To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Bryan Weimer, Director, Public Works and Development
Prepared By:
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Jim Katzer, Transportation Division Manager, Public Works and Development
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presenter
Presenter:
Jim Katzer, Transportation Division Manager, Public Works and Development
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Subject:
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2:15 PM *DRCOG Set-Aside Program for Community-Based Transportation Planning, Livable Centers Small-Area Planning and Innovative Mobility Program
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Purpose and Request:
The purpose of this request is for the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to consider approving the electronic submission of a Letter of Interest for the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) set-aside program that will create a coordinated Transportation Demand Management for the I-70 corridor east of Picadilly Ave.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Plan for future service, infrastructure, and fiscal needs.
Background and Discussion: The Public Works and Development Department would like to submit a Letter of Interest to the DRCOG Set-Aside Program for Community-Based Transportation Planning, Livable Centers Small-Area Planning and Innovative Mobility Program. The project will be submitted under one of the 3 programs as determined by DRCOG staff.
The set-aside program will support the implementation of the 2040 Transportation Master Plan goal to “Promote Alternative Transportation Solutions” and the strategy to “Promote Travel Demand Management (TDM) Strategies and Technologies to Reduce Travel Demand.”
The I-70 corridor is poised to develop soon with the most impactful developments being Aurora Highlands and Port Colorado. There are currently 11 locations that are either planned to have interchange improvements or have a potential for a future interchange. These interchanges are being led by different jurisdictions and have a requirement of implementing TDM measures by the CDOT 1601 process at the time of construction. Due to the rural nature of the surrounding area, the number of applicable TDM strategies is limited. The effectiveness of these strategies would benefit greatly with coordination between the jurisdictions. This effort will build upon recently completed I-70 East Corridor TDM Coordination Plan led by CDOT. This plan identifies the need to coordinate TDM efforts between jurisdictions.
The project will develop a plan that documents the Transportation Demand Management strategies that will be deployed along the I-70 Corridor from Picadilly to the Town of Byers. The plan is envisioned to give viable TDM strategies per interchange to ensure the effectiveness of each TDM strategy and strategies along the length of the corridor. This 28-mile stretch conveys traffic through 6 different agencies/communities and has 10 existing interchanges with 6 of these interchanges with planned improvements. Within this stretch there are five locations that have some level of planning for a future I-70 interchange. The effort will include the jurisdictions located along the corridor and includes Adams Conty, Arapahoe County, Aurora, Bennett, DEN, E-470, REAP, and Strasburg.
The project is a priority for Arapahoe County, Adams County, Aurora, and Bennett as development along the I-70 corridor continues to move forward and will drastically impact the area. The impacts of development on the transportation system and community and the development of the plan will look to minimize the impacts of traffic while enhancing the mobility options along the corridor. The final scope of the project has not been finalized with the participating jurisdictions and could be expanded to meet more specific needs along the corridor.
The deadline to apply for this set-aside program is November 14, 2025. If this project is successful, DRCOG staff will perform all the project management work to create the plan.
Alternatives: The Board could decline to move forward with this request as presented and the County would look to coordinate the TDM strategies on a case-by-case basis.
Fiscal Impact: If approved as presented, the fiscal impact to Arapahoe County will be a small amount of staff time to participate in the study which is estimated to be about 10 hours per month. There is not a funding obligation for the County with this program.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: The attached framework helps Arapahoe County institutionalize values-based, transparent decision-making, documenting how we make decisions and carry out actions to achieve the county’s strategic plan.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends moving forward with the completion of the Letter of Interest as presented.
Concurrence: Adams County, Aurora, and Bennett concur that this set-aside project should be pursued, and they will each be asked to provide a letter of support.