ATAT November newsletter 2021
Greetings from the Wheat Ridge Active Transportation Advisory Team!
We’ve been a little quiet over the course of the pandemic, but have been busy planning events and supporting initiatives to make walking and biking safer in Wheat Ridge. We wanted to getin touch to let you know about what we’ve been up to, some upcoming events and opportunities, and how to get involved moving forward.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to wratat@gmail.com if you’re interested in getting more involved! And be sure to follow us on social media to hear about upcoming events and opportunities: Facebook | Instagram.
See you on the street!
- the ATATs
UPCOMING EVENTS
Cycletrooper at Wheat Ridge Holiday Celebration: December 4th, 4-8pm - Green on 38th (7101 W 38th Ave) Join us at LocalWorks’ holiday celebration at the Green on 38th. We’ll have the Cycletrooper (pedicab) to give rides on, stickers, and extra bike lights to hand out.
Holiday Lights Ride: Thursday, December 16th at 6pm - Meet at the Green on 38th (7101 W 38th Ave) Ride with us to view Wheat Ridge’s best holiday lights, and join us for a drink afterwards. Sign up on Facebook for more details. [need to make page and link]
UPDATES AND ADVOCACY PRIORITIES
New website, and stickers! We’ve re-launched our site - https://www.wratat.org/ - and have ordered some new stickers. Drop us a note (wratat@gmail.com) if you’d like a few to decorate your bike or share with friends and family.
Let’s Talk Wheat Ridge: The City has been undertaking listening sessions and other engagements with each neighborhood in Wheat Ridge to identify resident concerns and priorities, and craft action plans. See below for a quick round-up on the status of these efforts, and relevant active transportation updates:
Happening now: Fruitdale and Anderson Park: These efforts are getting underway now: take the survey and sign up to stay involved - and don’t forget to highlight any active transportation concerns and priorities you have!
Already complete: East Wheat Ridge, Leppla Manor, Applewood, and Bel Aire. The City’s work plan based on what they heard includes lots of great active transportation priorities, like “Improve 38th Avenue between Kipling and Youngfield Streets for Walking and Biking”, "Improve 35th Avenue for walking and biking", “Increase Resources for Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP)”, “Improve Otis Street Clear Creek Trail Access”, and more!
Let’s Talk Wheat Ridge neighborhoods
Wadsworth Improvement Project: The City is breaking ground on a multi-year project on Wadsworth Blvd between I-70 and 35th Ave that will add important multimodal improvements to the corridor (click link for more detail). The project plans call for pedestrian and bicycle access along the corridor throughout construction - please let us know if you’re encountering closed sidewalks or other difficulties navigating the area to ensure that everyone can stay safe during this time!
Harlan Street bike lanes: After some neighbors organized to address speeding and safety on Harlan, the City is pursuing adding bike lanes and shared lane markings between 32nd and 38th. We supported this effort this summer, as adding bike lanes will not only improve safety for people on bikes, but will also effectively narrow lanes which encourages drivers to slow down. The proposed improvements are slated to go before City Council in spring or summer of 2022.
Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP): This is a city program to help address neighborhood traffic concerns, and can lead to installation of traffic calming measures like those seen on Teller Street, 41st Ave, and Parfet. This year, the program’s budget was increased from $24,000 to $100,000. Click here to learn more, and reach out if there’s a neighborhood street where you have traffic concerns to chat more.
City grant applications: In early 2021, the ATATs provided a letter of support for the City of Wheat Ridge's grant application to the Colorado Health Foundation's Capital Infrastructure-Intergenerational/Family Physical Activity funding program. The awarded grant of $35,000 will go towards improvements and play area additions at Anderson Park, including improved access to the play area. The City hopes to have a final design in spring 2022 with the improvement work occurring throughout 2022.
Winter is coming: don’t forget to shovel! ❄️⛄The snow is almost here, and with that, we want to make sure we’re addressing the needs for all levels of ability and mobility. We’ve noticed some sidewalks in commercial areas and along busy streets that don’t get shoveled and end up with treacherous icy patches in the winter months. In Wheat Ridge, the owner, occupant or tenant of any building, property or lot is required to clear walkways within 24 hours of snowfall equaling 2 inches or more. Don’t forget to shovel your own sidewalk if you have one, and maybe give a gentle reminder or help to those who have forgotten to make sure that everyone of every ability level can move about safely.
