Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is seen as critical to the future of mobility in many cities and touted as a lower cost, more efficient solution to inner-city mass transit, rivaling light rail and streetcars. It is currently being studied on dozens of corridors throughout the Front Range and state. Despite this, there are few examples nationwide and little information surrounding their impact on cities. As BRT moves forward, what changes will we see to the corridors and the communities they pass through? How can a BRT catalyze change like a light rail or commuter rail system and its stations? What does Transit-Oriented Development mean in the world of Bus Rapid Transit and how we can ensure the change is good?

Speakers:

Jordan Block – Moderator, WSP

Denise Gammon – Holland Partner Group

Monica Martinez – The Fax Partnership

Cliff Henke- WSP

Ryan Billings- Denver Department of Public Works

This panel includes advocates, engineers, planners and technologists with an entrepreneurial spirit and a vision to shape mobility for the future. Learn from some of the area’s young professionals about their recommended solutions to access, safety and awareness barriers that can be addressed with technology, data and fresh thinking. Learn new approaches to navigating between public and private sectors to identify shared mobility priorities and build success.

Speakers:

Gabriella Arismendi – City of Westminster

Josh Gipper – Kritek

Arleigh Greenwald – Entrepreneur

Tim Reinen – Radian|Placematters

Session A: Denver Vision Zero: Lessons and Successes (Safety/Vision Zero)

Nationally, traffic fatalities are on the rise, especially among the most vulnerable street users. Vision Zero is an international movement to address this reality, viewing fatal crashes as a preventable public health crisis. Denver recently joined the growing number of U.S. cities committed to Vision Zero and eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. This session will tell the story of how Denver’s leaders decided to become a Vision Zero city, how the Action Plan was developed through an inclusive process,  what the City and its partners are doing to make a serious impact on transportation and public health in Denver, and what other cities can do to reduce fatal crashes and plant seeds for Vision Zero efforts.

Speaker:

Jessica Juriga Fields – Toole Design Group

Session B: Improving the  First/Last Mile Barriers and Opportunities (TDM)

This presentation will focus on the analysis and recommendations in RTD’s First and Last Mile Strategic Plan, and will include background of first/last mile issues in the greater Denver region, analysis of first/last mile barriers at specific RTD stations; and preliminary station recommendations.

Speaker:

Paul DesRocher – RTD

Session C: Winning TDM Strategies for Major Construction Projects

The Grand Avenue Bridge (GAB) project in Glenwood Springs is the largest infrastructure project on the Western Slope in 25 years. Now in phase three of this five-phase project, crews are working to replace the more than five-decade-old traffic bridge.  This presentation will include an overview of the project’s bike/pedestrians accommodations, but it will also focus on a community-wide TDM effort during a three-month bridge closure.

Speaker:

Tracy Trulove – CDOT

Session D: Quick Wins with On-Street Projects

Take a visual tour of Dongho Chang’s favorite quick on-street project wins in Seattle, and learn how small changes, when taken together, paint a picture of a city in transformation, one less-focused on fast car travel and more focused on making streets safe and reliable for walkers, bikers, bus riders and drivers.

Speaker:

Dongho Chang – City of Seattle

Building bicycle networks in the suburbs is different than developing networks in larger, central cities. Differences include levels of citizen engagement, roadway design and land use, and how best to introduce new facilities to complete, connected networks. The session will use recent active transportation plans from two Front Range suburbs to highlight these differences. Participants will learn new ways to engage the public, how to overcome constraints, and how to implement pilot projects. Panelists will share new techniques to engage the public and how suburban communities are identifying and overcoming barriers to retrofitting infrastructure and adjusting land-use policies to shape a more walk & bike-friendly built environment.

Speakers:

Gabriella Arismendi – City of Westminster

Ashley Kaade – City of Northglenn

Sam Piper – Alta Planning + Design