Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Veterans Housing Project City of Aurora, Colorado
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April 29, 2019 Gabe Bergeron Studio Completiva 3275 14th Avenue, Suite 201 Denver, CO 80204 Re: Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Veterans Housing Project City of Aurora, Colorado Dear Mr. Bergeron: This study presents the results of a traffic analysis for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) Veterans Housing Project. The CCH Veterans Housing Project is proposed to be multifamily mid-rise attached housing development on the northeast corner of the East 17th Avenue and Peoria Street intersection, in the Fitzsimons area of the City of Aurora, Colorado. The project is anticipated to consist of permanent supportive housing for homeless and at-risk veterans. This traffic study provides an expected trip generation, trip distribution, and project traffic assignment for the full build out of the project. Additionally, a multimodal transportation analysis was conducted for the project location based on the attached site circulation plan. This multifamily mid-rise development project is proposed to include 60 dwelling units anticipated to be completed for the current phase as well as an additional separate building containing 60 dwelling units to be completed for a proposed future phase. For purposes of this study, analysis was performed for the project’s future full build-out of 120 total dwelling units. Figure 1 illustrates the vicinity of the CCH Veterans Housing Project with respect to the surrounding area in Aurora, Colorado. Regional access to CCH Veterans Housing Project will be provided by Interstate 70 (I-70), Interstate 225 (I-225), and Colfax Avenue (US-40). Primary access will be provided by Peoria Street. The existing project site is bounded by North Quari Way and the existing Veteran’s Home to the north, North Quari Court to the east, East 17th Avenue to the South, and an existing structure to the west. The UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital exists to the southeast. The existing roadway network provides three direct accesses to the proposed project location. One full movement access is located along Peoria Street in alignment of East 19th Avenue, one full movement access is located at along Quentin Street at North Quari Way, and one right-in/right-out access is located along East 17th Avenue, between Peoria Street and Quentin Street. The intersection lane configurations and control for the study area intersections are shown in Figure 2. Site-generated traffic estimates are determined through a process known as trip generation. Rates and equations are applied to the proposed land use to estimate traffic generated by the development during a specific time interval. The acknowledged source for trip generation rates is the Trip Generation Report1 published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). ITE has established trip rates in nationwide studies of similar land uses. Trip generation is based on the ITE Trip Generation, 10th Edition (most current edition) fitted curve equation for multifamily mid-rise housing (ITE Code 221). This land use code was chosen as it is believed to the most applicable to this proposed use, however these trip generation equations are likely conservative. It is believed that this project will generate less traffic than what these typical residential apartment equations would estimate. The following summarizes the anticipated trip generation for the proposed full buildout 120 dwelling unit residential development (trip generation calculations are attached). Project generated traffic kimley-horn.com 4582 South Ulster Street, Suite 1500, Denver, CO 80237 303 228 2300 Mr. Gabe Bergeron 096755001 Page 2 volumes are identified on a weekday daily as well as on a morning peak hour and afternoon peak hour basis. The morning peak hour is the highest one-hour time period of adjacent street traffic during four consecutive 15-minute intervals during the morning rush hour, between 7:00 am and 9:00 am. The afternoon peak hour is the highest one-hour time period of four consecutive 15-minute intervals between the hours of 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm representing the afternoon rush hour. As summarized in the table, the proposed CCH Veterans Housing Project is anticipated to generate 652 daily trips with 41 trips (11 in and 30 out) occurring during the morning peak hour, and 53 trips (32 in and 21 out) occurring during the afternoon peak hour. Table 1 provides the trip generation summary for the project based on the proposed 120 multifamily housing mid-rise units. Table 1 – Trip Generation for the Proposed CCH Veterans Housing Project Daily Weekday Vehicle Trips Vehicle AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Land Use and Size Trips In Out Total In Out Total CCH Veterans Housing Project Multifamily Housing Mid-Rise 652 11 30 41 32 21 53 (ITE 221) – 120 Total Units Trip distribution of the anticipated project traffic was identified based on the area street system characteristics, surrounding employment and retail areas, and the access system for the project. Traffic assignment was obtained by applying the project trip distribution to the estimated traffic generation of the proposed development. Attached Figure 3 illustrates the expected trip distribution, while Figure 4 illustrates the traffic assignment for the proposed residential project on the surrounding street network and key intersections. Ultimately, project traffic originating from any direction can access the site. The project traffic assignment shows very low traffic volumes added to the street network and surrounding key intersections. Based on these results, it is believed that the project will have a minimal traffic impact on the surrounding street network. The public street intersections are anticipated to successfully accommodate this project traffic volume. A multimodal transportation analysis was conducted for the proposed CCH Veterans Housing Project. RTD R Line Light Rail service is available near the site at both the Fitzsimons Station and the Colfax Station. Fitzsimons Station is located along Fitzsimons Parkway, approximately one-mile northeast of the project site. This station can be accessed from the project site by traveling north on Peoria Street and then east on Fitzsimons Parkway. The Colfax Station is located along Colfax Avenue, approximately 1.25 miles southeast of the project site and approximately 300 feet west of the Intersate-225 and Colfax Avenue intersection. This station can be accessed from the project site by traveling south on either Peoria Street or Quentin Street and then east on Colfax Avenue. There are local bus routes that serve the project site area. Local bus route 121 Peoria Street has a stop at the intersection of Peoria Street and East 17th Avenue. Also, local bus route 20 has a stop at the intersection of Quentin Street and 17th Place. Both bus routes are very accessible for residents to use and provide access to the project site in under 500 feet. A bicycle and pedestrian access evaluation was also conducted for the site. Bicycle lanes currently exist along both the north and south sides of East 17th Avenue directly south of the project site. There are no additional existing or proposed designated bicycle lanes within the project limits. Bicyclists traveling along the street network can enter the project from the proposed driveway locations either kimley-horn.com 4582 South Ulster Street, Suite 1500, Denver, CO 80237 303 228 2300 Mr. Gabe Bergeron 096755001 Page 3 directly from East 17th Avenue or by using the through lanes along North Quari Court or Quentin Street. Sidewalks exist on both sides of Peoria Street, East 17th Avenue, and Quentin Street near the project site. There is an existing sidewalk on the east side of North Quari Court only and no existing sidewalks along North Quari Way. Sidewalks are provided for pedestrians on all major public streets form the project site to the nearby light rail stations and bus routes. As shown in the project site circulation plan, new sidewalks are proposed throughout the project site area. The proposed sidewalks will be built around the perimeter of the proposed structures and will tie into the existing sidewalk on the north side of East 17th Avenue. A distinguishable pedestrian entry gate and wooden shade structures will be provided at the edge of the property line along East 17th Avenue to further enhance the pedestrian areas around the project site. The project site was previously a surface parking lot being leased from the States Veterans by the University of Colorado Hospital. That lease expired at the end of March, and at that time the individuals that were previously parking on that land were relocated to the land leased from the Children’s Hospital Colorado on the south side of Colfax Avenue in the previous drive-in theater parking lot (northwest corner of 13th Place and Ursula Street). The veterans land where this project is proposed is now empty, as shown in this photo taken the afternoon of Monday, April 29, 2019. In summary, this traffic letter provides a trip generation, trip distribution, and traffic assignment for the proposed multifamily mid-rise residential development located at the northeast corner of the East 17th Avenue and Peoria Street intersection, in the Fitzsimons area of the City of Aurora, Colorado. As shown in the trip generation table and associated figures, this project is expected to generate low trip generation traffic volumes when distributed to the surrounding street network. Based on this, it is believed that the completion of the CCH Veterans Housing Project will not have any significant impacts to the existing traffic operations of the area. The public street intersections are anticipated to kimley-horn.com 4582 South Ulster Street, Suite 1500, Denver, CO 80237 303 228 2300 Mr. Gabe Bergeron 096755001 Page 4 successfully accommodate this project traffic volume. The existing T-intersections located at North Quari Court/N Quari Way and Quentin Street/North Quari Way should operate with stop control on the eastbound minor approaches and R1-1 “STOP” signs should be installed.