[BoulderCouncilHotline] 12/1 City Council Meeting - Consent Agenda Item 3A

[Stiffler, Natalie]

Dear Councilmembers & Hotline Followers,

This message is a response to an email submitted by Community Cycles on November 17, 2022 regarding Consent Agenda Item 3A<https://boulder.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=4211&MeetingID=744> (City of Boulder Design & Construction Standards Update - Phase 2) scheduled for the December 1, 2022  City Council Meeting.  The city project team, composed of Transportation & Mobility Department and Planning & Development Services Department staff, appreciate the support and endorsement provided by Community Cycles for the recommended updates to the Transportation Design Standards<https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/transportation-design-standards-update> found in the City of Boulder Design & Construction Standards<https://bouldercolorado.gov/design-and-construction-standards-and-related-files> (DCS) and the Boulder Revised Code<https://library.municode.com/co/boulder/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT9LAUSCO_CH9DEST_9-9-7SITR> (BRC).

In the communication of 11/17/2022, Community Cycles identified four additional recommended adjustments, either as a part of this current Phase 2 Update or as a part of a future DCS Update. The city project team appreciates these thoughtful suggestions from Community Cycles and all the time, attention, and care that members of the Community Cycles Advisory Committee (CCAC) have offered to engage with the city on this phase of the DCS Update. Throughout this effort, city staff have met with CCAC to review comments in detail, and appreciate the opportunity to continue to partner in refining the DCS over time.

As detailed in the 12/1/22 staff memorandum to council, this phase of the DCS Update is focused on targeted sections of the DCS to maximize limited staff resources and work plan capacity to ensure critical pieces of the DCS are consistent with the 2019 Transportation Master Plan and Low Stress Walk and Bike Network Plan as well as provide clear standards reflecting the latest best practice for new multimodal facilities to inform ongoing work on the Core Arterial Network (CAN) initiative corridor efforts.

In regards to the four specific recommendations by Community Cycles in their 11/17/2022 correspondence, and considering the nature of the phased approach to the DCS update, staff offer that changes to these specific components of the DCS would result in either: the need for a more comprehensive review of impacts to other sections of the DCS that are not currently part of this update phase; or a level of effort that exceeds the current timeframe and resources available for this phase of the process. Also, in some cases, addressing the adjustments proposed by Community Cycles would necessitate formal community and stakeholder engagement that is best situated within future update efforts. To that end, staff will connect with Community Cycles to discuss the technical details of their four latest recommendations and document these conversations to inform future DCS update phases.

Staff appreciates City Council raising the need to ensure that these latest substantive recommendations by Community Cycles find a foothold in the overall effort to update the DCS and BRC. We look forward to continuing our efforts to include Community Cycles and all other engaged stakeholders in our process moving forward.

We are available to address any further clarifications or questions.

Regards,
Natalie

Natalie Stiffler
Interim Director
AICP
(pronouns: she/her/hers) What's This?<https://www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why>

[cid:image001.png at 01D90406.59DED170]
C: 303-549-0093
stifflern at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:stifflern at bouldercolorado.gov>
1101 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302
Bouldercolorado.gov<https://www.bouldercolorado.gov/>



________________________________
From: No Reply <NoReply at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:NoReply at bouldercolorado.gov>>
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2022 11:08:58 AM
To: Council <council at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:council at bouldercolorado.gov>>; ContactCoB <ContactCoB at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:ContactCoB at bouldercolorado.gov>>
Subject: Sue Prant :- Feedback on pending council action


Preferred Form Language: English / Inglés

Name: Sue Prant

Organization (optional): Community Cycles

Email: sue at communitycycles.org<mailto:sue at communitycycles.org>

Phone (optional): (303) 564-9681

My question or feedback most closely relates to the following topic (please choose one):Feedback on pending council action

Direct my submission to: Staff and Council

Comment, question or feedback:  In reference to the item on the agenda regarding updating transportation Design Construction Standards (DCS)

Dear Council,

In transportation design, details matter. The city's Design and Construction Standards prescribe how transportation facilities - sidewalks, bike paths, streets, and so on - in Boulder should be built. That's why Community Cycles supports the modest but important proposed changes to the DCS for transportation (Chapters 2 and 11). The changes coming before you, which were drafted with our significant input, will improve safety and mobility in our transportation system, especially for the most vulnerable users: people walking and biking.

So we urge you to support the proposed changes. However, this is just one step along the way to making our transportation system safer, more equitable, and more sustainable. We therefore also urge you to support Staff in continuing the DCS update process to better align our sidewalk and street standards with our equity, TMP, and Vision Zero goals.

Pending update of other sections of the DCS, we would also like to submit a few targeted proposals to improve our transportation design.

1. The proposed changes in 2.07 reduce and rationalize the corner radius standards for street intersections. This will encourage slower, more careful turning movements that will improve safety at intersections. However, the proposed changes don't modify radius standards at driveways, which are similarly hazardous. Pending future changes to section 2.04, we therefore recommend reducing the minimum radii in Table 2-2 (Access Design Specifications) to 5' (Other residential), 5' (Commercial), 10' (Industrial).

2. Many of Boulder's sidewalks are too narrow for comfortable travel, especially for people in wheelchairs or using other mobility devices, or those pushing strollers or carts. We recommend in table 2-12 (Minimum Sidewalk Widths) adding one foot to the narrowest sidewalk standards, replacing 5' (for Local - C/I, Collector - C/I, and Collector - R) with 6' and 4' (for Local - R) with 5'.

3. Boulder has a robust sidewalk repair program, which we greatly appreciate. However, our practice in general is to replace non-compliant sidewalks - such as those with sloping ("mountable") curbs or those that are too narrow - in kind, even if they are uncomfortable or dangerous. (Do we really want drivers to be able to "mount" curbs, endangering people walking?) So we recommend adding a new paragraph in the sidewalk standards 2.08 (G): "Repaired or replaced sidewalks shall comply with the standards in this section and in Chapter 11. In particular, when feasible, mountable curbs shall be replaced with standard curbs as shown in Chapter 11 Section 2, and repaired or replaced sidewalks shall comply with the width standards in Table 2-12."

4. In section 2.03 specifying the format of traffic studies, subsection (Q), "Traffic Crashes", allows the city to require that a project or development conduct a crash analysis (essentially a safety study) if that is deemed warranted. It currently reads:

"The Traffic Study may need to include crash analyses at one or more locations in the study area. The Director shall specify whether such crash analyses are needed for each Traffic Study. Where required, estimates of increased or decreased crash potential shall be evaluated for the proposed project or development and appropriate safety related mitigation measures are to be included. Traffic crash data is available through the Safe Streets Report and from the City of Boulder's Police Department or from the Director."

We feel that this should give better clarity on when a crash analysis should be conducted:

"The Director shall determine whether the proposed project or development is clearly consistent with the city's Vision Zero goals. If it is not clearly consistent with these goals, the Traffic Study shall include crash analyses at one or more locations in the study area. Where required, estimates of increased or decreased crash potential shall be evaluated for the proposed project or development and appropriate safety related mitigation measures are to be included. Traffic crash data is available through the Safe Streets Report and from the City of Boulder's Police Department or from the Director."

These targeted changes, together with the more extensive changes to the DCS proposed by Staff, will help to align the standards with our broader city goals and objectives, and lay the groundwork for further changes that we hope will be forthcoming soon.

Thank you.

Community Cycles Advocacy Committee



[[FSF080521]] Submission ID is #: 1035323442

Compose a Response to this Email<mailto:sue at communitycycles.org?cc=ContactCob at bouldercolorado.gov;&subject=Contact%20City%20Council%20and%20Staff%3A%20Feedback%20on%20pending%20council%20action&body=%0D%0A--------------------------------------------------------------%0D%0AName%3A%20Sue%20Prant%20%0D%0AEmail%3A%20sue at communitycycles.org%0D%0AOrganization%3A%20Community%20Cycles%0D%0ATopic%3A%20Feedback%20on%20pending%20council%20action%0D%0ADirect%20my%20submission%20to%3A%20Staff%20and%20Council%0D%0AComment,%20Question%20or%20Feedback%3A%20In%20reference%20to%20the%20item%20on%20the%20agenda%20regarding%20updating%20transportation%20Design%20Construction%20Standards%20(DCS)%0A%0ADear%20Council%2C%0A%0AIn%20transportation%20design%2C%20details%20matter.%20The%20city%E2%80%99s%20Design%20and%20Construction%20Standards%20prescribe%20how%20transportation%20facilities%20%E2%80%93%20sidewalks%2C%20bike%20paths%2C%20streets%2C%20and%20so%20on%20%E2%80%93%20in%20Boulder%20should%20be%20built.%20That%E2%80%99s%20why%20Community%20Cycles%20supports%20the%20modest%20but%20important%20proposed%20changes%20to%20the%20DCS%20for%20transportation%20(Chapters%202%20and%2011).%20The%20changes%20coming%20before%20you%2C%20which%20were%20drafted%20with%20our%20significant%20input%2C%20will%20improve%20safety%20and%20mobility%20in%20our%20transportation%20system%2C%20especially%20for%20the%20most%20vulnerable%20users%3A%20people%20walking%20and%20biking.%0A%0ASo%20we%20urge%20you%20to%20support%20the%20proposed%20changes.%20However%2C%20this...%0D%0A--------------------------------------------------------------%0D%0A[[FSF080521]]%20Submission%20ID%20is%20#%3A%201035323442>
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