Rice, P.E., Deputy City Engineer Mike Horvath, P.E., Senior Project Manager Jami McMannes, Communications Manager Jack Danneberg, P.E., Project Manager MEMO DATE:February 6, 2023 MEETING DATE:February 13, 2023 RE:New Castle Creek Bridge: Community Awareness Summary and Next Steps REQUEST OF COUNCIL: This memo summarizes the community awareness effort and lays out the next steps for the New Castle Creek Bridge (NCCB) Project. The following questions will help guide the upcoming project work. ●Does Council support transitioning from proactive to responsive communication for the period of beginning in mid-February until Phase 2 of the public participation process? ●Are there groups that were missed during this community awareness process that should be included in upcoming awareness efforts? ●How much community outreach volume do you want to see in Phase 2 of the New Castle Creek Bridge Project, as compared to the “Inform” phase that took place from mid- November through mid-January? BACKGROUND: It has been 15 years since there was community dialog around the Entrance to Aspen (ETA) and the Castle Creek Bridge is nearing the end of its useful life. Acknowledging this, Aspen City Council directed staff to update ETA project materials and inform the community about the Record of Decision (ROD) and the Preferred Alternative (PA), with the goal of creating a shared understanding in the community. On November 1, 2021, the budget supplemental for the 2022 Entrance to Aspen Education Project was discussed. During that meeting, Council appropriated $150,000 for consulting services for a community education campaign around the ROD for the ETA. These services were to include the following: 42 2 ●Creation of a website and document library. ●Print campaign. ●Community survey and polling. ●Public open houses. ●Video Updates. During the April 18, 2022, Council Work Session, Council provided support for the ETA Education Project Scope of Work, which includes: 1. Technical Analysis: To obtain clarity around the current state of the ROD and PA and produce additional documentation to understand how the 43 Alternatives were created and how they were assessed. Refer to Attachment A for the completed document created by HNTB related to the Record of Decision (ROD) and Preferred Alternative (PA). 2. Engage with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to understand the risks of opening the ROD and potential for funding. 3.Community Education: Update the ETA materials and plan to prepare for a community education campaign. On April 18, 2022, Council requested to review educational materials before they were released to the public. Council also directed staff to conduct the inform/education phase of the project before moving into an involve, consult, or collaborate stage. When Engineering staff went before Council on August 22, 2022 to discuss the West End, Council highlighted the importance of implementing a new exit from Aspen as critical to further addressing traffic issues in the West End. During the November 28, 2022 City Council Work Session, staff presented compiled community awareness content and discussed the ROD and PA. This was an opportunity to help Council members communicate the issue to constituents and provide feedback to staff about the information being shared with the community. At the November 29, 2022 City Council Regular Meeting, a change order was approved to increase the funding for communication services with Darnauer Manifest Communications. This change order increased the breadth and depth of education efforts that were implemented through this phase. DISCUSSION:The goal of this community awareness effort was to share information and increase understanding of the history, current conditions, PA, ROD, and next steps of the project. 43 3 The project team hosted open community events, as well as met community members where they traditionally gather. The project team used several channels to create project awareness, which included the CastleCreekBridge.com website, print, digital, and radio news advertisements, social media, e-newsletters, direct mail, and project posters put up at various locations between Basalt and Aspen, as well as in-person and virtual events. This coordinated communications initiative was intended to maximize information shared with the community and clearly identify opportunities for community members to learn about the project both in-person and virtually. During this phase, across all of the different event types, 47 events/meetings were held and, during these events/meetings, the project team reached approximately 1280 people, not including those who were engaged through advertising and media relations. For more detailed information about the engagement numbers see Attachment A: Awareness Plan Summary, Phase 1. The community awareness effort focused on past project work completed. The history of how the S-Curves came to be and the construction of the existing Castle Creek Bridge was communicated. The current condition of the existing bridge, as determined by CDOT inspections, was shared. Much of the communication was focused on the history around how the PA and the ROD were developed. Helping the community understand what the PA included was an important piece of presentations and included updated visuals focused on specifics of the PA as it related to surrounding open space and transportation infrastructure. To provide a balanced awareness campaign, the team updated presentations over the course of the effort based on questions received from community members. Updated information included a new conceptual rendering with a Villas west view to show the impact to the neighbors and information about the project’s focus on transit, noting that a new bridge would not solve congestion. Helping the community understand the next steps and options available was a critical piece of the conversation. The education outreach was diverse in method of delivery and location to help reach as many people and learning styles as possible. It is important to state that the purpose of the Phase 1 process was education and was not intended to provide measurable data on community sentiment. However, through this comprehensive outreach, the team received a great deal of feedback from the community members who engaged in this process. Understandably, those whose properties would be directly impacted by a new Castle Creek Bridge were firmly against the project, yet many of those community members did engage in a dialogue and attend the open houses and site tours. A majority of those with whom we met felt it was time for a new bridge, although many had questions, concerns, frustrations and/or desired tweaks to the PA. While a minority opinion, there are a number of people who acknowledge that more lanes are needed for the purposes of improving transit times and greater evacuation capacity, they would like the lane expansion to happen at the existing location. Also, what seemed to be a minority opinion, there are community members who do not want any changes. 44 4 As discussed, this outreach was focused on making sure the community understands the history, current conditions, PA, ROD and next steps. Because this was an awareness/information sharing phase, questions were not specifically asked of the public. Because all of the comments received were volunteered from community members, a majority of comments received during this phase were from those who could be negatively impacted by a new bridge. In the coming stages of the project, collection of public opinion will be done in such a way to give an accurate representation of community sentiment. Comments received from point forward will be incorporated into the coming phases of the project. Communication strategy following this Council meeting will shift from proactive educational methods to responsive communication. Staff will continue to respond to questions about the project as they are received. Staff will meet with individuals and small groups upon request. Public conversation about the New Castle Creek Bridge project will be monitored and staff may respond, as necessary, to correct any misinformation. Does Council support this transition from proactive to responsive communication? The community awareness effort from the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023 was intended to inform the public. As seen in Figure 1 below the next step will be to consult Read further about the consultation process in Next Steps. Figure 1 : Public Engagement Continuum https://research.ku.edu/community-engagement Lastly, staff acknowledges this is a difficult conversation for the community and the City Council. If this was an easy issue to address with a solution that would significantly reduce traffic congestion while greatly improving transit times, it would have been done a long time ago. While the Preferred Alternative will improve the flow of traffic as well as decrease trip time for transit, there is no alternative that solves for all of these issues. 45 5 Over the past few years, the community has gone through a lot of change, especially during and since the peak of COVID, and may feel the very soul of Aspen is at risk or even lost. The S curves are part of Aspen’s community character. Asking the community to consider a change like this is difficult, because it requires tradeoffs. Implementing it would transform the way the majority of people enter the town. NEXT STEPS: During community awareness phase conducted with City Council and the public, questions arose that the project team was unable to answer because technical information is not yet fully developed. The goal of the next phase of the project is to further develop conceptual information to help answer questions from City Council and public. A request for proposals (RFP) has been posted to start the next steps of progressing this project. The City of Aspen is seeking services for Environmental FEIS Re-evaluation, survey, transportation system relationship study, construction cost estimate, and schematic level construction drawings for the placement of a New Castle Creek Bridge per the requirements of the PA developed through the ETA ROD. Those documents will integrate the following goals: ●Public Participation ●Environmental FEIS and ROD Re-evaluation ●Survey and ROW Research ●Transportation System Management Analysis Report ●Schematic Design Drawings ●Cost and Schedule Estimates ●Open Space and Landscape Design ●Existing Castle Creek Bridge Assessment ●Greenhouse Gas Reduction The PA currently includes two general-purpose travel lanes, one in each direction, and a light rail (LRT) envelope. The 1996 vote approved two general purpose lanes and LRT across the Marolt-Thomas properties. For the PA to be implemented with bus lanes instead of LRT, it requires a vote for the use of the right of way across the Marolt-Thomas properties. The PA allows for an initial phase that includes two general purpose lanes with two exclusive bus lanes prior to the implementation of the final phase of LRT. At the November 28, 2022 City Council meeting, Council discussed pushing this vote until questions raised during discussion were able to be answered. FINANCIAL IMPACTS: During the 2022 funding process $2 million has been dedicated to the ETA project to be spent in 2023 under account code 000.327.81200.xxxxx.51578. An additional $6.5 million has been allocated for out years in the same project. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: The NCCB project is a transit-oriented solution to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from general-purpose vehicles. Replacing the Castle Creek Bridge 46 6 is a critical investment in Aspen’s future and will define public transportation for many decades to come. The intent of the NCCB Project is to meet the local community’s needs, including: ●Meeting the project need and intent, including the 10 project objectives as outlined in the PA. ●Providing capacity for forecasted person trips, but limits vehicle trips. ●Reducing the accident rate on “S” Curves. ●Providing an alternate route for emergency vehicles. ●Minimizing the negative impacts on the environment, open space, and historic and recreational resources. ●Reflecting the character and scale of Aspen. ●Being an aesthetically acceptable solution. ●Allowing for future transit options and upgrades. ALTERNATIVES: Instead of moving to the next phase of public participation phase, staff could wait until there is more information to present to the public. Many projects start public outreach trying to get input from the community. Council could request increased communication with the goal of providing information to community members. REQUEST OF COUNCIL: This memo summarizes the community awareness effort and lays out the next steps for the New Castle Creek Bridge Project. The following questions will help guide the upcoming project work. ●Does Council support transitioning from proactive to responsive communication for the period of beginning in mid-February until Phase 2 of the public participation process? ●Are there groups that were missed during this community awareness process that should be included in upcoming awareness efforts? ●How much community outreach volume do you want to see in Phase 2 of the New Castle Creek Bridge Project, as compared to the “Inform” phase that took place from mid- November through mid-January? Attachments: Attachment A: Awareness Plan Summary, Phase 1 : 47 7 48