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1 Sixth Avenue Transportation Demand Management Construction Mitigation Plan August 2014

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Development of Recommendations Recommendations Branding Project Advisory Committee Communications Outreach Events Individualized Marketing Personalized Travel Plans Program Evaluation Recommended Implementing Agencies Project Timeline Budget Page 2

3 1.0 Introduction A major construction project is taking place along Sixth Avenue that will result in significant improvements. The project is impacting Sixth Avenue between approximately Knox Court to the west to just east of I-25. Once completed, the project will: Replace six bridges Build new ramp structures to accommodate traffic exiting and entering Sixth Avenue while minimizing traffic weave movements Construct a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over Sixth Avenue to connect Barnum Park North with Barnum Park South Improve mobility through the I-25/Sixth Avenue interchange Replace impacted facilities in Barnum Park East The project began in February 2014 and will be completed by the fall of During this time period travelers using and crossing the corridor will be impacted by construction-related delays. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) identified and has implemented various strategies to minimize the impacts to travelers. To further minimize impacts the city of Denver has called for the implementation of a transportation demand management (TDM) program along the corridor. TDM is a collection of strategies designed to reduce roadway congestion and demand for single occupancy vehicle travel by redistributing travel demand to alternative travel modes, times, and routes. TDM has been used successfully in the Denver region to minimize construction impacts associated with the TREX project, which expanded I-25 south of Denver and added a new light rail line. Additionally, CDOT, RTD, and the High-Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE) have allocated funds for the implementation of TDM activities along US-36 to help minimize the impacts associated with the construction of managed lanes and other improvements along that corridor. TDM has also been used in other regions to successfully mitigate construction impacts. One of the more notable examples is the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement in Seattle, Washington where TDM efforts and transit improvements have resulted in 33,000 new daily transit riders and 25,000 fewer vehicle trips along the construction corridor each day. To advance TDM efforts along Sixth Avenue the city of Denver provided a grant to the Federal Boulevard Partnership (Partnership) so that it could assist with the development and implementation of strategies. The Partnership was selected, in part, because Federal Boulevard will undergo significant reconstruction within the Page 3

4 Partnership s boundaries in the near future. The reconstruction effort will impact some of the same residents and businesses as the Sixth Avenue construction project. A successful TDM effort along Sixth Avenue can be replicated, with minimal adjustments, within the Partnership s boundaries. The Partnership hired UrbanTrans North America to develop the TDM plan outlined in this document. Creation of the TDM plan involved three outreach efforts: 1. A stakeholder meeting consisting of representatives from the city of Denver; CDOT; UrbanTrans; Edward Kraemer & Sons (Kraemer), the project s construction company; and Communication Infrastructure Group (CIG), the project s lead community outreach agency. The meeting provided an opportunity for the major stakeholders to provide input to the TDM planning process through the sharing of information, review of potential TDM strategies, and identification of potential partnerships. 2. A public meeting organized by the Partnership and attended by residents living along the Sixth Avenue corridor, business owners impacted by the construction project, and community leaders was held to obtain input from residents and businesses impacts by the construction. Also in attendance where staff from the city of Denver, Partnership, CDOT, UrbanTrans, and Kraemer. Information about the project and TDM was shared with attendees who were asked to participate in an exercise during which they prioritized TDM activities by allocating funds to various TDM strategies. 3. A Partnership meeting attended primarily by its members, community leaders, CDOT, and UrbanTrans. Information about the project and TDM was shared and attendees were able to provide verbal input. As noted, attendees at the public meeting were divided into groups and provided with a list of TDM strategies. The groups were asked to allocate a limited amount of funds to the listed strategies based on their preferences. Besides allocating funds to strategies, groups were also asked to allocate funds over time. Money could be spent during construction and after construction. Table 1 summarizes the allocations and shows that stakeholders want efforts to focus on construction mitigation but would like to see continued TDM efforts after construction is completed. Stakeholders also expressed a preference for strategies that benefit residents living in the impacted neighborhoods over employees or businesses in the impacted area. Page 4

5 Table 1: Priorities from Public Meeting Denver neighborhoods impacted by the construction work include Valverde, Sun Valley, Barnum, Barnum West, and Villa Park. These neighborhoods are either immediately north or south of Sixth Avenue. A summary of neighborhood demographic data is shown in Table 2. Table 2: Neighborhood Demographic Data Major east-west travel options through these neighborhoods are relatively limited. Individuals wishing to travel east toward central Denver are limited to Colfax, Sixth Avenue, and Alameda. Transit service within the neighborhoods north of Sixth Avenue is relatively good. Those neighborhoods are served by the West light rail line, 16 and 16L bus service along Colfax, and bus route 9 running along 10 th Avenue to downtown. Residents living south of Sixth Avenue have fewer transit options. They are served by bus route 1 running along 1 st Avenue to downtown and bus route 3 running along Page 5

6 Alameda. North south transit options include bus routes 31 and 36L, which run along Federal Boulevard and bus route 50, which runs along Sheridan Boulevard. Development of Recommendations TDM recommendations were developed using guidance from the stakeholder outreach efforts, review of TDM efforts in other geographies to mitigate construction impacts, the consultants knowledge, and an analysis of available funding and partnerships. During the development of the recommendations it became clear that the construction mitigation TDM effort could be used to launch a long-term TDM program along the Sixth Avenue corridor that would serve adjacent neighborhoods and businesses. For this reason it was necessary to make adjustments to the anticipated implementation process. While the Partnership was originally anticipated to implement the TDM recommendations it would not be the ideal partner for a broader, long-term TDM program that impacts multiple neighborhoods and employers outside its current service area. The city of Denver is currently working to secure the participation of a new partner capable of implementing the recommendations contained within this plan and continuing TDM efforts in the long term. At the time of writing this plan efforts are focused on Groundwork Denver, a local non-profit that implements TDM strategies as part of its larger mission to improve the environment and local communities. It has experience working in west Denver and in some of the communities targeted by this plan and has played an active role in the development of the plan. TDM program recommendations associated with construction mitigation are outlined in Section 2 of this plan. Section 3 assigns implementation roles to the project s various stakeholders. Implementation cost estimates are provided in Section 4, and a project timeline is provided in Section 5. Due to the limited amount of funding available to implement TDM programs, the creation of effective partnerships will be vital to a successful construction mitigation effort. Recommended partnerships are identified throughout this document but include coordination with CDOT for community outreach and press releases; the Denver Regional Council of Governments Way to Go program for outreach to employers and potential support with residential events; RTD for transit outreach; and local nonprofits and social enterprises including Bike Denver, Walk Denver and Walk2Connect for support with community events. Page 6

7 2.0 Recommendations The program recommendations identify TDM strategies that should be implemented to mitigate construction impacts and encourage the use of sustainable travel modes. The recommendations have been placed into the following seven groups: 1. Develop a brand to guide the look and feel of TDM marketing and outreach materials 2. Form a project advisory committee 3. Communicate program communication materials through: a. Creation of a TDM-focused web presence b. Press releases c. Distribution of a postcards to households to inform them of available TDM services and information resources d. updates using contact information obtained through the TDMfocused website and community outreach events 4. Conduct outreach events designed to educate residents and employees about their travel options 5. Implement individualized marketing efforts in the Villa Park neighborhood 6. Distribute personalized travel plans to residents and employees living and working in impacted neighborhoods 7. Conduct program evaluation 2.1 Branding Project branding is essential to provide residents, employees, and travelers with a cohesive message and options to find alternative travel arrangements throughout the construction period. A draft logo and project name have been created. A first draft is shown to the right with a draft project name of Sixth Avenue Mobility Improvement (SAMI). Additional concepts are being developed by the city of Denver. The sample logo and name are specific to the current construction effort; however, it may make sense to develop a broader brand that encompasses the west side and will have life beyond the Sixth Avenue construction project. The broader brand makes sense should (1) the city desire to continue to provide TDM services to residents and businesses in the area once construction is complete and (2) should funding and/or an implementation partner to provide those services in the long-term be reasonably likely. Page 7

8 At that time of this plan s development both of those scenarios are likely. Should that remain true, a brand should be developed that encompasses the larger west side area of Denver and is not directly related to the specific Sixth Avenue construction effort. The developed logo should be included on all communications and outreach materials, with standardized font and colors utilized throughout all materials. The project branding should be unique and the graphics eye catching and easy to include on all related materials. 2.2 Project Advisory Committee To assure that the benefit of limited funds is fully maximized and neighborhood groups are adequately represented, it is recommended that a project advisory committee be created. The members would include local residents and leaders and representatives from interested local non-profits and the city of Denver. The advisory committee would be informal and meet when needed. Its members would help assure that TDM efforts are implemented effectively, provide a supportive role in helping communicate programmatic efforts to the community, and help identify volunteers to assist with program implementation. The agency that implements the TDM plan may have sufficient board and membership representation to negate the need for an advisory committee. 2.3 Communications Communications are crucial to ensure residents, employees, and other travelers are informed of the impacts construction will have to their daily lives. The sooner information on impacts can be shared, the longer travelers have to arrange alternate transportation options and the less likely they are to provide negative feedback about the construction project. Given the limited project budget, a number of low-cost but high-impact communication efforts are recommend and described below. The project timeline in Section 4 shows how the efforts can be timed to maximize their impact on behavior change. All communications should make use of the branding described in Section 2.1 to reinforce the TDM-project identity and to create an easy association between communications and the project. Communications should be available in English and Spanish when possible. Page 8

9 Web Presence While project related information is currently available through both the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Partnership websites, a webpage or website dedicated to construction updates and alternative transportation options should be created. This website would also serve as the foundation for longer-term TDM programing to Denver s west side neighborhoods. The determination as to whether a webpage or website is created is dependent on available funding and the preference of the implementing agency. Sufficient funds have been set aside in the budget to cover the cost of creating either subpages that are part of the implementing agency s existing website or a basic website hosted on a platform such as WordPress. A unique URL related to the project branding should be purchased. Entering the URL into a browser should direct users to the webpage or websites developed for the project. The URL should be easily related to the corridor or Denver s west side and be easy to remember. The URL should ideally be less than 25 characters long. An address, associated with the selected URL, should be created and used to communicate with residents, employees, or other travelers. The webpage/site and any subpages should include the following information and elements: An interactive map that shows where construction is taking place and nearby transit and bicycle routes (the map can be built using Google Maps as a base) Information on alternative travel modes and links to service providers including RTD and Way to GO Links to relevant social media A list of upcoming outreach events (see Section 2.3) Construction updates A form that can be used to request travel plans (see Section 2.5) and subscribe to e-newsletters A contact form for the submittal of questions and feedback regarding the TDM program Page 9

10 Postcards Should funding be available, a postcard should be sent to residents in the neighborhoods of Sun Valley, Villa Park, Valverde, Barnum, and Barnum West. The postcard should remind residents of the Sixth Avenue construction project schedule and introduce them to the updated project webpage/site. This postcard should also make residents aware of the availability of personalized travel plans (see Section 2.5). The postcard should be brightly colored and heavily graphic to draw attention while providing information in an easily understandable way. The postcard production should be coordinated with CDOT, which has indicated a willingness to pay for printing and mailing the postcard. Press Release A press release from CDOT should be scheduled to coincide with the launch of the project website and the availability of personalized travel plans. The press release should raise awareness about the TDM program and available resources including the website, personalized travel plans, and community events. E-Newsletters CDOT currently distributes an e-newsletter to residents and employees in the impacted neighborhoods. The implementing agency will need to coordinate with CDOT to include information on the TDM program in CDOT s newsletters. Additionally, the newsletters can be used to raise awareness of regional TDM campaigns being implemented by DRCOG s Way to Go program and applicable efforts by RTD. All newsletter content must be provided to CDOT s communications firm no later than the 20 th of the month to appear in the following month s newsletter. Newsletters are typically distributed during the first week of each month. The postcards, press releases, outreach events, and individualized marketing campaigns (see Section 2.4) can be used to encourage travelers to subscribe to the newsletters. As noted, the website should contain a form that travelers can use to subscribe to the newsletters. A paper subscription form that allows people to subscribe to newsletters should be created and distributed at outreach events. Subscription opportunities can also be coordinated with partner agencies including Way to Go, Groundwork Denver, Walk Denver, Bike Denver, RTD, and Walk2Connect. Page 10

11 Variable Message Signs Variable message signs capable of displaying limited amounts of text have been placed along the corridor. Original TDM plans for the construction effort called for the use of these signs to mitigate construction impacts. CDOT should be contacted to identify what opportunities exist to share TDM related information using these signs. Due to the limitations of the signs, their usefulness to this program may be limited, but marketing of the TDM webpage or other items may be possible. CDOT has recently coordinated with the Metro North TMA to display a TDM project URL along I-25 north of Denver. The effort has proved very successful at encouraging participation in the TMA s programs. All requests should be made through CDOT s communications firm. Contact Database CDOT maintains a database of people who have expressed an interest in information about the Sixth Avenue construction project. Contact information collected during the implementation of this plan should be added to the database and the contact information used for subsequent outreach efforts. All contact information can be sent to CDOT s communications firm. Minimally, each contact should include a name and at least one contact method ( , phone number, or address). 2.4 Outreach Events Outreach events provide an opportunity for residents to meet with travel experts to ask questions about, understand, and use sustainable travel options. Multiple travel events are recommended and should target residents of the Sun Valley, Villa Park, Valverde, Barnum, and Barnum West neighborhoods along with employees in the Sixth Avenue corridor. Neighborhood events should focus on walking, biking, and transit. The events can be led by third party organizations such as Bike Denver, Walk2Connect, and Walk Denver or the implementing agency. Employee events should be conducted in coordination with Way to Go. Neighborhood Events Neighborhood events are divided into two types: (1) walking and biking and (2) transit. Walk and bike community events should encourage residents to learn about the walking and cycling options available in their neighborhood. These events can include basic information about nearby transit stops and associated bus routes. Free bike tune-ups and flat tire repairs should be offered as an incentive for attendance. Technical support will likely be needed to implement these events. Support should be sought from Way to Go and Bike Denver, which has hosted similar events and should be able to provide Page 11

12 event content and staff support for a minimal fee. For walking events support may be available from Walk Denver, another non-profit. That group and the Stapleton TMA have both partnered with Walk2Connect to plan and implement walking events. Alternatively, the selected program implementer may have the internal staff knowledge needed to conduct the events on its own. Transit education events should be hosted to encourage new and regular transit users to discover routes they may have overlooked. The transit education outreach should be hosted at a main transit stop. A partnership with RTD is encouraged, and the transit education should include riding on a bus, if possible. This approach will help new and nervous travelers experience transit and have their questions answered. Ideally, all participants should receive one or more free transit passes as an incentive to attend and subsequently use transit. Current funding is sufficient to cover only one event per neighborhood. The selection of event topics should be based on resident interest, the availability of transit and bike routes, and staff/partner resources. Resident interest can be determined by monitoring the types of information requests received through the project webpage and by coordinating with Groundwork Denver, which will be implementing an individualized marketing campaign in the Villa Park neighborhood. Sun Valley and Villa Park are well served by the West Rail line making them potentially suitable for transit-focused events. Improvements to the Weir Gulch trail in Barnum Park make Barnum and Barnum West good candidates for walk and bike events. All outreach events should occur at locations that are easily accessible to residents, but not all events need to be accessible to all neighborhoods at once. Outreach events should be held at a convenient time for the majority of residents, most likely after 6 pm on a weeknight or during the afternoon on a weekend. The staff attending the outreach events should be prepared with materials and a general knowledge of the area to respond to specific questions from attendees. Employee Events Stakeholders expressed an interest in employee outreach but wanted TDM efforts to primarily focus on residents. Given the limited amount of project funding it is recommended that the implementing agency partner with the Way to Go program to conduct employee outreach. CDOT, through CIG, has established contacts at the Federal Center and the Partnership has relationships with employers located within its service boundary. These contacts can be shared with Way to Go staff and introductions can be made to better facilitate the creation of new relationships for Way to Go, which will then Page 12

13 be able to provide employee outreach services focused on the creation of carpools and vanpools, transit education, telework programs, and other existing TDM and transportation services. 2.5 Individualized Marketing Individualized marketing is a community based approach to behavior change using proven social marketing techniques and advanced survey tools, processes, and incentives to achieve travel behavior change. Members of a specific target area are segmented into groups based on their willingness to use sustainable modes of transportation, allowing tailored marketing messages to reach specific individuals. This approach has resulted in more effective travel behavior change than traditional massmarketing strategies in the United States, Canada, and Australia and has been proven to reduce single occupant vehicle travel, total vehicle miles traveled, and related emissions. Individualized marketing can be used to educate impacted residents about the project, help them learn where they can obtain project-related information, and encourage them to avoid vehicle travel during and after construction. Individualized marketing campaigns typically require significant staffing resources and funds to implement. Due to the limited budget available for TDM program implementation it would be difficult to implement a successful program. However, an opportunity exists to partner with Groundwork Denver to segment households and distribute customized information about Sixth Avenue reconstruction and travel alternatives to residents in the Villa Park neighborhood. Groundwork Denver currently has funding to conduct outreach in this neighborhood and has agreed to distribute construction related information. The implementing agency, assuming it is not Groundwork Denver, should coordinate with Groundwork Denver on the implementation of neighborhood events in Villa Park to coordinate with their individualized marketing efforts. Individualized marketing efforts should ideally extend to some neighborhoods south of Sixth Avenue including Valverde, Barnum, and Barnum West. Groundwork Denver has offered to extend its individualized marketing campaign to these neighborhoods at a cost of approximately $10,000 per neighborhood. A final cost would need to be negotiated and funds secured, likely from the city of Denver. Page 13

14 2.6 Personalized Travel Plans Personalized travel plans should be made available to help residents and employees plan their travel without the use of Sixth Avenue or with non-drive alone travel modes. Travel plans provide travelers with specific route and time options for travel modes that are applicable to their trips. Travel plans should be graphically interesting, use the project brand standards, and provide route options using transit, walking, bicycling, or driving. Only two to three of the most applicable travel options should be offered. Ideally the plans should include a map that shows travel routes and applicable bus stop locations. Travelers generally request travel plans by providing their trip origin, destination, preferred travel times, and contact information. Travelers should be able to request travel plans through an order form on the project webpage, when attending community events, or participating in the individualized marketing program. It is recommended that travelers be able to request information for up to three trips. Ideally travelers should receive their requested travel plans within 3 days of submitting their request. Due to budget limitations travel plans must be distributed electronically. Figure 1 provides an example of a personalized travel plan. The Figure 1: Personalized Travel Plan travel plan was created as part of a business relocation effort but remains applicable in concept to this project. Page 14

15 2.7 Program Evaluation This project will represent the third significant use of TDM in the Denver region to mitigate construction impacts. As such, it is important to measure the program to determine its effectiveness. Due to the very limited project budget it is important to focus spending on the implementation of TDM strategies; costs and staffing efforts associated with program evaluation should be minimized. The program efforts can be evaluated through the use of an online survey that is sent to program participants who request travel plans or participate in neighborhood events. Invitations to participate in the survey should be sent via approximately four weeks after a person receives their travel plan or participates in an event. The survey should measure the event or travel plan s impact on travel behavior and level of satisfaction with the travel plan or event. The Stapleton TMA and Groundwork Denver have applicable surveys that can be used to measure program impacts. Way to Go may allow the implementing agency to host the survey using its subscription to Survey Monkey. At the conclusion of the project a summary of all survey data can be completed and a brief memorandum created for distribution to the project stakeholders. Page 15

16 3.0 Recommended Implementing Agencies The project s success is dependent on the coordination of numerous agencies. This section summarizes the activities identified in the plan and assigns a preferred party to their implementation and funding. Actual implementers and funders may vary depending on final negotiations. Additionally, as previously noted, the city of Denver is actively working to identify an agency that will lead the implementation of the recommended TDM strategies. The selected agency will ideally lead all tasks assigned below to the, primary implementing agency (PIA). Budgets for the implementation of the tasks are provided in Section 5.0. Implementer Funder Task Primary Secondary Branding GD CCD CCD Advisory Committee Creation PIA CCD N/A Facilitation PIA CCD N/A Communications Web Presence GD PIA CCD Postcard Dev elopment GD PI A/CDOT CCD Postcard Printing and Mailing CDOT CDOT Press Release PIA CDOT N/A E-New sletters PI A CDOT/CCD Variable Message Signs CDOT PIA N/A Participant Database PIA CDOT Outreach Events Neighborhood Events PIA CCD Employee Ev ents DRCOG CDOT DRCOG I ndiv idualized Marketing PI A CCD Personalized Trav el Plans PIA CCD Program Ev aluation PIA CCD GD: Graphic Designer CCD: City and County of Denver PIA: Primary Implementing Agency DRCOG: Denv er Regional Council of Gov ernments Page 16