Draft Mobility Framework and Toolkit
How we get around Wheat Ridge
The desire for improved walking and biking options in Wheat Ridge has been a prominent topic in recent years. This enthusiasm is evident through various initiatives, such as the 2017 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the Let’s Talk Resident Engagement Program, the 2023 Open Space Management Plan, and the 38th Avenue West End Improvement Project, among others. The successful 2J ballot initiative last fall further demonstrated our community's commitment to non-motorized travel. Despite this strong support, our list of desired improvements continues to exceed available resources, highlighting the ongoing need for financial investment. Including mobility discussions in the City Plan will solidify it as a priority and help steer future decisions.
The City Plan is responsible for describing the desired future state of the city’s mobility network, which determines how people get around town. The fundamental structure of travel in Wheat Ridge is already determined by the nature of the street network, which carries motor vehicles primarily, but also RTD busses, pedestrians, cyclists, and other modes of transportation. The Mobility Framework, illustrated here as a map, envisions how the existing network can be incrementally improved to help meet community goals in a practical manner.
For larger image, click here.
What are the major components of the Mobility system in Wheat Ridge?
Corridors are the backbone of the mobility system in Wheat Ridge. They are the main routes across the city.
- Regional Corridors feature the highest traffic volumes and speeds. Pedestrians and cyclists are best served by dedicated infrastructure that separates them from vehicular traffic.
- Community Corridors feature lower traffic volumes and speeds than regional corridors and have no more than four lanes. Sidewalks and bike lanes should be typical where the right-of-way is of sufficient size.
- District Corridors carry the lowest corridor traffic volumes and speeds. Sidewalks should be typical and while bike lanes may be a feature, low traffic volumes and speeds often mean that cyclists can share the roadway.
Low-Stress Bicycle Corridors are main routes in Wheat Ridge for cyclists looking to avoid the highest-traffic corridors. These primarily exist on District Corridors and the Clear Creek trail which is an important east-west route for bikes.
Neighborhood Bike Connectors are streets internal to the large blocks between Corridors and offer additional low-stress options.
Sidewalks should be typical on all streets, though Wheat Ridge’s development history as a more rural community means that was not always the case. Sidewalk inconsistency is regularly identified as a mobility and quality of life challenge. The City continues to identify priority gaps for investment, and recently approved 2J funds are assisting in this endeavor.
A toolkit approach
Enhancing mobility options in Wheat Ridge, especially for non-motorized users as the community has prioritized, will be an opportunistic undertaking. Space constraints in rights-of-way, private property considerations, funding limitations, and the unpredictability of private development all play a role in the speed at which the City can improve the mobility network, and the form the improvements can take in any given location. Making the most of these opportunities where and when they occur will require flexibility and creativity, and this is best supported by a toolkit approach to improvements in the public right-of-way. A toolkit approach allows the City to pick the tools that work for each specific location when improvement opportunities arise.
For larger image, click here.
How would this mobility framework work for you?
When we think about this kind of incremental, practical investment in our mobility network, we want to make sure that the network we are working towards works well for the community. How would the draft mobility framework work for you? Click here to give your input about getting to your preferred destinations around town.
