2009 Fundraising Update

We're now $173 short of our goal. We are SO close.

2009 Fundraising Update

We are now so close. Another generous donation leaves us only $273 shy of our goal.

2009 Fundraising Update

We're really getting close! Our latest pledges leave us only $473 short of our goal.

2009 Fundraising Update

We received another contribution! Only $923 left to go.

2009 Fundraising Update

Our latest contribution leaves us only $1561 short of our goal.

2009 Fundraising Update

Another donation brings the amount remaining down to $1761. It's getting better all the time.

2009 Fundraising Update

Two more contributions today bring our total left to raise down to $1961. We're getting closer every day. Also, today I received two more inquiries as a result of this weekend's car flyer distribution. Hopefully they'll join our EcoPass neighborhood. Keep up the good work!

2009 Fundraising Update

Another $200 donation (from a family who joined through our summer promotion efforts) brings the total we have left to raise down to $2661.

2009 Fundraising Update

A very generous $1000 donation brings our funding delta down to $2861. We're definitely getting closer.

2009 Fundraising Update

Yet another donation brings our EcoPass funding delta to $3861.

2009 Fundraising Update

Based on another very generous contribution as well as updated funding information, we are now $3921 from our goal. We are over half way!

2009 Fundraising Update

Another contribution brings us to a total of $3255. We're getting closer.

2009 Fundraising Update

I received a couple of additional contributions today (including another new sign up as well as a $400 contribution from a returning EcoPass user), bringing our total raised to $3105.

2009 Fundraising Update

Another $200 donation brings us to $2335.

2009 Fundraising Update

Another new EcoPass holder has joined our ranks. Hurray! With his $125 contribution, we're now at a total of $2135 (most of which has come from new folks joining our neighborhood program for the first time).

For all of you repeat subscribers, please remember that we need your contributions in order to succeed.

2009 Fundraising Update

I was out of town for a few days and had several checks delivered to my house while I was gone. We have now had 10 families contribute a total of $2010 (our contributions thus far have ranged from $40 from a family who doesn't need a pass but decided to give anyway, to $400 from a new EcoPass family). We're still a long way from our approximately $9000 goal, but we're definitely getting closer.

2009 Fundraising

A $200 contribution brings us to $1090. We're on our way.

2009 Fundraising

Yesterday we received a $400 contribution, so we're slowly making our way toward our $9000 goal with a total of $890. I expect to be making lots of updates to this total in the near future.

2009 Fundraising

As you all probably know (you should have received your fundraising letter last week), our 2009 fundraising drive is underway.

As promised, look here for updates on our fundraising status. For 2009, we will need to raise approximately $9000 (the higher number results from the increased cost from RTD as well as the expansion of our neighborhood by 2 blocks -- I'm still waiting on an exact number).

So far we have $490 in contributions, and I'm sure more will be coming soon.

Please remember to talk to your neighbors and to encourage them to sign up for an EcoPass (or even just to contribute a few dollars to help keep the neighborhood green by encouraging others to ride the bus).

Tuesday's RTD Board meeting

Just a reminder that tonight [Tuesday] is the RTD board meeting on the future of EcoPass. If any of you can make it to the meeting, that is the only way RTD is accepting public comments regarding this particular issue. Please see the message below from Andrea, the coordinator of the Neighborhood EcoPass Program.

Also, be aware that we are set for this next year, so no matter what the board decides tomorrow, we can still get passes for 2009 (and we need to have our money to RTD in October to guarantee getting our passes by year's end -- you should have received your 2009 fundraising flyer in the mail today). The freeze in the program referred to below refers to freezing neighborhood expansion. The [potential] entire elimination would come in 2010.

I encourage any of you who can attend tomorrow to go and object to the 2010 elimination of the EcoPass program.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Kariane

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Dear Neighborhood Eco Pass Coordinators:

I know most of you received the message below from Martha last week, but I am again encouraging you and all your friends, relatives and neighbors to come to Tuesday, September 30th's RTD Board meeting. The outlook at the moment is grim at best for the NECO Pass program. It is essential that we convince the board not to approve the RTD staff proposal. As Martha mentioned "The word on the street is that next Tuesday evening, the RTD board will vote on a proposal to freeze the Neighborhood Eco Pass program for a year, THEN ELIMINATE IT ENTIRELY the next year." This is not acceptable.

The board meets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30th at RTD Headquarters at 1600 Blake Street, just west of the Market Street Station. The plan is to gather outside the building at 5:00, then move inside at 5:30. There will be an opportunity to comment at the meeting; comments are not being accepted through any other means.

At a study session this week, the Board noted that it received over 2000 comments on the last proposal. While a few Board members appear to have been affected enough by the comments to favor not changing the Eco Pass program right now, a majority appears to be leaning towards accepting the staff proposal.

Please plan to come, and bring your neighbors, as a good turnout at the meeting may impact the decision.

PS--my e-mail has not been working much today, if you need me tomorrow please don't hesitate to call me.



Best Wishes,

Andrea


Andrea Kaufman Robbins
GO Boulder/city of Boulder
Transportation Planner
robbinsa@bouldercolorado.gov
303-441-4139 (phone)
303-817-0895 (cell)
303-441-4271 (fax)

Chautauqua Hop route over for summer

Chautauqua Hop route over for summer
Free ride to park may not return next summer

By Amy Bounds
Monday, August 25, 2008

Sarah Krakoff and her 8-year-old daughter, Lucy Carlson-Krakoff, didn't have to fight Sunday for a scarce parking spot at Chautauqua Park's trailhead, instead taking a bus for a free ride to the popular hiking destination.

They got in that ride, their first on the new "HOP 2 Chautauqua" bus service, just in time. Sunday was the last day of the service for the season -- and possibly the last day for the foreseeable future.

"We wanted to support the bus," Krakoff said. "I know we would use it next summer."

More than 20,000 passengers and almost 200 dogs took free, air conditioned rides to Chautauqua during the service's three-month summer pilot, which started May 10. But there's no guarantee there will be money to keep the Chautauqua route next summer.

Go Boulder, a department of Boulder's city government dedicated to helping people drive less, decided to create a Chautauqua shuttle using reallocated money from the Hop bus, which sees a decrease in riders during the summer when students leave the University of Colorado campus.

The reallocated dollars covered the majority of the Hop 2 Chautauqua's $145,000 cost, but as a result, the regular Hop bus ran slightly less often -- every 15 minutes instead of every 12 minutes during the summer.

Contributing about $32,000 was the Colorado Chautauqua Association, the Colorado Music Festival, the Downtown and University Hill Management Division/Parking Services, the Boulder Convention and Visitor's Bureau and the Boulder History Museum.

Though the service was free, passenger donations also added up to about $2,200.

But Go Boulder TransportationPlanner Cris Jones said increasing fuel costs have created a shortfall in the city's transit budget, prompting the decision to cut the service in 2009.

"It was successful, but it was a premium product," he said. "It was the most logical thing to cut."

He said Go Boulder considered charging for the service, but it determined that it was unlikely enough riders would be willing to pay to cover the costs. With about 20,000 riders, the cost comes out to $7 a person.

Instead of full service, he said, Go Boulder and the other partner organizations plan to look for ways to provide the route "in some fashion next year." One idea is to only provide the route on Chautauqua concert nights, which counted the most ridership this summer.

The bus, operated by Special Transit, ran every 15 minutes between noon and 10 p.m.

The route started downtown at 13th and Pearl streets, headed south on Ninth Street to Chautauqua and then went east on Baseline Road to 27th Way. On concert nights, the route was extended to the Williams Village east parking lot at CU.

Jenny Honeycutt, on a return trip from a Chautauqua hike with a friend visiting from Dublin, said she's taken advantage of the free ride at least 10 times this summer.

"It's easy," she said. "We live close enough that we don't want to drive."

Contact Camera Staff Writer Amy Bounds at 303-473-1341 or boundsa@dailycamera.com.

Proposed RTD Revisions and Comment Period

Hello Neighbors,

I received the [below] note yesterday from Theresa, the RTD liaison
for the EcoPass program.  In summation, RTD is recommending the
following changes to the neighborhood EcoPass program:
1) a total of a 19% price increase
2) a moratorium on new or expanded EcoPass districts (that is, if
your block is not part of the program now, you won't be allowed to join)
3) a $5 fee [each way] for riding the SkyRide to DIA.

RTD is currently hosting a public comment period.  There will be a
public hearing in Boulder as follows:
Boulder
Thursday, September 18
Colorado University
Glenn Miller Ballroom
6pm
University Memorial Center
1669 Euclid Avenue
Boulder, CO  80309

If you can't make the meeting, please at least send a note to
RTD.  I'm guessing the rate increases are going to happen no matter
what.  However, I'm also guessing that if enough people object to the
$5 SkyRide surcharge and the moratorium on growth that we may be able
to scuttle those off of the agenda.  Ideally, we would all attend the
meeting and send a letter.  However, I realize not everyone can do
that (I'm still not entirely sure if I can make the Thursday meeting,
I'm going to have to shuffle some things to do it).  That said, if we
want to see EcoPass continue as a viable transportation option within
our community, we should all take a few minutes to respond.

Tom, if you think some of the WNCA folks would be willing to write a
letter (especially regarding program growth), it would be great if
you could pass along this information to them.

best,
Kariane

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Dear Neighborhood Eco Pass Coordinator:

Due to the increasing cost of fuel and other operating costs, and
lower than anticipated sales tax revenue, the RTD Board of Directors
has directed staff to solicit public comment regarding a proposed
price increase and changes to the Eco Pass Program and other fare categories.

The specific recommendations for the Neighborhood Eco Pass program are:
   * Increase per household rates by 14 percent in every rate
category on accordance with overall fare increase.
   * Increase per household rate by additional five percent in every
rate category due to program ridership increases.
   * Implement a moratorium on new or expanded Neighborhood Pass
contracts until smart card data is available.
   * Implement a $5.00 skyRide fee from all stops except Stapleton
and 40th/Airport.

If you wish to submit a comment regarding these proposals, there are
a number of ways you may do so. A total of 16 public hearings are
scheduled throughout the RTD district. A list of dates and times is
shown on the back of this letter. You may also submit comments by
email to farecomments@rtd-denver.com or
fax comments to 303-299-2008.

Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 19, 2008 in
order to be included in the summary of public input to be presented
to the RTD Board of Directors.

Thank you,


Theresa Sabrsula
Employer Outreach Manager

Article in Yesterday's Daily Camera

RTD approves fare, Eco Pass rate increases

Employees of small businesses could lose bus passes altogether

By Zak Brown
Tuesday, August 19, 2008

DENVER — More than 130 businesses in Boulder could face a 19 percent rate increase for the Eco Passes they provide their employees — and some bus riders could lose their passes altogether — under a proposal that took a step forward Tuesday night.

A Regional Transportation District proposal moved forward despite objections from Boulder’s representative on the transit authority board.

The RTD staff has suggested the 15-member board of directors approve changes to the structure of the Eco Pass program, which allows employers to buy annual transit passes for employees. The agency is facing a projected $35.6 million deficit for 2009 as a result of rising gas prices and slumping sales-tax revenue, and officials say the changes to the Eco Pass program would save about $3 million.

Part of the proposal is a 19 percent fare increase for the Eco Pass, higher than the 14 percent increase suggested across the board for bus and light-rail tickets.

Companies with fewer than 50 employees also would not be able to participate in the program, and neighborhoods not already in the Eco Pass program wouldn’t be able to join.

A $5 fare would also be added to the SkyRide route, which is now free to Eco Pass users.

At its monthly meeting Tuesday night, the RTD Board of Directors voted to allow the proposed changes to be opened to public comment; details of the commenting process will be announced next month. The decision did not approve the recommended changes.

RTD board member John Tayer moved to reject some of them.

Tayer, whose district includes Boulder, proposed an amendment Tuesday night asking the board to remove the 50-employee limit, the neighborhood moratorium and the $5 SkyRide fee.

“You have seen the e-mails, and you have heard the testimony tonight,” Tayer said. “These changes will have a devastating impact on riders.”

Tayer’s motion was defeated 9-5. The motion to allow for public comment on the entire proposal was approved 13-1 — with Tayer the only dissenting vote.

After public input, the RTD staff will present a final recommendation to the board by its October meeting.

Several board members referred to the Eco Pass as a “Boulder program” or a “Boulder problem.” Board member O’Neill P. Quinlan, who represents the Interstate 25 corridor and adjacent portions of Arapahoe and Douglas counties, said the Eco Pass mostly benefits the Boulder area and that the board shouldn’t “favor Boulder in spite of our other districts.”

Boulder County residents, workers and government officials spoke before the board to denounce the changes. Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle, Go Boulder program manager Martha Roskowski and the University of Colorado’s David Cook all asked the board to reject the changes except for the 14 percent fare increase.

Cook, CU’s transportation modes coordinator, read a statement from the school’s vice chancellor for administration, Frank Bruno.

“We accept management’s request for the across-the-board fare increase resulting from increased fuel costs,” said Bruno, former Boulder city manager. “But rather than levy this increase at once, we would strongly urge you to stagger the increase over a three-year period.”

Sean Bell, of Louisville, is trying to start an Eco Pass program in his neighborhood. Bell spoke before the board and asked for the moratorium to be rejected. He said the fare increases are acceptable, but other changes are “structural.”

“Slipping in major structuring changes is kind of like back-dooring a policy that really takes away an incentive that people like,” Bell said.

This article appeared in yesterday's Denver Post.

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RTD fare hikes proposed

Report urges the increases

By Steve Graff
The Denver Post

RTD staff is recommending a 14 percent increase for most fares — a hike that would cost riders an extra 25 cents for local cash fares, 50 cents for express and regional and $1 for skyRide.

The recommendation is part of a draft proposal sent to the Regional Transportation District board of directors last week.

The proposal, as well as another to kick off a pay-to-park plan, will be finalized Tuesday by RTD committees and presented to the board — which will vote on the matter — at its Aug. 19 meeting.

Board-approved recommendations would then go to public hearings.

Changes, if any, wouldn't take effect until Jan. 1, 2009.

"It's too early to tell," said Scott Reed, an RTD spokesman. "It could range from no change to an increase. But given the budget we are facing, it's likely there will be some change."

Escalating fuel prices this year have hit RTD, which anticipates $18 million less in sales-tax collections for 2008.

"I understand that it coincides with gas prices," said Megan Littlejohn, 30, while waiting for the bus at 17th and California streets in Denver on Saturday. "I'll just take it and pay the fare."

If the fare increases are implemented, RTD would see an additional $13.2 million in 2009.

"If that's how you have to pay for mass transit, then 25 cents is nothing," said Peter Hynes, 35, an architect in Denver who uses light rail.

The draft report, which lists several options but highlights the 14 percent increase as the recommended alternative, also calls for the same increase in Eco Pass fares. Monthly pass rates would go up by amounts ranging from 12 percent to almost 17 percent.

The $60 monthly rate for local fares would jump to $68; express passengers would pay $126 instead of $108.

A second report is asking the board to green-light the much-debated parking-fee plan for about 40 of the park-n-Ride facilities.

Those who live in the eight-county RTD district would receive free parking for the first 24 hours but would have to pay $2 a day thereafter.

Users who don't live in the district would pay $4 a day for parking.

Student and "senior/disabled/Medicare" RTD riders would have to reach a little deeper into their pockets too.

An RTD committee is recommending an increase in those rates by 15 cents for local fares, 25 cents for express and regional, and 50 cents for skyRide.

Ilce Guillen, a 20-year-old mother who works at Good Times on the 16th Street Mall, relies on the bus to get to and from work.

"I don't feel like they should raise the prices. The only reason I don't have a car now is because of gas prices," said Guillen, holding her 6-month-old son, Guillermo, on the 16th Street Mall on Saturday. "If they're going to raise the prices more, I'll have to start walking."

No decisions will be final until after public hearings, stressed Daria Serna, an RTD spokeswoman.

"If (the board) says there needs to be changes to the recommendations, then the staff will have to go back and make changes," she said.

Fifteen public hearings will be scheduled, one in each board district, according to one of the reports.

Last year, riders dealt with a 25-cent increase for local, regional and express fares. SkyRide rates went up $1.

Staff writer Jeffrey Leib contributed to this report. Steve Graff: 303-954-1661 or sgraff@denverpost.com

RTD might raise fares, charge for parking

An article from the Denver Post:

RTD might raise fares, charge for parking

Caught between rising costs and weak income, the transit agency ponders its options.

By Jeffrey Leib
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 07/20/2008 09:39:36 AM MDT

Directors of the cash-strapped Regional Transportation District will consider proposals this week that could lead to fare hikes beginning Jan. 1 and imposition of parking fees at select park-n-Rides starting Feb. 1.

For months, number-crunching by RTD management has presented a bleak financial picture for the agency that will carry into next year's rising expenses driven primarily by the steep surge in fuel prices, and declining or flat sales-tax receipts, which account for about two-thirds of RTD's revenues.

A timeline presented to RTD directors Friday shows the board getting a detailed proposal on a fare increase in one month, public hearings on the proposed hike in September and final board action Oct. 21.

RTD officials have not settled on details of a fare increase but have talked about a possible "fuel surcharge" atop existing fares to help compensate for the rise in the price of diesel fuel.

RTD last raised fares Jan. 1.

Officials also are looking at "equity" issues surrounding certain transit pass categories, including the Eco Pass and Neighborhood Pass.

Under these programs, employers or neighborhood associations buy transit services either for all their employees or all residents of a particular neighborhood.

On a per-rider basis, these become deeply discounted transit passes, and if a high percentage of employees or residents takes advantage of the options, RTD says, it loses money compared with what it would get from selling regular monthly passes to riders.

While details of the proposed fare hike still must be worked out, RTD is pushing ahead with a plan to charge for parking for the first time.

On Tuesday, directors will consider a plan that would have pay-for-parking in place at six park-n-Rides beginning Feb. 1: Stapleton, Airport Boulevard/40th Avenue, Montbello, Wagon Road, Thornton, and 104th Avenue/Washington Street. It would be expanded to 32 more lots by May 1.

The paid parking program calls for residents of the eight-county RTD district to get the first 24 hours of parking free at these lots and then pay $2 a day for extended stays. This is aimed at capturing revenue from those who take RTD buses to Denver International Airport for multiple-day trips.

RTD's analysis shows that of its 17,000 parking spaces that are filled daily, about 1,500 are occupied by travelers who are gone an average of four days per trip.

Those who are not RTD district residents would pay $4 a day for parking beginning the first day they use a park-n-Ride. Agency officials estimate that 1,600 spaces are filled at RTD lots each weekday by nonresidents.

RTD will use license plates to verify residency, and the agency has assembled a database with information on about 2 million vehicles registered to those living in the transit district.

Park-n-Rides will have pay stations for patrons to use, or patrons can prepay for services much as they do when buying prepaid transit passes, according to the parking management plan.

About 15 percent of spaces at RTD lots selected for the pay-for-parking program would be set aside as reserved spaces that residents can lease for $2 a day and nonresidents for $4 a day.

These spaces would be reserved from 5 to 10 a.m. If by 10, they are not filled by those with the reserved-parking privilege, they will be available to any RTD user.

The agency's plan calls for 12 park-n-Rides on the southeast light -rail line to join the paid-parking program March 1, eight parking lots on southwest and central corridor light rail to join April 1, and 12 lots in Broomfield, Boulder and other northwest metro locations to join May 1.

RTD estimates it will cost about $1.1 million a year to operate the pay-for-parking program, but the agency hopes to net $500,000 on the program after operating expenses are paid.

It also expects $380,000 more in fare-box revenues annually from new transit riders who finally will be able to find parking because the paid program will spread parking use more evenly among what had been "high demand" and "low demand" lots, said David Genova, RTD's assistant general manager for safety, security and facilities.

"There's not a whole lot of revenue there, but the primary goal is to generate more efficient use of the parking capacity we have," Genova said.

Paid-parking patrons will get a 50 percent discount for parking in low-demand lots.

Jeffrey Leib: 303-954-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com

---

RTD's plans

RTD directors will soon receive proposals calling for:

• A fare increase, as early as January, that may include a fuel surcharge and/or higher rates for Eco Pass and Neighborhood Pass riders.

• Charging riders for extended parking for the first time at 38 busy park-n-Rides early next year.

I'm not sure exactly what this means for our EcoPass prices for next year, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean that their cost is going to decrease.

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Fuel taking RTD for ride

Rising prices of diesel and slumping sales-tax revenues may force a fare increase.

By Jeffrey Leib
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 06/04/2008 06:25:43 AM MDT

RTD officials say the transit agency may have to consider a fuel-surcharge fare increase to help offset skyrocketing diesel costs and declining sales-tax revenues.

At a recent Regional Transportation District workshop on the 2009 budget, directors were briefed on diesel costs that could add $25 million to the agency's fuel budget next year, and sales-tax collections this year that could be about $18.6 million less than previously forecast.

"Everything is on the table," RTD director Bill McMullen said of measures to solve the financial crisis.

Denver is not alone in struggling to fund its transit system. Riders in the Salt Lake City area will pay fuel surcharges on fares beginning July 1. And riders in Portland, Ore., could pay similar fees beginning in September.

"I'm open to it," director Wally Pulliam said of a possible surcharge to fares on the Denver system. "Ridership is going up, fuel is off the roof, fares are not making it and sales taxes are way down."

The agency budgeted $2.62 a gallon for diesel fuel in 2008, but "locked in" at $3.20 a gallon earlier in the year as prices began to rise.

"This means we will be about $6 million over budget for the year," said RTD spokesman Scott Reed, noting the 2008 fuel budget was about $30.9 million. "The 'good' news is that had we waited until today to lock, we would be paying over $3.70 a gallon."

RTD's fuel bill covers the operation of its own buses and those of private contractors that work for the agency.

Next year's forecast for diesel, between $4.19 and $5.38 a gallon, could add up to $25 million to RTD's 2009 fuel bill, according to an analysis prepared for directors.

RTD raised fares Jan. 1, saying higher fuel costs were one of the reasons for implementing the increase a year sooner than planned.

Since the start of this year, however, oil prices - and the related cost of diesel fuel - have risen much higher, leading transit agencies to consider surcharges.

Utah Transit Authority's surcharge means riders pay 25 cents more a ride if the average quarterly price of diesel fuel is between $3 and $3.99.

The surcharge could go to 50 cents a ride beginning Oct. 1 if the average price of diesel stays between $4 and $4.99, as it is now for UTA, said Carrie Bohnsack-Ware, spokeswoman for the transit system.

Those paying reduced fares, including elderly and some low-income riders, will pay 15 cents more instead of 25 cents and another 15 cents if the average price is between $4 and $4.99, Bohnsack-Ware said.

"We had quite a few low-income advocates protesting this," she said, referring to the surcharge, but some low-income riders that use state-issued cards to buy discounted monthly transit passes will be exempt from the surcharges.

"Every transit agency in the country is going through this," RTD assistant general manager Phil Washington said.

He stressed that RTD has not decided whether to implement a fuel surcharge. To save money, the agency proposes to eliminate "unproductive routes" and install "strict hiring controls," Washington said.

RTD also will look at boosting revenue by wrapping more buses with advertising, he said. The agency has considered selling naming rights for transit stations and promoting more station advertising.

RTD should also consider adjusting the prices of transit passes, including the Eco Pass, director Pulliam said. "The Eco Pass is very inequitable and is not carrying its fair share," he said.

Jeffrey Leib: 303-954-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com

Go Boulder Eco Pass Survey

Hello EcoPassers,

Go Boulder (who subsidizes our EcoPasses) is conducting a survey in order to determine the efficacy of their program. Please fill out the survey by following the link below. Let's tell them that their program does make a difference in our community.

By the way, we're the Pine Bluff EcoPass Neighborhood (you'll need that piece of information for the survey).

cheers,
kariane

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Dear Neighbor:

As you know the city of Boulder generously subsidizes the Neighborhood Eco Pass program each year to make it financially accessible for neighbors like you, while offering a convenient option to driving alone. With gas prices going up each day, city participation in this program has increased dramatically from 15 neighborhoods five years ago to 33 neighborhoods today. With this in mind GO Boulder/city of Boulder has asked that each of our households complete a short survey to help get a better understanding of the program's effectiveness.

Simply click on the May 2008 NECO Pass Survey link below and with the members of your household who are 16 years of age or older please complete the survey. It should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes and will make a difference in the city's ability to gauge and leverage this program in the future.

Quick fact: People with Eco Passes (based on previous data) are five to nine time more likely to use transit than those without an Eco Pass.

Survey Link: May 2008 NECO Pass Survey

Thanks in advance. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please send an e-mail to hagelinc@bouldercolorado.gov

Regards,

Andrea Kaufman Robbins
GO Boulder/city of Boulder
Transportation Planner
robbinsa@bouldercolorado.gov
303-441-4139 (phone)
303-817-0895 (cell)
303-441-4271 (fax)

GO Boulder
Bus. Bike. Walk.
It's the Boulder Way to GO.

Pine Bluff EcoPass Planning Committee

Hello Neighbors,

I know it's still early, but I am beginning to think about our 2009 EcoPass campaign. Around Labor Day (and perhaps earlier? What do you think?), we need to start collecting money for our EcoPass drive (the funds are due to RTD approximately 20 October). I'm hoping to have a couple of meetings prior to Labor Day in order to come up with ideas that will help increase participation for next year, as well as to assemble some volunteers to help canvas the neighborhood. The planning needs to begin before our actual campaign.

If you're interested in helping out, please drop me a note. I'd love to hear any suggestions you may have, even if you can't make a meeting. Once I compile a list of interested folks, we'll set up a time (sometime in June? Any opinions?) when all interested parties can attend.

I look forward to hearing from you and learning from your experiences and ideas.

cheers,

Kariane

Upcoming Neighborhood Events

Just a quick reminder that the Pine-Bluff Neighborhood Yard Sale is this Saturday (17 May). All proceeds from this sale will be contributed to our EcoPass fund for 2009. Please contact Helen (303-449-7445) or Kathy (303-449-9344) for more details.

Also, next Tuesday (20 May) is the first meeting of Whittier Neighbors for Climate Action. Please see the below message for details:

Dear Climate Actioneers,

This is a reminder of the organizational meeting for the Whittier Neighbors for Climate Action (formerly Pine-Bluff NCA).

Where: Susan and Tom's house, 2218 Mapleton Ave.

When: 7:00 – 8:30 pm.

I think it’s best to keep the agenda fairly loose, but here is a general outline:

1. Shanahan Neighbors for Climate Action will report on their best practices.

2. The City will report on how ClimateSmart can support groups like ours.

3. Discuss ways to implement carbon reduction that will work – and make it fun/interesting.

4. Discuss how to get the neighborhood motivated – web sites, block parties, etc.

Please pass the word along to anyone who is not on the list. And please suggest other agenda items that I’ve forgotten.

Regards,

Tom
303.638.2533

Bike to Work Day

From the Denver Regional Council of Governments:

Our 2008 Web site is live -- sign up now!

Bike to Work Day
Wednesday, June 25

Register today for the region's pedal-pumping, money-saving, green commuting event. You'll have a chance to win great prizes like:

• Yeti Cycles ARC-X Cyclocross bike
• Colorado Rockies tickets
• Dick's Sporting Goods gift certificates
• Timbuk2 Messenger Bags
• Colorado Athletic Club memberships
• Concert tickets
• Prize packs

Visit drcog.org/btwd2008 to make your ride count. Find route planning assistance, information on Breakfast Stations across the region and other resources to make your trip a success.

Looking for more cycling excitement? Check out a complete list of Boulder Walk & Bike Month activities.

We're looking forward to your involvement with this great event!

The Bike to Work Day Team

Eco Pass Fundraiser

Hello Neighbors,

Two of our fellow Pine-Bluff Eco Pass holders are hosting a neighborhood yard sale in order to raise money for our Eco Pass fund. Please see their message below:

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NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALE
Raising Money for Eco Pass

Hey Neighbors,
To raise funds and awareness for our Neighborhood Eco-Pass program we are sponsoring a collective yard sale. Please gather up and save all your unwanted treasures to donate to our fundraiser. Thanks!

Event Date: May 17, 2008
2205 Pine St, Boulder

Contact: Helen Melody @ 303-449-7445
Kathy Zeidlik @ 303-449-9344

Whittier Neighbors for Climate Action

For those of you interested in participating in the formation of a neighborhood climate action group, the date for the first meeting has just been set. Please see below for details.


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Whittier Neighbors for Climate Action,

Thanks for all your responses to the call for an organizing meeting for Whittier Neighbors for Climate Action. Here's the scoop:

1. As you might imagine, none of the suggested dates worked for everyone, but Tuesday, May 20, 7:00 pm has the fewest conflicts.

2. We'll meet at my and Susan's house: 2218 Mapleton Ave.

3. Please let your friends and neighbors know about it. Have them email me so I can get them on the list.

4. I've been getting a lot of response from outside the Pine-Bluff Ecopass district so it might be better to call ourselves Whittier Neighbors for Climate Action. We can discuss the name at the meeting.

I hope to see you in a few weeks!


Regards,
Tom

Hop 2 Chautauqua

Here's a map and a bit more information on the new summer Hop route that goes to Chautauqua:

New "HOP 2 Chautauqua" will offer free summer transit service

The city Boulder will return to its roots this summer by offering free transit service to passengers traveling between downtown Boulder and Chautauqua Park. The "HOP 2 Chautauqua" will use HOP buses as a part of a three month pilot service. The service will run every 15 minutes, seven-days-a-week, from noon to 10 p.m. beginning May 10 through Aug. 24, with extended hours and service to the Williams Village east parking lot on Chautauqua concert nights. The route circles downtown and runs along 9^th Street and Baseline Road, and will include major stops at Pearl and 13^th streets and the 27^th Way park-n-Ride.

"This service restores the tradition of offering our community and visitors easy access to Chautauqua events, concerts and recreation," explains Cris Jones, GO Boulder transportation planner. The free 'HOP 2 Chautauqua' allows people to enjoy their experience without the hassle of parking and congestion. Our goal is to provide service to 500 riders each day, bringing more people and fewer cars to the park."

"HOP 2 Chautauqua" funding is provided through a partnership of GO Boulder/city of Boulder, Colorado Chautauqua Association, Colorado Music Festival, Downtown and University Hill Management Division/Parking Services, Downtown Boulder, Inc., and the Boulder Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

For more information or for residents or organizations interested in sponsoring or promoting this service, contact Cris Jones at 303-441-3217, jonesc@bouldercolorado.gov or visit www.GOBoulder.net

In case you missed this article in today's Camera:

Dogs can Hop, too

Canine companions welcome on bus route to Chautauqua

By Ryan Morgan
Thursday, April 10, 2008

Hop rules: A ruff guide

Dogs are already allowed on the city's HOP bus route -- but passengers are only allowed to bring their canine traveling companions on board with the driver's consent.

The new HOP 2 Chautauqua route, a pilot bus that will run this summer, will allow dogs. But there is a caveat: "We do not guarantee boarding for more than one dog, large dogs or on full buses," said Cris Jones, a city transit planner.

The HOP service is overseen entirely by the city of Boulder, which is why city officials get to set their own rules. Buses operated by the Regional Transportation District only allow non-service dogs to travel in carriers, spokesman Scott Reed said.

When Boulder debuts its new "Hop 2 Chautauqua" bus route next month, its passengers will get a free ride -- which should set some of their tails to wagging.

Cris Jones, a city transit planner, said passengers will be allowed to take their dogs on board.

"We want to be customer-friendly to our passengers," Jones said. "They're our customers, and a lot of people in Boulder have dogs."

There's also a big-picture reason for accommodating four-legged passengers: Boulder's transit officials say they want to do everything they can to knock down the barriers that keep people from taking the bus.

"We don't want to turn passengers away because they have dogs," Jones said. "I've gotten many requests on many different occasions from dog guardians, saying if they were allowed to bring their dogs, they'd be much more likely to take the bus."

The new policy makes official a long-standing informal state of affairs on the HOP route, which is the only bus service entirely overseen by the city instead of the Regional Transportation District. Now, passengers can bring their dogs on any HOP bus, although drivers have the right to refuse to let a dog on board if they think the animal will cause problems, Jones said.That policy will continue on the new HOP route.

"We do not guarantee boarding for more than one dog, large dogs or on full buses," Jones said.

Jones said planners are trying to be careful, because too many dogs per bus could cause problems.

"We've been hesitant to market it," he said. "If it becomes too popular, it could be a victim of its own success."

Boulder resident Linda Wilson said she doesn't take the bus often now -- but said that could change now that she knows she can bring Vega, her Siberian husky, along for the ride.

"I had just always figured that dogs aren't allowed on buses," she said. "I would be happy to take my dog."

Dog-owners won't have that same freedom on the city's other bus routes, which are operated by RTD. Non-service dogs on those routes are only allowed if they're inside carriers, spokesman Scott Reed said.

He said transit officials worry about putting too many dogs -- which may not be well-trained or used to crowds -- next to lots of people in close proximity on a moving vehicle.

"The HOP serves a pretty unique community area, and that may work well for that route," he said. "But with the full system that we operate, we can't pick and choose which routes that might work on. Our concern is for the safety of all of our passengers, and it will be interesting to see how this works."

Contact Camera Staff Writer Ryan Morgan at 303-473-1333 or morganr@dailycamera.com.

Pine-Bluff neighborhood climate action group

Hello Neighbors,

A couple of our fellow neighbors/Eco Pass holders are interested in starting a climate action group (see their message below). If you're interested, please contact them directly at the addresses provided.

cheers,

Kariane

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Dear Pine-Bluff EcoPassers,

Some folks in the neighborhood are interested in forming a group called the Pine-Bluff Neighbors for Climate Action. PBNCA'a objective will be to explore ways, at a neighborhood level, to reduce our carbon footprints -- oh yeah, and save money on energy costs at the same time! We will be patterned loosely on the hugely successful Shanahan Neighbors for Climate Action (SNCA) in South Boulder.

The first step is to form an organizing committee to get the ball rolling. The next step will be a lit drop in the neighborhood inviting everyone to a kickoff meeting/party. I'm pretty sure SNCA folks will help us out with the process.

If you are interested in being on the organizing committee please let me or Peggy know. Or, if you can't be in on the initial organizing phase, but would like to participate in the program once it gets going, let us know.

Best Regards,

Tom McKinnon Peggy Turchette

2218 Mapleton 2218 1/2 Mapleton

EcoPass route expansion and new RTD route

I just learned that all Eco Passes are now good on RTD special services such as the RockiesRide, BroncosRide, BuffRide, the Bolder Boulder bus, etc. So if you're heading to Opening Day on Friday, you now have multiple bus options (the B, BX, or RockiesRide).

In other interesting bus news:

Boulder announces new bus route to Chautauqua
By Jennifer Bronson, Camera Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Cris Jones, standing, a Boulder transportation planner, on Tuesday explains the route for the new "Hop 2 Chautauqua," a bus service that begins May 10.

People generally head out to Chautauqua Park to escape the city for a few hours, but before losing themselves in the mountains, they often face one last urban challenge -- the frenzied search for parking at the trailhead.

This summer, the city of Boulder hopes to alleviate some of the parking pressure by introducing the "Hop 2 Chautauqua," a pilot bus that will run every 15 minutes between noon and 10 p.m. from May 10 through Aug. 24.

The route will begin at 13th and Pearl streets, head south up Ninth Street to Chautauqua and then go east on Baseline Road to 27th Way.

The location of the Chautauqua Park trailhead on a steep hill can make walking or biking to the park difficult even for visitors who would rather not drive.

"If (Chautauqua) is such a popular location, we definitely need to provide options other than driving," said Cris Jones, GO Boulder transportation planner.

GO Boulder, a department of Boulder's city government dedicated to helping people drive less, decided to create a Chautauqua shuttle using reallocated money from the Hop bus, which sees a decrease in riders during the summer when students leave the University of Colorado campus.

The reallocated dollars will cover the majority of the Hop 2 Chautauqua's cost, but as a result, the regular Hop bus will run slightly less often -- every 15 minutes instead of every 12 minutes in the summer.

Jones formed the Chautauqua Shuttle Planning Committee, which included leaders from the Colorado Chautauqua Association, the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder and the city of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks department.

"It's really been neat with all these different groups coming together," said Gerard Cote, spokesman for Downtown Boulder Inc. and a member of the committee.

The committee met for the first time in mid-February and has moved quickly to get the Hop 2 Chautauqua running, performing a test run of the route Tuesday.

Catherine Underhill, executive director of the Colorado Music Festival, wanted to adjust the bus' route on nights of performances to better serve concert-goers and musicians. On those nights, the bus will extend its route to the Williams Village east parking lot at CU beginning at 5:30 p.m. and running until the concert ends.

"We're hoping this will be a huge boom," Underhill said.

Steve Mertz, an education specialist for Open Space and Mountain Parks, said he hopes the bus will increase access to the park. He envisions department staff members meeting visitors at the Pearl Street Mall stop and riding the Hop 2 Chautauqua bus together to the park's ranger cottage, where visitors can learn about the park before going for a guided hike.

"(The bus) will give us a real good chance to showcase the open space and mountain parks," he said.

For more information about this service please contact GO Boulder at 303-441-3266 or Cris Jones at 303-441-3217 or visit www.GOBoulder.net

2008 Eco Pass letter

Dear Pine Bluff Neighbors,

As you pick up your 2008 EcoPass decals, please take a moment to plan ahead with me for our 2009 fundraising efforts.

Obviously, our 2008 decals arrived later than desired. This occurred because we were late getting our contract amount to RTD. In order to guarantee that we receive our passes by the end of the calendar year, the full payment of our contract amount must be made to RTD BY THE END OF OCTOBER (the exact date varies depending on the year). For 2008, we were still fundraising in mid-December 2007. In order to make sure that we get our passes on time in the future, please respond promptly to the first EcoPass fundraising request, which will be mailed in September.

Also, I would appreciate any help that you can give to our Neighborhood EcoPass enterprise. Ideally, we would have more of our neighbors involved. Currently, only 24 of the 124 eligible households choose to support our EcoPass program. I think more people would participate if they understood the value, and, in some cases, knew of the existence, of the Pine Bluff EcoPass neighborhood. If you are interested in helping in any way: talking to neighbors, putting together flyers, talking to neighbors, addressing envelopes, talking to neighbors, making signs, talking to neighbors, and/or whatever else you can think of (I’m open to any and all suggestions; and, it’s obvious what I think needs to be done), please let me know.

Also, I set up an email address and a blog site for our neighborhood. This will enable you to ask questions, to offer your suggestions and services, as well as to track the status of our fundraising efforts (starting with our 2009 fundraising drive).

The email address is: PineBluffEcoPass@gmail.com

The blog site is: PineBluffEcoPass.blogspot.com

Thank you for your support of our 2008 EcoPass drive. I look forward to working with you on a successful drive for 2009. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Very truly yours,

Kariane