On Monday, September 23, 2024, the third and final Task Force of community stakeholders for the Multimodal Transportation Plan (MTP) met to discuss its final phases as the plan heads to the Board of Trustees for approval. Representatives for Fehr & Peers, the firm contracted by the Town of Nederland to develop the plan, showcased the changes made to the plan as a result of their community outreach.
The MTP, funded through the Denver Regional Council of Governments, contains recommendations for medium- to long-term solutions for pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle transportation by means of new policies, projects, and programs.
These recommendations directly reflect community outreach, and were adjusted accordingly. Since the last Task Force meeting in May, representatives from Fehr & Peers and members of Town staff have engaged with over 100 residents at public events, including the Nederland 150th Anniversary celebration, and at several Nederland Farmers Markets over the summer.
An online survey was also released to the public, which elicited up to 64 responses.
Transportation Planner and Senior Associate Carly Sieff of Fehr & Peers led the Task Force meeting, which was attended by Natalie Duplessy, President of the Peak to Peak Chamber of Commerce; Katrina Harms, of Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services; Jim Reis of the Nederland Planning Commission; Steve Rowntree, the Director of Business Operations at Eldora Mountain Resort; and Nathan Skalak of engineering consulting firm JVA.
Public outreach indicated prioritization of Nederland’s attention and funds, listing as the top priority that of addressing concerns about the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Bridge Street. This was followed by maintaining and improving area trails while also building new ones.
Instituting traffic calming measures was listed by community members as the third priority, followed by improvements to the roundabout and attending to the intersection of Highway 119 and Eldora Road.
The pedestrian crossing from the Visitor’s Center to East 1st Street was listed by the community as the lowest priority, though Mayor Giblin and others agreed that dealing with traffic flow and traffic calming should start at that crossing, rather than at the roundabout or other intersections.
The recommendations for Nederland’s roadways include increasing the size of the splitter islands leading into the roundabout and adjusting them; creating “turning pockets” and “receiving lanes” for the two previously mentioned troublesome intersections; and narrowing the choices for a second bridge across Middle Boulder Creek.
Rowntree noted that Eldora was open to discussing the possibility of using a portion of their land adjacent to the Highway 119 and Eldora Road intersection for the creation of additional lanes, or a potential roundabout. It was also mentioned that, through public outreach, it was determined that the second bridge would be for emergency use only.
Regarding pedestrian traffic, the draft MTP recommends installing better and more cohesive wayfinding signage, improving sidewalks and trails throughout town, upgrading all pedestrian crossings to all-weather crosswalks, and instituting other traffic calming techniques, such as redesigning certain roadways, narrowing driving lanes, adding center medians, and installing speed cameras.
Many of these improvements are currently in progress, such as the trail-building efforts managed by the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board, and the Safer Main Streets project, which is expected to bring new sidewalks and crosswalks to some areas of downtown Nederland.
It was stated that Parks and Recreation Manager Nicki Dunn assisted Fehr & Peers with identifying which crosswalks should be prioritized in the plan.
The recommendations concerning Nederland’s parking situation were constructed with the aim of shifting the town into a “park-once community.” To achieve that goal, time-restricted parking, curbside pickup parking spaces for businesses, more clear and consistent signage and parking space striping, and a paid parking plan were suggested.
These measures are intended to manage the flow of turnaround parking to benefit businesses and ensure more focused foot traffic around downtown. Cain has stated that Nederland’s paid parking plan must be focused on quality of life for local workers and residents, so as to avoid having parking sprawl into residential areas.
For public transit considerations, the recommendations are to coordinate with regional partners, including Boulder County and neighboring municipalities, to expand regional transit, create intra-Nederland transit, and improve bus stops with amenities like proper enclosures, trash cans, and maybe even heat.
The Task Force provided their final input on the recommendations in order for Fehr & Peers to assess any detrimental feedback that may alter those recommendations, and to include any essential partners that should be approached regarding any private property concerns.
Reis suggested that more up-to-date engineering estimates on the cost of certain roadway alterations should be provided in the plan, alongside cheaper alternatives, considering the delicate balance of Nederland’s budget.
Cain stated that the plan will be available to view on Engage Nederland and through the Town of Nederland’s website. It will also be presented to both the Planning Commission and the Board of Trustees during the public process.
The final draft of the MTP is expected to be completed by early November and to be voted on in December.
