Thread by @shayshinecastle

Next up: Micromobility. Also, which wheels go where? (Scooters, e-bikes, etc. on sidewalks, paths, streets)

Staff presentation www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/Item_4A_-…

Counsil last visited this topic in October
boulderbeat.news/2020/10/30/bou…

The rules being suggested tonight, if adopted, will go into effect in a couple weeks

First, some definitions:

Human powered vehicle = everything but bike and e-bike - roller skates, skateboard, roller ski

Lightweight electric vehicle = scooters, skateboards, unicycles, boosted boards, etc.

Low-power scooter = scooters, typically used on roads

Low-power electric vehicles = golf carts, etc. don’t use handlebars to steer

Moped = pedals + combustible engine

Toy vehicle = not for road or off-road use

Now, for staff suggestions on what can go where:

Bikes: Everywhere
E-bikes: Everywhere
Human-powered vehicles: Everywhere
Lightweight electric vehicle: paths, streets (may use sidewalk if no bike lane is present)
Low-power scooter: streets (NOT bike lanes)
Low-speed electric vehicle: Streets (NOT bike lanes)

Moped: Streets (NOT bike lane)
Toy vehicles: Nowhere

Sad for toy vehicles

I've got more notes, but honesty they're better as visuals than text, so I'd just refer to the presentation if you're interested.

For instance, the updated dismount zones on Uni Hill and downtown. I could try and use the street names to capture where those are, or I could just refer to you slides 16 and 17

I was hoping there would be an update on the RFP for bike share / e-scooters, but I don't see anything in the notes. It was just issued March 1, so I think it will be a minute before the results are public.

The rules being shared tonight will apply to personal vehicles and the shared bikes/e-bikes/scooters that will eventually be operated.

You may remember that e-scooters will be confined to East Boulder.

Why no dismount zone in BJAD? (Boulder Junction?) Dave DK Kemp says: Because this area was designed for micromobility.

Wallach q: Where can you use toy vehicles? They can't go on sidewalks, paths or streets.
Kemp: Private property

Wallach: Any cost estimates for signage RE: new dismount zones?
Kemp: $20-$30K to install additional markings downtown and Uni Hill

Wallach: Bikes and e-bikes are allowed on sidewalks?
Kemp: Yes, unless it's a dismount zone.
Wallach: What about when there's a bike lane?
Kemp: Still yes

Wallach: Why?
Kemp: Sometimes they won't feel comfortable riding in a bike lane next to traffic. So the sidewalk is an option, but not in high-pedestrian option

High-pedestrian area*

Wallach: We spend a lot of $$ on our bike lanes. Why are we allowing bikes on the sidewalks?
Kemp: You may not always feel safe in a conventional bike lane. Like if you were biking with a small child. Sidewalks allow for separation.

Wallach: "I've got it; you convinced me."

Young: What constitutes a residential street? And how did we de-couple land use from rules on when you can ride these vehicles on streets?
Kemp: Residential or streets are basically neighborhood streets, with a speed limit of 20 mph

Kemp: Most of our collector streets have bike lanes; a majority of our arterial streets do as well. Typically, biz and homes are located along collector streets. Arterials are commonly biz. Neighborhood streets are almost all homes.

Young: Say you're on East Pearl. There's a mix of homes and biz. How do people know that is or is not a residential street?

Kemp gives an answer about messaging.

Young: Did we give consideration to speed limits in setting rules?
Kemp: Yes. That's why we feel it's OK to ride on residential streets, bc there are lower speed limits. They can only ride in bike lanes on higher-speed streets (collectors, arterials) like Broadway or Folsom.

Swetlik: Do we have stats on injuries between bikes/bikes, bikes/peds, etc.?

I believe they shared this many months ago. There were very, very few incidents between bikes and peds or other bikes.

Kemp: We don't have a lot of data around crashes between some of these newer types of vehicles. A couple bike/bike crashes or bike/ped, but many, many more incidents with cars.

Swetlik: Is our primary source of those reports from the police dept?
Kemp: Yes. We also have close call reports through Inquire Boulder.

Boulder's Safe Streets report has all this data on crashes. I *knew* I remembered it from somewhere. bouldercolorado.gov/transportation…

It's been months since that was in the council packet. Honestly can't even remember when.

New rule for these new vehicles (scooters, skateboards, etc.) NOT bikes: You have to do a two-stage left turn, similar to how you'd have to cross the streets as a pedestrian. Bikes can still take the lane and turn left.

Getting in the weeds here on these rules for things that will affect so few people and have little real-world applicability. I think ppl gonna do what they want. They won't even know the rules.

BPD officer Jack Walker acknowledges that: It's going to be hard to enforce. We don't have the staffing to go out and look for this.

Mayor Sam Weaver: I'm asking less about enforcement and more about what happens in a collision.

City Attorney Tom Carr: If someone is violating the law, they are generally the liable party in the event of a crash.

Janet Michaels, also from the city attorney's office, confirming these rules don't apply to golf carts. They are not street legal in Boulder, which I learned in 2018 and led to this glorious story that I'm still v proud of. dailycamera.com/2018/06/22/bou…

It's disgusting, really, how pleased with myself and this story I am.

Very thin public hearing tonight: Just 2 speakers
www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/April_13_…

I'm guessing ya'll are fatigued on city gov't right now. I feel ya. Gonna be a light summer from the Beat, I think, while I focus on longer-term projects.

That's community journalism: Adapting to the community's needs. Sometimes the best thing is knowing when to not publish and overwhelm readers.

Andrea Meneghel is here on behalf of Boulder Chamber, supporting the new rules. Alternatives to cars are important in employment centers, Meneghel says.

More than 10,000 trips taken since B-Cycle introduced 100 e-bikes in Boulder, Meneghel says.

B-Cycle had a big year last year. Their future is still uncertain and not on the agenda tonight. I'll let you know more when I know it.

No more public hearing and v few comments from council, so we'll quickly be moving on to passing the rules.

Except a few words from Weaver, thanking staff for their work. This has been important to me since cyclists were hit while crossing a street, riding on the sidewalk, and were cited bc bikes weren't allowed on sidewalks there.

I forget when that was. 2018? 2019? But yes, that's what kicked off this work. Before these rules, bikes on sidewalks vs. streets was tied to land use: That is, what buildings were in that area (homes, biz, etc.) Which was... confusing.

This made a patchwork of rules that no one really knew or followed. These new rules will standardize things, hopefully.

That's a unanimous 8-0 vote to pass these rules. (Nagle is absent)

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