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North Front Range Transportation and Air Quality Planning Council Regular Meeting 7/6/2023

by Matthew Liberati


Meeting Summary

Summary

  • 2050 Fiscally Constrained Plan Direction Passed

  • Greenhouse Gas Transportation Report Approved

Follow-Up Questions

  • How will I-25 Openings and Transit be coordinated? Commissioner Kathleen Bracke “Through the transportation commission we did approve funding to increase service on Bustang on North I-25. I think it is important to follow through on what we said we were going to deliver and then we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars on North I-25 improvements and the mobility hubs the local communities are investing money in the mobility hubs. I’m very interested in seeing not if but how that service is going to come to fruition that has been approved not only through legislation but through subsequent action by the transportation commission on funding. Wanting to make sure that as the segments of North I-25 open the transit service is there day one for people to ride. So that they go hand in and hand and there isn’t a lag between when the mobility hub opens or when the express lanes open. It really needs to be done together. “

  • Who is making decisions with the Front Range Passenger Rail District?

Meeting agenda and packet


Full Meeting Notes:

Regional Air Quality Council Update Mike Silverstein Executive Director Regional Air Quality Council

  • Mow Down Pollution Program Switch To Electric Lawn Mowing Equipment

  • Residential Program Go Electric Funds Have been depleted

  • Government Second Round Includes private contractors for governments

  • Current Recipients request 50k

  • New Applicants request 100k

  • Commercial

  • Pilot 60k, 3k grants

  • Will request additional dollars in 2024 legislative sessions and grants

  • Lawn and Garden Equipment Control Vote for Ozone Nonattainment Area July 7th

  • Lawn and Garden equipment emit more emissions than all travel combined

  • Sale ban on small (handheld and push) gas powered equipment starting 2025

  • Gov usage ban June-August starting 2025 includes gov contractors

  • Commercial usage ban June-August starting 2026

  • Usage still allowed during emergencies

  • State can do restrictions based on State Climate Act

  • Focus will be on education not enforcement assume <50% Compliance initially

  • Chair Scott James had questions about chainsaws and batteries only lasting 44 minutes, speaker replied funding is available for extra batteries commercial chargers

NFRMPO Air Quality Program Updates

  • Public Comment Now

  • Public Hearing in September

Statewide travel surveys are starting


CDOT Transit Town Hall Presentation

  • 121 Million local transit 10 Year Plan

  • 120 Million regional transit

  • Mobility hubs

  • Bus purchases

  • Bustang Regional Bus Expansion Plan I-70 and I-25

  • Operator staffing issues

  • Ridership changes Pre and Post Covid

  • Electrification study

Commissioner Kathleen Bracke “Through the transportation commission we did approve funding to increase service on Bustang on North I-25. I think it is important to follow through on what we said we were going to deliver and then we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars on North I-25 improvements and the mobility hubs the local communities are investing money in the mobility hubs. I’m very interested in seeing not if but how that service is going to come to fruition that has been approved not only through legislation but through subsequent action by the transportation commission on funding. Wanting to make sure that as the segments of North I-25 open the transit service is there day one for people to ride. So that they go hand in and hand and there isn’t a lag between when the mobility hub opens or when the express lanes open. It really needs to be done together. “

  • Mobility hubs are scheduled to open in Jan 2024

  • No data on how additional stops will impact route times along I-25

  • Potential free or reduced fares through August senior mgmt will decide

  • Greeley is leading a multimodal study for 34, existing 10 year funds are available for launch funds but sustainable funding is another question

  • Colorado Wyoming Transit Feasibility Study

  • Fort Collins to Cheyenne transit hubs optimal route 12 roundtrips weekdays 8 trips on weekends

  • Future Plans

  • Intercity Regional Bus Plan Fall 2023

  • Long Range Transit Plan Spring 2024

  • Community Engagement Requested

  • More Regional Seasonal Routes out of Northern Colorado vs Denver

  • Maintenance fleet planned for the region

  • 300+ Grant Processing

  • Staff has grown and some vacancies still exist. Some staff need to relearn coming from highways

2050 Fiscally Constrained Plan

  • 13.3 Billion 2.3 Billion Gap

  • Cost to operate and maintain federal-aid highways and public transportation

  • All revenue by funding source year of expenditure

  • Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Cost $25,138 per lane mile to maintain current service level

  • Front Rail Passenger Rail removed still in unconstrained plan

  • Additional funding would go towards 2.3 Billion gap Regionally Significant Corridor (RSC) Capacity and Non-RSC Capacity Projects

  • Board Votes to Approve Fiscally Constrained Plan Direction

Greenhouse Gas Transportation Report

  • Strategies to meet Greenhouse Reduction Targets

  • Transit, Work From Home Increases, Signal Timing, Bike and Ped Network Expansion

  • Council Votes to Approve Greenhouse Gas Transportation Report

  • 30 Day Public Comment

2030 Call for Projects

  • 22.7 Million Available

  • Application Open August 4

  • Description Due August 25

  • Final Application Due October 6

  • Scoring Committee Meeting November 1

  • Scoring Criteria (Safety, Operations, Mobility, Multimodal, Regional Health/Emissions Reductions/Equity)

  • Applicant Presentation to Council December 7

  • Council Action on Recommended Projects January 4, 2024

2050 Regional Transportation Plan

  • July Draft for Public Comment

  • August Council Discussion

  • September Council Approval

  • Resiliency Question

  • Guidance on Grants

CDOT Region 4 Update

  • 27 Projects $44 Million Requested. 10 Projects Funded 7 Fully $11.8 Million

  • 8 Application from North Front Range, Fort Collins and Greely Project Funded

  • I-25 Project Progressing and on schedule

  • 287 Safety Corridor Study in progress

Transportation Planning Region (TPR) Boundary Study

  • Survey being sent out

  • 5 regional meetings scheduled

  • Best Practices for Bylaws

Front Range Passenger Rail District

  • Equity discussion and weld county

  • Potential options delay taxes if farther from route

  • Potential options higher taxes closer to route

  • Public meeting questions are being asked

  • August Meeting Discussion David Zinger, Andy Carson, HRC Consultant/Governors office

Follow up questions:

  • How will I-25 Openings and Transit be coordinated? Commissioner Kathleen Bracke “Through the transportation commission we did approve funding to increase service on Bustang on North I-25. I think it is important to follow through on what we said we were going to deliver and then we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars on North I-25 improvements and the mobility hubs the local communities are investing money in the mobility hubs. I’m very interested in seeing not if but how that service is going to come to fruition that has been approved not only through legislation but through subsequent action by the transportation commission on funding. Wanting to make sure that as the segments of North I-25 open the transit service is there day one for people to ride. So that they go hand in and hand and there isn’t a lag between when the mobility hub opens or when the express lanes open. It really needs to be done together. “

  • Who is making decisions with the Front Range Passenger Rail District?

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