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West 20th Avenue Pedestrian Crossing

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Consultation has concluded.

Consultation has concluded.

PROJECT UPDATE as of October 2022: The pedestrian crossing and storm sewer improvements have been completed, and the contractor is finishing cleanup work and some miscellaneous landscape restoration.

As of July 12, 2022
Beginning on July 12, the West 20ᵗʰ Avenue storm sewer project will continue construction from Urban Drive to just past Union Street. As a result, 20ᵗʰ will continue to be closed to through traffic at Youngfield on the west and Simms on the east. "Local Traffic Only" signs are in place at Youngfield and Simms.

The full closure of 20ᵗʰ will be from Urban/Winfield Drive to Taft Drive. The detour for local traffic only will be as follows:

  • Westbound 20ᵗʰ traffic will be detoured via Tabor Drive, West 21ˢᵗ Drive and Urban Drive.
  • Eastbound 20ᵗʰ traffic will be detoured via Winfield Drive, West 18ᵗʰ Drive, Union Street and Taft Drive.
  • The local traffic only detours are necessary to allow emergency vehicles, deliveries and local residents into the area.
  • See map of detour route.

West 20ᵗʰ is expected to be closed for approximately 2.5 weeks.

Previous updates -- Work gets underway
In the upcoming weeks, a contractor hired by the City of Lakewood will begin work on storm sewer and street improvements on West 20th Avenue between Urban Drive and just east of Union Street. We are committed to working cooperatively with property owners as we move forward with this work. The contractor performing the work will be Double R Excavating, (303-688-2703).

During construction, 20th Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Youngfield and Simms streets; however, homeowners and business owners will continue to have access. The contractor’s work area on 20th will be between Urban and Taft drives. Please follow the detour signs during this closure. Closure of 20th is scheduled to begin on June 6 and last about four weeks, weather permitting.

The project will include the following:

  • Storm sewer and inlet installation along 20th from east of Urban Drive/Winfield Drive to just east of Union Street and on the east and west sides of Union Drive and Union Street just south of 20th.
  • Storm sewer replacement and inlet installation between 2015 and 2025 Union Drive.
  • Installation of a new raised median (with sidewalk) just west of the Urban Drive/Winfield Drive and 20th intersection and replacement of the existing raised median on 20th at Union Drive.
  • Removal of the existing pedestrian traffic signal on 20th east of Urban Drive/Winfield Drive.
  • Replacement of curb ramps at the northeast corner of 20th and Urban, at the southeast corner of 20th and Winfield, at the southwest corner of 20th and Union Drive, and at the southwest corner of 20th and Union Street.

Additional construction information
Variable message boards have been in place since May 20 for both directions of travel on 20th notifying travelers that a portion of 20th between Simms and Youngfield are closed and that alternative routes are suggested. The city can’t completely close 20th in this segment to all traffic because safe access in and out of the neighborhood for residents, police, fire department, ambulances, deliveries and trash pickup services must be allowed.

The closure consists of two detours:

  • There are soft closures on 20th at the intersections with Simms and Youngfield that inform motorists of the closure ahead and to discourage through traffic from continuing. The city can’t prohibit traffic from entering/exiting the area at these locations.
  • There is a hard closure for the work zone on 20th from Urban to Union drives for Phase I of the construction. This will be followed by a hard closure from Union to Taft drives for Phase II of the construction. This is where motorists must detour either north and south around the closed section of 20th. The established detours take traffic north to West 26th Avenue or south to West Colfax Avenue.

Unfortunately during the early phase of the closures, motorists will try to find multiple routes around the construction. We have notified Lakewood Police of neighborhood concerns about safety because of this as well as about speeds on the detour routes.

The Phase I and II closures are expected to last about four weeks. Following these phases, one-lane closures with flaggers could be necessary on 20th until the project is completed in early August.

PROJECT BACKGROUND
Safe crossings for pedestrians, particularly when near schools, are a priority for the city, and Lakewood will be relocating a pedestrian crossing in the middle of the block on West 20th Avenue in the Applewood neighborhood to Urban Drive to make it safer.

Currently the crossing is located between Union and Urban drives in northwest Lakewood, and it is accompanied by a traffic signal. Several traffic studies have shown that pedestrians seldom use the crosswalk or the signal because of its location. Motorists also so rarely see the traffic signal change from green, they don’t notice when it turns red for a pedestrian and fail to stop, the studies found. Under these conditions, a traffic signal for pedestrians serves as more of a hazard than a help.

The following changes will be made to the crossing:

  • Remove the traffic signal.
  • Create a new marked pedestrian crossing at Urban Drive with median islands to provide refuge for the desired pedestrian movements. This will align with a walking route to Stober Elementary School located about three blocks north on Urban Drive.
  • Install a median in this section of West 20th in conjunction with an upcoming stormwater utility project. The median will provide more safety for crossing pedestrians, particularly for children, because it will reduce their exposure time to vehicles by more than half. Children can also focus on crossing one half of the street at a time. The median will also reduce the road width, which will result in reducing vehicle speeds.

Example of upcoming safer crossing

With this kind of crossing, children and adults can focus on crossing one section with traffic from one direction at a time. Breaking the crossing into two stages is helpful for children learning to cross the street. The median narrows the travel lanes, which naturally reduces traffic speeds.





Check out crosswalk safety tips! (PDF download)

Consultation has concluded.

PROJECT UPDATE as of October 2022: The pedestrian crossing and storm sewer improvements have been completed, and the contractor is finishing cleanup work and some miscellaneous landscape restoration.

As of July 12, 2022
Beginning on July 12, the West 20ᵗʰ Avenue storm sewer project will continue construction from Urban Drive to just past Union Street. As a result, 20ᵗʰ will continue to be closed to through traffic at Youngfield on the west and Simms on the east. "Local Traffic Only" signs are in place at Youngfield and Simms.

The full closure of 20ᵗʰ will be from Urban/Winfield Drive to Taft Drive. The detour for local traffic only will be as follows:

  • Westbound 20ᵗʰ traffic will be detoured via Tabor Drive, West 21ˢᵗ Drive and Urban Drive.
  • Eastbound 20ᵗʰ traffic will be detoured via Winfield Drive, West 18ᵗʰ Drive, Union Street and Taft Drive.
  • The local traffic only detours are necessary to allow emergency vehicles, deliveries and local residents into the area.
  • See map of detour route.

West 20ᵗʰ is expected to be closed for approximately 2.5 weeks.

Previous updates -- Work gets underway
In the upcoming weeks, a contractor hired by the City of Lakewood will begin work on storm sewer and street improvements on West 20th Avenue between Urban Drive and just east of Union Street. We are committed to working cooperatively with property owners as we move forward with this work. The contractor performing the work will be Double R Excavating, (303-688-2703).

During construction, 20th Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Youngfield and Simms streets; however, homeowners and business owners will continue to have access. The contractor’s work area on 20th will be between Urban and Taft drives. Please follow the detour signs during this closure. Closure of 20th is scheduled to begin on June 6 and last about four weeks, weather permitting.

The project will include the following:

  • Storm sewer and inlet installation along 20th from east of Urban Drive/Winfield Drive to just east of Union Street and on the east and west sides of Union Drive and Union Street just south of 20th.
  • Storm sewer replacement and inlet installation between 2015 and 2025 Union Drive.
  • Installation of a new raised median (with sidewalk) just west of the Urban Drive/Winfield Drive and 20th intersection and replacement of the existing raised median on 20th at Union Drive.
  • Removal of the existing pedestrian traffic signal on 20th east of Urban Drive/Winfield Drive.
  • Replacement of curb ramps at the northeast corner of 20th and Urban, at the southeast corner of 20th and Winfield, at the southwest corner of 20th and Union Drive, and at the southwest corner of 20th and Union Street.

Additional construction information
Variable message boards have been in place since May 20 for both directions of travel on 20th notifying travelers that a portion of 20th between Simms and Youngfield are closed and that alternative routes are suggested. The city can’t completely close 20th in this segment to all traffic because safe access in and out of the neighborhood for residents, police, fire department, ambulances, deliveries and trash pickup services must be allowed.

The closure consists of two detours:

  • There are soft closures on 20th at the intersections with Simms and Youngfield that inform motorists of the closure ahead and to discourage through traffic from continuing. The city can’t prohibit traffic from entering/exiting the area at these locations.
  • There is a hard closure for the work zone on 20th from Urban to Union drives for Phase I of the construction. This will be followed by a hard closure from Union to Taft drives for Phase II of the construction. This is where motorists must detour either north and south around the closed section of 20th. The established detours take traffic north to West 26th Avenue or south to West Colfax Avenue.

Unfortunately during the early phase of the closures, motorists will try to find multiple routes around the construction. We have notified Lakewood Police of neighborhood concerns about safety because of this as well as about speeds on the detour routes.

The Phase I and II closures are expected to last about four weeks. Following these phases, one-lane closures with flaggers could be necessary on 20th until the project is completed in early August.

PROJECT BACKGROUND
Safe crossings for pedestrians, particularly when near schools, are a priority for the city, and Lakewood will be relocating a pedestrian crossing in the middle of the block on West 20th Avenue in the Applewood neighborhood to Urban Drive to make it safer.

Currently the crossing is located between Union and Urban drives in northwest Lakewood, and it is accompanied by a traffic signal. Several traffic studies have shown that pedestrians seldom use the crosswalk or the signal because of its location. Motorists also so rarely see the traffic signal change from green, they don’t notice when it turns red for a pedestrian and fail to stop, the studies found. Under these conditions, a traffic signal for pedestrians serves as more of a hazard than a help.

The following changes will be made to the crossing:

  • Remove the traffic signal.
  • Create a new marked pedestrian crossing at Urban Drive with median islands to provide refuge for the desired pedestrian movements. This will align with a walking route to Stober Elementary School located about three blocks north on Urban Drive.
  • Install a median in this section of West 20th in conjunction with an upcoming stormwater utility project. The median will provide more safety for crossing pedestrians, particularly for children, because it will reduce their exposure time to vehicles by more than half. Children can also focus on crossing one half of the street at a time. The median will also reduce the road width, which will result in reducing vehicle speeds.

Example of upcoming safer crossing

With this kind of crossing, children and adults can focus on crossing one section with traffic from one direction at a time. Breaking the crossing into two stages is helpful for children learning to cross the street. The median narrows the travel lanes, which naturally reduces traffic speeds.





Check out crosswalk safety tips! (PDF download)

Consultation has concluded.

  • FAQ

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    Frequently asked questions


    1. Why did the city start looking at changing this crossing?

    The city received a complaint about motorists failing to stop when the traffic signal turned red. The resident requested that additional flashing beacons be installed to alert motorists to the traffic signal for pedestrians. Traffic studies done by the city’s Transportation Engineering Division found that a better solution was to relocate a painted crosswalk to the corner of West 20th Avenue and Urban Drive to improve safety and better serve pedestrians' needs.


    2. Why is the crossing signal being removed?

    Traffic signals don't always prevent crashes, and signals and signs are not always an asset to traffic control. In fact, an unwarranted traffic signal can result in less safe conditions, and that is the case with this mid-block traffic signal. It is used so infrequently that motorists rarely see it turn red. This results in drivers becoming so accustomed to the signal always being green that the few times it is red, they simply don’t notice it and fail to stop. Under these conditions, it makes it less safe for pedestrians and creates a false sense of security, resulting in pedestrians failing to pay attention to the oncoming cars. The city’s traffic studies found that the crossing signal is a liability to safety, no longer serves a need and should be removed.


    3. Why was the crossing signal installed in the first place?

    This crossing signal was installed as a school crossing several decades ago for Stober Elementary School students. The signal was popular and used often, which helped motorists expect that the signal would change to red during school hours. As years have passed, however, there are mornings and afternoons when the signal is not used, and the green light is uninterrupted for hours, sometimes changing fewer than five times in one day. To warrant having a traffic signal to stop motorists for crossing pedestrians, this location would need to have 20 school-aged children crossing each hour during morning and afternoon peak walking times to change the signal more frequently. To warrant having flashing beacons to alert motorists for crossing pedestrians, this location would need to have 20 adults crossing in an hour on a road with heavy traffic where there is a delay of 60 seconds or more to cross the street. There are not enough pedestrians or traffic on West 20th Avenue to make a traffic signal or flashing beacons a safe option for pedestrians.


    4. Why is the crosswalk being moved to the corner of Urban Drive?

    A painted crosswalk will be placed across West 20th Avenue at Urban Drive because this is the location most pedestrians cross now as it is in line with the walking route to Stober Elementary School. Additionally, motorists are more accustomed to expecting pedestrians to cross at corners, not in the middle of the block.


    5. How many pedestrians cross West 20th Avenue at this location?

    Multiple traffic studies conducted during peak walking times during the summer and when school resumed found that on average less than one person crossed per hour, with most not using the mid-block crosswalk and crossing farther to the west at the corner of Urban Drive. During the hours when school was starting or ending, only two school-aged children accompanied by adults on separate days used the traffic signal. Most people that used the crosswalk crossed immediately and did not press the button for the signal to change. Given the low number of pedestrians, it is safer for pedestrians to cross by simply looking left and right for oncoming traffic rather than relying on a signal that many drivers fail to notice.