CORRIDOR CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR STATE HIGHWAY 7 (SH 7) PLANNING ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGE (PEL) STUDY CDOT PROJECT NO. STA 007A‐012 (16725) Prepared for: Colorado Department of Transportation Region 6 2000 South Holly Street Denver, CO 80222 Prepared by: Felsburg Holt & Ullevig 6300 South Syracuse Way, Suite 600 Centennial, CO 80111 In association with: ArLand Land Use Economics Atkins North America, Inc. CDR Associates Frank Miltenberger Landscape Architect Hermsen Consultants PKM Design Group, Inc. JUNE 2012 FHU Reference No. 11‐178‐01 Corridor Conditions Assessment Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................... iv Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ vi 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Study Location and Description .......................................................................................... 1 1.2 Transportation Planning Context ........................................................................................ 1 1.3 Other Transportation Projects in the Vicinity ..................................................................... 8 2.0 Land Use .................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Current Land Use .............................................................................................................. 11 2.2 2035 Land Use ................................................................................................................... 13 3.0 Existing Transportation System .................................................................................. 22 3.1 Roadway Characteristics ................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Travel Characteristics ........................................................................................................ 29 3.3 Traffic Operations ............................................................................................................. 31 3.4 Transit ............................................................................................................................. 45 3.5 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities and Operations ............................................................. 47 4.0 Future Transportation Conditions .............................................................................. 53 4.1 No‐Action Alternative ....................................................................................................... 53 4.2 2035 No‐Action Conditions ............................................................................................... 54 4.3 South Boulder Road Sensitivity Analysis ........................................................................... 66 5.0 Environmental Overview ............................................................................................ 68 5.1 Parks and Recreational Resources .................................................................................... 68 5.2 Traffic Noise ...................................................................................................................... 74 5.3 Historic Resources ............................................................................................................. 76 5.4 Floodways and 100‐year Floodplains ............................................................................... 83 5.5 Wetlands and Waters of the US ....................................................................................... 85 5.6 Wildlife/Threatened and Endangered Species ................................................................. 88 5.7 Hazardous Materials ......................................................................................................... 93 6.0 References ............................................................................................................... 100 i Corridor Conditions Assessment Report LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1 Study Corridor and Vicinity Map .............................................................................................. 2 Figure 1.2 Study Area ................................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 1.3 North I‐25 EIS Preferred Alternative for SH 7/I‐25 Interchange .............................................. 9 Figure 2.1 Transportation Analysis Zones ............................................................................................... 12 Figure 2.2 Generalized Existing Land Uses (west of I‐25) ....................................................................... 14 Figure 2.3 Generalized Existing Land Uses (east of I‐25) ........................................................................ 15 Figure 2.4 Generalized Future Land Uses West of I‐25 ........................................................................... 16 Figure 2.5 Generalized Future Land Uses East of I‐25 ............................................................................ 17 Figure 2.6 Household Growth (2010‐2035) ............................................................................................ 20 Figure 2.7 Employment Growth (2010‐2035) ......................................................................................... 21 Figure 3.1 Existing Through Travel Lanes and Right‐of‐Way .................................................................. 23 Figure 3.2 Existing Cross Sections (facing east) ...................................................................................... 24 Figure 3.3 Current Access Categories ..................................................................................................... 25 Figure 3.4 Existing Posted and Observed Speeds ................................................................................... 32 Figure 3.5 Average Travel Times (Between US 287/Arapahoe and I‐25) ................................................ 33 Figure 3.6 Average Travel Times (Between I‐25 and US 85) ................................................................... 33 Figure 3.7 2012 Daily Traffic Volumes and Truck Percentages ............................................................... 35 Figure 3.8 Existing AM and PM Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (SH 7) ......................................................... 36 Figure 3.9 Existing AM and PM Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (Parallel Routes) ........................................ 37 Figure 3.10 Existing Intersection Geometry and Levels of Service (SH 7) ................................................. 39 Figure 3.11 Existing Intersection Geometry and Levels of Service (Parallel Routes) ................................ 40 Figure 3.12 Corridor Crash Overview (2008 – 2010) ................................................................................. 41 Figure 3.13 Intersection Crash Patterns (2008 – 2010) ............................................................................ 43 Figure 3.14 Intersection Crash Time of Day Trends .................................................................................. 44 Figure 3.15 Non ‐ Intersection Rear End Time of Day Trends ................................................................... 45 Figure 3.16 Existing Transit Service ........................................................................................................... 46 Figure 3.17 Existing Sidewalks and Multi‐Use Trails ................................................................................. 48 Figure 3.18 Existing Bicycle Segment Level of Service .............................................................................. 50 Figure 3.19 Existing Pedestrian Segment Level of Service ........................................................................ 52 Figure 4.1 Corridor Trip Distribution ....................................................................................................... 55 Figure 4.2 Screenline Travel Demand (2010 and 2035) .......................................................................... 56 Figure 4.3 2035 No Action Daily Traffic Volume Forecasts and Capacity Thresholds ............................ 57 Figure 4.4 Corridor Travel Paths (2010 and 2035) .................................................................................. 59 Figure 4.5 Regional vs. Local Travel (2010 and 2035) ............................................................................. 60 Figure 4.6 Trip Purpose (2010 and 2035) ................................................................................................ 61 Figure 4.7 2035 No Action AM Signalized Intersection Congestion Hot Spots ....................................... 62 ii Corridor Conditions Assessment Report LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 4.8 2035 No Action PM Signalized Intersection Congestion Hot Spots ....................................... 63 Figure 4.9 2035 No Action AM Speeds ................................................................................................... 64 Figure 4.10 2035 No Action PM Speeds .................................................................................................... 65 Figure 5.1 Parks, Open Space, and Trails ...............................................................................................