In its last meeting of the year, the citizen’s Transportation Advisory Board met on Dec. 18 to discuss a variety of topics, including the Town’s Multimodal Transportation Plan and Transit Development Plan, the results of the 2024 paid parking and transit programs in Estes Park, and the upcoming resignation of Greg Muhonen, public works director for the Town of Estes Park.
Muhonen came on as director in 2014 and has worked on several important projects in the community since, most recently the Estes Loop. He plans to retire in 2026 but until then, will be performing stormwater engineering for the Town Engineer, Jeff Bailey. Muhonen said that he will be available during the transition to a new public works director when one is hired.
Dana Klein, the Town’s parking and transit manager, presented the results of the 2024 paid parking program, the same presentation shown to the Town Board during its study session on Nov. 27.
First implemented in 2021, the paid parking program has seen a dip in use over the past few years due to the construction of the Estes Loop downtown, essentially eliminating access to four paid parking lots and some paid roadside parking spots downtown. These lots are now reopened with the completion of construction and 2025 is expected to be a banner year.
Parking in general continues to be a problem in downtown Estes Park. The 2024 study revealed that on the weekends and during events and holidays, paid parking spaces were close to 100% full. Anything over 85% gives the impression to drivers that the lots are completely full, Klein said. However, the paid system, which charges in two-hour blocks, did encourage people to move their cars more often.
The free lots and parking garage, located mainly on the outskirts of downtown and at the fairgrounds, reached an average of 75% full during the same times listed above, indicating people are more willing to pay for parking close to Town than to park for free and then ride the transit system or walk into downtown.
The five percent decline over 2023 in the use of the free parking lots and garages was also indicative of some of the free spaces being inaccessible because of construction, Klein said.
For his year-end transit report, Klein said that 109,000 people rode the Peak, the Town’s seasonal, free bus service, at a cost of about $5 each. The Peak system of various routes throughout town ran from late May daily to weekends in September and October this year.
Several of the TAB members were not present, including Town Trustee Mark Igel who serves as the liaison to the board, but it was resolved to continue working on the transportation and transit plans, since these are designed to advise the Town on parking and transit projects for the next five years.
Town staff will continue to work on these plans after all public comments have been collected. Comments are due by Jan. 3. Then, the Town must revise the plans and present them to TAB at least two weeks before the next board meeting which has been postponed until Jan. 29, to give TAB ample time to review the plan and decide whether they are in support with its findings and suggestions.
The final plans are scheduled to be presented to the Town Board on March 11, along with a letter from TAB indicating where they stand on its recommendations.
The Jan. 29 TAB meeting will be held in the Estes Valley Library at noon. The public is invited to join and share thoughts on the transportation and transit plans.