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TC Res. No. 2010-13 CDOT Enhancement Grant Application for REC TrailTOWN OF AVON RESOLUTION NO. 10 -13 Series of 2010 A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR A COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CDOT) ENHANCEMENT GRANT APPLICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF RECREATIONAL TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 6 BETWEEN AVON ROAD, AND THE EAGLE -VAIL INTERSTATE 70 INTERCHANGE, TOWN OF AVON, EAGLE COUNTY, COLORADO WHEREAS, the Town of Avon acknowledges the value of a regional core recreation trail system, known as The Eagle Valley Trail, and has supported its construction and maintenance elsewhere in Avon; and WHEREAS, Policy G.1.3 of the Town of Avon Comprehensive Plan states to "Require that commercial, public, and other uses that generate significant traffic are served by transit and linked by pedestrian bicycle paths to minimize their dependence on automobile travel;" and WHEREAS, Policy G.1.5 of the Town of Avon Comprehensive Plan states to "Identify and participate in cost - effective transit partnerships with local resorts and other governmental entities to include transit connections, buses, and other transportation services and facilities;" and WHEREAS, Policy G.1.17 of the Town of Avon Comprehensive Plan states to "Acquire alternative funding sources for operations and capital improvements to the transportation system: federal /state grants, public /private cost sharing opportunities, etc.;" and WHEREAS, the Town of Avon Comprehensive Transportation Plan, adopted in October of 2009, recommends that sidewalks or separate paved trails should be incorporated along US Highway 6; and WHEREAS, a portion of US Highway 6 between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate -70 Interchange has been identified as providing inadequate and potentially unsafe bicycle and pedestrian facilities; and WHEREAS, the project has been divided into two phases: Phase I from Avon Road to Post Boulevard and Phase III from Post Boulevard to the Eagle Vail Interchange; and WHEREAS, the Town of Avon wishes to participate and prioritize improvements in Phase I of the project; and WHEREAS, the Town desires to improve the safety and recreational experience of that portion of US Highway 6 for its residents and visitors; and WHEREAS, the Town intends to submit a joint application with Eagle County Regional Transportation Authority (ECO Trails) for Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Enhancement Grant Funding to construct the project as Phase I of the three -phase project; and WHEREAS, ECO Trails, upon approval by the Eagle County Regional Transportation Authority Board and Board of County Commissioners, appropriates matching funds for core trail expansion and improvement projects; and is participating in this grant application with the Town of Avon for Phase I, and requests CDOT funding for Phase II as future availability allows; and WHEREAS, the Town has appropriated discretionary funds in its 5 -year Long -Range Capital Improvements Program budget for construction of bicycle and pedestrian projects adequate to meet the matching funds requirements from local jurisdictions for the grant. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF AVON, that the Town Council of the Town of Avon hereby supports the construction of additional Eagle Valley Trail between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate 70 Interchange on US Highway 6 and wishes to obtain CDOT Enhancement Grant Funding, in partnership with ECO Trails, to assist with the implementation of Phase I of the proposed project. ADOPTED April '9GO� TOWN COUNCIL TO OF AVON, COLORADO �4t 0" z** ....... AADO Ronald C. Wolfe, Ma r ATTEST: oFF PCL 210307331001 PCL 210307314007 (River Access Point O` 210307, PCL 2103074070071 TOWN OF AVON RESOLUTION NO. 10 -13 Series of 2010 A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR A COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CDOT) ENHANCEMENT GRANT APPLICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF RECREATIONAL TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 6 BETWEEN AVON ROAD, AND THE EAGLE -VAIL INTERSTATE 70 INTERCHANGE, TOWN OF AVON, EAGLE COUNTY, COLORADO WHEREAS, the Town of Avon acknowledges the value of a regional core recreation trail system, known as The Eagle Valley Trail, and has supported its construction and maintenance elsewhere in Avon; and WHEREAS, Policy G.1.3 of the Town of Avon Comprehensive Plan states to "Require that commercial, public, and other uses that generate significant traffic are served by transit and linked by pedestrian bicycle paths to minimize their dependence on automobile travel;" and WHEREAS, Policy G.1.5 of the Town of Avon Comprehensive Plan states to "Identify and participate in cost - effective transit partnerships with local resorts and other governmental entities to include transit connections, buses, and other, transportation services and facilities;" and WHEREAS, Policy G.1.17 of the Town of Avon Comprehensive Plan states to "Acquire alternative funding sources for operations and capital improvements to the transportation system: federal /state grants, public /private cost sharing opportunities, etc.;" and WHEREAS, the Town of Avon Comprehensive Transportation Plan, adopted in October of 2009, recommends that sidewalks or separate paved trails should be incorporated along US Highway 6; and WHEREAS, a portion of US Highway 6 between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate -70 Interchange has been identified as providing inadequate and potentially unsafe bicycle and pedestrian facilities; and WHEREAS, the project has been divided into two phases: Phase I from Avon Road to Post Boulevard and Phase III from Post Boulevard to the Eagle Vail Interchange; and WHEREAS, the Town of Avon wishes to participate and prioritize improvements in Phase I of the project; and WHEREAS, the Town desires to improve the safety and recreational experience of that portion of US Highway 6 for its residents and visitors; and WHEREAS, the Town intends to submit a joint application with Eagle County Regional Transportation Authority (ECO Trails) for Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Enhancement Grant Funding to construct the project as Phase I of the three -phase project; and WHEREAS, ECO Trails, upon approval by the Eagle County Regional Transportation Authority Board and Board of County Commissioners, appropriates matching funds for core trail expansion and improvement projects; and is participating in this grant application with the Town of Avon for Phase I, and requests CDOT funding for Phase II as future availability allows; and WHEREAS, the Town has appropriated discretionary funds in its 5 -year Long -Range Capital Improvements Program budget for construction of bicycle and pedestrian projects adequate to meet the matching funds requirements from local jurisdictions for the grant. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF AVON, that the Town Council of the Town of Avon hereby supports the construction of additional Eagle Valley Trail between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate 70 Interchange on US Highway 6 and wishes to obtain CDOT Enhancement Grant Funding, in partnership with ECO Trails, to assist with the implementation of Phase I of the proposed project. ADOPTED April 13, 2010. TOWN COUNCIL Ronald C. Wolfe, • ATTEST: L ,W0. � � � �-•� �c�ce.�n SOWN OFq�,� N Patty McKenny, Town Clerk :� SAL.: �OCORADO� Memo To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council Initials Thru: Larry Brooks, Town Manager Legal Review: Eric Heil, Town Attorney Approved by: Sally Vecchio, Assistant Town Manager �IV From: Justin Hildreth, P.E., Town Engineer Jeffrey Schneider, P.E., Project Engineer Date: April 5, 2010 Re: Resolution No. 10 -13, Series of 2010, A Resolution of Support for a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Enhancement Grant Application for Construction of Recreational Trail Improvements Along U.S. Highway 6 between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate 70 Interchange, Town of Avon, Eagle County, Colorado Summary: This memorandum is to present Resolution No. 10 -13, Series of 2010, A Resolution of Support for a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Enhancement Grant Application for Construction of Recreational Trail Improvements Along U.S. Highway 6 between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate 70 Interchange, Town of Avon, Eagle County, Colorado. Town of Avon staff is preparing an Enhancement Grant application in partnership with ECO Trails and Eagle County to continue the Eagle Valley Core Trail along the US Highway 6 corridor. Resolution No. 10 -13 is an official document showing that the Town is in support of the Grant application and is a key evaluation criterion for award of grant funding. Staff recommends approval of Resolution No.10 -13, Series of 2010, attached as Exhibit A to this memorandum. Discussion: The Town of Avon values its non - vehicular transportation modes and the expansion of non - vehicular transportation infrastructure. This notion is reinforced in plans and documents such as the 2006 Comprehensive Plan, the 2009 Comprehensive Transportation Plan, and the 2001 Eagle Valley Regional Trails Plan. The latter document, the 2001 Eagle Valley Regional Trails Plan, portrayed extending the trail through the Village at Avon to Dowd Junction, but the lack of development has left Town and County staff seeking alternate alignments. Collaboratively, Town and County staff have partnered to find a creative solution for the residents and guests of Avon and the entire valley for transportation and recreation. The proposed project's conceptual alignment is shown as Exhibit B. Staff recommends approval of Resolution No. 10 -13, Series of 2010. The Core Trail continuation project will be split into two phases: Phase 1 from Avon Road to Post Boulevard; and, Phase 2 from Post Boulevard to the Eagle Vail Interstate 70 interchange. Phase 1 is located largely within the Town of Avon boundary and will be the primary focal point of the application. Phase 2 is represented as a future, lower- priority phase. Phase 1 will run along the north side of US Highway 6 from near the Red House development to Stonebridge Drive, paralleling the highway with a grade and landscape buffer in spots, and in other areas meandering along the Eagle River. From Stonebridge Drive to Post Boulevard, the Phase 1 trail will more or less be located adjacent to the highway. The exact alignment is not determined as the project is not surveyed and designed. Phase 1 will be located on Town -owned land parcels, on CDOT -owned right of way, and potentially on easements granted by the Eaglebend Affordable Housing Corporation. Eaglebend has submitted a letter of support for the project. Phase 2 will have similar alignment goals to that of Phase 1. Financial Implications: Preliminary cost estimates for Phase 1 total approximately $900,000. Starting in 2012, the Town of Avon Capital Projects Inventory contains $250,000 per year in discretionary funds for Transportation Comp Plan Improvements, for which the proposed Core Trail connection would be eligible. Available CDOT funds are estimated to be approximately $300,000, and the Town of Avon will request $300,000 from the ECO Trails Fund to which Avon annually contributes transportation tax proceeds for purposes of transit operations and trails projects. No financial commitment would be required of the Town until 2012. Since the project is discretionary, it will likely only be funded if grant funding is awarded. Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of Resolution. No. 10 -13, Series of 2010, A Resolution of Support for a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Enhancement Grant Application for Construction of Recreational Trail Improvements Along U.S. Highway 6 between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate 70 Interchange, Town of Avon, Eagle County, Colorado. Proposed Motion: Move to approve Resolution No. 10 -13, Series of 2010, A Resolution of Support for a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Enhancement Grant Application for Construction of Recreational Trail Improvements Along U.S. Highway 6 between Avon Road and the Eagle -Vail Interstate 70 Interchange, Town of Avon, Eagle County, Colorado. Attachments: Exhibit A - Resolution No. 10 -13, Series of 2010 Exhibit B — Project Overview Map Town Manager Comments: • Page 2 Existing Core Trail Town of Avon Boundary ® Core Trail - Proposed New Alignment Streets Proposed Core Trail - Original Railroad Existing Spur Trail ® Proposed Spur Trail Lakes and Rivers Existing Backcountry Trail 8ft Multi Modal Sidewalk w.wwev <wcwm mop:; IM Exhibit B - Proposed Eagle Valley Trail Connection �Jm -