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6-1 Transportation Master Plan 6.0 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATION As an element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, in 1999, the City of Brighton completed an updated Recreation Master Plan. Major elements of the plan include recreation programs, trails, and open space. Key elements of the trails plan are summarized below. 6.1 Public Input: Trails The Recreation Master Plan effort included public outreach efforts including surveys and focus groups. The outreach effort found that trail connections and a new swimming pool were clear favorites. “Participants seemed happy with the way parks and recreation facilities were placed throughout the city. Biking/walking trails, (the single most requested amenity), could be used to connect the neighborhood and community parks with one another. With an off-street trail system, residents would no longer be forced to walk or bike on streets, improving community safety. Many felt Brighton should consider constructing a large park, such as Washington Park in Denver or Civic Center Park in Broomfield. Some noted that such a park may not be needed if a trail system was implemented to tie all the parks together.” (pg. 32, Recreation Master Plan). 6.2 Existing Trails The Recreation Master Plan inventoried the existing off-street trail system in Brighton. The Plan notes that while the inventory of recreational trails has tripled since 1990, the result is still a fragmented system. Existing off-street trails include: • The 3,600-foot long Brighton Memorial Parkway is an asphalt bike/hike trail that extends from Bromley Lane to Southern Street in the southeast portion of the City. • One mile of the South Platte River trail has been constructed from Veterans Park to Bromley Lane. Trailheads with parking have also been constructed in Veterans Park and at Southern Street. This trail will eventually connect to the Platte River Trail and Denver. The Platte River Trail now extends to 104th Avenue in Thornton. • A half mile of trail connects Benedict Park to Bromley Creek Park along the Fulton Ditch and continues through Benedict Park to Egbert Street. • Bridge to North Outfall Trail and to Recreation Center. • A half mile segment of the North Outfall Trail was constructed from the Fulton ditch west to Overland Trail Middle School. This trail will eventually connect to Brighton Park. ---PAGE BREAK--- 6-2 Transportation Master Plan • A number of smaller segments have been constructed along Fulton Ditch with another segment scheduled for construction this spring. 6.3 Future Trails The Recreation Master Plan (page 81) notes a number of factors which will help the trail system grow, including: • New residential developments such as Bromley Park, which includes an off-street trail system. • Recognition on a regional level of the importance of extending the South Platte River Trail to Brighton. Opportunities for trail construction along the Platte River will increase as gravel mining is complete in the corridor. • If the channels and basins, called for in the Drainage Master Plan, are built as planned, it will be possible to construct a large system of trails in the areas southeast and south of town. The extent of the drainage system’s grass-lined channels and basins is shown in Map84a. The latest (July 2, 2001) Trails Master Plan is shown on Figure 6-1. Existing trails are shown in orange with the Platte River Trail shown in blue. Proposed trails are shown red. Major destinations such as existing and proposed parks are also shown. The Trail Master Plan was developed to take advantage of a number of opportunities: • North/south trails are shown along the entire length of the Fulton Ditch and the Brighton Lateral Ditch Company. • East/west trails are shown in the flood plains of Second and Third Creeks. • Drainage Channels are used extensively as trail corridors. The trail plan also coordinates with Adam’s County trail planning. The goal of the County’s plan is to connect trails into the City of Brighton, thereby providing an opportunity for bicyclists and hikers to travel on trails from Brighton to Denver. The proposed implementation schedule for future trail extensions was defined in the Recreation Master Plan as follows: Near-term: 1999 - 2001 • Construct the next segments of the Fulton Ditch Trail and an extension of the Benedict Park Trail. • Add path amenities such as benches along the existing trails (trash receptacles, dog waste pick-up facilities, etc.) ---PAGE BREAK--- 6-3 Transportation Master Plan • Work with Public Works/Engineering to incorporate space for trails in the grass-lined swales and basins of the drainage master plan where trails are designated. • Also to develop standards for on-street bike lanes. • Revise the dedication ordinance to require that development set aside linear open space to accommodate designated trail corridors. Complete key trail connections: • Fulton Ditch Trail: Benedict Park to North Outfall Trail • North Outfall Trail to Brighton Park. • An off-street trail connection from the Fulton Ditch to the Platte River Trail. Long-Term: 2002 – 2015 Continue to implement the trail master plan. Priorities include: • North/south trails along the Fulton Ditch and the Brighton Lateral Ditch Company • East/west trails along Second and Third Creeks (respecting sensitive vegetation and wildlife habitats). • Connections to major destinations such as neighborhood and community parks, recreations centers, sports complexes, etc. 6.4 Trail Specifications The Recreation Master Plan provides guidelines for trail materials and construction (page 82), including: • The primary trails should be 10-foot to 12-foot wide and constructed in concrete. • Three to four foot wide crusher fine trails are best suited for naturalized areas. • Five to eight foot wide bike lanes should be included in each direction on all major arterials. Striped bike lanes could be added to streets in developed areas of town (where there is adequate width) to provide connections to key destinations. • Amenities such as benches, picnic opportunities and lighting should be provided in key areas. The trail system should be grade separated when crossing major arterial roadways where possible, utilizing under passes or overpasses. High volume collectors may be upgraded to signalized cross walks. Pedestrian crossing signs should designate cross walks for collector streets and below. ---PAGE BREAK--- 6-4 Transportation Master Plan 6.5 Integration of Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities A goal for the Brighton community is that the overall transportation system provides safe, convenient and comfortable access within the community for pedestrians and bicyclists. Implementation of programs and projects to meet this goal will require consideration of pedestrian and bicyclist needs in the planning, funding and construction of individual transportation projects. The existing and proposed off-street trails system was described in the previous sections. A complementary system of trails and walks adjacent to the city street system is required to provide connectivity to and integrate the off-street system, as well as to encourage walking and cycling as alternative transportation modes in the community. Integrating specific pedestrian and bicyclist facilities into the community transportation network requires particular planning and design attention to users of these facilities, including persons with disabilities. Current City street cross-section standards address the need for incorporating pedestrian and bicyclist needs in the design and construction of new street facilities. For example, the arterial street cross-sections require the construction of a 10-foot trail, separated from the roadway by an 8-foot lawn buffer strip. Recognizing that flexibility to respond to site conditions is essential for the planning of specific pedestrian and bicyclist facilities, as general principles, facility planners and designers should: • Plan for the interconnection of specific pedestrian and bicyclist facilities to other local and regional facilities (eliminate or minimize gaps in the trail/sidewalk system); • Accommodate pedestrian and cyclist access requirements at signalized intersections and at transit stops; • Design for uniform marking and signing of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, including wayfinding systems; • Assure continued smooth, clean and safe operation of pedestrian and bicycle facilities by programming ongoing maintenance, and, • Encourage community programs that address pedestrian/bicyclist education and safety.