Progress Now Action

Issue: Bike connections within the Stapleton development

Overview
The Stapleton development was conceived as a pedestrian, bike, and transit-friendly community in which residents can enjoy a variety of commercial and civic amenities without getting in their cars. We would like to maintain that ideal and keep the development connected north and south, not divided in half by I-70. Many residents and their children will be moving back and forth across I-70 to get to Central Park to play Soccer, to access the high school that will be north of I-70, to access the Fastracks rail station that will be south of I-70 and visit the many stores (movies, bookstores, etc.) on both sides of I-70. We believe that to ensure safety, maintain smooth traffic flow and encourage bike/pedestrian travel it is critical that there be safe bike access within Stapleton and across I-70.

Background
Crossing I-70
There are three proposed ways for cyclists to get across I-70. One route, already nearly completed, connects the Sand Creek Trail to a protected bike and pedestrian lane on the bridge from Quebec to the Northfield shopping district with only one signalized traffic crossing on the off-ramp from I-270 on the approach to the bridge. This is a nice facility for recreational cyclists, but is not a complete solution, because the Sand Creek Trail is unpaved and unplowed, which means that road bikes will be unable to use the route and it will be unpassable on snowy and muddy days. Also, even signalized crossings are hazardous for cyclists, who often travel beneath the radar of right-turning vehicles, which are even less likely to heed cyclists as they come off an interchange. A second proposal is to place bike lanes on Central Park Boulevard at the I-70 crossing. This may look good enough on paper, but for practical purposes, this option is not safe or acceptable. Central Park Boulevard will likely become an I-70 interchange, and crossing a highway interchange on a bicycle (bike lanes or no bike lanes) is a daring undertaking at best. A third option that has recently come to our attention is the old cargo bridge just west of Central Park Boulevard at I-70. Until I-70 is expanded (probably 5-10 years), this bridge can be reserved for bike and pedestrian use.

Getting to the rail station
A commuter rail station at Central Park Boulevard and Smith Road is included in the Fastracks plan for a rail connection between downtown and DIA along the I-70 East Corridor. (Click here to see map of Fastracks plan.) This station will be conveniently located adjacent to the Sand Creek Greenway, which will soon connect to the network of paved trails in South Stapleton. With optimized bike access, residents in that area could theoretically ride to the rail station almost entirely on serene, beautiful off-street trails. Officials at Sand Creek Greenway support the development of this connection between the rail station and parks and welcome community support toward this goal.

Preparing for I-70 expansion and Fastracks
All the agencies involved in considering improvements to I-70 are in the process of drafting an environmental impact statement. Through this process, decisions are made, such as whether to add traffic lanes, create toll lanes, where to place light rail or commuter rail tracks and stations, and where to place pedestrian and bike facilities. Many possibilities are considered and eliminated, and at each step in the process, the I-70 project invites and considers community input at large public meetings.

What you can do
- Sign our petition. Then forward the link to friends and neighbors.
- Join our email list. Send an email to carolfriesen@comcast.net. We'll keep you posted as this issue develops.
- Fill out an online form. Tell the I-70 East Corridor EIS that you support the above mentioned enhancements to the Stapleton infrastructure at I-70.
- Join Bike Denver by sending an email to info@bikedenver.org. The more members Bike Denver has, the more effectively it can advocate for biking improvements in Stapleton and throughout Denver.
- Join the Bike and Pedestrian Working Group for the I-70 East Corridor EIS.
(Note: The link to join a working group is near the bottom of the page)
- BLOG! Share your ideas about bicycle facilities so that we may speak at public forums with the full voice of the community.

Steps we are pursuing
- The board of Stapleton United Neighbors has unanimously adopted a board resolution supporting a non-interchange bike and pedestrian crossing of I-70.
- We are meeting with officials at Stapleton Development Corp. and Forest City to advocate reserving the cargo bridge across I-70 just west of Central Park Boulevard for bike and pedestrian use.
- We are monitoring transportation developments at many public forums, including the I-70 East Corridor EIS, the Denver Strategic Transportation Plan, and the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee.