Transportion and Transit « Federal Boulevard Partnership

Transportion and Transit

Dollars for Federal Boulevard Reconstruction?

Friday, October 28th, 2011

At an October 26 public meeting about engineering design improvements planned for Federal Boulevard between W. 5th Avenue and Howard Place (14th Avenue), Denver Public Works announced plans to apply for grant funds from the Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program. If awarded, the funds provide the dollars to construct significant improvements as presented in draft form at the public meeting. It is believed the total project cost is approximately $20 million.

Improvements presented at the meeting include widening Federal allowing the construction of a third northbound lane, adding 16′ raised center medians, reconfiguration of certain key intersections, new curb and gutter, drainage improvements and wider sidewalks. The project requires the purchase of additional right-of-way along most of the east side of Federal, which depending on the property may involve the purchase several feet of property or the entire property.

Probably the biggest design concerned involved the lack of pedestrian separation from the roadway, as well as the lack of landscaping along both the east and west sides of Federal..

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One Year of Federal Route 31 as a Crosstown Bus

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Hand painted tiles by children of Cheltenham Elementary for a windscreen at the Colfax/Federal transfer station.

In late August 2010, a major change was implemented by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) changing the Federal Bus Route 31 to a crosstown route. This was a change the Partnership began advocating for a year before. After living with the change for over a year, the Partnership is questioning whether the new configuration works for the north Federal corridor and Northwest Denver residents.

As a crosstown route, the Federal 31 bus now traverses Federal north and south, without a downtown destination. If a Route 31 passenger desires to go downtown, there are two options including a transfer to a bus that crosses the 31 route (examples include 9, 16, 28, 32, 38, 44 and can also include use of the Colfax/Federal transfer station) or originating the trip by catching one of the downtown buses.

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Partnership Sponsoring Streetscape Project

Friday, January 21st, 2011

The Partnership is sponsoring a Federal Boulevard Streetscape project, intended to develop streetscape cross-sections in representative portions of the Boulevard. The project assists providing future Boulevard redevelopment and improvement streetscape guidance, provides a design template for seeking improvement funds, and assists Denver should they pursue a corridor land use and transportation plan for Federal.

In mid-summer the Partnership organized a committee of local architects and landscape experts, and community members to pursue the effort. The committee has held several meetings to plan the project. During the meetings, the committee developed a three step process including data collection (documentation of existing conditions), preliminary and conceptual designs and final designs. Key to the process is involving and soliciting pubic input. Currently, the committee is conducting data collection.

The working committee has selected a pilot design area, which includes both sides of Federal between W. 23rd and 26th Avenues as well as W. 25th between Federal and Eliot. Public meetings soliciting public input is expect in early 2011.

If you’d like to volunteer your time and expertise, please contact the Partnership. Stay tuned to the Partnership Web site for the date and time of future meetings (all committee meetings are open to the public), and for additional information as the project is further defined.

HUD Funds Federal and Colfax Infill Study

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

A grant for $150,000 to engage in an study for the replacement of the Federal and Colfax cloverleaf has officially been awarded to Denver by Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This is an exciting development for the Partnership and adjacent communities as the cloverleaf has long been recognized as archaic infrastructure unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as wasting land and open space stymieing economic and community development opportunities.

Written by the City of Denver’s Community Development and Planning office, the Partnership strongly supported the application and applauds both HUD and the city for pursuing this opportunity. The study will examine and recommend a suitable design approach for the intersection and also recommend land use for the surrounding area. Redesigning and implementing a new intersection will effect traffic and pedestrian travel patterns and access to pubic streets as well as private property.

It is hoped the project will begin in 2011 and completes in 2012. This is an important development because the completion of the planning study “opens the door previously shut” to funding for actual project implementation. Stay tuned for further developments!