COLORADO SPRINGS — Cement barriers placed along West Colorado Avenue are getting the attention of drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. City traffic planners say they are part of testing a traffic and pedestrian route redesign, and getting noticed is the point.
Colorado Avenue is one of the busier roads on Colorado Springs' Westside. Luke Christian uses Colorado Avenue nearly every day. He walks some days and rides his bike most. He has been adjusting to the realignment of lanes, parking adjustments, and pedestrian crossings the city is trying out to slow traffic and improve safety.
"I have noticed the changes," Christian said.
He endorses the need for more pedestrian crossings between 8th and 21st Streets. Only he is not sure of the purpose served by the cement barriers at three newly added crossings.
"It reduces their crossing to be a lane at a time rather than 4 lanes all at once," said Ryan Phipps, Colorado Springs capital improvements manager.
When a pedestrian steps off the sidewalk, there is a safety zone behind a barricade, then another marked safe zone in the center of the street, and then another with a barricade on the other side before they get onto the next sidewalk.
Studies show drivers slow down at squeeze points. There is also added signage at these crossings with a button to signal flashing lights. That button push is also a data point for traffic planners tracking the effectiveness of this redesign.
"The signs have the ability to tell us how often they're being used. If they're being well utilized, they can become permanent. If they're not being well utilized, then maybe they don't stick around," Phipps said.
Christian likes the added safety option when he is on foot but thinks a design tweak is needed when he is on his bike.
"You have barriers like this in the way on the street, so you have to go around, you gotta make sure, you know, a car's not flying through here," Christian said.
The current barriers are part of a test. If it does not work, they will go away. If it does work, the city will put in a more permanent curb that is lower to the ground.
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