Galena Cooper Living Lab

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Consultation has concluded


September 27, 2022 Update: Galena Cooper Living Lab Approaches Experiment End

The Galena Cooper Living Lab will end on Monday, September 26. The project team will be installing adjustments to the parking and roadway design from September 27 – September 30. Construction crews will be in the area for five days to remove some of the current elements and install a new parking layout. During this time, there will be limited parking available on Galena Street.

The new configuration will remain in place throughout the upcoming winter season.

The living lab on South Galena Street from Hopkins Avenue to Cooper


September 27, 2022 Update: Galena Cooper Living Lab Approaches Experiment End

The Galena Cooper Living Lab will end on Monday, September 26. The project team will be installing adjustments to the parking and roadway design from September 27 – September 30. Construction crews will be in the area for five days to remove some of the current elements and install a new parking layout. During this time, there will be limited parking available on Galena Street.

The new configuration will remain in place throughout the upcoming winter season.

The living lab on South Galena Street from Hopkins Avenue to Cooper Avenue and Cooper Avenue from Galena Street to Hunter Street has been installed for 13 weeks to evaluate temporary modifications before any permanent safety and design improvements. Field observations, public comments, live phone log recordings, and the community survey will close on Friday, September 23. A comprehensive outreach and engagement report will be presented to City Council in November.

What is going away on September 27:

  1. Removal of counterflow bikeway, curb extensions, and protective temporary curbs
  2. Removal of existing counter-flow bike lane striping on the east side of Galena Street and north side of Cooper Avenue
  3. Removal of parallel parking spots on the east side of Galena Street and the north side of Cooper Avenue
  4. Removal of the we-cycle station on Galena St
  5. Remove loading zone on Hyman Ave – it will be replaced on Galena St as a double loading zone (prelab conditions)

What will remain through the winter:

  1. Parallel parking on the west side of Galena Street and the south side of Cooper Avenue
  2. Angled parking spots next to the existing curb on the east side of Galena Street and the north side of Cooper Avenue
  3. All-way stop signs at Hopkins Ave and Galena Street intersection


ABOUT THE GALENA COOPER LIVING LAB 

Safety enhancements are being piloted in downtown Aspen throughout summer 2022 as part of an ongoing city-wide effort to improve safety and mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists while also encouraging a reduction in reliance on fossil fuels. Building on the outcomes of the City's "Safety in the Downtown Core" project, the City of Aspen's Engineering Department is implementing recommendations from City Council designed to balance user priorities through dedicated spaces for each transportation mode while also encouraging people to slow down and share the road in a heavily trafficked area.

A living lab installed on South Galena and Cooper Street primarily intended to prevent injury or death features parallel parking spaces for better sight lines, a counter-flow protected bikeway to minimize the potential for unpredictable interaction between cars and cyclists, and curb extensions at intersections that shorten crosswalk distances for pedestrians. The living lab also eliminates the left turn from Galena Street onto Hyman Avenue.

TIMELINE

June 27 - September 26, 2022

LIVING LAB DETAILS

  1. Formalize one-way shared roadway for cyclists and vehicles
  2. Dedicated counter-flow bikeways
  3. Parallel parking
  4. Curb extensions at intersections
  5. Widened pedestrian areas
  6. No left turn onto Hyman from Galena

PROJECT GOALS

  • Improve the convenience, safety, and quality of experience for bicyclists and pedestrians on streets and trails
  • Develop a strategic parking plan that manages the supply of parking and reduces the adverse impacts of the automobile
  • Encourage alternative forms of transportation to reduce reliance on follis fuels
  • Increase safety by providing safe, balanced, and dedicated spaces for all users

PARTICIPATE & PROVIDE FEEDBACK
Data is being collected at four intersections on a three-block stretch until the end of September 2022. An outreach team is also collecting data from residents and business owners, conducting sidewalk surveys, and holding monthly pop-up events during the lab.

  • Subscribe to receive project updates
  • Take the Online Questionnaire below through the "Experience Survey" tab
  • Attend a pop-up event
  • Participate in a sidewalk survey
  • Share your questions below through the "Question" tab
  • Share your comments below through the "Comments" tab
  • Email feedback to GalenaCooperLivingLab@aspen.gov


WECycle bike riding down the street of the living lab