Page 5 of 5

DENVER MAYOR’S BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Regular Meeting

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Webb Building Room 4.F.6

AGENDA

1.  Welcome, Introductions (5:30-5:35)

2.  Approve October 2 Minutes – (5:35)

·  Approved

3.  Public Comment/Announcements: (5:35 – 5:45)
The public may address the Committee on any matter within the jurisdiction of the Committee. Should not relate to any item on this agenda since the Committee will take public comment after it discusses and/or before voting on each agenda item. Limit to three minutes. Longer discussion may be slated for following month.

·  Ean requested an update regarding the status of a potential suspension bridge over the railroad near Wazee and 35th/36th, as presented in June by Bridges to Prosperity and Zeppelin Development – Tangier said she saw in a newsletter that study of the bridge is ongoing

·  Dan Raine, PW, wants to expand collaboration with MBAC and be more transparent; wonders what our priorities are; and is working with the Infrastructure and Education committees

o  Currently updating the Denver Bike Map, which should be launched by Bike to Work Day, and wants to know what we like, don’t like, would change – submit comments by Dec. 5th via the forms provided by Dan / Parry

·  Matt Haynes, from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing:

o  excited Governor Hickenlooper was reelected as it was his initiative to create statewide bike plan

o  will meet with health-oriented non-profits providing resources to vulnerable populations, including low-income and Medicaid populations

o  trying to find financing for programs, such as giving bikes / helmets to kids and monitoring riding

o  looking at rural communities besides urban areas

o  let him know if you have ideas for programs or resources; Dan mentioned Anadarko is giving bikes to kids

o 

·  Parry mentioned an 8-hr urban skills workshop being put on by Bike Denver based on the League of American Bicyclists’ training

4.  Presentation: Colleen Miller, DRCOG, Report on 2014 Bike to Work Day (5:45-6:00)

·  Bike to Work Day has been in Denver for 25 years and is the 2nd oldest in US and the 2nd biggest with 30,000 people in 2014 (most ever 35,000+ in 2008); only San Francisco is bigger

o  Dan mentioned that Denver is a model for other cities looking to mimic the success of our BTW day

·  DRCOG organizes BTW day; helps find food sponsors for stations; provides vinyl banners and yard signs that sponsors can reuse annually

o  Nonprofits and small businesses benefit from outreach by sponsoring stations

·  DRCOG gathered stats via email from a sample of participants; stats haven’t changed much in 8 years

o  There were 215 stations, a 43% increase since 2011 – biggest complaint is lack of stations

o  1/3 were first-year participants

o  Average length of ride was 9.6 miles one way

o  40% female, 60% male

o  27% 25-34, 24% 35-44

o  44% have bachelor’s degree and 83% have professional / managerial / admin jobs

o  31% make $50k-$99k – Ayelene mentioned this demographic info could be helpful in getting sponsors and Colleen said she does include it in sponsor packets

o  People ride to raise awareness and because its fun

o  Barriers to biking: weather, driving is more convenient, traffic safety issues, too much to carry, takes too long

o  21% only bike to work on BTW day; JJ said we need more BTW days to encourage people to bike more

·  Once the report is final, Colleen will email it to MBAC

·  Aylene said DDP is trying to establish a BTW day weekly and Steve Sander started BTW Wednesday

o  In downtown, Tuesday and Wednesday are the highest days for bike commuting and Friday is worst

o  9 out of 10 companies with 100+ employees cited BTW day as an employee benefit

·  Someone asked Colleen about organizing a Bike to School day and she said that is the purview of the Safe Routes to Schools program coordinator at DRCOG

·  October 8th, 2014 was international bike/walk to school day

5.  Presentation: Jay Henke, Overview of News from Parks & Rec (6:00-6:15)

·  Jay is a Landscape Architect with Denver Parks and Recreation and leads the regional trails program; he presented the status of the City’s trails budget and various projects; he is completing a more detailed list of projects, their scope and timeframe, which he will distribute soon

·  2015 Trails Budget and Work Plan

o  CIP Budget: $305,000 for trail repair (Cherry Ck, Lakewood Gulch, Sanderson Gulch), maintenance (railings, vegetation trimming, as well as social issues), signage (working to create a consistent theme), striping, lighting (Cherry Ck at Holly, Monaco, and I25)

o  CIP One-Time Transfer: $750,000 going to shovel-ready projects including a section of Goldsmith Gulch adjacent to Tamarac Drive from Hampden Circle to Mansfield Ave where 10’ wide concrete trails will replace crusher fine, then PW will provide on-street facilities on Tamarac north across Hampden

·  Project Updates

o  Weir Gulch at South Platte – redesign of box culvert to widened, cascading channel to help activate the river’s edge despite ongoing need to address poor water quality; will have 12’ wide trail, which is the new standard; the missing link to Barnum Park where Weir Gulch goes underground remains unresolved

o  CDOT US6 Bridge Project – bike/ped bridge over 6th Ave on Weir Gulch Trail to Barnum Park; also reconstruct South Platte trail through Frog Hollow and Phil Milstein parks

o  South Platte River Vision

·  Johnson Habitat, Alameda to Santa Fe Bridge – park has been rebuilt to address contamination and associated trail will be widened; to be complete by April

·  Overland Ponds to Pasquinel’s Landing – improvements will include soft single track to river’s edge from concrete trail

·  Pasquinel’s Landing and Grant Frontier Park – river improvements to include backwater areas and boat landings with realigned trail that will alleviate existing blind spot; since there won’t be access control of peds crossing trail from nearby parking lot and cyclists don’t always obey the 15mph speed limit, MBAC members suggested signage warning cyclists and peds to be aware of each other even if the sight distance is sufficient for peds and cyclists see each other

·  Tangier said Parks and PW should make safer connections to parks along the river and consider traffic calming on adjacent roads

o  Ruby Hill Mountain Bike Park and Loop Trail – construction is going out to bid and will be complete by Oct as part of phase 2 reconstruction of park; will include multi-use, soft-surface loop trail, taking advantage of park’s 60-70’ elevation change; wants to attract neighborhood kids and low-income kids; no cyclo-cross course will be provided, but Parks is looking at opportunities for cyclo-cross in other parks

o  Westerly Creek / Sand Creek – realign Sand Creek trail to south side of channel from north side

o  Wash Park Loop Road – community meeting on Dec 10th to include presentation of preferred alternatives at St. John’s Lutheran Church 6-8pm, though there is no implementation funding identified

·  Trail detours for all projects will be available on Parks and Rec website/ Parks/Trails/Trail Detours – let Jay know if you notice out-of-date info

· 

6.  INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE REPORT (6:15-6:35)

  1. Updates
  2. Discussion about MBAC Priority Criteria for City Bike Investments

·  PW has asked Infrastructure Committee to help identify high priority projects based on Denver Moves, and the committee is currently selecting which criteria should be used to prioritize projects

  1. Next meeting: Every 3rd Thursday, Denver Bicycle Café, 1308 E.17th

7.  POLICY COMMITTEE (6:35-6:6:40)

  1. Updates

·  Looking at whether MBAC should have authority in municipal code like other advisory groups

·  Conducting an economic study – developing comprehensive list of bike-related businesses and continuing to work with Steven Rio

·  Reviewing requirements for bike parking

  1. MBAC Letter to Mayor/DPW Supporting Opening16th Street Mall to Bikes on Saturdays

·  Parry said the City is considering an ordinance to allow biking on the 16th Street Mall on Saturdays

o  Currently, bikes are allowed on Sundays; Aylene said on Saturdays there are more drunk people on the mall, particularly in the evening, which creates more conflict for shuttles, whereas Sundays the mall is less populated and less inebriated

o  A recent working group meeting was well attended by RTD, DDP, PW, CPD, Bike Denver, Interneighborhood Coop; Parry said Jose Cornejo was very eloquent and impassioned; RTD was very concerned about safety, but there was overwhelming support for the ordinance

o  Parry wondering if MBAC is supportive and if she should draft a letter

o  Doug asked if there is a need for bike access on 16th; are we trying to have too many modes, make it harder on shuttles, less efficient, perhaps increase antagonism toward cyclists, less safe?

o  Kevin said biking 16th Street on Sundays is nice for family access to destinations

o  Aylene said it will help brand downtown as more bike friendly and it’s very unlikely that rules will change during weekdays

o  Buses will run same schedules, which is similar on Sat and Sun and much less than on weekdays

o  Horse drawn carriages and pedicabs are also more prevalent on weekends

o  Policy committee will further consider ordinance before asking MBAC to vote

  1. Next meeting: Nov 20, Room 450, City/County Building

8.  EDUCATION COMMITTEE: (6:40-6:45)

  1. Updates

·  Working on paper regarding best practices for education; planning to bring paper in December

·  Mayor’s Sustainability Office got grant from Anadarko to hire consultant to create bicycle safety action plan, which will involve multiple agencies; implementation of plan would require funding

o  MBAC should identify which members should be involved

·  Website almost ready to go

o  Still need descriptions of Infrastructure and Policy committees

o  Dan recommended the list of members should include our email addresses and the district we represent with member’s permission, though there will still be a general MBAC email provided

o  Once website copy is finalized, MBAC will review then forward to Mayor

  1. Next meeting: 4th Wednesday, Coffee at the Point (27th St and Welton at Five Points) at 6:00pm

·  Meeting is canceled

9.  MBAC Business (6:45-7:00)

  1. 2015 MBAC

i  2 Openings – no broadcast, targeted recruitment for diversity, geographic representation & skills

·  There are 3 openings, one of which Mayor wants to dedicate to a member of the new Pedestrian Advisory Committee

o  Question regarding whether a member of MBAC will be on the Pedestrian Committee – send recommendations to Parry

·  Albus Brooks has recommended an African American professor and Paul Lopez has been asked for a recommendation

ii  Leadership – full MBAC and subcommittees

  1. Schedule Retreat – January 10
  2. December Agenda

i  Report from Infrastructure

ii  Looking back over 2014

  1. Holiday gathering?

i  After December 4 meeting

ii  Kevin Williams Home

  1. Sunday afternoon, Soup & Salad, December 14
  2. Thursday evening, Dessert and Drinks, December 18

10. Adjourn – 7pm