2050 Regional Transit Plan: Public Involvement Report – Appendix D: 2050 Regional Transit Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting Summaries

2050 Regional Transit Plan – Stakeholder Advisory Committee – Meeting #1

Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 1:30 – 3 p.m. MT

Overview

Mountain Metro Transit (MMT) held the first 2050 Regional Transit Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, February 21, 2024. Stakeholders were identified and invited based on the plan’s boundaries to represent a cross-section of jurisdictions, community organizations, state and county representatives, military installations, businesses, and educational institutions.

The meeting objectives were to create a common understanding of:

• Project goals and objectives
• Planning landscape and intersections
• Roles and expectations of Stakeholder Advisory Committee members
• Stakeholder engagement conducted to date and what we’ve heard
• Existing conditions
• Project schedule and major technical milestones

This document summarizes the presentation delivered and the themes shared by meeting participants. The accompanying PowerPoint presentation is available for review upon request and features enlarged maps.

Welcome & Introductions

Jacob Matsen (MMT) and Lan Rao (MMT) welcomed stakeholders and thanked them for their involvement in the regional transit planning process. The 2050 Regional Transit Plan is the planning process that explores how to allocate current resources and create a visionary plan. They both emphasized that this plan looks to find the right service model to serve as much of the community as possible by meeting their needs and preventing future gaps.

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West), meeting facilitator, introduced project team members, reviewed the agenda, and invited participants to introduce themselves and one goal for the Regional Transit Plan. Stakeholder Advisory Committee members shared the following goals:

• Explore how transit can act as a catalyst for housing and affordable housing opportunities.
• Create a transit plan that is aspirational, actionable, and responsive to the region’s population growth and development.
• Increase the use of transit to and from military installations.
• Understand the planning process to educate and inform others.
• Explore opportunities to ensure integration with higher education institutions.
• Connect transit to regional destinations, like the airport.
• Create a network that works with other modes of transportation.
• Explore the challenges and opportunities for transit within the larger system.
• Improve connectivity to Downtown Colorado Springs for other modes beyond single-occupancy vehicles.
• Include partnership opportunities.
• Ensure residents have access to transit when commuting to and from quality jobs to help grow the region’s workforce.
• Listen to local voices throughout the planning process.

Multiple stakeholders emphasized creating a plan that is both actionable and responsive to the region’s population growth and development, particularly focusing on funding. Participants who joined virtually introduced themselves through the Zoom chat function. A table of participants is included in Appendix D-1.

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) reviewed stakeholder committee roles and clarified the stakeholder commitment for this planning process. Given the shorter planning window, stakeholders can expect two meetings over six to nine months. The stakeholder committee accepted their role and agreed to have the committee roster posted to the website.

Before discussing the project in more detail, the committee asked to clarify the larger transportation plan’s goals. Nelson\Nygaard explained that the goal of these planning efforts is to use the near-term information and data to identify 2050 strategies that are both visionary and practical to identify incremental steps toward a long-term goal. Since these plans are updated every five years, this allows the inclusion of actionable items now, and the ability to be responsive as things change between now and 2050.

Project Overview

Jonathan Mosteiro (Nelson\Nygaard) introduced the transit plan as part of the larger Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Both plans are visionary documents with a great opportunity to chart out short- and long-term policies and programs. The previous iteration of the plan was last completed before the pandemic, where a lot has changed in how people travel throughout the region.

Jonathan Mosteiro (Nelson\Nygaard) explained that the project team is looking to understand existing conditions, including ridership and on-time performance, and is analyzing existing gaps and opportunities for improvement and funding. While the technical side is a plan component, the team seeks to engage the community for feedback to inform the plan’s projects, programs, and strategies.

Additionally, this planning effort looks to build upon the previous planning effort, which had the following four themes:

• Maintain focus on existing service area.
• Improve service hour frequency and reliability.
• Improve user experience and access.
• Plan for innovation.

The committee was interested in discussing what innovation could mean for MMT and transit in the region. Stakeholders encouraged MMT to be innovative and consider applying emerging technologies to its vehicles, routes, operations, and accessible transportation options. Stakeholders suggested improvements to bus tracking, including more accurate real-time updates. MMT currently offers this service to its riders. It was also recommended that transit services be expanded beyond fixed route service, especially in geographic areas with lower population density. Innovation was also expanded to consider future transit partnerships and how housing and multimodal options could be part of a larger transportation system. When discussing the nexus of housing and transit, stakeholders shared how future state policy could create more of a partnership and relationship between housing, population density, and public transportation.

Before delving into what is known from the technical analysis, Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) reviewed the outreach and engagement done to date, which has included a website launch, the LRTP Digital Engagement Survey, presentations to the LRTP Regional Transportation Planning Advisory Committee (RTPAC), stakeholder interviews, and focus groups. Through these engagements, the team has learned the following:

LRTP Digital Survey – Transit Results

• 8% of respondents ride transit in a typical week to move around the region.
• 27% would ride transit more frequently if services or buses were expanded to more destinations. 
• 51% are concerned with the lack of public transit coverage (bus/streetcar/light rail).
• 38% see the lack of transit frequency as a top transportation problem.

The Stakeholder Advisory Committee paused when considering the survey results emphasizing that these results show a desire for public transit. Stakeholders shared that MMT should consider ways to be proactive and innovative when looking at current and future scenarios or recommendations to increase transit. They also emphasized that this might involve creative thinking or incentivizing people to ride public transportation over single-occupant vehicles. Jonathan Mosteiro (Nelson\Nygaard) clarified that transit can look many different ways, and strategies and solutions could be proposed to meet the various community or geographic needs.

For more information about the survey responses, the results are posted on the PPACG 2050 Long Range Transportation website.

Process

• Continue to engage with impacted communities.
• Explore additional opportunities for collaboration.
• Incorporate the region into the planning process.
• Plan for future population and job growth in the region.
• Consider regional rail improvements.
• Explore how to decrease car-dependent travel within the City.

Operations

• Continue to provide metro-to-metro services, access to outdoor recreation, and routes that include educational institutions.
• Increase salaries of bus drivers.
• Focus on funding opportunities to address gaps.
• Create pilot program demonstrations.
• Increase routes, stops, and frequency.
• Connect tourist destinations, job centers, the east-west side, and the Colorado Springs Airport.
• Improve safety features and bus amenities.

Partnerships

• Continue to offer housing and community vitality bus passes.
• Support for the no-fare months.
• Provide non-profit grant programs.
• Continue to offer the free downtown shuttle (ZEB).
• Offer bus passes as part of student ID programs.
• Coordinate with educational institutions to inform staff and students how to use the public transit system.
• Provide a larger CDL training program to find drivers for all buses.

Stakeholders expanded on comments previously heard to encourage MMT to consider creative funding streams. Transit can be seen as a community service, and stakeholders discussed how to create a sustainable and affordable transportation system. Stakeholders discussed creative funding opportunities, like farebox recovery ratios, which examine how much operating expenses are covered by passenger fares. Additionally, stakeholders were curious to learn about federal grant opportunities.

Existing Conditions

Jonathan Mosteiro (Nelson\Nygaard) presented the existing conditions for fixed routes transit. The existing area shows service frequency on a typical weekday and the system coverage (Figure 1). Within the current system, most routes are more in the 40 to 60-minute frequency, requiring riders to plan their trip around routes, which causes disruptions if a rider cannot make a bus.

In addition to looking at the current service route, the project team has also analyzed demographic data to understand where the region will see near-term and future growth, especially in areas that might not currently have access to transit. When considering future growth and current service, it is important to consider how paratransit and specialized transit work in partnership with the fixed route service. The 2050 Regional Transit Plan is working closely with the Specialized Transportation Plan to develop strategies to increase regional transit access.

The Stakeholder Advisory Committee emphasized the importance of considering and planning for future population growth when examining existing conditions. Stakeholders also shared anticipated employment growth and development within the City. The growing semiconductor manufacturing industry was one example of future employment opportunities that should be incorporated into the transit plan. 

To understand more about where transit opportunities might be more prominent, the project team has analyzed socioeconomic data to determine what characteristics transit riders are more likely to have through the transit propensity index. This includes areas where there might be more concentrations of reliable ridership (Figure 2). The transit propensity index is focused more on where people start their trips, whereas the major employment markets demonstrate popular destinations where people might utilize transit to get to and from. Stakeholders confirmed that the St. Francis Hospital is a major employment center not currently served by transit. Additionally, stakeholders shared the growing population east of Powers Boulevard should be served with future transit service.

Next Steps

Angela Jo Wolcott (Kearns & West) closed the meeting by thanking participants for their participation and reminding them that the next committee meeting will be in late Spring. Jacob Matsen (MMT) also thanked stakeholders for their participation and emphasized that a plan with community input will allow MMT to create the best possible plan. 

Appendix D-1: Meeting Participants  

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Members – In Attendance

Name	Organization
Carlos Perez	Citizens Transportation Advisory Board
Steve Posey	City of Colorado Springs
Sharon Thompson	City of Fountain
Juan Alvarez	City of Manitou Springs
Pete Zeitz	Colorado College
Emily Barden	Colorado Department of Transportation
Scott Skinner	Colorado Department of Transportation
Chris Padilla	Colorado Springs Airport
Chelsea Gondeck	Downtown Partnership
Tara McCarthy	PikeRide
Jim Godfrey	Pikes Peak Rural Transit Authority
Traci Marques	Pikes Peak Workforce Center
Darren Horstmeier	Schriever Space Force Base
Beth Dukes	United States Space Force
Amy Kelley	United States Air Force Academy
Matthew Fitzsimmons	United States Air Force Academy
Matt Beckwith	University of Colorado – Colorado Springs

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Members – Not in Attendance

Name	Organization
Gayle Sturdivant	City of Colorado Springs
Jessie Kimber	City of Colorado Springs
Morgan Hester	City of Colorado Springs
Cathy Buckley	Colorado College
Ben Gellman	Colorado Department of Transportation
Geoff Guthrie	Colorado Department of Transportation
George Gromke	Colorado Department of Transportation
Erin Maruzzella	Innovations in Aging
Cindy Aubrey	Pikes Peak United Way
Hannah Parsons	Transportation Commission of Colorado
Doug Price	VisitCOS

Project Team 

Name	Organization
Laura Crews	PPACG
John Liosatos	PPACG
Danelle Miller	PPACG
Jacob Matsen	MMT
Lan Rao	MMT
Jackson Simmons	MMT
Ezra Pincus-Roth	Nelson\Nygaard
Jonathan Mosteiro	Nelson\Nygaard
Zach Barr	Kearns & West
Angela Jo Woolcott	Kearns & West
Caitlin Sheridan	Kearns & West

2050 Regional Transit Plan – Stakeholder Advisory Committee – Meeting #2

Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 1:00 – 3 p.m. MT

Overview

Mountain Metro Transit (MMT) held the second 2050 Regional Transit Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Stakeholders were identified and invited based on the plan’s boundaries to represent a cross-section of jurisdictions, community organizations, state and county representatives, military installations, businesses, and educational institutions.

The meeting objectives were to:

• Share a brief project update.
• Explain the technical scenarios development process.
• Preview potential recommendations, investment options, and open house materials.
• Understand Stakeholder Advisory Committee members’ priorities related to the potential recommendations.
• Discuss the Open House format and materials.

This document summarizes the presentation delivered and the themes shared by meeting participants. The accompanying PowerPoint presentation is available for review upon request and features enlarged maps.

Welcome & Introductions

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West), meeting facilitator, introduced project team members, reviewed the agenda, meeting guidelines, and invited participants to introduce themselves. A table of participants is included in Appendix D-2.

While reviewing the stakeholder committee roles, Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) encouraged participants to help promote the upcoming 2050 Regional Transit and Specialized Transportation Plans Open House by encouraging others within their networks to attend the event.

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) summarized that since the first committee meeting, the project team has been analyzing the existing conditions, developing, and reviewing different scenarios, options, and engagement materials.

Draft Technical Scenario

Overview

Jonathan Mosteiro (Nelson\Nygaard) introduced the transit plan as part of the larger Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The 2050 Regional Transit Plan, a chapter within the LRTP, looks to chart out short- and long-term policies and programs. The previous iteration of the plan was last completed before the pandemic, and a lot has changed in how people travel throughout the region.

Jonathan Mosteiro (Nelson\Nygaard) provided a framing of the draft technical scenarios by sharing the current strengths and challenges of the transit system. The current transit system serves the strongest transit corridors and maintains frequent service (a trip every 15 minutes) along four main transit corridors. Large parts of Colorado Springs do not have fixed-route service and where growth is expected in the next 20 years (Figure 1), there is no existing fixed-route service. The existing service is typically not frequent and does not run late. There is a lack of pedestrian accessibility to many bus stops and several transfer locations do not have suitable operations, rider, and operator amenities.

Jonathan Mosteiro (Nelson\Nygaard) reviewed the progress made from the last planning process, the City-wide Transportation Plan ConnectCOS, and stakeholder feedback provided thus far. Based on the feedback heard and past planning, the proposed vision responds to community desire for a plan that is aspirational, actionable, and responsive to regional population growth. Feedback has also expressed the importance of connectivity to regional destinations, access to downtown Colorado Springs, and access to jobs. Thomas Wittmann (Nelson\Nygaard) reviewed the guiding principles for developing the draft technical scenarios. These draft scenarios holistically address transit needs through a mixture of expanding service and introducing innovative technology. The goals are to utilize new investments to attract citizens who do not currently use the system with high-quality service in growing areas while increasing service for current riders. The technical concepts collectively create the draft 2050 Transit Vision (Figure 2), a cost-unconstrained compilation of different transit elements.

Draft 2050 Transit Vision

Thomas Wittman (Nelson\Nygaard) reviewed the draft elements of the 2050 Transit Vision, which include the following:

Innovative Mobility Zones

• Designating separate geographic zones to provide on-demand and/or non-traditional transit services for trips that occur entirely within each zone’s boundary. The primary goal is to connect growing areas to existing fixed-route buses and build ridership until demand is sufficient to support new routes. Effective implementation of the zones is supported by app-based technology.

Enhanced Bus Service

• Create six frequent and fast services that serve the highest concentrations of existing and projected growth along Academy Boulevard, Nevada, Colorado, Powers Boulevard, downtown Colorado Springs, and the Colorado Springs Airport. The service would run every 15 minutes or less during the weekday, 30 minutes or less during the weekend, and have wider stop or station spacing.

Cross-Town Services

• Develop or improve existing north-south and east-west services on Union, Garden of the Gods/Austin Bluffs, and Lake to promote regional connections and access to jobs.

New Fixed-Route Service

• Expand existing fixed-route service to areas with expected growth, focusing on residential areas east of Powers Boulevard, northwest of InterQuest Parkway, and Banning Lewis Ranch. This includes the introduction of two new express bus routes – one to Falcon, and one to Monument.

Improve Existing Route Frequency

• Increase existing route frequency from 60 minutes to 30 minutes on all routes to attract more riders, create efficiency, and build upon the current transit investments.

Operate Earlier and Later Services

• Expand operations to 9pm on Sunday and midnight on other days of the week on all routes to support service industry workers and recreational opportunities.

Capital Improvements

• Invest in additional facilities like new or expanded transit centers, mobility hubs, speed and reliability improvements, and bus stop improvements to attract more riders. 

Thomas Wittmann (Nelson\Nygaard) reviewed the total cost of the draft 2050 Transit Vision. The proposed elements more than triple the current transit investment of about 253,000 annual revenue hours (Table 1). Stakeholders were curious to understand the total revenue hours needed to implement the vision, which Thomas Wittmann (Nelson\Nygaard) clarified that if all elements were implemented, there would be the need for an additional 603,000 annual revenue hours. A total dollar amount was not allocated as some draft transit vision elements may incur additional operational costs.

Table D-1. Summary of Investment Needs for the Draft 2050 Transit Vision

Vision Element	Annual Revenue Hours​	Weekday Fleet Needs​
New Routes	220k	+36
Enhanced Bus	158k	+27
Crosstown Routes	49k	+6
Frequency Improvements	53k	+11
Span of Service Improvements	32k	0
Innovative Mobility Zones	93k	+16
TOTAL	603k	+96

Stakeholders were curious to understand how this vision creates a cultural shift and encourages more people to ride transit, particularly how best to do this with limited resources. Thomas Wittmann (Nelson\Nygaard) shared that in Oklahoma City, faster and more reliable service increased ridership to a point where Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is now a backbone of future planning efforts. Transit services need to support land uses and job growth to provide another option for people to ride for work, everyday trips, recreation, and leisure.

When discussing the innovative mobility zone, stakeholders wanted to understand more about implementation and potential amenities. Thomas Wittmann (Nelson\Nygaard) clarified the mobility zones would provide a complimentary service to the fixed-route improvements and focus on providing on-demand travel services within each geographic zone, not between them. These zones would address immediate needs of growing areas before fixed-route service is established. The geographic bounds of the zones can be refined as well as the services (ride share, bike sharing, scooter sharing, etc.) provided. Implementation would start with a single geographic zone to provide lessons learned for additional zones to be established. Additional needs to implement a mobility zone would depend on the specific facilities for that zone. Updates to zoning would not be required as the mobility zone would support existing land uses. Vehicles within the mobility zones will be size-specific for the zone.

During the innovative mobility zone discussion, the stakeholders explored ways to better support school drop-off. A program that provides neighborhood to school choice van service would help promote trust in the transit system and reduce traffic. The program could also help vulnerable families by not disrupting school attendance that are currently being helped by the school districts. Jacob Matsen (MMT) clarified that MMT has an existing voluntary school pool program to support students’ transportation to school beyond the buses operated by the school districts. Thomas Wittmann (Nelson\Nygaard) noted that funding for an additional program may depend on if this program is considered ‘new’. Stakeholders agreed an additional program should be included in the 2050 Regional Transit Plan and funding would be identified later.

While discussing connectivity in relation to the new fixed-route services and enhanced bus services, stakeholders asked questions about incremental changes and connection to military installations. Thomas Wittman (Nelson\Nygaard) clarified the destinations in the draft 2050 Transit Vision are conceptual. The basis for the conceptual locations was to build on some of the top ranked interests for future service in ConnectCOS. The incremental approach would be providing service farther north where population is expected to grow and connect to other destinations like Manitou Springs. Connecting to military installations is difficult because the approvals required for vehicles to leave and return to base cause operational challenges if a driver with clearance is unavailable.

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) facilitated a polling exercise to understand Advisory Committee members top three priority draft 2050 Transit Vision Elements (Figure 3).

While answering the poll, participants asked to understand the difference between the ‘Enhanced Bus Service’ and ‘Improve Existing Route Frequencies’ elements. Thomas Wittmann (Nelson\Nygaard) clarified the ‘Enhanced Bus Service’ is focused on six corridors while the ‘Improve Existing Route Frequencies’ is for all services.

While discussing the responses to the poll, stakeholders provided additional considerations on how to present this material to the public, while also receiving their feedback including:

• Provide visual examples of where elements have worked elsewhere to instill more confidence that these elements can be implemented.
• Update maps to include more landmarks like military installations.
• Reduce the use of transportation or transit jargon. If acronyms must be used, create a cheat-sheet of the acronyms.
• Provide the opportunity for other stakeholders who could not attend to provide input virtually.

2050 Regional Transit and Specialized Transportation Plans Open House Preview

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) previewed the 2050 Regional Transit and Specialized Transportation Plans Open House, scheduled for Tuesday April 30^th 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the City Administration Building. The Open House looks to achieve the following:

• Inform and educate the community about the planning process, existing services and route conditions, and how feedback will be incorporated into the final plan.
• Collect input that can be incorporated into screening criteria and ultimately inform outcomes and recommendations.
• Consult with attendees to help prioritize proposed transit improvements.

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) reviewed the Open House format and stations. The Open House will be a ‘choose your own adventure’ meeting format with several topical stations with boards for participants to browse at their leisure. If someone is only interested in a specific topic, they may only visit that station. In addition to providing information, the Open House will also seek feedback from the public through various interactive activities and questions and answers to the project team. The planned Open House stations are:

• Welcome and Sign-in: Orient participants to the meeting.
• Process and Plans Overview: Contextualize how the Specialized Transportation and Regional Transit Plans are a component of the LRTP.
• Existing Conditions: Provide an overview of the current transit system.
  • Participant Exercise: Share where you live and where you like to travel on a map of Colorado Springs.
• Regional Transit Plan: Present the draft 2050 Transit Vision and different vision elements.
  • Participant Exercise: Prioritize the transit vision elements – which three draft transit vision elements would you prioritize?
• Specialized Transportation Plan: Present the draft strategies and how they address the specialized transportation needs.
  • Participant Exercise: Prioritize the draft strategies – which three draft strategies would you prioritize?
• What We’ve Heard: Summarize key feedback themes and outreach activities conducted thus far.
• Next Steps and Comment: Review next steps in the process and share your feedback via a comment card.

Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) concluded by asking members to share if they would be able to attend the Open House. A majority of stakeholders raised their hand to show that they plan to attend. In addition to attending, Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) encouraged stakeholders to promote the upcoming open house. A digital promotional toolkit, which includes the flyer and drafted promotional language, will be shared with Stakeholder Advisory Committee members. 

Stakeholders were curious to understand if this would be the only open house. Angela Jo Woolcott (Kearns & West) clarified that there would be additional open houses as part of the LRTP process, but the Open House on April 30^th is solely focused on the 2050 Regional Transit and Specialized Transportation Plans, a component plan of the LRTP.

Next Steps

Angela Jo Wolcott (Kearns & West) closed the meeting by thanking those who could join the final stakeholder meeting. Jacob Matsen and Lan Rao (MMT) also thanked stakeholders for their participation, input, and support. 

Appendix D-2: Meeting Participants  

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Members – In Attendance

Name	Organization
Carlos Perez	Citizens Transportation Advisory Board
Morgan Hester	City of Colorado Springs Long Range Planning
Katie Sunderlin	City of Colorado Springs Housing and Community Vitality
Catherine Duarte	City of Colorado Springs Housing and Community Vitality
Gayle Sturdivant	City of Colorado Springs Public Works
Todd Frisbie	City of Colorado Springs Public Works
Sharon Thompson	City of Fountain
Juan Alvarez	City of Manitou Springs
Roy Chaney	City of Manitou Springs
Scott Skinner	Colorado Department of Transportation
Chris Padilla	Colorado Springs Airport
Chelsea Gondeck	Downtown Partnership
Tara McCarthy	PikeRide
Jim Godfrey	Pikes Peak Rural Transit Authority
Clarke Becker	Pikes Peak Workforce Center
Laura Zapien	TransDev
Salvador Pozos	TransDev
Amy Kelley	United States Air Force Academy
Matthew Fitzsimmons	United States Air Force Academy
Jim Spice	University of Colorado – Colorado Springs

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Members – Not in Attendance

Name	Organization
Jessie Kimber	City of Colorado Springs Economic Development Division
Cathy Buckley	Colorado College
Emily Barden	Colorado Department of Transportation
Ben Gellman	Colorado Department of Transportation
Geoff Guthrie	Colorado Department of Transportation
George Gromke	Colorado Department of Transportation
Erin Maruzzella	Innovations in Aging
Cindy Aubrey	Pikes Peak United Way
Traci Marques	Pikes Peak Workforce Center
Darren Horstmeier	Schriever Space Force Base
Hannah Parsons	Transportation Commission of Colorado
Doug Price	VisitCOS

Project Team 

Name	Organization
Laura Crews	PPACG
John Liosatos	PPACG
Danelle Miller	PPACG
Jared Verner	PPACG
Jacob Matsen	MMT
Lan Rao	MMT
Tara Evans	MMT
Allison Burns	MMT
Ezra Pincus-Roth	Nelson\Nygaard
Thomas Wittmann	Nelson\Nygaard
Jonathan Mosteiro	Nelson\Nygaard
Zach Barr	Kearns & West
Angela Jo Woolcott	Kearns & West
Caitlin Sheridan	Kearns & West