Downtown Littleton, Colorado a step closer to big changes, making the area more walker and biker-friendly
Downtown Littleton is one step closer to getting a big makeover and facelift, including improvements and changes to the area to make it more pedestrian and biker-friendly. It comes after city council recently approved the $143 million plan called "Project Downtown."
Adrienne Burton, with the city manager's office called Downtown Littleton "unique" and a "gem for the city and region."
"It has this really great historic downtown, and it just continues to draw people for that reason," Burton told CBS News Colorado. "So why not enhance that pedestrian experience for people by creating a much more comfortable place for people to gather?"
Burton said the Littleton Downtown Development Authority has been working on the plan for nearly two years. She added the community was also engaged throughout the process, letting planners know where they wanted to see improvements made.
The "Village Concept Project" focuses on five key areas in downtown, including historical Main Street, which has been identified as the first priority and phase one of the project.
Proposed improvements include a street without curbs between Prince Street and Curtis Street., having larger sidewalks and making it more walker and biker friendly.
"This will create a much more comfortable experience," Burton said. "You have almost a maze you're navigating as you're currently moving through downtown."
Other improvements include more outdoor seating, bike racks, lighting and more greenery like tree canopies and planter boxes. Previously, all the trees on Main Street were removed several years ago due to a disease.
"There is going to be pockets for people to gather," Burton said. "There's going to be seat walls with a lot of pockets of vegetations. There is going to be those green infrastructures that are introduced."
At times, several blocks could even be closed off to traffic. Intersections on Main Street will also see improvements, with improved designs and solutions for event closures. The estimated costs for phase one of the project which are the improvements to Main Street are around $36.5 million.
Part of the plan is also keeping the historical character of downtown Littleton.
"The history is rich here, and so the improvements we're recommending, we really want to make sure that we're enhancing that and not taking away from that," Burton said.
Other phases of the project include Prince Street and Alamo Avenue, and Nevada Street and Little's Creek. Prince Street is the second part or phase of the project, which primarily focuses on adding bike pathways. Prince Street will also see more trees and green spaces, and shorter crosswalks.
Phase three of the project includes changes to Alamo Avenue, which could include making it more pedestrian-friendly area, adding more gathering spaces and small kiosks.
Some community members still have concerns about available parking and overall costs of the project. So far, the city has approved allocating $2 million for the preliminary design, including conducting a parking study and economic impact study. The city is still working to discuss funding for the overall project.
Despite some worries from the community, Carlos Roa is among those who are on board with the plan's big picture. Roa works in the area, and he looks forward to the proposed improvements an additions.
"I thought it was great," Roa said. "We could definitely use more greenery on Main Street, which kind of lacks a bit of trees. If it could be more walkable, that's even better."
