To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Shannon Carter, Director, Open Spaces
Prepared By:
prepared
Ray Winn, Open Spaces Planner II, Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner
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presenter
Presenter: Ray Winn, Open Spaces Planner II, Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner
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Subject:
title
1:15 PM *TIP Funding Request for Mineral Station Bikeway
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this study session is to request for the Board to approve the Mineral Station Bikeway Tip funding request. This request was approved unanimously by OSTAB on October 23, 2023.
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Background and Discussion:
This bikeway project was originally bundled with four other projects called the Santa Fe Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study covering 11 miles of Santa Fe and multiple jurisdictions. The PEL study was submitted to DRCOG by AC PWD for TIP funding in the 2022 cycle. However, only this project (Mineral Station Bikeway) was selected for TIP funding. In the meantime, Littleton has carefully refined the concept to a higher level with a more accurate cost estimate that reflects inflation and contingency.
Littleton is leading the way in the County for implementing Bike and Pedestrian infrastructure. This is the 2nd in a series of bicycle Cycle Tracks that the City is implementing. Cycle Tracks are the “Gold Standard” of bicycle infrastructure for safety and providing a bikeway for ALL AGES AND ABILITIES. Since over 50% of users tell us they are “Interested but concerned” about riding their bike in the street, Cycle Tracks can truly shift modes and get more people out of cars and onto bikes effectively reducing congestion.
This Mineral Station Bikeway connection is extremely important for its connectivity to light rail and its regional connectivity to the High Plains Trail, C-470 Trail and the Mary Carter Greenway Trail. This key connectivity factor is likely why it was the only project selected by DRCOG for TIP funding out of the five projects originally submitted. Additionally, bicyclists enjoying these upgrades and traveling to and from the east will benefit from the improvements to the Mineral Trail between Jackass Hill Road and the High Line Canal, which Open Spaces funded earlier this year.
The attached designs show in detail the lengths Littleton has gone through to refine this concept and how the bikeway improvements will be implemented to increase safety for all users. The more costly Cycle Track is located only where it is needed along busy S. Platte River Parkway. Then the improved intersection treatment consists of a roundabout to safely navigate all users’ vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians through this dangerous intersection. Then it transitions into a bike lane along Carson Drive where vehicle speeds and volumes are low then connecting to a temporary sharerow through the parking lot to the MCG Trail until a formal connection is made. Littleton has taken the lead to advance this conceptual project into the design below. This process has allowed the City to come up with an accurate cost estimate for funding these bikeway safety improvements and they are looking for match funding to design and construct these bikeway safety improvements. Since the TIP grant is not able to fund the other four projects, the other partners are no longer participating, leaving the County and Littleton to split the local match for the Mineral Station Bikeway.
Fiscal Impact: The funding request of $575,000 is only approximately 18% of the total $3,303,000 cost of the project therefore exponentially leveraging our financial impact.
Alternatives: If this project is not approved it will likely die due to funding limitations and the TIP funds would go back to DRCOG to distribute to another project outside of Arapahoe County.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends the BOCC to approve the allocation of $575,000.00 from OS Acquisition and Development Fund for design and construction of the Mineral Station Bikeway.
Concurrence: This Mineral Station Bikeway Tip funding request was approved unanimously by OSTAB on October 23, 2023.