Downtown Alternative Route Study

Located east of I-25 corridor in northeastern Colorado, the Town of Windsor has a population of approaching 40,000 and offers a wide variety of employment, shopping, dining and entertainment options for its residents. Windsor’s historic downtown is bisected by two state highways: State Hwy. 392 running east-west along Main Street, and State Hwy. 257 running primarily north-south with an east-west segment between 7^th Street and Hollister Lake Road along Main Street.

As state highways, these two routes provide important access in and out of town for community members, but they also carry commuter traffic and regional truck traffic through downtown – both local deliveries and through-trips with origins and destinations outside of Windsor. The downtown truck traffic has long been a source of community concerns related to traffic operations, noise and emissions, and pedestrian safety.

The Downtown Alternate Route Study was intended to provide the Town with a plan for reducing the impacts of commuter and truck traffic through downtown.

Study Goals

Having a safe and comfortable Main Street while still allowing for the needed movement of freight through Windsor is vital to the Town’s continued vibrancy. This study seeks to achieve that by developing recommendations for both downtown multimodal improvements and an alternate route. The Downtown Alternate Route Study will:

Build off of previous traffic analyses to better understand the magnitude and patterns of commuter and truck traffic in and around downtown
Engage community members, partner agencies, the Town Board, and other stakeholders through community events, surveys, and meetings
Evaluate conditions for all modes of travel through downtown Windsor and identify recommended improvements for enhancing access, efficiency, and safety
Evaluate possible alternate routes in Windsor and recommend a preferred alternate routes

Potential improvements to downtown and potential alternate routes are being evaluated using a set of criteria established collaboratively with project stakeholders.

Timeline

The study began in June 2022 and will continue through March 2023, and includes two rounds of community outreach. The first, in late August 2022, was focused on gathering input on how people use Main Street, what issues or opportunities they see related to downtown mobility, and perceptions related to commuter and truck traffic. Public input was gathered at the Windsor Farmer’s Market. Additionally, data was collected at different major intersections around town to determine traffic patterns. Data was collected based on five criteria: turning movements, peak hour count, 24-hour count, vehicle classification, and vehicle origin and destination. In January 2023, the analyzed data and findings were presented to the Town Board for consideration. The second round of public engagement will be focused on sharing analysis results and improvement recommendations for downtown, including alternative traffic routing concepts for review.

Study Conclusion

Windsor’s Historic Downtown is bisected by two state highways: State Highway 392 and State Highway 257. They provide important access in and out of town, but they also carry commuter traffic and regional truck traffic through downtown. This has long been a source of community concerns related to traffic operations and pedestrian safety; a safe and inviting Main Street which allows truck traffic to travel though Windsor’s downtown.

The Downtown Alternative Route Study was conducted to better understand Main Street traffic patterns and to identify future solutions for improving safety, managing traffic and maintaining downtown vitality. Traffic data and input from the community were considered and findings and recommendations were presented to the Town Board for consideration in January 2023.

Following the downtown traffic analysis, the total estimated potential for rerouting trips from Main St. is up to 725 vehicles per day – less than 5% of the average daily total of over 16,000 vehicles per day. The town will focus on its efforts on the realignment of Weld County Rd. 70 to alleviate potential congestion and improve pedestrian safety on Main St., but this amount of diversion will not substantially reduce traffic operations, so an alternative route isn’t warranted due to lack of east-west route options. The town will continue to identify ways in which to improve conditions to create a more fluid multimodal system for Main St. in the future.

Key Observations & Conclusions

Traffic data was collected in the fall of 2022, including intersection turning counts, daily traffic counts, and travel patterns. Key observations included:

Main Street is the busiest east-west street with over 16,000 vehicles per day
The busiest travel pattern is along Main Street between 11^th Street and 4^th Street
Most signalized intersections operate at acceptable levels of service

The observed traffic volumes were also used estimate future traffic volumes. Analysis of this data, as well as a review of current conditions for all users of Main Street, resulted in the following key conclusions:

Main Street congestion will increase in the future as vehicle volumes grow
Pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to and through downtown is limited
Trucks cannot be entirely eliminated from downtown due to state law and access needs for local businesses

Community outreach was conducted to understand how people use Main Street and what issues or opportunities they see related to downtown mobility. In August 2022, project team members gathered input at the Windsor Farmer’s Market. A survey taken by 245 people resulted in the following findings:

Driving through downtown is the primary way that survey participants use Main Street
Downtown congestion and pedestrian safety are major concerns
Survey participants favor restricted truck access and intersection improvements

Frequently Asked Questions

How will potential truck routes be evaluated?

Evaluation criteria will be determined with the stakeholder group. Possible factors include route distance, travel time, proximity to sensitive land uses, and roadway characteristics.

Are new traffic counts being collected for the study?

Yes, there is a data collection task. Counts that include vehicle volume, speed, and classification will be collected at numerous intersections and mid-block locations in and around downtown. Origin/destination data will also be collected.

What improvements might be considered for Main Street?

Possible improvements that will be evaluated could include raised medians, enhanced pedestrian crossings, driveway/cross street access modifications, and intersection control modifications.