Montbello To Sand Creek Walk Audit Report

Montbello to Sand Creek Walk Audit Report March 30, 2022 Prepared for Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership Prepared and compiled by: Maria Rosa Galter, Walk2Connect Collaborative, and Hannah S Craig, Master of Public Health student at the Colorado School of Public Health In partnership with:

Contents Purpose of Project ......................................................................................................................3 About Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership and Trail .....................................................3 Overview: Montbello....................................................................................................................4 History and Demographics ......................................................................................................4 Location and Proximity to SCRG .............................................................................................5 Walk Audit # 1: Along Peoria to the Sand Creek Regional Greenway–February 16, 2022...........6 Purpose of Walk Audit .............................................................................................................6 Key Findings............................................................................................................................7 Sidewalks and Crosswalks (Sample photos and comments) ................................................7 Safety and Lighting (Sample photos and comments) .........................................................11 Public Transport (Sample photos and comments) ..............................................................13 Wayfinding (Sample photos and comments) ......................................................................15 Access to Greenway (Sample photos and comments) .......................................................16 Summary of Walk Audit #1 ....................................................................................................19 Walk Audit # 2: Along Havana to the Sand Creek Regional Greenway-March 12, 2022............21 Purpose of Walk Audit ...........................................................................................................21 Key Findings..........................................................................................................................21 Sidewalks and Crosswalks (Sample photos and comments) ..............................................22 Safety and Lighting (Sample photos and comments) .........................................................26 Public Transport (Sample photos and comments) ..............................................................27 Wayfinding (Sample photos and comments) ......................................................................27 Access to Greenway (Sample photos and comments) .......................................................28 Summary of Walk Audit #2 ....................................................................................................29 Works Cited ..............................................................................................................................31 Attachments ..............................................................................................................................31 Special Thanks .........................................................................................................................31

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Purpose of Project Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership (SCRGP) contracted the Walk2Connect Collaborative (W2C) to conduct three walk audits to observe and record the current pedestrian experience as residents access the Greenway from Montbello Neighborhood as well as to explore solutions that would make the Greenway a more accessible asset for residents of Montbello.

The purpose of the project aligns with the SCRGP’s commitment to enhance “the equitable access, awareness, and engagement of the Greenway''. Part of the Greenway’s vision is for “all nearby community members [to] safely and comfortably access” this wilderness in the city and its “scenic, natural, historical, cultural, and recreational resources”.

The three walk audits included two community walks and one SCRGP Board Members and partners. The two community walk audits were conducted on February 26 and and on March 12, 2022. The third Board Members and Partners Walk was rescheduled due to low attendance and has not occurred at the writing of this report. Funding for the walk audits and report was generously provided by DOTI’s Office of Community and Business Engagement to the SCRGP.

About Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership and Trail The Sand Creek Regional Greenway is a nearly 13-mile public trail and natural area located in the northeast Denver metro area. Maintained by the cities of Aurora, Denver and Commerce in partnership with the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership (SCRGP), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to protect, maintain and enhance the Sand Creek Regional Greenway. The trail connects nature to neighborhoods and commercial areas across the cities of Denver, Commerce City, and Aurora and is used as both a recreational corridor as well as an alternative transportation route connecting residents along the Greenway to places of work and public transportation. Over the past 22 years SCRGP has raised over $15 million for the Sand Creek Regional Greenway. The organization provides creative programming and education, enhances recreational opportunities, and offers volunteer and stewardship opportunities to broaden engagement. In alignment with the SCRGO vision, this project seeks to build a foundation of community engagement and input to help create equitable access to and greater awareness of the Sand Creek Greenway

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Overview: Montbello History and Demographics According to The Piton Foundation, developers were inspired to name Denver’s new neighborhood with the Italian word "Montbello", meaning "beautiful mountain” due to the amazing views of Longs Peak and Mt. Evans. Annexed in September 1965, the 2,609 acres called for a master land use plan that “addressed mutual obligations in the annexation area”. The annexation of this formerly privately owned land in the far northeast part of Denver, included plans for a mixed use community and provided for public land sites for schools, parks, and other public facilities. Montbello started being developed in 1966, with most growth taking place in the late 1960's and early 1970's. (The adjacent chart shows 2017 data.)

Montbello is home to a diverse group of individuals and families. According to 2017 data, 61.51% of the population identifies as Latino, 22.39% identify as African American, 10.71% identify as non-Latino White, and 0.54% identify as Native American. Nearly 22% of the population are non-English speakers, and almost 30% are foreign born. Youth under 18 years old represent 18.58% of the residents, 18-24 year olds represent 10.78% of the population while 7.09% are 65 years old and older. The majority of the residents are families with children (68.34%) of which 19.06% live in poverty. Over 56% of households earn less than Denver’s median household income of $60,000.

As far as homeownership statistics, The Piton Foundation shows that 61% of housing units are owner-occupied, while 55.84% of renters pay over 30% their income on housing. The residential density of Montbello is higher than the rest of Denver neighborhoods at 38.77%, and there is only access to 6.2 park acres per 1000 residents compared to 549.87 park acres per 1000 residents in the 7 county Denver Metro Region.

Source: The City and County of Denver.

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Location and Proximity to SCRG

Montbello’s boundaries are E 56th Ave to the North, Chambers to the East, I-70 to the South, and Havana St to the West. The SCRG is located approximately a little over 1 mile south of Montbello’s southern boundary. There are three main corridors of access to the SCRG, Peoria St, Havana St, and Chambers. These walk audits focused on community identified routes along Peoria St and Havana St.

The data “heat map” above shows the two routes and offers a high level view of what participants experienced along the route. A red icon indicates something a citizen scientist indicated was “bad for the community” or obstacles and improvement opportunities, green is “good for the community”and indicates a more enjoyable pedestrian experience, orange is both “good” and “bad”, and gray is neutral/no indication. (These maps are included in the full audit reports attached.)

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Walk Audit # 1: Along Peoria to the Sand Creek Regional Greenway–February 16, 2022

Purpose of Walk Audit The purpose of this walk audit was to record the pedestrian experience of Montbello residents as they walk to connect to the Greenway. Special note was made of challenges and also what worked well for pedestrians, people with disabilities or seniors, wheelchair users, strollers, and bicyclists. Because the Greenway is also used as a commuter corridor, multi-modal transportation infrastructure was also noted.

Fourteen (14) Montbello residents and Greenway users met on Saturday, February 16 at 9 AM at the McDonalds’ parking lot at 4475 Peoria St, Denver and walked south on Peoria to MLK Jr Blvd in order to assess the walking experience and access to the SCRG. This route began in the City of Denver and went through the City of Aurora at the Smith Rd boundary. The route continued through the City of Aurora and rejoined the City of Denver at the new Sand Creek connector trail west of Peoria on MLK Blvd. The Peoria route connects more of Montbello’s residential areas to the SCRG. In partnership with Montbello Walks and Stanford University, participants were trained on using the Discovery Tool Our Voice app to record impressions and observations as they walked the route. The extensive report from the Discovery Tool is attached to this report.

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Key Findings The following findings are representative of the main themes, observations, photos, and comments found in the Sand Creek Greenway Access and Use Report (attached). The main themes include: sidewalks and crosswalks, safety and lighting, public transport infrastructure, wayfinding, and access to the Greenway.

In general, the sidewalk experience was varied. Many positive observations include wide, protected sidewalks along Peoria, new crosswalks and crosswalk lights, and trees along the sidewalks near the correctional facilities. Concerns included ice and snow on the sidewalks, narrow and unprotected sidewalks, some garbage, dangerous driveways, and steep inclines along the Peoria Bridge. Most of the safety concerns arose from fast timers on the pedestrian lights, snow and ice on the sidewalks, garbage, graffiti, and broken lights. Two main obstacles stand out: ● The Peoria Bridge. The steepness of the grade of the Peoria Bridge acts as a man-made barrier for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and bicyclists to access both the Sand Creek as well as the RTD station. ● The narrow sidewalk on Peoria as you approach the Sand Creek. The most dangerous part of the route was approaching the Sand Creek while walking along a very narrow sidewalk on the west side of Peoria. One can see the Sand Creek trail below, but one can’t access the trail without walking on this very narrow and dangerous sidewalk. A “desire trail” exists before this sidewalk narrows on Peoria, on the northwest corner of the green space before reaching the Sand Creek. The desire trail connects to a dirt trail on the north side of the creek.

Sidewalks and Crosswalks (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: South of I-70 along Peoria, crossing off ramp

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Photo Location: Along Peoria just south of the McDonalds

Photo Location: Just south of McDonalds along Peoria

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Photo Location: Just south of I-70 along Peoria across E 39th

Photo Location: Walking south up the Peoria bridge

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Photo Location: Walking south on the west side of Peoria approaching the Sand Creek

Photo Location: As above, approaching the Greenway

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Safety and Lighting (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: Walking along the underpass under I-70

Photo Location: Along the Peoria bridge

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Photo Location: Crossing Peoria at 39th St.

Photo Location: E 37th Ave and Peoria

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Public Transport (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: On the Peoria bridge approaching pedestrian access to the RTD station

Photo Location: Walking north on Peoria on the east side of the bridge

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Photo Location: Walking north on Peoria on the east side of the bridge

Photo Location: Walking south on Peoria on the east side as you approach the bridge

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Wayfinding (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: Walking south on Peoria on the east side as you approach the bridge

Photo Location: Walking south on the west side of Peoria approaching the Sand Creek

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Photo Location: Walking south on the west side of Peoria approaching the Sand Creek

Access to Greenway (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: Walking south on the west side of Peoria approaching the Sand Creek

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Photo Location: Walking south on the west side of Peoria approaching the Sand Creek

Photo Location: As above

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Photo Location: Southbound on Peoria looking down on the SCRG trail

Photo Location: On the new SCRG connecting trail

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Photo Location: On the Sand Creek Regional Greenway

Summary of Walk Audit #1 While many walk participants expressed a desire to access SCRG by foot, the walk audit experience revealed that the route was challenging. Many improvements are recommended in order for residents to feel safe and comfortable walking, rolling, or biking to access the trails.

The feature that creates the greatest challenge and currently acts as a physical barrier is the Peoria bridge. Because of its steep grade, most walkers, wheelchair users, and bicyclists are likely to avoid walking south on Peoria past I-70. Most of the sidewalks were in good shape, especially the new ones north on Peoria. However, many needed plowing and there were some unprotected and narrow sidewalks and other sidewalks in need of repair. Most notably, the sidewalk just north of the Sand Creek access was extremely narrow and dangerous. Creating a trail access north of this sidewalk would avoid making that dangerous trek.

Most crosswalks were easy to navigate with the exception of a few short lights. Increasing the timing of some of the pedestrian lights would alleviate the anxiety experienced by the walkers.

During the walk many individuals were observed using RTD bus stops. Most bus stops did not have shelters or benches. There were many recommendations for new wayfinding and interpretive signs for the SCRG but also clarifying existing signage to the RTD station. The new trees planted and art installations south of Smith Road created a pleasant pedestrian experience. Participants also recommended more benches to sit and enjoy nature once on the SCRG. Recommendations: ●

Peoria bridge: Create pedestrian and wheelchair access across the RTD rail lines similar to what exists on Havana (see photo below). This would allow pedestrians and

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wheelchair users to more easily navigate moving south to access the Greenway and access to the RTD station would be more convenient.

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Sidewalks and crosswalks: Ensure snow and ice removal from sidewalks, repair broken sidewalks, and increase the timing of some of the lights at crosswalks.

Public Transport: Instal benches and shelters at bus stops.

Wayfinding: Install wayfinding signs indicating location of and distance to the Greenway; install interpretive signs along the Greenway and include information on First Peoples.

Access to the Greenway: Install a trail and signage to the SCRG at the location indicated in yellow in the image below; this would avoid needing to use the dangerous, narrow sidewalk directly to the south of this location. Install more benches along the Greenway.

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Walk Audit # 2: Along Havana to the Sand Creek Regional Greenway-March 12, 2022

Purpose of Walk Audit The purpose of this walk audit was to record and explore what it might be like for multi-modal commuters or students to use the SCRG to connect to this highly commercial use area of Montbello. Special note was made of what worked well and challenges faced by multi-modal commuters, pedestrians, people with disabilities or seniors, wheelchair users, strollers, and bicyclists.

Seven (7) Montbello residents and Greenway users met on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 9 AM at the Lincoln College of Technology, 11194 E 45th Ave, Denver, CO 80239 and walked west on E 45th Ave to Havana. At Havana, the group walked southbound on Havana to Florence Way across from Bluff Lake Nature Center to access the SCRG. This whole route is in the City of Denver.

In partnership with Montbello Walks and Stanford University, participants were trained on using the Discovery Tool Our Voice app to record impressions and observations as they walked the route. The extensive report from the Discovery Tool is attached to this report.

Key Findings The following findings are representative of the main themes, observations, photos, and comments found in the Sand Creek Greenway Access and Use-Havana (attached). Like in the Montbello to Sand Creek Regional Greenway Walk Audit Report

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previous audit, the main themes observed include: sidewalks and crosswalks, safety and lighting, public transport infrastructure, wayfinding, and access to the Greenway.

In general, pedestrian or cycling infrastructure along E45th Ave is lacking. Most sidewalks are narrow, deteriorated, and there are no marked crosswalks except at the intersection with Havana. Southbound along Havana, many of the marked crosswalks lacked pedestrian lights.

Some highlights of well designed sidewalks include the sidewalks next to the correctional facilities.

Most notable were: ● Many sidewalks to “nowhere” creating confusion for pedestrians ● Lack of pedestrian lights at many crosswalks along Havana ● Abrupt end to the sidewalk leading to Bluff Lake on the east side of Havana forcing pedestrians to cross a busy and narrow 2 lane highway without a marked crosswalk or pedestrian light. At the other side of the highway a “desire trail” indicates that pedestrians and cyclist regularly use this route to cross and connect with the trail system. ● Bluff Lake is designing a new entry way on the east side of Havana which will allow for pedestrians to easily access the Bluff Lake trail system. Participants had good suggestions on adding benches at the new entryway.

Sidewalks and Crosswalks (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: Along E 45th Ave

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Photo Location: Walking westbound on E 45th St.

Photo Location: Havana St. and I-70 off ramp

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Photo Location: Southbound on Havana at the I-70 off ramp

Photo Location: Havana and I-70 off ramp

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Photo Location: Across from Denver Women’s Correctional Facility

Photo Location: Southbound on Havana

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Photo Location: Northbound on Havana in front of the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility

Safety and Lighting (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: I-70 underpass

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Public Transport (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: Northbound on Havana south of Smith Rd

Wayfinding (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: Southbound on Havana just before getting to Bluff Lake

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Access to Greenway (Sample photos and comments) Photo Location: Southbound on Havana just before getting to Bluff Lake

Photo Location: Southbound on Havana just before getting to Bluff Lake

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Photo Location: Crossing over the SCRG across from Bluff Lake

Summary of Walk Audit #2 While the majority of the walk from Lincoln College of Technology to the Sand Creek was along wide and protected sidewalks with clear crosswalks, challenges were encountered along E 45th Ave and south on Havana as we approached the Greenway. Along E 45th Ave, these challenges included: deteriorating sidewalks making travel difficult for wheelchair users; lack of marked crosswalks; and sidewalks to “nowhere”. Along Havana, challenges include: crosswalks without pedestrian lights; sidewalks to “nowhere”; bus stops lacking shelters and/or benches; and high speed traffic.

Recommendations: ● ●

Sidewalks and crosswalks along E 45th Ave: Repair deteriorating sidewalks; design pedestrian, wheelchair, and bicycle friendly infrastructure including marked crosswalks Sidewalks and crosswalks along Havana: Install pedestrian lights at crosswalks, especially the on and off ramps to I-70; fix sidewalks to “nowhere” (see images below)

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Public Transportation: Ensure all bus stops have shelters and benches Wayfinding: Install wayfinding signs indicating location of and distance to the Greenway; install interpretive signs; install welcome signs indicating arrival at the Greenway Access to the Greenway: Create a clearly marked crosswalk with pedestrian light at the point where the sidewalk ends (see image below); clearly mark access to Greenway; explore “desire trail” shortcut and if a new access point is needed and/or indicate access with signage (current desire trail is causing erosion); work with Bluff Lake Nature Center to integrate proposed new entrance to Bluff Lake; install more benches along Greenway

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Works Cited Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership. https://sandcreekgreenway.org/about/ Shift Research Lab, The Piton Foundation. https://denvermetrodata.org/neighborhood/montbello

Attachments Community Walk Audit Report-Sand Creek Regional Greenway Walk 1 Community Walk Audit Report-Sand Creek Regional Greenway Walk 2

Special Thanks City of Denver, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Hannah S Craig, Master of Public Health student at the Colorado School of Public Health Mo Fair, Executive Director, Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership Maria Rosa Galter, Wild Wisdom Consulting & Walk2Connect Collaborative Pam Jiner, Founder, Montbello Walks Stanford University for Discovery Tool Our Voices use and support

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