Denver Transportation Design 101 The “ABCs and 123s” on how transportation works in your City Denver Public Works Presented by: Dana Hoffman March 20, 2019
Giving you knowledge and tools This presentation was put together for the community to understand how transportation decisions get made in the City of Denver and how you can be part of the process. The slides describe what Denver PW does, why we do it, and how we do it.
Public Works Introduction, Purpose, and Organization
What does PW do? Plan, design, build, maintain and regulate (almost) everything in the City’s Right-of-Way (ROW). The ROW is property that the City of Denver owns and operates, which is dedicated for transportation, utility, and communal space needs. ROW provides the legal right of use by many users; PW serves them all. This can be a balancing act!
What does PW actually own and maintain? Streetlights are regulated by the Development adjacent to the City but owned and operated by ROW is privately owned, but Xcel Energy, a private company. its design, construction and operation are regulated by The City supports transit PW and CPD. through building things like bus lanes, pull-outs, shelters and Sidewalks are built by the City signage. Buses and light rail but maintenance and repair themselves are owned and falls on the adjacent property operated by RTD. owner. The City operates and maintains PW builds medians, raised ADA ramps, streets (including crossings and other safety and bike lanes) pavement markings “ traffic calming ” measures as and signals . appropriate. Additions like The City maintains underground vegetation and art must be utilities like sewer/water pipes maintained by an external and provides easement for group. others.
How is Denver Public Works organized?
What’s our plan?
What’s our plan? But things change... Up to 40-50% of work is still reactive to changing conditions How we make it Study Design Construct happen: •Corridor •From concept •Roadway and studies to bidding everything documents underneath •Traffic and benefits studies
How do we pay for Transportation & Mobility? GO Bond(1 st issuance): $41m Annual Budget (2019): $95m Grants- $33m $51.7m $17.1m $15.5m $10.3m $41.2m $33m 55% 18% 16% 11% E.G. Signal Repair, Repaving, Facility Maintenance Snow Removal, ADA Curb Ramps E.G. DRCOG TIP, E.G.10-year program funding TSSIP, CDOT TAP E.G. Neighborhood Safety, Bicycle Routes, 290 voter-approved design & Grants for projects, Special Programs Sidewalk Gaps & Repair, Safe Routes to School, construction projects, Money signals, programs, Transit Support, Pedestrian Crossings issued in 3-year increments plans and studies E.G. grant matches, bond payment, Debt Payments intergovernmental projects E.G. new interchanges, bridges, corridor- Major Projects wide improvements, major studies
Our Tools & Rules For Mobility, Safety, and Comfort
What is MUTCD? Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices • Issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) • Standards and specifications for all things roadway design and function • All traffic control devices must Can be legally conform to these supplemented but standards not contradicted by • Meant to ensure roadway is state and local safe and consistent across US standards.
What is a warrant and why? • The possible need for a roadway treatment at a specific location(s) is Consistent standards identified from 311, constituent, council, or traffic incident. Issue identified help ensure fair use of funds and predictable •Engineers evaluate the issue and location to determine if there is a roadways. safety or mobility concern and if engineering solution can be effective. But consistency can •Engineer collects data on the location to confirm concern and Issue is solution. E.G. traffic counts, user behavior, accident history, etc . leave room for evaluated creative solutions. •If funding is available, engineer orders required materials and work effort. Depending on the treatment, this can be done in-house or contracted out. Can take anywhere from several days to several years Solution to complete. ordered
Your Tools You can quickly contact the City of Denver to ask a question or request maintenance, services, and infrastructure improvements anywhere in the city all through one phone call or online. Using 311 guarantees that your request goes to the right department and gets evaluated for a warrant quickly. Some common things we can help with through 311 How to use 311: Request: Call the hotline: weekday and weekend Speeding on your street Submit online: Fill out a request through Traffic sign down Potholes to fill PocketGov.com Graffiti removal Flooding in the right-of-way
Traffic Control Tools to control who has right of way
What are traffic control devices? Markers, signs and signal devices used to inform, guide and control traffic (all modes and users). Generally speaking, these devices assist with mobility and safety by indicating which user has the right of way at any given time and how they are intended to proceed in any given movement. Traffic control devices are not ‘traffic calming’ and should not be used for that purpose.
Traffic Signals What’s the Warrant?* WHAT: T raffic lights alternate the right of way accorded to • Large volume of vehicles users by illuminating lights of standard colors. approaching from one or multiple directions at peak WHEN/WHY: A traffic signal in the right location and hour or all times of day designed correctly can decreases accidents and improves the • Very large numbers of flow of traffic. They are used by PW when large numbers of pedestrians crossing users are moving in multiple directions through an intersection. • Crash history with movements a signal can address + minimum BUDGET: ~$250,000-$600,000. PW has limited line-item volumes budgets for replacing old signals and new signal locations. • To facilitate corridor movement + minimum TIMING: 1-2 years for design & construction. traffic volumes *Not a comprehensive list of all warrants
Crosswalk signals (RRFBs, HAWKs) What’s the Warrant? WHAT: Signals designed to facilitate pedestrian crossing, and generally only affecting vehicular traffic when ‘called’ by a • Crash history involving pedestrian. Includes Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) pedestrians and High-Intensity Activated crossWalK beacon (HAWK) • 20 or more WHEN/WHY: To facilitate a large number of pedestrians or pedestrians crossing in a single hour vulnerable pedestrians to cross a street (mid-block or at an • 300 ft from next intersection) in locations with traffic speeds above 30 mi/hr. controlled crossing Implemented when a full signal is not necessary or warranted. • For RRFB: not more than 2 lanes of traffic BUDGET: ~$150,000-$400,000. PW has a small budget for signals in each direction and may only be able to install 1-2/yr unless other funds can be Identified. TIMING: 6 months-2 years.
What’s the Access Limitations Warrant?* WHAT: Signage and/or on-road barriers preventing particular movements, generally turning movements at • Crash history resulting an intersection. from the specific movement + & WHEN/WHY: In cases where particular movements are alternative routes producing crashes, Public Works may restrict that available movement at certain times of day or permanently. BUDGET: ~$5,000-$15,000. PW has a general budget for signs and markings. TIMING: 1-6 months for study & installation. *Not a comprehensive list of all warrants
Stop Signs/All-Way Stops What’s the Warrant?* WHAT: Sign to notify drivers that they must come to a complete stop and make sure no other road users are coming • At intersections that do not before proceeding. warrant a signal • Turn or broadside crash history WHEN/WHY: Control right of way when an intersection does • Dependent on location of stop not have warrant for a signal. Two way stops are appropriate signs at surrounding when one street has greater flow of traffic. Four way stops are intersections Additional for 4-way: appropriate when flow of traffic is similar in both directions. • Roughly equal traffic volumes Does not address speeding issues. approaching from each direction of travel BUDGET: ~$5,000-$15,000. PW has a general budget for signs • Minimum vehicle volumes • To facilitate pedestrian and markings. crossing at key locations TIMING: 1-6 months for study & installation. *Not a comprehensive list of all warrants
Cut-Through Traffic Control What’s the Warrant? WHAT: Vehicles avoiding congestion on collector or arterial streets by • None. Cut-through traffic utilizing local streets. PW does not utilize any controls to prevent cut- is not an issue addressed through by PW. If safety issues are present as a result of WHEN/WHY: All public streets on the Denver grid are designed for vehicles passing through general use. Additionally, local streets can generally accommodate +3,500 a roadway, those safety vehicles per day. Therefore, PW does not utilize any controls to prevent issues will be addressed. cut-through traffic. If safety issues are present, controls or treatments will be developed to address those issues. PW works to provide the most efficient and safe mobility options *Not a comprehensive list of throughout the city, supporting movement of all modes of transportation. all warrants BUDGET: N/A TIMING: N/A
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