Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board Rescheduled Meeting - March 21, 2026

The Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board (MTAB) held a rescheduled regular meeting on March 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. UTC. Staff presented the draft Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan, led a discussion on the docked bike share feasibility study, reviewed the standards manual and micro-mobility policy drafts, and provided project updates. Note: The supplied agenda and transcript are dated March 16, 2026; the date March 21, 2026 is used here as specified.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the agenda as presented.
• Approved the minutes from the February meeting (agenda item lists 2/26/2025; transcript refers to the February meeting).

Public Comments & Testimony

• A concern was raised about a drainage outlet on the sidewalk next to the Coors building on Ford Street, between 9th and future 8th Street, where water continually spills onto the sidewalk and creates a trip/slip hazard, especially after snowmelt.
• A new neighborhood stop sign was reported as placed too far back from the intersection and squeezed toward a tree. Staff acknowledged there is no published minimum/maximum distance, but agreed the sign needs to be where drivers expect to see it. No resolution was reached.

Discussion Items

TDM Plan

• Matt Wempe and Grace Fleming presented the draft Golden TDM Plan. The program is largely voluntary, but mandatory elements are tied to Ordinance 2270, which allows developers to reduce parking requirements by submitting a TDM plan. MTAB feedback will be incorporated before a formal adoption recommendation at the April meeting, with City Council consideration scheduled for May 12, 2026.
• Key statistics cited: about 90% of trips involving Golden originate outside city limits; 60% to 80% of vehicle trips are through-trips or regional commutes; roughly 30% of arterial streets are high-stress for pedestrians and cyclists; and only about 25% of the city is within a 10-minute walk of transit. The Golden Mobility Assessment shows up to 90% of residents commute out of the city and about 95% of the local workforce commutes in; nearly 17% of residents are under 18 and nearly 11% are over 65, with 34% of Jefferson County projected to be 60 or older by 2040.
• Public engagement included 100 survey responses through Guiding Golden and 64 additional responses through an alternate no-registration platform. Themes included distance and topography, safety and comfort concerns, parking shortages, desire for safer bike lanes, insufficient bike parking, interest in e-bikes, and limited Ore Cart reach.
• Staff outlined five TDM goals: increase sustainable transportation use; build collaborative partnerships; empower businesses, developers, property owners, and the community with resources; establish a transparent and effective program; and improve understanding of how single-occupancy vehicle trips can be replaced. The plan contains 35 strategies phased across Program Launch (Year 1), Short-Term (Years 2-3), Medium-Term (Years 4-5), and Long-Term (Years 6+).
• Staff reported approximately $100,000 is allocated in the 2026 budget to launch the program, and Grace Fleming will serve as TDM Coordinator. The program will work with the West Corridor Transportation Management Association and partners such as Colorado School of Mines and Clayworks. Staff also noted Ore Cart ridership grew roughly 56% year over year and exceeded 20,000 trips per month last fall.
• Board questions focused on parking management language in the plan. Staff clarified the plan does not prescribe specific parking prices, but decisions such as free two-hour on-street parking versus garage pricing can be used to align parking with mobility goals. A board member requested Ore Cart service extension to Normandy Park or a nearby turnaround; staff said North Golden had not shown high predicted demand, but placed the request on the route-review list. Board members also discussed high school TDM needs caused by reduced school busing and parking overflow.

Docked Bike Share Feasibility Study

• Grace Fleming and Matt Wempe presented the DRCOG-funded electric docked bike share feasibility study. The study is fully funded through DRCOG's Innovative Mobility Set-Aside program and will continue through December 2026. It evaluates operational models, infrastructure, management structures, station siting, pricing, data sharing, and a phased implementation plan.
• The study was prompted by Golden's sustainability and active transportation goals. Data cited: 47% of respondents (210 individuals) to the 2022 Downtown Employee Transportation Survey commute five miles or less to work, while 69% of respondents to the 2020 Transportation Master Plan survey drove alone and only 2% commuted by bicycle.
• Public engagement includes a Guiding Golden survey open January 28 through April 3, 2026; pop-ups at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival (February 20-22), Golden Community Center (March 9), and Colorado School of Mines Student Center (March 11); plus yard signs and social media. Staff reported more than 400 social media responses, initially mixed to highly negative, with more balanced feedback from in-person pop-ups.
• The docked model is intended to avoid problems from the 2018 Ofo dockless pilot, which left bikes in public rights-of-way and ended when the operator went bankrupt. Electric bicycles are viewed as necessary due to Golden's topography.
• Board discussion raised several positions: consider local bike rental shops as partners rather than competitors; question whether a city of Golden's size can support enough stations to be convenient; support geofencing and speed-governor technology to manage behavior; and account for the high capital cost of owning bikes and infrastructure. Staff noted solar power alone may be insufficient for e-bike charging, and electrified hubs could support broader city electrification goals.

Standards Manual Discussion

• Staff reported minor changes to the standards manual and said standard details are beginning to be uploaded. Board members were encouraged to review the shared file and submit comments or edits.

Micro-mobility Policy Discussion

• Staff presented a revised micro-mobility policy draft that is primarily behavior-based but still contains some equipment-type language. It is adapted from a Menifee, California model with California-specific references removed.
• Board members discussed Oregon's recent e-bike laws, including age restrictions, helmet requirements, parental liability for violations by minors, penalties for selling noncompliant e-bikes, and provisions that treat noncompliant powered devices as motor vehicles requiring license and registration. They debated the appropriate age breakpoint, with options including 14, 15, 16, or middle school versus high school, and discussed whether to set helmet requirements for riders under 18 across all e-bike classes. Colorado currently requires helmets for riders under 18 only on class 3 e-bikes and does not have a statewide all-minor bicycle helmet law.
• The board also discussed behavior expectations such as path speed limits, passing at safe speeds, staying to the right, sidewalk riding at walking speed, and avoiding wheelies. Members emphasized framing these as positive best-practice guidance. Police coordination was discussed as important, but enforcement is difficult because young riders often have no ID and are not chased.

Project Updates

• Staff provided status updates: a U.S. 93 public meeting is scheduled for Thursday at the Golden Community Center; construction easements for the early utility package were signed; Tucker Gulch design is continuing; Colfax complete street work is progressing slowly; a roundabout at Heritage Road and U.S. 40 is advancing toward a FOR process with CDOT; Parfet Park parking lot improvements are beginning and will include drainage and water quality work; and the Clayworks development agreement may be revisited for parking changes.
• An additional rectangular rapid flashing beacon set is planned for the 19th Street crossing due to poor sight lines, and coordination with Colorado School of Mines on the 19th Street crossing continues. Concerns were raised about sight distance and construction vehicles blocking views at the Corporate Circle/CDOT highway work site; staff said they discussed the issue with the contractor.

New Business & Referrals

• A board member noted upcoming board member appointments and encouraged interest in the Special Events Committee vacancy, which meets on the third Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda and February meeting minutes were approved.
• TDM Plan: MTAB feedback will be incorporated; staff will return at the April meeting (referenced as April 23) for a formal adoption recommendation, and City Council will consider the plan on May 12, 2026.
• Docked Bike Share: MTAB input will be incorporated into the feasibility analysis; further MTAB updates are expected in 2026 as the study continues through December.
• Standards Manual: Board members were asked to submit edits and comments before the next meeting.
• Micro-mobility Policy: The policy remains in draft; the board will continue discussion, including possible age and helmet provisions and coordination with police.
• Project updates were received; no formal action was taken on project updates.