Correction: An earlier version of this article mentioned the two traffic lanes being reduced to one. That won't be true on Ford Street. Only Jackson Street will be narrowed, between 15th and 18th Streets. The illustration above has been reverted to the "two lane" version.
In response to yesterday's article about the Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board meeting, a reader reminded me that I should have explained the reasons for the changes to Ford and Jackson Streets, since I quoted a letter in opposition.
That's an excellent point. The project is a response to the Transportation Master Plan, which says that we want better, safer routes for bicyclists, including children and senior cyclists. This project is the City's response to that plan.
In watching the meeting, I realized that I had missed one major change: the two traffic lanes will be reduced to one. In looking at the drawings, I'm still not sure I'm seeing that, but I'll leave you to interpret them yourself. From the discussion at the meeting, it was clear that they are going from two traffic lanes to one.
I thought it was a good meeting. Several well-informed citizens were there, offering thoughtful comments. One of them asked if the project was a done deal, regardless of their comments. I think it probably is, but staff is going to bring it back to the board next month with responses to all of the citizen questions and concerns. Hopefully, the project will be better as a result of the citizen input.
MTAB doesn't formally approve projects, but they will discuss this plan again next month when staff provides answers to the citizen concerns. The project becomes a "done deal" when City Council approves a contract to pay for the work.
Citizen Comments:
My notes on the citizen comments follow. I'm sure I missed some, so when they post the recording today, I encourage you to watch it yourself.
From a Retired Firefighter and Jeffco Public Works Employee:
- Snowplows and street sweepers won't be able to clean beyond the dividing curb, so the bike lane will fill up with snow in the winter and trash in the summer, making it a dangerous surface.
- Some people need to leave their trash cans in the street. Will they be in the way of the cyclists, and how will the trash trucks get to the containers?
- Large trucks still need to use those streets (such as delivery trucks to Safeway). Will they be able to turn at the narrowed intersections?
- Can firetrucks safely operate on the narrowed streets?
- Commented that he drives those roads all the time, and he doesn't see that many cyclists, but there are lots of cars.
From an Avid Cyclist:
- Also concerned that the bike path won't be cleaned or plowed.
- Concerned that the concrete divider will leave them nowhere to swerve if they need to avoid a hazard.
- The bike paths that the city built on Heritage Road feel unsafe, so no one uses them. The traffic lane feels safer.
From a Resident of Ford Street:
- Other cities have built these dividers and later removed them.
- Also concerned about cleaning--lots of accidents on Ford Street, so the bike lane may be strewn with broken glass and taillights.
- Parking is at a premium in Golden, and we're removing several blocks of it. There were 26(?) cars parked on East Street today.
- Why not move the bike lane to East Street, which has a lot less traffic?
A letter sent by a long-time resident who drives those streets a lot:
We already have traffic back-ups on Ford Street and we're going to remove a lane and exacerbate that problem.- What happens when the Clayworks project opens and we have hundreds more people in this corridor?
- What about Super Cruise nights?
- Most Golden employees are driving, not biking.
- People can't load up with groceries from the grocery store or bags of fertilizer from the hardware store on bikes.
A single lane means all traffic will have to stop when the buses stop.- Cars won't have a place to pull out of the way of emergency vehicles.
Staff Responses:
- Losing parking spaces. The people parking along Ford Street are primarily Mines students. They'll have to find somewhere else to park. That will continue to be a problem. The new residence hall will not include on-campus parking permits. Fewer students may have cars, but those that do will need to park them off-campus.
Board: Does Mines have enough parking for all of their students?
Staff: Don't know, but students are not required to buy permits, so many choose to look off-campus for free parking. - Traffic from Clayworks. They submitted a traffic study and there are plans for when traffic reaches certain levels. Reminded us that there was traffic when that was a manufacturing facility.
- Maintenance. They have plans for sweeping and snow removal. They have machines that let them clear sidewalks and it would work in bike lanes. It will require more man-hours, but the equipment shouldn't be a stumbling block.
Board Comment: The bike lane on 19th is never plowed.
Staff: Bike lanes are a lower priority than streets when it comes to snow plowing. In some places we won't have a place we can push snow. - Trash cans. They will see if alley improvements would make it possible for more people to put their cans in the alley. If not, there will be gaps in the concrete divider where the cans could go.
Board comment: trash cans fall over and blow over and will obstruct the bike lane. - Big trucks needing to turn. The designers would certainly have ensured that big trucks could make the turn, albeit with difficulty.
Board comment: if we design the intersections for truck turns, the wide streets are more dangerous for pedestrians trying to cross. - Firetrucks. Traffic planners worked with the emergency responders, and they said they can operate within this design.
- Speed. One of the objectives of the project is to decrease speed by making the street narrower. That is safer for both pedestrians and cars.
Board comment: Maybe we should ask the police to install permanent photo radar enforcement along this corridor.
