Montview Corridor Study Summary Report City of Aurora, Colorado October 1, 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS City of Aurora Project Team Consultant Team Karen Hancock Planning Supervisor Project Manager: Mark Nemger Mindy Parnes Planning Supervisor Matrix Design Group, Inc. Jay Pierce Principal Planner Huiliang Liu Principal Planner Transportation Engineer: Brian Bern Annette Marquez Project Engineer Matrix Design Group, Inc. Anthony Avery Planner Nathan Owens Planner Multi-Modal Design: Jessica Juriga Anna Bunce Traffic Manager Toole Design Group Danny Montoya Traffic Engineering John Fernandez FasTracks TOD Manager Anthony Pratt Chris Carnahan Operations Manager Toole Design Group Kevin Wegener City Engineer Curtis Bish Parks, Recreation and Open Space Public Outreach: Linda Wilson Chad Argentar Economic Development Supervisor Linda Wilson Group i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Study Area 2 Figure 2: Bicycle Facilities 7 Figure 3: Pedestrian Facilities 8 Figure 4: Access Management 8 Figure 5: Context Map 16 Figure 6: Existing Zoning 17 Figure 7: Existing Montview Boulevard Section 18 Figure 8: Existing Montview Boulevard Plan 18 Figure 9: Preliminary Corridor Zones 19 Figure 10: Corridor Zones - West 20 Figure 11: Corridor Zones - East 21 Figure 12: 2014 Traffic Volumes 22 Figure 13: 2035 Traffic Projections 24 Figure 14: Commercial Zone Enhanced Existing - Section 28 Figure 15: Commercial Zone Enhanced Existing - Plan 28 Figure 16: Commercial Zone Enhanced Existing with Separated Bikeway - Section 29 Figure 17: Commercial Zone Enhanced Existing with Separated Bikeway - Plan 29 Figure 18: West Residential Zone Enhanced Existing with Separated Bikeway - Section 30 Figure 19: West Residential Zone Enhanced Existing with Separated Bikeway - Plan 30 Figure 21: West Residential Zone Mixed Bike and Pedestrian - Plan 31 Figure 20: West Residential Zone Mixed Bike and Pedestrian - Section 31 Figure 22: East Residential Zone Buffered Bicycle Lane - Section 32 Figure 23: East Residential Zone Buffered Bicycle Lane - Plan 32 Figure 25: East Residential Zone Road Diet with Separated Bikeway - Plan 33 Figure 24: East Residential Zone Road Diet with Separated Bikeway - Section 33 Figure 26: Corridor Zones and Preferred Cross Section - West of Havana 34 Figure 27: Corridor Zones and Preferred Cross Section - East of Havana 35 Figure 28: Transition - 5 Lane to 3 Lane Separated Bike Lane 36 Figure 29: Corridor Phasing 38 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Purpose of the Study 1 Study Area 3 Goals and Objectives 4 THE PLANNING PROCESS 5 Community Engagement 5 Survey Results 6 City Project Team Workshop #1 7 Public Open House 10 City Project Team Workshop #2 13 Public Demonstration Event 14 EXISTING CONDITIONS 16 Context and Zones 19 Traffic Analysis 23 ALTERNATIVE CROSS SECTIONS 27 Alternatives by Zone 27 PREFERRED CROSS SECTIONS 34 By Zone 34 Transitions 36 Phasing 37 APPENDICES 41 Appendix A: Montview Traffic Counts Appendix B: Montview Traffic LOS Output Appendix C: Survey Questions and Results Appendix D: Cost Estimate iii iv • INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Study The project began with a Kick-Off Meeting with The Montview Corridor Study has the primary the City project team (July 25, 2014) consist- goal of applying existing and projected traffic pro- ing of representatives from several departments jections and state of the art multi-modal boulevard that have critical knowledge and history with the design techniques to result in a phased retrofitting corridor and expertise of the various aspects of of Montview Boulevard as a safe and functional transportation, planning and multi-modal goals bicycle and pedestrian facility. The two-mile study and objectives. Two City workshops were held and corridor is Montview Boulevard from Yosemite two public Open House events were held. The last Street east to Peoria Street. event was a demonstration of the preferred cross section on May 9, 2015. The City also identified the following goals for the study process: • Conduct a thorough and comprehensive com- munity stakeholder outreach process to so- licit concerns and issues • Meet with staff from city departments to iden- tify concerns, constraints and requirements • Collect traffic volume data • Assure a city standard of LOS C or better for all on-street bicycle facilities • Prepare design alternatives, based on stake- holder outreach, illustrating how improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities could be inte- grated into the study corridor • Present design alternatives to stakeholders and conduct a survey of staff and community stakeholders to identify a preferred alterna- tive • Provide a phased implementation plan and cost analysis for the preferred alternative INTRODUCTION • 1 Figure 1: Study Area 2 • INTRODUCTION Study Area Montview Boulevard is a major entryway into north Aurora and the Anschutz Medical Center from Denver. The medical center is projected to bring 40,000 jobs to Aurora at full build-out and 60,000+ monthly visitors. The corridor is identi- fied as a regional bicycle corridor on the DRCOG Pedestrian and Bicycle Element of the 2035 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan. In addition to the on-site development that will occur at the Anschutz Medical Center, considerable off-site development is expected to continue along Colfax creating traffic congestion during peak-hour peri- Avenue, Peoria Street and the surrounding area ods. Similar peak-hour congestion is experienced compounding the necessity for Montview Bou- at the intersection of Peoria Street and Montview levard to accommodate multiple transportation Boulevard. A number of transportation improve- modes. ments in proximity to the Montview corridor have recently been constructed, or are planned, which will improve traffic circulation. For this planning project, the study area applies to the portion of Montview Boulevard from Yosemite Street on the west to Peoria Street on the east. The corridor is 1.9 miles long within this study Montview Boulevard is primarily a residential area. For purposes of branding the project for the roadway with pockets of neighborhood commer- public outreach program, it is referred to as Mont- cial uses. Traveling along the Montview corridor view Connections. This refers to the importance can be difficult at times as the street cross section of the corridor as an east west connection through changes from a two-lane collector street in Denver the City linking Denver/Stapleton to the Anschutz to a four-lane arterial in Aurora at Yosemite Street Campus. It also refers to the goal of creating saf- er connections for pedestrians crossing the bou- levard between neighborhoods and accessing schools and for improved bicycle safety with ded- icated bike lanes. INTRODUCTION • 3 Goals and Objectives Evaluation Criteria Utilizing the options developed during the 2012 Bi- Safety cycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and document- • Separation of facility (bicyclist and pedestrian) ed in Appendix C of the plan, as well as traffic data • Crash reduction potential (all) obtained to date, the project team drafted project Access goals, critical to developing a comprehensive, full • Protected crossing opportunities (pedestrian) range of design options. Mobility • Level of Traffic Stress (bicyclist) On December 9, 2014, a workshop was conduct- • PLOS (pedestrian) ed with City staff and the project team to review • LOS, delay, or AADT (vehicular) the draft project goals and options for the corridor. Active Transportation & Health Based on feedback from this workshop, the goals • Type/comfort of facility (bicyclist and pedes- and options for the corridor were revised. trian) Character The Goals and Objectives, below, have been iden- • Streetscape elements tified to guide this project. The future Montview • Access management Boulevard will: • Improve safety for all roadway users—pedes- trians, bicyclists, transit vehicles, freight vehi- cles, and motor vehicles • Enhance pedestrian and bicycle access and mobility along the Corridor, especially to the Anschutz Medical Center and to K-12 schools • Preserve motor vehicle mobility in the vicinity of Montview Boulevard Ultimately, these goals will lead to the develop- ment of evaluation criteria. 4 • INTRODUCTION THE PLANNING PROCESS Community Engagement to participate in the public meetings, making The Outreach strategy was designed to: Our community engagement followed a process comments and suggestions and voicing to • Ensure that engagement is timely, accessible, of involving residents, businesses, community affect possible outcomes, reflecting a high planned and meaningful organizations and other stakeholders in the level of engagement • Undertake engagement activities that decisions that affect their community. • informing – presented to the community the overcome barriers to public participation by results of their input, reflecting a low level of encouraging the public to be a part of the Good community engagement enabled good engagement. decision making process, and be language governance and informed decision-making by inclusive. promoting shared responsibilities for decisions. • Provide feedback to the community on the results of their participation and contributions It supported an open approach to managing a strong foundation for understanding decisions Inclusion and accessibility Guiding Principles and building trust within the community of the Central to Aurora’s commitment to engage The Montview Corridor Study team was guided decision-making process. with the diverse population that comprises the by the following principles