The primary purpose of the open house is to provide an opportunity for community members to learn more about the proposed Complete Streets Policy developed by the Public Works Engineering Division and citizen Transportation Advisory Board (TAB). Additionally, attendees will be invited to provide feedback on the proposed policy during the open house. The input provided during this event will be important to the Town Board of Trustees as they consider adoption of the proposed policy.

According to the National Complete Streets Coalition website, a Complete Streets approach integrates people and place in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of our transportation networks. This helps ensure streets are safe for people of all ages and abilities, balance the needs of different modes, and support local land uses, economies, cultures, and natural environments. Complete Streets make it easy and enjoyable to cross the street, walk to shops, and bicycle for work, play, shopping and recreation.

The TAB spearheaded the development of the proposed Complete Streets Policy to establish a long-term vision for the future of our transportation network. A Complete Streets Policy allows planners and designers to understand and consider the mobility needs of every community member however they travel – by foot, bicycle, scooter, skateboard, shuttle or automobile. A Complete Street ultimately encourages all community members to utilize mobility options to access destinations such as schools, places of employment, downtown businesses, neighborhoods and recreation areas. Increased utilization of mobility options can lead to reduced traffic congestion, making it easier for shuttles to run on time and people to safely walk to and from parking areas.

For individuals who cannot attend the March 20 meeting, the meeting materials are available at www.estes.org/transportationstudies. Written comments may be mailed to Town of Estes Park Public Works, RE: Complete Streets Policy, P.O. Box 1200, Estes Park, CO 80517 or emailed to publicworks@estes.org.

Kate Rusch
Public Information Officer
krusch@estes.org
970-577-3701

Highway 7 is looking much better and there is more to come! However, CDOT needs to hear your feedback about the importance of safe, wide road shoulders throughout the entire Scenic Byway- Highway 7 (need to include Estes Park….). Currently, wide shoulders only designed between Lily Lake south to St. Malo. CDOT needs to know if you want them to pursue funding to add bike safe shoulders. Ask questions and get updated!

From the Town of Estes Park Face book page:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2018

CONTACT: Jared Fiel, Communications Manager, Region 4
C 970.302.2846 O 970.350.2217| jared.fiel@state.co.us
10601 West 10th Street, Greeley, CO 80634

Community open house for CO 7 work set for April 23 in Estes Park

Work to include resurfacing, bike lanes and accessibility improvements

ESTES PARK – The Colorado Department of Transportation will host an open house meeting on April 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. in Estes Park to discuss the resurfacing and other improvements planned for Colorado Highway 7 which begins in early May.

The open house will take place at the Estes Valley Community Center, 660 Community Drive. Residents and commuters will be able to talk individually to CDOT officials and representatives from the contractor on the job, Flatiron Constructors, Inc.

There are many different aspects of this $13 million project. About 12 miles of the road will be resurfaced. After the 2013 flood, CO 7 became a major route in and out of Estes Park due to closures on US 34 and US 36. Heavy trucks and increased traffic caused damage to the road. In addition to resurfacing, approximately 40 major culverts along this route will be repaired or replaced.

The work will also include widening of the road to create at least four additional feet to make it more safe for bicyclists. The new bike lanes will start at Lily Lake and connect to the existing bike lanes at St. Malo’s Chapel on the Rock.

Lastly, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a commitment from CDOT to improve accessibility for people with disabilities across the state, several curb ramps will be upgraded in the town of Estes Park on CO 7. Existing sidewalks will tie-in to the new curb ramps at numerous locations.

PROJECT SCHEDULE
Work will begin the first part of May and go until October 2019 with a break during the winter months.

Normal working hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. In special cases, these hours may be extended.

In-town construction will not occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

TRAVEL IMPACTS

Single lane closures with up to 15-minute delays

Isolated full closures with up to 30-minute delays for rock fall
mitigation and possible rock blasting

Shoulder closures

Sidewalk detours

STAY INFORMED: The public is encouraged to sign up for notifications to stay informed. Subscribe to updates by contacting the project hotline phone number at 970-903-9785 or email CO7EstesPark@gmail.com. Additional information on CO 7 can be obtained by visiting the project website: https://www.codot.gov/projects/co-7-road-bike-lane-ada-improvements-in-estes-park

On behalf of the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District I would like to provide some updates regarding this project and upcoming events. The planning team, project partners and trails committee have taken public comments regarding Estes Valley trail connections (including bicycle and pedestrian facilities) and mapped them, while also evaluating feasibility and new opportunities. The next step will be to present this map to the community and to hear feedback regarding the draft trails map.

1. 1. PUBLIC MEETING #2: The next public meeting will be held February 18, 2016 at the Estes Park Town Hall from 4-7pm. This meeting will be an open house that will give the community an opportunity to review the proposed connections.

2. PROJECT WEBSITE- EstesValleyTrails.com: Many of you have visited the project website and/or have provided input on the plan via the website survey #1. We now have a new survey! Please take a few minutes to respond to the second survey. We will be using this information to help us understand more of what you want from your local trails and facilities. Also, project information, public meeting #1 presentation and project flyers can all be found on this site. (direct link to survey)

3. SPREAD THE WORD: Please forward this email to others who may be interested in attending the next public meeting and/or providing comments via the project website: www.EstesValleyTrails.com. Your feedback makes a difference and will influence the future of your community.

Thank you for your continued participation in this effort and happy holidays to you all.

Patsy McEntee

Thank you for the wonderful input on the EPCC survey over the summer, we learned a lot from you in terms of how the Cycling Coalition can best meet your needs. In order for EPCC to start accomplishing all of the great projects, ideas, and events we all have in mind and have been discussing for a while, it’s time to get a little more formal. We are going to start the journey to becoming a 501(c)3 organization, which will allow us to do fundraising, purchase liability insurance, and have more clout as an official organization. The first step is to establish a more official leadership structure. From there, we can start working on drafting by-laws, getting bank accounts set up, narrowing our objectives, and incorporating the organization.

None of the following ideas are set in stone, so we welcome any feedback to bikeestes@gmail.com.  Please let us know if you have any thoughts, comments, or questions as we start moving through this process! Here are the highlights of the structure that we are most strongly considering:

• Beginning in 2016, EPCC will begin charging annual membership dues of $25 per person/$30 family. Funding will be available for upcoming projects, events, or to leverage more funding from granting agencies.
  • By becoming a paying member of EPCC, you can vote on important decisions, serve on committees, and know that you are supporting a better biking culture in Estes Park
  • Membership will also get you a 15% discount on non-sale items at both the Mountain Shop and Via Bicycle Cafe
• We will have a Board of Directors with 5 members, including a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Each member will have a term that lasts one year, with annual elections occurring in November or December.
• There will be Board meetings quarterly, where business and administrative information, such as budgets, by-laws, and policies will be reviewed. These meetings will be open to anyone, but only the Board of Directors will be required to attend.
• We will continue to have monthly membership-wide meetings on the third Wednesday of the month, where the purpose of the meetings will be to provide a place for the Board of Directors to hear from the members and to update the members on any news, where new ideas and projects can be discussed, and where fun events can occur or can be organized. We’ll keep these meetings light on “business”, and as short and efficient as possible, so we can all go out to happy hour afterwards.
• Group rides, potlucks, and happy hours will become a bigger focus, and can be organized by anyone.
• Project- or goal-specific committees will be organized and can include both Board of Directors and volunteers from the wider membership. General members may lead committees.

The Board of Directors will be nominated and elected by the wider membership. We would like to hold the first vote at the next meeting on November 18^th at 7 p.m. at Rock Cut Brewing Company. If you can’t make the meeting, we’ll send out another email with information on how to vote online. Please see the job descriptions for Board of Directors below, and send any nominations to bikeestes@gmail.com. If you or anyone you know is interested, please let us know (you can nominate yourself)! Help set the direction and impact of EPCC!

Board of Directors will be required to attend 4 meetings per year. Directors will rotate “hosting” monthly membership-wide meetings (so each member will be responsible for 2-3 meetings per year, but not required to attend all meetings). Board of Directors may always abstain from votes or decision-making if there is a conflict of interest. In the near term, the focus of the Board will be to formalize EPCC as an organization.

President:
The President of EPCC Board is the main contact and spokesperson for EPCC. In addition, the President will be responsible for leading Board meetings, managing or delegating the management of official collaborative relationships, fielding outside inquiries, and assisting with committees.
Estimated time commitment: 5-10 hours/month

Vice President:
The Vice President of EPCC Board will be in charge of maintaining membership information, communications with the membership, and leading meetings if the President is unable to do so.
Estimated time commitment: 4-6 hours/month

Secretary:
The Secretary of EPCC Board will be responsible for taking minutes at Board meetings, keeping official records, and working with the President to set the agenda for the Board meetings. The Secretary will also work with the Vice President to communicate EPCC news and events to the wider membership and the public.
Estimated time commitment: 5-8 hours/month

Treasurer:
The Treasurer of EPCC Board will be responsible for managing the finances of the organization, and reporting on the finances biannually at Board meetings. Any fundraising efforts or spending will be approved by the Treasurer.
Estimated time commitment: 5-10 hours/month

Director:
Any Board Director not serving in one of the above 4 functions is a Director.  Directors will be responsible for assisting with committees, researching and voting on important decisions, and representing the organization.
Estimated time commitment: 3-6 hours/month

Email nominations for Board of Directors to bikeestes@gmail.com. Nominations will be announced at the November 18th meeting at Rock Cut Brewing Company, and voting will start there!

December 17th, 2014

Gary K. Buffington, Department of Natural Resources Director
1800 South County Road 31
Loveland, CO 80537

Re: Proposed Multi-purpose trail in Hermit Park

Dear Mr. Gary K. Buffington:

Earlier this month Christine Fleming met with our secretary, Thad Eggen, and discussed a proposed trail in Hermit Park. We are very excited about this proposed trail and would like to help move this project from the list of proposed ideas in the 2017 master plan to reality.

We understand that projects of this nature need some feedback or public support to become reality. For that reason we would like to state: The Estes Park Cycling Coalition would like to request that the proposed multi-purpose trail receive consideration for construction this summer, 2015. The EPCC would also like to offer any support needed, such as volunteers, to the project.

Please thank Christine Fleming for her time and efforts to educate us on the proposed trail and thank-you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

The Estes Park Cycling Coalition

Alicia also mentioned that the Bike Friendly Application has been submitted, and that Mayor Bill Pinkham had signed the letter!

2. Outreach and Bike racks: Erica Goad has requested bike rack designs from local artist. By our September meeting we should have some designs to vote on. The town is looking for designs that are inexpensive to build and maintain. Erica, Charley Dickey, Zenda Smith and others have spent a significant amount of time locating current bike racks and recommending additional new sites- Thanks guys!

Regarding the redesigning of Elkhorn and the FLAP grant, we need to e-mail, call, write, send smoke signals to our town trustees and mayor to get Bike lanes put in the re-design! In your communication point out that there is no safe bike access to the library for families, people on bikes slow down and spend more in shopping areas and $ available under the Safe Routes to School (a CDOT funded program that gave 4 million in grants this year).

Erica also brought-up that in November one of the ballot issues will involve renewing a tax that helps funds our open spaces in Larimer County. Please 1) get out and vote & 2) vote in favor of maintaining this tax

3. Our next meetings will be: September 24^th, October 15^th and November 12^th (we are going to take-a-pass on December, it is such a stress-frees month…)

3. We need to make efforts to engage the latino population

Thad Eggen knows a few Mexican guys who mt. bike and road ride- efforts will be made to get them involved in dirt church, group rides and EPCC meetings.

5. Greg Sampson will be discussing with Frank Lancaster at their next meeting:
   1. Signs that encourage/promote Sharing the Road
   2. Safe bike routes for families to schools, future community center and Library
   3. Bike racks
   4. Flashing lights and cross walk guards
6. Discussion was brought up regarding social rides, trail work and future ideas
   1. There is a pancake feed fundraiser for the Restorative Justice program on September 6^th. EPCC members are planning on meeting at 8 at the Mt. Shop, doing some rides and then eating at 9:30. Cost is $5.
   2. Trail work is being done on the North Fork Trail (Glenhaven retreat area) this weekend. Contact Poudre Wilderness Volunteers for more information.
   3. Creating a trail network that encircles Estes Park (great idea by Zenda Smith). We need to get the land managers of the area: Parks and Recreation Dept., Estes Park Trails Committee, Forest Service, National Park and Hermit Park (County?) together and discuss this idea as well as new trails