[BoulderCouncilHotline] Transportation representation during this transition

[Jones, Suzanne]

Dear colleagues—

As promised, attached and below is my summary of the regional coalitions in which the City of Boulder participates to further our regional transportation agenda, for which I have served as the representative while I was mayor. This is an important time with a lot of important regional transportation work currently pending (including also through Aaron’s work on DRCOG).

In addition to summarizing the work of each coalition, I have noted upcoming meetings between now and the end of January 2020.  I think it is important that we continue our participation during this interim period before the new Council decides on its external assignments—and hope that we can identify who that representative will be so we don’t miss a beat during this period of transition.

Cheers,
Zan

Suzanne Jones
Mayor, City of Boulder
joness at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:joness at bouldercolorado.gov>
(720) 633-7388
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CITY OF BOULDER PARTICIPATION IN TRANSPORTATION COALITIONS

Suzanne Jones

10-29-2019



US36 Mayors & Commissioners Coalition

·      This coalition leads the charge to get multi-modal transportation funding to the northwest region. US36 MCC was responsible for the US36 managed lanes project and is working to replicate bus rapid transit in all of the major arterial corridors (SH119 next, followed by SH7 and then others) as well as ensure that we get NW Rail or the equivalent promised to us by FasTracks. The coalition is guided by the Northwest Area Mobility Study and other carefully vetted multi-modal principles.

·      US36MCC employs lobbyists to represent us at both the state legislature and in DC. Pending issues include weighing in on state legislation, trying to ensure funding for our region in whatever state bills or ballot initiatives emerge—and ongoing collaboration and negotiations to ensure our region speaks with one voice and a clear agenda to promote multi-modal regional transportation.

·      Each city and county is represented by their mayor or commissioner, as well as transportation staff (tho Erie sent their Mayor Pro Tem for a long while). US36 MCC sends a delegation to DC each spring to lobby our congressional delegation, DOT and related agencies for federal funding—a strategy that has proven very successful.

·      US36MCC meets the first Thursday of every month from 7:30-9:00 a.m. in Superior or Broomfield. Also meets quarterly with David Genova, head of RTD, generally on a Friday morning from 7:30-9:00.

·      Upcoming meetings:

o   [Nov 7th, 7:30-9:00 am, at Superior Town Hall – if anyone wants to join me for my last mtg]

o   Nov 22nd, 7:30-9:00 am, at Louisville Public Library-- quarterly mtg with RTD

o   Dec 5th, 7:30-9:00 am, at Broomfield City/County Bldg

o   Jan 2nd, ???



State Highway 19 Coalition

·      This is a newly formed coalition—primarily of Boulder, Longmont and Boulder County—to oversee and champion the SH119 Managed Lanes & Regional Bikeway project, a multi-year effort to replicate the US36 model along the Diagonal and connect into both cities.

·      The environmental analysis and high-level corridor planning is completed for SH119,  including regional Bus Rapid Transit, commuter bikeway, and managed/express lanes. We are looking for funding to begin implementing it; it is set up so that it can be done in segments. Most recently, we are negotiating to get CDOT to reinstate previously pledged state funding for the SH52 intersection, so we can leverage it for additional funding at DRCOG (you have to have some funding in hand in order to get more funding!).

·      This group is attended by mayors/commissioner and key staff, but I think Boulder could instead appoint an active and engaged councilmember if we wanted – as long as we ensured regular communication with leads on other transportation efforts, and that person was committed to helping build relationships with other cities and agency reps.

·      SH119 Coalition meets the first Monday of very month from 4:00-5:30 p.m., usually at Boulder County Transportation Department at 2525 13th Street.

·      Upcoming meetings:

o   Nov 25th, 4:00-5:30 p.m.

o   Dec 23rd, 4:00-5:30 p.m. (though this might get rescheduled due to holiday?)

o   Jan 27th, 4:00-5:30 p.m.



State Highway 7 Coalition

·      This coalition is made up of a number of cities and counties who oversee and champion the SH7 Managed Lanes & Regional Bikeway project, a multi-year effort to replicate the US36 model along the corridor from Boulder to Brighton.

·      Recent efforts include working hard to get SH7 classified as a regional arterial for funding purposes and to get RTD to revise their Regional BRT Network map to include this corridor—to make us eligible for future funding. SH7 also just received sub-regional TIP funding, with local municipalities providing matching funds, to undertake a $10Million project design; an IGA to ratify Boulder’s contribution should be coming to Council soon.

·      This group is attended by a diversity of electeds, staff, and agency reps; Boulder could send mayor or councilmember. We just need to ensure regular communication & strategizing with leads on other transportation efforts; relationships with other cities and agency leads is very helpful.

·      The SH7 Coalition meets quarterly, usually on Friday mornings from 8:30-10:00 a.m. somewhere in region.

·      Upcoming meetings:  We just had a quarterly meeting, so next one is January 24th.



Metro Mayors Caucus

·      The MMC is made up of the 40 mayors in the Denver metropolitan area, with a primary focus on transportation, housing and homelessness, as well as other issues, legislation and initiatives that may affect the region. While it is less focused on Boulder’s issues than other regional bodies, it can be a useful forum to interact more broadly with Denver and other cities.

·      MMC was very active in trying to shape and pass Proposition 112 to fund transportation statewide (and Mayor Bagley and I pushed the MMC very hard to support the NW region getting on the list of projects that would have been funded). More recently, this group is pushing “Empowered Metropolitan Planning Organization” legislation as another potential regional funding mechanism.  Occasionally, there are transportation sub-committee meetings of the MCC to discuss specific funding strategies.

·      MMC can only be attended by the mayor (and agencies & consultants who come to present often). The website is: www.metromayors.org<http://www.metromayors.org/>. The MMC meets every other month on the first Wed from 7:30-10:00 a.m. at the Denver Metro Chamber in downtown Denver.  I also chose to join the Executive Committee, which meets in the intervening months, in order to help better shape the MMC agenda.

·      Upcoming meetings:

o   Dec 12th, 5:30-8:30 pm: MMC Holiday Reception at Denver Botanical Gardens (by invitation)

o   Jan 11th:  Full-day MMC Annual Retreat

o   Feb 5th, 7:30-10:00 am: MMC Full Caucus Meeting

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