Park Avenue - Safety & Connectivity

Please maintain the mountain bike link through Midland Park Place to Smuggler Mountain Road

It seems the stop signs are having a positive effect on traffic speed. Whether the cars and buses stop or even just slow down, it eliminates the amount of acceleration from Hopkins to 82. I have noticed that traffic has slowed since the signs were installed.

It seems that all issues that are listed as critical concerns would be addressed by making Park Ave a one way road. This solution is safer for the buses and pedestrians as well as other road users. The temporary solution of stop signs does not work, no one stops for them because there was no announcement of the change to traffic patterns and they are not easy to see. Just do what makes the most sense according to the studies, don't listen to the loudest voices in the room.

Taking a perceived problem on Park Ave, and shifting it to Midland Ave, is no solution at all.

Traffic studies indicate that making Midland Ave a one-way street would increase traffic and traffic speeds there. Midland Ave is where the majority of families live (Midland Park, Aspen Hills, Aspen View, Ardmore Court, Snyder Park, etc). This is not preferable.

We can support improving the Hopkins/Park intersection. We can support putting in sidewalks on Park Ave. We cannot support any "Living Lab" that would make Midland Ave a one-way through street.

This was studied 10+ years ago and the conclusion was to do nothing. The Aspen Police have said that speeds on Park Ave are not out of the range of acceptable (per the Park/Midland neighborhood huddle). There is no indication that conditions are different now than when this was originally decided upon.

Thank you to the Council and Planners for their work and consideration.

I'm a homeowner in AspenView and am totally against the one way traffic proposals. Please do not ruin our lovely charming neighborhood with expensive and unnecessary urbanization plans.
The problem exists on Park Avenue, so fix it there and don't make changes that will expand and create problems in other areas.
Simply put a set of traffic lights, a stop sign or speed bumps on Park avenue.
I'm vehemently against the one way plans, and the sidewalks.

I am a resident of the Ardmore subdivision. I am primarily concerned with the safety aspects of the proposed changes. My major concerns follow:
1) E. Hopkins now is primarily used by pedestrians and bikes as they approach the E. Hopkins bridge and pedestrian corridor along with the few residents of that street. The one-ways would cause many car trips on this section of road as folks try to shorten the approach to their homes on Park and Midland. An unsafe combination in my view especially in winter when the steep road is coated with rutted ice.
2) For folks returning from the Post Office to homes on Midland Ave. (south of Hopkins) will have to do a U-turn on Hwy 82 to get home. Unsafe in my opinion. If they choose to come back through town then they will be adding traffic to the 4 way adjacent to city market which is already a busy intersection during "on season"
3) I commute on my bike frequently and the two way traffic on those narrow streets is naturally slowed. People are very respectful in pulling to the side for other cars, trucks and bikes. I fear that one way traffic will be a license for users to speed up. And bike riders tend to ignore one-ways if it makes their route longer (yes, me too) and this inevitably will lead to conflicts and accidents. I suggest that the city look at the record of collisions on Park and Midland. I doubt there have been enough (any?) to justify the proposed changes.

Less is more:
- Stop signs or Yield signs at Hopkins crossing
- Modest speed limit or warning signs (the non-flashing kind)
- Small temporary speed bumps might be tried as well
- Speed enforcement through random police presence and ticketing as needed
- RFTA discipline regarding bus speeds

These simple and inexpensive measures are widely embraced by the neighborhood and can be implemented immediately. Sidewalks are vehemently opposed, as stated in multiple comments. A one-way loop has mixed support and should only be tried out if the more modest approaches prove ineffective.

The safety issues (poor site lines, vehicle speed) at the Park / Hopkins intersection can be solved immediately with a couple of stop signs. Do this first, no study necessary. Address drainage issues, etc. later.

As a resident of Hopkins Avenue (1207) which is a main year around thoroughfare for bikes and pedestrians, I am very concerned about traffic using Hopkins Avenue as cut through. Hopkins Avenue is very narrow, has terrible drainage as evidenced by the huge amounts of snow on it, and lacks sidewalks. We are an intended consequence of this effort and this will become a safety issue for anyone using this ingress/egress avenue from the Hopkins Street bridge plus the residents who live on the small congested street.. This is a primary street for many residents East of Midland who work year around in the Aspen going into the core. I am concerned about the increased speed on Midland Avenue and the numerous people including children of all ages who use the Snyder Park blind pedestrian entrance to Hopkins Avenue across Midland. I would go so far as recommending Hopkins Ave become a bike/pedestrian street by installing those plastic poles at either the East or West end of the street mitigating traffic from using Hopkins as a cut through. The entire plan feels like solution looking for a problem. Maybe we start with a stop sign at Park and Hopkins to see how this work. BTW, doing the traffic lab in May seems like bad timing given the respective flows maybe you should start in July which is the busiest month to see true impact to everyone. May is a shoulder season month and not representative of the real traffic. I hope you take a step and think about all of the intended consequences before making any decisions.

As a 25 year residents of the neighborhood, our family of four feels strongly that to make Park and Midland one way would make our neighborhood less safe. In addition to increasing the traffic from the larger housing complexes with people having to travel further either coming or going to get to Hwy 82, it increases the danger of more traffic on icy intersections. There are other solutions to improving the traffic flow, but to make the streets one way is not one of them!

As some of you may be aware there recently was a mailer sent to the Park and Midland residents, a slick advocacy piece, from the Ardmore Homeowners' Association whose agenda is seemingly about the potential inconvenience of their own commuting patterns rather than the safety of the neighborhood. This piece is a "call to action" regarding their opposition to the proposed (May 2021) living lab along with some of their reasons why.

Firstly, let me say that I have issues with the living lab as well, but my objection is that the process has not moved along fast enough. The Ardmore Homeowners' Association objection would seem to be that the process should not proceed at all.

If I may, I would like to address the objections enumerated in the mailer.
1. Having Midland residents loop around onto Park leaving and returning home. I drove this loop recently and barely moved my odometer or clock in the process. The amount of time from Mascotte south onto Midland to Highway 82 was one minute. The difference from Mascotte to Highway 82 via the Midland connector and then south on Park was 1.5 minutes and again, no change in my odometer. (I do not have tenths of miles on my odometer so for the sake of clarity the second route may have been a bit longer). I will admit, however, that there is a three-way intersection at the Midland connector, Park Avenue and Park Circle that needs to be reworked with either yield or stop signs to make this a safer and less confusing intersection. But note, there is also the option for traffic to turn onto Gibson from the Midland connector to Neale Avenue and then right onto Original if the destination is not to go east to Hwy 82 at the end of Park Avenue, thus reducing the projected increase in traffic on Park.
2. The safety issue of routing Midland residents via Hopkins connector. Yes, there are valid safety issues mentioned, especially in the winter, but perhaps avoiding this route completely is the answer and returning to Midland from Hwy 82 by traveling along Original to Highway 82, turning east and then turning north onto Midland Avenue to Mascotte and Ardmore - a more direct route than taking the back roads.
3. Mix wrong way bicycle traffic into one way vehicle traffic on both Park and Midland. I would venture that there is not a street in Aspen that does not have bicyclists traveling in the wrong direction and against traffic. It is a fact of life most everywhere as well as the obligation of the bicyclist to be aware of the correct direction of traffic and their role in it.
4. Close off access to Midland residents any time that either Park or Midland are blocked by commercial vehicles, etc. (a frequent occurrence). Again, this is a fact of life in our or any part of town. I am not sure keeping the roadways as two-way makes this any more safe or tolerable. Would it not be safer to turn onto these roadways with the traffic than to cross two lanes of traffic, each going in opposite directions?

Earlier in this process, I mentioned that the potential outcome of the living lab will force all using these roadways to change their driving habits. A re-education, if you will, similar to what we all have done on South Mill street and Hyman Avenue in front of the Crystal Palace. It would seem that thus far, we have adapted and survived.

I am hopeful that there will be other measures implemented in addition to the living lab to insure the safety of both these roadways. The neighborhood has repeatedly voiced concern over excessive speeding on Park Avenue and asked that speed abatement measures i.e. signage, speed tables and traffic enforcement be included. Therefore, I would urge City Council and Engineering to undertake the lab next spring (an experiment worth undertaking regardless of Ardmore’s single-minded effort to derail it, even on a trial basis) and in the interim provide us with whatever data is currently being collected so we can all comment intelligently during the virtual neighborhood huddle scheduled for October 28 at 11:30.

I am sorry that the Ardmore homeowners, who incidentally, do not live within the city limits, felt it necessary to submit their mailer as it is viewed as a provocation and obstacle to independent data collection which could be used to assist with the living lab. It would have been wiser for them to wait for more data before taking such action.

Thank you. J Kolberg, Midland Park

We definitely do not need more lighting at night- I live here so that I can see the stars. Also any study you do now will be negated once all employee housing is built and inhabited in Park Circle. You can not predict how the traffic will change once those properties are occupied.
Another concern is RFTA indicating they are increasing buses on routes which will create more traffic congestion, speeding and air pollution. What happened to the Clean Air Initiative? Those buses speed down Park Ave empty every 20 minutes. I would find it abhorrent to consider installing sidewalks in our neighborhood. It would totally change the character and affect our property values. Would the city consider putting sidewalks in the West End, where there is constant traffic all summer for so many events in that part of town? Perhaps the stop sign at Park and Hopkins will provide a new perspective as to what is effective in reducing speeding and increasing safety on Park Ave. perhaps the answer is making Park Ave a one way street going south. Midland could stay two way. Nzale

Added by Evan Gull From Pete Rice (City Engineering Department) in his email update for this project)

SAVE THE DATE - VIRTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD HUDDLE

Please join us for a virtual Neighborhood Huddle on Wednesday, October 28 at 11:30 a.m. At this meeting we will review neighborhood input to date, technical considerations, and next steps for this project. This meeting will be recorded for those who are unable to attend. Please RSVP to Bryana Starbuck at parkandmidland@cityofaspen.com or at (970) 340-4334.
Thank you for your continued engagement and please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Thanks,
Pete

pete.rice@cityofaspen.com

I am the President of the Ardmore Homeowners Association and represent 13 homes (17 residential units) who use Midland Avenue for access to our neighborhood via Mascotte Lane.

During our annual meeting in December, 2019, we unanimously voted to OPPOSE making Midland Avenue a one-way street. We agreed that there are significant safety issues with the mix of pedestrian, bike, and vehicle traffic, especially on the narrower portions of Park.

However, we are greatly concerned that making Park one-way will dramatically decrease the safety of Midland. Midland already serves as the primary access for over four times as many residences than Park (approximately 115 units vs 25) and is not presently a through street.

Making Midland one-way will:

* Route northbound through traffic to Park Circle and Smuggler Mountain on a street that now has only local traffic
* Require Midland residents to loop around on Park leaving or returning home, increasing southbound traffic on Park
* Create a safety issue by Routing many Midland residents through Hopkins Ave (a dangerous, hilly street, icy in the winter) leaving or returning home
* Create a safety issue by requiring some Midland residents to U-turn at Park onto Highway 82 (into fast downhill traffic) to return home via Midland
* Mix wrong-way bicycle traffic into one-way vehicle traffic on both Park and Midland
* Close off access to Midland residents any time that either Park or Midland are blocked by trash trucks, delivery trucks, construction impacts or roadwork. This is a regular occurrence in our neighborhood but vehicles can presently go around the blockage, which they could not do with one-way streets.

I encourage all neighborhood residents to subscribe to the project updates at https://www.aspencommunityvoice.com/parkandmidland and share their thoughts in the comments area on that page. There has been little awareness or participation by Midland Avenue residents so it is vital that everyone get involved so that a plan is developed that is appropriate for all of the residents of our neighborhood.

Midland Avenue is a kind of quiet and charming street which would be destroyed with directing ALL the traffic from highway on it. Also, safety on Midland would decrease a lot specially on the corner of Park and Midland. The easiest solution is to add the the speed bump at Hopkins and Park( great idea by the new neighbor- Welcome davidhou).

I have fears that I will be forced to make u turns from Park onto STATE HWY 82 to go back home on Midland Ave if it is one way also. That causes a dangerous situation with the STATE HWY 82 downhill bike and car traffic. Doesn’t make sense to me. I understand that sometimes I might be able to use Hopkins but that’s not always the case.

I support my neighbors who believe the bus stop should be on Main Street rather than on Garmisch were most of the riders would prefer to get off and be closer to their distinations.

I live in the neighborhood and often walk home utilizing the bridge at east Hopkins. I agree with much of the plan being submitted - especially the one way streets. I also agree with many folks that a simple bike/pedestrian lane may be sufficient. A few caveats to that - 1) the City may need to take back portions of the ROW that has been taken over by homeowners, especially along the N end of Park, in order to provide enough width for a proper walkways, and 2) the only exception to the no sidewalks would be near the intersection of Parka and Park Circle, where the new housing will eventually get built. This is a very congested intersection, and the combination of density, pedestrians, bikes and buses makes it a very challenging spot. The challenge will only increase when 404 Park is actually built, and the developer can pay into any plan to build ROW infrastructure.
Jim Pomeroy

We live at the 257 Park Ave (NW corner of Park Ave and Dale Ave)... Tamar and Stephen Olitsky. We see no need to widen the existing roadway, or to utilize any curbing/sidewalks which would “urbanize” our charming neighborhood lined with trees and flowers. A safer pedestrian/vehicle shared roadway can be accomplished utilizing one way streets and a pedestrian/bike lane (much like we see on the two way 4th Street on the West End).

As I discussed during the last Council Discussion with our neighborhood, we have a serious problem with snow “removal” vs “plowing”. This plowing without snow removal (like we see in the center core and west end) creates narrowing of roadways forcing pedestrians and bikes into the often one lane roadway. I mention this again, because curbing and sidewalks will only create a more difficult and frankly expensive situation for snow removal.

Do not widen the existing road!! Do not “urbanize” our neighborhood! These measures are absolutely unnecessary and costly for which there is no existing budget. I believe that the “living lab” will prove to be a success and there will be no need to go beyond a pedestrian/bike lane and one way streets to satisfy ALL needs and retain the charm of the neighborhood we all selected to live in and many of us chose to invest in.

Please with the Living Lab also provide snow removal as part of the equation. If you’re not going to remove the snow... don’t bother wasting the time or money by plowing the street closed down to one lane.

The one way road concept will provide the additional safety as well as better defined on street parking. And a pedestrian/bike “lane” will avoid additional curbing and sidewalks which will result in additional snow removal efforts at a great expense, while “urbanizing” our charming neighborhood.

Our city engineers tell us speed bumps/tables and additional signs will NOT result in less speeding (15% speed according to city engineers). But will these measures result in lower speeds between the deterrents? Neighbors hear the engineers as I do, but keep requesting additional signage and obstacles on these streets. I believe “flashing” signage would be a shame as crossing over Park Ave on Hopkins is the highest impact intersection being discussed right now and I sure wouldn’t want a flashing light outside my home (some of us consider our neighbors). Cyclists are not going to stop to push a button at this intersection that usually doesn’t require stopping because of an oncoming vehicle. Ponding/Icing needs to be addressed here more than we need a flashing light... again this would be largely achieved by appropriate snow “removal” allowing for proper water run off to the Roaring Fork and Storm Water Drains. The same problem exists at our corner of Dale and Park. The drainage in front of our home (beautifully planted and maintained) has a large dry river rock bed and culvert that handles ALL of the water sheet draining down Park Ave from 82. Snow is piled at this intersection obstructing views, eliminating parking, creating single lanes of (2) two way roads and obstructs the drainage in front of our home resulting in dangerous ponding/icing conditions where I have seen many pedestrians slip and fall.

Thank you for involving the neighborhood in hearing involving your decisions regarding our properties and homes... our charming neighborhood.

Stephen Olitsky
257 Park Ave

I am a new resident at 269 Park Ave. One of the reasons that I like the neighborhood is because of the open feel of the streets. I believe we should not mandate side walks. The charm of the street and neighborhood would change. I think we just need a way to slow down traffic. Maybe speed bumps or warning lights at intersection of Hopkins and Park. Thank you.