Transportation Advisory Committee – July 18, 2024: Active Transportation Plan Content Working Draft – Existing Conditions

Introduction

A supply and demand analysis for the PPACG region was conducted to provide a data-driven process to identify bicycle and pedestrian network gaps and identify areas of high bicycle and pedestrian activity. These analyses show where network improvements should be considered, depicting the places people want to go to should be connected with streets and trails that are comfortable for walking and bicycling.

Demand Analysis

The purpose of the demand analysis is to identify areas where people are likely to be and provide a framework to understand the environment for walking and bicycling. Demand is based on a set of factors that represent live, work, play, and learn locations. The analysis includes number of residents within 15 minutes, employment within 15 minutes, and proximity to schools, hospitals, parks, and retail.

Existing Facilities

An analysis of the existing cycling and pedestrian facilities provides a general understanding of the coverage and type of infrastructure. The facilities are given a buffer to show the reasonable access area for the existing infrastructure.

Demand

The demand analysis, which is an index of datasets to represent where people live, work, play, and learn is presented in Figure X. The demand index is composed of the following datasets:

• Walk Time to nearest
  • School
  • Hospital
  • Park
  • Nth Retail
• Employment within 15min Walk
• Population within 15min Walk

Click here for an accessible information on the MPO Area Demand Index Access Ratings map

Existing Facilities

The following map represents the infrastructure available throughout the PPACG region. These facilities do not include sidewalks or a sidewalk gap analysis.

Click here for an accessible information on the MPO Existing Facilities map

Reviewed Past Plans

• CDOT & Statewide
  • Colorado Bicycle & Byways Map
  • Colorado Trail Explorer
• PPACG
  • Regional Nonmotorized Plan
    • The PPACG Regional Nonmotorized Plan was created to create a regional roadmap for the long-term development of nonmotorized modes in the Pikes Peak region. By creating this roadmap, the hope is for an increase in people using nonmotorized modes of transportation. The maps, corridors, and regional routes within the plan were reviewed and leveraged for the creation of this plan.
    • Congestion Mitigation Plan
    • Tri-County Plan

• El Paso County
  • Parks, Trails, Open Spaces Plan (2022) and Map
    • The El Paso County Park, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan was reviewed for the existing and proposed future trails throughout the COG study area. The Park, Trails, and Open Space plan is set up to strategize and provide recreation opportunities such as parks and trails and the protection of open space. In addition to review of the El Paso County Park, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan, the Parks, Trails, and Open Spaces Map, the Trails Master Plan Map and Park Assets Map were all reviewed.
    • The plan identified trail standards and improved maintenance of existing trails the first goal for the trails focus area (Goal 7). Policies within this goal also include implementing varying urban and rural trail corridor sizes and increasing trail easements to 50ft.
• Teller County
  • Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan
  • Divide Regional Plan
  • Florissant Regional Plan
  • Southeast Teller Regional Plan
  • 4-Mile Regional Plan
• Colorado Springs
  • Bike Master Plan and Maps
    • The COS Bikes! Master Plan and maps were reviewed to understand the existing and proposed bicycle network within Colorado Springs. This plan was developed to identify the gaps and opportunities for future bicycle facilities including both on-street and off-street facilities. Additionally, the plan is geared to not only serve existing riders but invite new riders to enjoy the bicycle network within the city.
  • Legacy Loop Project
    • The Legacy Loop is an approximate 10-mile trail, park, and recreation loop around downtown Colorado Springs. This project was reviewed to understand where the location of the Loop would be located and the connections to the existing active transportation facilities.
  • Envision Shooks Run
    • The Shooks Run study was reviewed as it is a multi-modal transportation and drainage infrastructure study. The city is excited about this plan as it will create a more vibrant aspect to the central portions of the city and provide multi-use trails and trail connections to the Rock Island Trail. This would also complete the eastern leg of the Legacy Loop.
  • PlanCOS
    • PlanCOS was thoroughly reviewed as there are sections in this plan that explain the importance of strong connections. Connections between vibrant neighborhoods, unique places, landscapes, and other activity centers that people want to go to. Understanding where these destinations are located helps identify current gaps in the existing active transportation network.
  • Downtown Plan
    • The Mobility, Transportation, and Parking chapter of the Downtown Plan was reviewed to understand how active transportation is looked at in the Downtown area. The plan seeks to bolster more walking and biking as traveling in and around downtown. The plan identifies trails and pedestrian priority streets where streets are designed for leveraging and expanding pedestrian use.
  • ConnectCOS + Active Transportation Network
    • The ConnectCOS Plan’s Active Transportation Network was reviewed to understand the transportation system that includes both on- and off-street facilities such as trails, shared lanes, dedicated bicycle lanes, multiuse paths, and the entire sidewalk system. The Active Transportation Network map highlights a proposed network of dedicated facilities that would create better connectivity throughout Colorado Springs.
  • Urban Trail Typologies (Tiers)
    • Colorado springs has defined three tiers of urban trails to provide themselves and the public guidance and understanding when discussing development and infrastructure level of efforts.
      • Tier One “Spines”
        • Multi-purpose trails accommodate a variety of trail users including walkers, joggers, recreational bikers, commute bikers, and horseback riders (as appropriate) within the same trail corridor. Serve the highest volume of users. These trails include a 12-foot main trail with a separate parallel 4-foot soft surface trail, both of which have a 2-foot soft surface shoulder.
      • Tier Two “Feeders”
        • Feeder trails for the Tier 1 trails provide for a diversity of users including bicyclists, in-line skaters, walkers, runners, and equestrians. Trails consist of 12-foot concrete or asphalt trails with a 4-foot soft shoulder.
      • Tier Three “Natural Trails”
        • Less improved trails located in the mountains or foothills serving primarily hikers and mountain bikers. These trails, which are expected to receive less use than the Tier 1 and 2 trails and consist of four to six-foot wide soft surface material.

• Fountain
  • Parks, Trails & Open Space Plan and Map
    • The City of Fountain’s Parks, Trails, and Open Space Map was reviewed to understand the current trail network within the City. The map includes on-street bicycle lanes and off-street trails, as well as parks and open space areas.
  • Comprehensive Plan
    • The 2005 City of Fountain Comprehensive Plan was reviewed and developed as a guide to determine if land use changes is keeping with the overall pattern of development desired by the City and its citizens. The City has a Greenfrastructure Program which its citizens have expressed desire to develop an alternative transportation network to reduce the dangers associated with share pedestrian and motorist roadways, reduce traffic and pollution, and ensure that future citizens have the opportunity to enjoy the City’s recreational areas and open space. The Fountain Greenfrastructure System Map was reviewed to understand how pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians can move through Fountain and from one Open Space to another.
  • Transportation Master Plan
    • The 2022 transportation master plan defined several types of trail sections and identified proposed trail and bicycle network across the city. It states “paved multi-purpose, off-street trails form the central trail spines through the Fountain. They accommodate various trail users, including walkers, joggers, recreational bikers, and sometimes, commuter bikers within the same trail corridor.”
    • The plan set a 10ft trail width, 50ft Right-of-Way (ROW), and other minimum standards for the primary off-street trails.

• Green Mountain Falls
  • Comprehensive Plan
    • The Green Mountain Falls 2019 Comprehensive Plan was created as a guide for future land use development and a long-range guide for the Town to achieve its vision and goals. The plan discusses how recreation is a big draw for the Town’s tourism. The current trail system in and around Town is roughly 17 miles in total length. Additionally, there are several parks throughout town and 247 acres of public land which consists of approximately 35% of the Town. Additionally, there are three additional trails that the town is proposing.
• Manitou Springs
  • Parks, Open Space, Trails Master Plan and Map
    • The Manitou Springs Parks, Open Space, and Trails Master Plan is a document to set the course for the future of Manitou Spring Parks, Open Space, and Trails. This plan identifies community values and issues and provides a framework for long-term management and stewardship of the City’s outdoor resources. Community members contributed to this plan by identifying issues and concerns while highlighting values and system improvements. The Parks and Trails maps were reviewed to understand the trail network and parks within the City.
  • Community Master Plan and Hazard Mitigation Plan
    • The Manitou Springs Community Master Plan and Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed to engage the community in a discussion about the relationship between its vision and goals for the future and to also discuss the natural hazards and risks present in the community. One of the key issues and opportunities discussed is mobility – balancing parking, pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular circulation needs on City roadways and defining an overall strategy for new facilities needed to support non-motorized modes.
  • Transportation & Mobility Master Plan
    • The Manitou Springs Transportation and Mobility Master Plan provides a road map for the future of travel in and around Manitou Springs. The plan supports community goals outlined in Plan Manitou and the City’s Comprehensive Plan. This plan highlights strategic investments, short-term tactical improvements, and long-term major infrastructure investment that will enhance mobility across all modes of travel. This plan was reviewed to understand trail recommendations in the Manitou Springs area. Recommendations include creating a network of connected facilities and creating forward-thinking policies and regulations.
• Monument
  • Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan
    • The Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan identifies existing conditions and future community expansion, and it documents the direction viewed necessary to achieve the Parks, Trails, and Open Space goals of the community. The goals that were established to identify the importance of linking existing Monument trails with regional trails, development areas around Town, future trail heads, and existing and proposed parks. The trails, parks, and open space maps were reviewed to understand the trail network in and around Monument.
  • Comprehensive Plan
    • The Town of Monument’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan was created to guide the decisions, development, and the growth of Monument. It was created to serve as a roadmap to help the community stay on course and ensure development occurs in a manner supported by the community. The plan elements that were examined were the Parks, Open Space, Trails, and Tourism element. This element highlights the opportunities for more amenities than traditional zoning in return for greater flexibility. These are in the form of parks, open space, and trails. When the Town is in the process of approving Planned Developments, they must look for ways to locate dedicated land and trails to connect with existing parks and trails. Other opportunities include options to seek funding for the planning and acquisition of new parks, open space, and trails.
• Palmer Lake
  • Comprehensive Plan
    • The Palmer Lake Community Master Plan is intended as a community guidebook for decisions, development, and growth. Additionally, community character, fiscal impacts, infrastructure, land use, and environmental quality are the many items addressed in this plan. The Parks, Open Spaces, and Trails section was reviewed to understand the Town’s existing trail network and parks. According to the plan, the Town has a total of 167 acres of parks, open spaces, and trails which equates to approximately 63.4 acres of open space and developed parks per 1,000 residents.
  • Three Mile Plan
    • Palmer Lake’s Three Mile Plan is intended to set statute limits on municipal annexations to no more than “three miles in any direction from any point of such municipal boundary in any one year”. Palmer Lake’s Three-Mile area boundary is intended to promote a regional approach to planning, particularly concerning the availability of centralized services. Maps of the Three-Mile Plan identify areas of open space and parks which were reviewed as part of this study.
• Woodland Park
  • Parks, Trails, Open Space Master Plan and Map
    • The Woodland Park Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan was developed as trends in City growth and the need for park and trail development. Since Woodland Park is within a unique mountain environment, the City can develop an excellent system of parks, trails, and open space. The goals reviewed included to promote a transportation network which facilitates safe, efficient, movement of motorized and non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians throughout the community. The Parks, Trails, and Open Space Map was reviewed to understand the current and proposed trail network with the City.
  • Comprehensive Plan
    • The Envision Woodland Park 2030 Comprehensive Plan is a land use and growth plan that was developed by local residents, stakeholders, and program directors who evaluated the relevancy of goals, objectives, and actions in light of the current conditions, changes in community values, and implementation status of actions from the previous Comprehensive Plan. The Natural Environment chapter was review for the Parks, Trails, and Open Space topics. The plan states that the City wants to continue to develop and maintain trail and open space and continue to prioritize connectivity in trail development. According to the plan’s questionnaire, 55 percent of respondents use a trail every week and 27 percent use a trail every day. The City currently has approximately 19 miles of existing trails and 17 miles of planned trails.

Planned Facilities

After reviewing the above plans, Figure 1 was created, digitizing all the proposed projects throughout the region.

Click here for an accessible information on the MPO Area Planned Facilities map

Non-Motorized Crash Analysis

This section reviews data (2017-2021¹) for crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists in the PPACG region, as reported by the PPACG Crash Dashboard².

Number of Crashes Figure 2 and Error! Reference source not found. indicate there are approximately twice as many pedestrian crashes as bicyclist crashes annually, which have resulted in 884 or more³ injuries and 79 fatalities over the course of five years. Bicyclist crashes in appear to be trending downwards, with 121, 94, 91, and 71 crashes in 2020, perhaps reflecting the fact that bicycling there has been an increase in infrastructure. At the time of this report the 2021 bicycle data was not available to analyze if that trend continued past COVID. Pedestrian crashes peaked in 2019 with 181. Additional data on the number of bicycle and pedestrian trips that took place each year would be needed to understand if the crash rate (i.e., crashes per bicycle trip) is going up or down.

Severity of Crashes

The following table provides a summary of the bicycle and pedestrian crashes, by severity.

Table 1: Number and Severity of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Crashes (2017-2021)

Severity	Bicycle	Pedestrian	Total
Fatal Injury	12	67	79
Serious Injury	24	138	162
Minor Injury	229	414	643
Non-Injury/Property Damage Only	112	174	286
Grand Total	377	793	1170

Year	Bicycle	Pedestrian	Total
2017	121	158	279
2018	94	173	267
2019	91	181	272
2020	71	136	207
2021	0	145	145

Day of Week

Pedestrian and bicyclist crashes happen throughout the week, likely indicating that people walk and bicycle for both recreational and utilitarian purposes. Collision activity appears to be lower on weekends, with the lowest frequency being Sunday.

Month of Year

Similar to the distribution across the week, pedestrian and bicyclist crashes occur throughout the year, though the levels are somewhat lower in March and April, and spike in September, both are likely caused by weather and daylight hours.

Time of Day

The crash data shows a significant peak in pedestrian crashes at the noon hour, with a more general increase in crashes reported in the afternoon and evening. The spike in 12:00pm crashes could be caused by default data inputs when reporting.

Contributing Factors

The contributing factors for pedestrian collisions during this period were identified for only ten percent of the collisions. This data is extremely important for the development of effective education and enforcement programs. Of the 67 fatal pedestrian crashes, only one had a contributing factor associated with it, Driver Inexperience, while all others were denoted as ‘Unknown’ or ‘No Apparent Contributing Factor.’ There may be opportunities to improve reporting of the contributing factor of crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists to better understand and address safety concerns.

• More than 57% of both bicycle and pedestrian crashes listed the contributing factor as ‘No Apparent Contributing Factor’ while another 31% listed the factor as ‘Unknown.’
• The most common categories for pedestrian crashes were associated with distracted driving, including ‘Driver Preoccupied’ and ‘Driver Emotionally Upset.’
• The most common factor for bicyclist crashes was inexperience or unfamiliarity.

Location on Roadway

As illustrated in Figure 8, pedestrian and bicyclist crashes locations exhibit similar but different trends:

• Bicyclist crashes occurred overwhelmingly at intersections or were intersection related (70%). Nineteen percent took place away from intersections, and nine percent took place at driveways.
• Pedestrian crashes were also commonly at intersections (60%), however 35% occurred at non-intersection locations (e.g., mid- block locations).

Vehicle Action

Table 2.4 identifies the vehicle action during the crash. Most crashes involve vehicles traveling straight, including 71% of pedestrian collisions and 53% of bicyclist collisions. The single most common vehicle action involved a vehicle going straight away from an intersection, representing 45% of all pedestrian collisions. Vehicles turning left or right at intersections accounted for 11% of pedestrian crashes and 27% of bicyclist crashes.

Table 2.4 – Summary of Location and Vehicle Action

Vehicle Action	DRIVEWAY ACCESS	INTER-SECTION	INTER-SECTION RELATED	NON-INTER-SECTION	Other	Total
Pedestrian Crashes
Going Straight	2%	16%	3%	17%	1%	38%
Making Left turn	1%	14%	1%	0%	0%	16%
Making Right Turn	1%	10%	2%	0%	0%	13%
Other	1%	11%	2%	18%	1%	33%
Total	5%	51%	8%	35%	1%	100%
Bicycle Crashes
Going Straight	2%	34%	3%	10%	1%	51%
Making Left turn	3%	11%	1%	1%	0%	16%
Making Right Turn	3%	11%	1%	1%	0%	16%
Other	2%	7%	1%	7%	1%	17%
Total	10%	64%	6%	19%	2%	100%

Opportunities For Improved Crash Data

The crash data provides only limited information to understand the nature of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. Below are three categories that could be improved or added to the data to provide greater clarity and increase the ability to match appropriate countermeasures with particular safety issues:

• There may be opportunities to change and increase use of the contributing factor field for collision reports. More than 40% of crashes listed the contributing factor as ‘none’ while another 15% listed the factor as ‘unknown’. Common contributing factors are ‘careless/prohibited driving’ and ‘failure to yield,’ which yield little insight.
• Opportunity to increase fidelity of bicycle/ped crash data to include actions (e.g. pedestrian crossing at mid block, crossing at non-marked location, bicyclist taking left through intersection, etc.)
• Opportunity to collect additional data, such as demographic information, to understand disproportionate impacts or concerns.

Bicyclist And Pedestrian Crash Maps

The maps on the following pages show the location of reported bicyclist and pedestrian crashes as well as the locations of fatalities within the MPO boundary.

Opportunities And Challenges

An examination of existing conditions based on existing conditions data analysis, stakeholder meetings, as well as input from the general public identified a number of opportunities and challenges for improving active transportation facilities in the Pikes Peak Region.

Opportunities

To Come in a Future Deliverable Based upon Input Received

Challenges

To Come in a Future Deliverable Based upon Input Received

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1. Bicycle Crashes only appear to have data through 2020
2. PPACG Crash Dashboard
3. Studies show bicycle and pedestrian crashes are underreported across the nation.