Safer Streets Littleton

Littleton's Public Works team installed numerous pilot projects geared toward bike and pedestrian safety in summer 2024, allowing them to test methods and materials for wider implementation going forward as part of the Safer Streets Littleton campaign. Pilot projects include:

• Four trail-crossing improvements identified by the 2023 Littleton Linkages trail study, on the borders of Cornerstone, Ketring, Powers, and Sterne Parks. Crossings feature new crosswalks and "bulb-out" areas, which extend the curb at an intersection to shorten the crossing distance and improve visibility for pedestrians.
• Four lane-miles of protected bike lanes along Belleview Avenue, Windermere Street, Pennsylvania Street, and Phillips Avenue. These are the first protected bike lanes in Littleton, adding physical barriers between riders and traffic – a step up from “buffered” bike lanes which demarcate a wide area between traffic lanes and bike lanes. These projects allow planners and engineers to test different types of barriers and how they impact not just rider safety but maintenance needs like street sweeping, snowplowing, and drainage.
• Reevaluation of pilot projects installed in 2023, including trail crossings, bikeway, and intersection enhancements. Existing projects will see further improvements based on data collection over the previous year, including stronger traffic calming measures in areas where speeding remains an issue.
• Pedestrian improvements in the area surrounding Euclid Middle School, including new crosswalks, bulb-outs, and signage upgrades.

Take the Safer Streets Pilot Project Survey

Vertical Protection 

• Delineator: A flexible, plastic post that is between 2 to 4ft tall and bolted into the roadway or on top of a c-curb to provide a clear visual signal to drivers that a space is not meant for vehicles. Also called flex post or plastic bollard. 
• C-Curb: A durable, plastic curb that is raised on both sides and is bolted to the road. These are typically installed with delineators on top of them. 

Slow Speeds

• Bulb-out: Delineators and c-curb are used to extend the corner of the curb at an intersection out into the street and shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians while reducing vehicle turning speeds. 
• Chicane: A combination of two or more alternating bulb-outs placed mid-block to slow vehicle speeds by narrowing and realigning the roadway. 
• Pinch-point: Delineators and c-curb are used mid-block to extend the curb space and narrow the roadway to slow down vehicle traffic and provide a safer crossing on low-volume streets. 

Bicycle Facilities 

• Buffered bike lane: A conventional bike lane but with extra buffer space, often painted with diagonal lines, between the bike lane and the car lanes, providing more distance and safety for bicyclists. 
• Protected bike lane: A buffered bike lane that now has vertical protection installed in the buffer zone between the vehicle lane and the bike lane to signal to drivers.

Safe Pedestrian Crossings 

• Advanced pedestrian signs: Traffic signs are placed before crosswalks or pedestrian areas like school zones to alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians and encourage them to slow down and yield. 
• In-street crossing signs: Pedestrian traffic signs that are placed within the roadway at a crosswalk to increase driver awareness and visibility of pedestrians, often helping to slow traffic through crosswalks. 

Additional Strategies 

• Daylighting: Delineators and c-curb are used to restrict drivers from parking at intersections and adjacent to crosswalks to provide visibility for crossing pedestrians. - Short-term striping: Low-cost paint is used that fades in about 9 to 12 months. 

Why does the City install these treatments using white plastic posts? 

• Installing white plastic posts, or delineators, is a relatively quick and low-cost process. Posts can be installed and maintained by City staff, as well as temporarily removed if necessary due to emergencies, heavy snow, or other conditions. Just like a sewist would create a practice garment with a cheaper fabric to see how it fits and make adjustments before using expensive fabric, the city is first using low-cost, quick-to-install materials to test and refine the design and materials before seeking to make them permanent.

Existing traffic calming measures in Littleton are undergoing an evaluation, as the city’s planners and engineers look to optimize safety for all users.

Littleton’s public works team contracted with David Evans and Associates to conduct a citywide analysis of traffic calming devices installed over the last several decades and make recommendations for the future.

The Littleton Traffic Calming Measures Evaluation will include:  

• Data analysis regarding current speed limits, traffic volume, crash history, and speed data, to identify areas with higher crash rates and disparities between posted speed limits and observed speeds.  
• Assessment of existing infrastructure, including the effectiveness of Littleton’s current variety of traffic circles, speed humps, raised crossings, and other devices including those planned for pilot projects.  

The assessment will guide the creation of best practices for traffic calming measures, and recommendations for potential future traffic calming locations around the city. The findings will be incorporated into the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program to help guide future resident-driven infrastructure improvements.

Littleton’s Public Works planners and engineers are working with Littleton Public Schools and members of the public to make walking and biking to school safer, following the findings of the groundbreaking School Zone Safety Evaluation completed this year.

Part of the Safer Streets Littleton initiative, the evaluation conducted by Y2K Engineering focuses on ensuring that all students can commute safely between home and school. By aligning with national best practices and adopted regulations, this evaluation seeks to establish consistent, safe environments across school zones in Littleton.

This School Zone Safety Evaluation is being conducted alongside a citywide traffic calming evaluation aimed at fostering safer speeds and enhancing roadway safety. The coordination between these two projects ensures safety improvements are holistic, and the city’s infrastructure is consistent with national best practices and evolving standards.

Last spring, evaluators from Y2K and city staff conducted site visits at each of 12 schools within the city limits during pick-up and drop-off times. Observers documented traffic patterns, pedestrian and bicyclist activity, and the overall environment around schools to assess behaviors and safety concerns.

A School Safety Summit in June brought together school staff, school district representatives, city staff, and the project team. During the summit, key findings were shared, and attendees provided their feedback and perspective.

Throughout the summer, the project team developed detailed safety recommendations based on the collected data, field observations, local feedback, and national best practices. Immediate improvements included recommendations for crosswalk locations, school zone flasher placements, and enhanced school signage to increase visibility and awareness.

Longer-term recommendations were documented with the goal of improving safety and circulation patterns around the schools.

Long term recommendations include:

• Reducing turning conflicts by revising traffic circulation patterns.
• Providing buffers between bike lanes and vehicle lanes.
• Installing wider sidewalks in some locations.
• Increasing signals at certain crossings.
• Encouraging carpooling, bussing, walking, and biking.
• Increasing crossing guard presence.

Standardized treatments were also developed for school zone signage and crosswalks to ensure consistency across all schools.

Littleton city officials will move forward on implementing the evaluation’s findings after communicating the evaluation to the public, city council, the Littleton Public Schools Board of Education, and other key groups.

Officers from the Littleton Police Department are stepping up traffic enforcement in school zones.

In February alone, LPD officers made nearly 90 traffic stops around schools, issuing dozens of tickets for speeding, disobeying traffic signals, and other infractions. Officers will maintain an increased presence around schools throughout the school year.

It is the responsibility of all drivers to help ensure the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians.

As part of the Safer Streets Littleton initiative, 20 new crosswalks were striped near eight schools within the City of Littleton:  

• Centennial Academy of Fine Arts: 2  
• Damon Runyon Elementary School: 1  
• Euclid Middle School: 4  
• Goddard Middle School: 4  
• Little Raven Elementary School: 2  
• Littleton Preparatory Charter School: 1  
• Powell Middle School: 4  
• St. Mary’s Catholic School: 2  

These new crosswalks will promote safer crossings for students walking, biking, and rolling to school.

Littleton’s Public Works team installed 10 speed feedback signs at strategic locations around the city, in an effort to encourage safe driving and gather data for further bike and pedestrian safety projects.

The signs use radar and digital displays to notify drivers of their speed, which studies have shown is effective in reducing speeding and crashes. The signs also gather data about traffic volume and driver speeds. 

Crews installed signs along Elati Street, Windermere Street, and Powers Avenue, with most locations selected because of their proximity to school zones.

The data gathered by the signs will help inform “corridor studies” on Elati Street, Windermere Street, and Powers Avenue. Corridor studies examine a stretch of road holistically, helping planners and engineers understand needs for bike and pedestrian safety, traffic calming, parking, accessibility, and more. Existing signs may be moved periodically for future corridor studies.  

Littleton's Public Works team has filled two new staff positions to help guide implementation of the Safer Streets Littleton slate of pedestrian and bicyclist safety efforts. 

Emily Kleinfelter, who currently serves as the Regional Vision Zero Planner for the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), will join Littleton as a transportation planner focused on developing infrastructure to protect bicyclists and pedestrians. 

"I'm passionate about transforming Littleton's transportation system to prioritize people first, by providing safe and connected opportunities for people walking, rolling, or biking," Kleinfelter said. "My hope is to continue to connect the city's bicycle network with more protected infrastructure, especially at high-risk intersections, and continue to improve the pedestrian environment by installing more raised pedestrian crossings, curb bulb-outs, and sidewalks."

Kyle Morris, who currently serves as a development services manager in the public works department, will serve as a transportation engineer focused on implementing and installing safety projects and traffic calming devices. 

"My new role as a transportation engineer allows me to pursue my passions as an engineer and make a positive impact in my community," Morris said. "In my new role I hope to continue the city's progress in providing safe and equitable transportation solutions for all modes of travel."

Aaron Heumann, Littleton's transportation engineering manager, said Kleinfelter and Morris will allow the public works team to step up their progress.  

"Emily brings a regional perspective and a passion for mobility and safety that we’re trying to bring to all of Littleton," Heumann said. "Kyle has already demonstrated his project management ability, and he will help elevate our team to a new level."

City crews installed hundreds of signs designating School Route corridors across Littleton in summer 2024. School Route wayfinding signage helps students walk or bike to school via routes determined to offer the best sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian crossings, and visibility.  

The City of Littleton began collaborating with Littleton Public Schools to update School Route wayfinding in 2019, but faced delays in obtaining grant funding to complete the project.  

With grant funding now available, the city is on track to complete installation of more than 800 signs in nearly 500 locations on just over 76 miles of school routes.

Families in Littleton Public Schools can map out walking and biking routes to school with the Littleton School Route Planner, a new online tool.

Thanks to a collaboration between the City of Littleton and Littleton Public Schools, families can use the mapping software to view their location, filter by school, and plan routes.

Users can also report barriers or problems in the public right-of-way that make walking or biking to school more difficult. Reports will be entered into the City of Littleton's Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program to be evaluated by city planners and engineers.

Click here to use the Littleton School Route Planner.