FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KOAA) — The City of Fountain is developing its first-ever transportation Safety Action Plan, a data-driven initiative to eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes on city roadways.
In 2024, Fountain was awarded a Safe Streets for All grant to fund the plan's development. The effort is rooted in the city's "Vision Zero" goal, a framework built on the belief that traffic collisions are preventable and that even one loss of life is too many.
For residents like Fran Carrick, the need for action is personal.
"Every time I back out of my garage, I have my heart in my hand, because I travel that road a lot," said Carrick.
Carrick is referring to Highway 16, a corridor that has seen more than 100 people injured between 2020 and 2024, making it the top concern in the city's traffic safety plan.
"Speed seems to be a real factor," said Carrick. “Something definitely needs to be addressed.”
The city says it is prioritizing areas with high crash concentrations as well as locations where residents report feeling unsafe. Officials have identified 13 areas where crashes most frequently occur.
Nine of those intersections are maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
"We ask for their guidance on some of the intersections that we are demonstrating are unsafe," says Abha Dwivedy, the city’s Deputy Engineer.
The Safety Action Plan will be developed through a comprehensive process that includes the following:
- analyzing crash data to understand where, why and how crashes occur
- conducting road safety audits
- gathering stakeholder and public input
- identifying countermeasures for priority locations
The plan will also produce a toolkit of best practices, a prioritized list of projects and recommendations for improving safety beyond infrastructure solutions.
When complete, the plan will position Fountain to apply for implementation grant funding to make physical improvements to its roadways.
"When we get the grant funding, we will be using those funds towards our roadways," says Dwivedy. "Step two is the implementation grant. Step one is to complete a safety action plan.”
Planned improvements include the following:
- upgraded traffic signals
- high-visibility crosswalks
- reflective signage at intersections
However, any grant money the city receives can only be spent on roads under Fountain's jurisdiction.
The Safety Action Plan can also be shared with CDOT to inform improvements on state-maintained roads, though any changes on those corridors would be at CDOT's discretion.
“We can hand this safety action plan to CDOT to then further implement those unsafe intersections," says Dwivedy.
CDOT has already begun making changes at the city's most dangerous intersection, Highway 16 and Fountain Mesa Road, where 62 people were injured over a five-year span.
"I would like to have those on CDOT addressed promptly," said Carrick.
Recommendations from the Safety Action Plan are scheduled to be presented to the Fountain City Council for approval on March 17.
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