38th Avenue West End Improvements

During our first round of public feedback in June 2023, participants shared their visions for the corridor. Part of the online survey and in-person open house included ranking the project goals. This input was used to prioritize safety and multimodal mobility in the potential design alternatives for the corridor.

The top three project goals according to feedback received:

• Enhance pedestrian safety
• Provide comfortable bicycle facilities
• Resolve drainage problems

During the second round of public feedback in October 2023, participants were asked to weigh in on three alternatives for how the street could be designed. The three alternatives were:

• Alternative 1: Shared use path on the north side and sidewalk on the south side
• Alternative 2: Shared use path on the south side and sidewalk on the north side
• Alternative 3: Sidewalks on both sides and on-street bike lanes

Other feedback received during the second round of outreach includes:

• Explore other ways to slow down traffic speeds and enhance safety
• Avoid tree removal as much as possible
• Separate travel modes by speed
• Underground utility poles that are an obstruction to walking and are unsightly
• Address ditch flows and localized flooding
• Preserve the character and feel of the existing street as much as possible

Alternative 3 scored the highest on the screening evaluation that considered things like pedestrian and bicycle accommodation, disturbances to existing landscaping, and traffic safety. Alternatives 1 and 3 were most preferred by participants. On January 22, 2024, City Council provided consensus to move forward with Alternative 3 as the preferred alternative. Council also asked the team to explore using roundabouts.

The recommended corridor improvement installs dedicated bike lanes on the street and closes gaps between existing sidewalk segments. This approach meets the intent of Alternative 3, while reducing costs, impacts, and time by utilizing the existing sidewalk and landscaped areas.

The final design alternative does not propose major changes to the existing width of the street. The project uses existing right of way to provide continuous sidewalks on both sides of the street, adds bike lanes in both directions on the street and includes minor modifications to turn lanes. One ten-foot travel lane in each direction will be provided. Continuous bike lanes will be separated from vehicles by a painted buffer wherever possible.

Additionally, three mini-roundabouts have been added which will reduce vehicle conflicts with other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, create smoother traffic flows at the intersections, and slow traffic near these intersections. These mini-roundabouts will be at Tabor Court, Parfet Street, and Miller Street.

Above image: Drivers view of the preferred alternative with one ten-foot lane in each direction with buffered bike lanes, curb and gutter and sidewalks on both sides of the street.

Above image: Bird’s eye view rendering of a mini-roundabout at 38th Avenue and Parfet Street.

Preferred Alternative Features

• On-street bike lanes provide a location for higher speed users, i.e. bikes, e-bikes, and scooters, that is separate from the sidewalks used by lower speed pedestrians.
• Pedestrian crossings with shorter distances between them will be provided.
• This alternative slows vehicular traffic by narrowing travel lanes, formalizing the edge of the roadway, removing some turn lanes, and adding mini-roundabouts.
• New curb and gutter, inlets and storm sewer connections will mitigate existing drainage issues.
• This alternative maintains the character of the corridor by utilizing existing sidewalks as much as possible. This will help reduce construction cost, time, and disruption to the area.
• Existing facilities that are not ADA-complaint will be brought up to current standards.
• Adequate curb-to-curb width for both emergency responders and RTD buses to navigate the street is provided.
• Three new crosswalks are planned at:
  • Quail Street (marked crosswalk and pedestrian crossing warning signs)
  • Lee Street (marked crosswalk and pedestrian-activated flashing light)
  • Union Court (marked crosswalk and pedestrian-activated flashing light)

Review the preferred alternative design concept for the corridor. Information provided on this roll plot is preliminary and subject to change.

We heard from the community about what's important on this corridor, including continuous sidewalks and bike facilities. Additionally, City Council suggested that we consider roundabouts at their meeting on January 22, 2024.

The final design alternative includes three mini-roundabouts to reduce vehicle conflicts, create smoother traffic flows at the intersections, and slow traffic. These mini-roundabouts will be at Tabor Court, Parfet Street, and Miller Street.

Crosswalks will be provided on all four legs of each mini-roundabout, including refuge islands across 38th Avenue. Necessary right-of-way to accommodate these new mini-roundabouts has been minimized.

Roundabout benefits include:

• Fewer vehicle conflicts with other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists compared to traditional intersections (refer to image below)
• Reduced delay due to not having to stop at a red light
• Smoother traffic flow
• Traffic calming and speed reduction

Image above: Roundabout design results in fewer conflict points than a traditional intersection.

AARP has some great resources about roundabouts. Here's their factsheet about them. Here's an article about navigating through a roundabout.