We all spend a lot of time on Colfax: on the sidewalks, under the trees on some blocks, crossing the street to get to other businesses, having a drink on a patio, and waiting at the bus stops. Maybe we’ve walked from our home or work, from the bike rack or bus stop, or from the car we just parked. In any case, we all have been pedestrians on Colfax.
While Colfax is the heartbeat of Denver and a place where all are welcome, it can also be uncomfortable at times and in certain places. Sometimes we’re able to enjoy shade and comfort; other times we are more at the mercy of uncomfortable weather, unsafe street crossings, etc.
At the Colfax Ave BID we are asking the question: “Where and why is it comfortable or uncomfortable?” That gives us some direction for improving the pedestrian experience throughout our district from the State Capitol to East High School.
In our conceptual Streetscape Design Master Plan we have eight Design Guidelines on page 9 of the plan. This is the fourth in our blog series and focuses on “enhancing the pedestrian experience.”
As an example, picture 19th and 20th Avenues just north of Colfax in the Uptown section of Denver. Up until very recently they were one-way streets with three lanes of traffic and curbside parking. In the last couple of months the city has converted them back to two-way streets with curbside parking and now they have a protected bike lane.
Sitting on a patio on 19th Avenue is now a totally different experience. It is calmer, quieter, and and better for everyone’s blood pressure. The four-way stop sign at the corner of Pennsylvania St. and 19th Ave. makes crossing the street safer.
These improvements are a result of a pedestrian-focused road design working to eliminate conflicts between cars and people. And, to be clear, this is not necessarily the exact kind of engineering designs we’d be recommending for Colfax. But, even though we have a different dynamic and culture, the core goal is to have a pedestrian experience that is safe and delightful — in our own Colfax way.
Another example of engineering improvements is the five-point intersection at Colfax-Franklin-Park Ave. it is one of the most dangerous intersections in Denver. The reason it has so many crashes is because is inherently confusing with the (often overlooked) red right turn arrow and the obtuse angle of the intersection that allows vehicles to travel much faster than if they were turning at a right angle.
The simple engineering changes that the City of Denver is now testing has made the the turning radius tighter when turning from Colfax onto Park Ave and Franklin St. so that cars and people come into conflict less frequently because cars are forced to go slower around each corner.
In our streetscape plan we characterize it this way:
Traffic calming measures such as street trees, curb extensions, traffic signals, and on-street parking can help soften the street and the pedestrian experience.
We have been working with the City of Denver Department of Public Works (DPW) to redesign several of our intersections to make them safer to cross Colfax. With the three other Colfax BIDs (West, Mayfair, Bluebird) we were awarded $500,000 to make these improvements.
Over the next few months we’ll hammering out the safety designs of the priority intersections and working with DPW to coordinate the improvements with the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). That way, construction impacts will only occur once.
Coordinating with the BRT construction will help us make our streetscape funding stretch further as we “piggyback” on the work that the City will undertake. So, we ask that you be a little patient with us. We want to implement our streetscape plan as fast as possible — and, as fiscally-wise as possible.
Street trees, improved sidewalks, curb extensions are all part of the plan we are implementing. But, we don’t want to put in trees or anything else that will be destroyed or damaged when the BRT construction happens. In the meantime, you’ll start seeing gradual improvements as we coordinate and implement a more comfortable and better designed pedestrian experience on Colfax.