Peoria Street Multimodal Improvements
Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) has designed improvements Peoria Street to add multimodal connectivity from E 37th Avenue to E 56th Avenue and address safety concerns at several intersections. These improvements will be completed in phases in the coming years.
Improvements were identified through community input in the Far Northeast Area Plan, the Vision Zero Action Plan and Denver's Mobility Action Plan. The project will also coordinate with CDOT at the Peoria/I-70 interchange and with RTD to improve wayfinding north of Peoria Station. Peoria Street is one of the streets in the Vision Zero High Injury Network, and is adjacent to communities where the city is focusing on equity.
Phase 1 - Central 70 Improvements & Sidewalk Safety Improvements
As part of the Central 70 project, CDOT is reconstructing the I-70 bridge over Peoria, which includes multimodal improvements on the east and west side of Peoria under I-70 and between the on and off ramps. These improvements were completed in late 2021.
The first phase of the Peoria Multimodal Improvements project provide new sidewalk and a multi-use path where there are currently sidewalk gaps immediately north and south of the CDOT improvements.
Phase 1 projects include:
- Multimodal paths on the east side of Peoria Street from 39th Avenue north to the EB I-70 ramps, and between the EB I-70 ramps and 44th Avenue
- New sidewalk on the west side of Peoria from 39th Avenue north to the EB I-70 ramps, and between EB I-70 ramps and 44th Avenue
The paths and sidewalks connect into existing sidewalks and planned CDOT improvements.
Public Meeting #3 - June 24, 2020
The intent of the third and final public meeting on the design of the multi-modal improvements was present the preferred design for the corridor as well as the share and gather feedback on project phasing of construction over time. A banner of the preferred design is currently posted on Peoria Street on the Police Department fence south of 47th Ave (see picture below in the Virtual Public Meeting Presentation PDF)
Virtual Public Meeting Presentation(PDF, 11MB)
The project team will continue to meet with the project stakeholder work group and provide general updates community as final design and construction phases are underway.
Peoria Street Multimodal Improvements - Preferred Design(PDF, 7MB)
Public Meeting #2 - January 25, 2020
The intent of the meeting was to gather input on conceptual designs for the multi-use path, sidewalk improvements, and other multi-modal improvements along the corridor. These have been developed in cooperation with the project stakeholder work group and input from the community at the first public meeting.
Preferred Alternative of 46th Avenue and Peoria Street
Preferred Alternative of Driveway between 46th Avenue and 47th Avenue
Phase 2 - Corridor-wide Multimodal Improvements Design
The second phase of the project provides multimodal and safety improvements to Peoria Street from 37th Avenue to 56th Avenue. The main improvements to this stretch of roadway are:
- a new 10’ multimodal path on the east side of the roadway that will connect to the light rail station to the south of the project area,
- a reconstructed 8’ sidewalk on the west side,
- a protected bike lane (PBL) for the north section from 51st Avenue to 56th Avenue
In addition, safer crossings at certain intersections will provide improved north-south multimodal connection for the Montbello neighborhood. Designs may also provide guidance for improved comfort near transit stops and clearer wayfinding signage on the corridor. A separate but overlapping project will include traffic signal upgrades at Peoria and 44th Avenue and Peoria and 46th Avenue.
South of I-70, the multimodal path will connect to the existing path on the bridge over the railroad to provide a safe connection to the RTD Peoria Station. North of I-70, the path will continue to 56th Avenue to provide additional connectivity including access to recreation at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Phase 2 Schedule
- Spring 2023 – Design Complete
- Summer 2023 – Funded construction improvements begin
In late 2021, Denver residents approved a new General Obligation Bond for infrastructure projects across the city, including $6.2 million for implementation of the construction of the Peoria Multimodal improvements. The current plan is to start construction summer 2023. The schedule for completion has not yet been determined. Check back for more information and timeline of these improvements.
Background: Situational Appraisal
The Situational Awareness Report provides background on the earlier planning and community input that led to the Peoria Multimodal Improvements Project, assessing how they can information the project design.
It also documents the existing conditions of the corridor within Denver city limits, including lane configurations, signal type and age, sidewalk presence and condition, bike and pedestrian involved crashes, and transit access. Finally, it includes a detailed profile of the roadway on every single block of the corridor and key priority takeaways for multi-modal improvements based on those conditions.
This report sets the stage for the next phase of concept planning and design by identifying current multimodal conditions, as well as the “Key Priorities” based on physical conditions in relation to the project goals. The community will have opportunities to review and supplement the identified priorities during the project.
Read the Situational Appraisal(PDF, 10MB)
¿Necesita una copia de este informe en español? Póngase en contacto con Dana Hoffman en dana.hoffman@denvergov.org.
Existing Conditions
Roadway & Lane Configuration
Peoria Street is a car centric suburban style arterial with heavy traffic volumes and truck activity due to industrial land uses and proximity to I-70. The street is a major gateway to the Montbello neighborhood.
In general, Peoria Street has three southbound and three northbound lanes with a planted median that ranges in size from 4 feet to 14 feet. The median width decreases at left turn lane locations.
The full extent of Peoria Street contains 8 signalized intersections.
Sidewalks
Sidewalk conditions on Peoria Street are not consistent and vary from recently constructed to missing on both the east and west sides of Peoria Street.
Twelve percent of Peoria Street is missing sidewalks, and most of the missing sidewalks are located in the area immediately north and south of the I-70 interchange. The missing sidewalks are located in an area where pedestrians and cyclists frequently move through to access the RTD Peoria Rail Station to the south. These missing sidewalk sections are a priority for a first phase of this project and constructed as part of Denver’s Sidewalk Gap Program funded by the Elevate Denver Bond.
41% of sidewalks in the study area were ranked in poor condition with cracked pavement and unevenness. The sidewalk on the east side of Peoria Street north of 47th Avenue/Albrook Drive, which is classified as a shared use path, is in poor condition.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes
Peoria Street moves more than 50,000 vehicles a day and can be dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians. Sidewalk conditions in some locations are poor with cracking and unevenness, and there no are bicycle lanes and limited multi-use paths.
In 2017, the City and County of Denver adopted the Denver Vision Zero Action Plan and Peoria Street was included in the roadways classified as the High Injury Network (HIN).
Crash data assessed was recorded between 2015 and 2019:
- There have been 11 crashes involving bicycles and vehicles, as well as crashes involving pedestrians and vehicles in the last five years.
- Notably, crashes involving pedestrians occur at midblock crossings in between 47th and 49th Avenues, 44th and 45th Avenues, and between 45th and 47th Avenues.
- Three of the four recorded crashes involving bicycles occurred at unsignalized intersections.
Bicycle Facilities
Peoria Street does not have any existing on street bicycle facilities. A shared use sidewalk has been designated on the east side of Peoria Street from 45th Avenue to 56th Avenue, but there is no infrastructure or signage along the route. The condition of the sidewalk on this route is poor with heavy cracking, deterioration, and unevenness and is in need of replacement. While bikes do utilize this shared path and other sidewalks on both sides of Peoria Street, the conditions are not suitable for regular bike travel.
Transit Service
Regional Transportation District (RTD) serves the Montbello neighborhood and Peoria Street with regional rail service at the Peoria Station and three local bus routes that travel on Peoria Street as of summer 2019. These include:
- Bus route 121, operating weekday 30 minute headways, travels north on Peoria Street and turns east into the Montbello neighborhood at 51st Avenue.
- Bus route 45, operating weekday 30 minute headways, travels on Peoria Street and services Montbello Neighborhood on Albrook Drive.
- Bus route 42, operating weekday 15-minute peak hour and 30 minute off-peak hour headways, runs east/west and intersects Peoria Street at 47th Avenue/Albrook Drive.
Peoria Station on the southern edge of Peoria Street is served by RTD’s University of Colorado A Line and R Line. These regional rail lines serve downtown Denver, Denver International Airport, and Aurora.