FAQs - Sheridan Boulevard Multimodal Corridor Plan: Design Phase

Sheridan Boulevard is currently a roadway corridor that prioritizes motor vehicles at the detriment of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. Identified as a high-injury corridor, the City of Edgewater received a Community Mobility Planning and Implementation (CMPI) grant to create the Sheridan Boulevard Multimodal Corridor Plan (Plan), adopted in October 2022.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is designing improvements for Sheridan Boulevard between 17th and 26th Avenues, based on Edgewater’s Plan, to enhance safety and corridor operations. The design phase is expected to finish by late 2025, followed by property acquisitions in 2026. Construction will start in late 2026 and last for about 18 months.

The Plan identifies opportunities for enhanced multimodal infrastructure that will deliver increased safety and comfort for people walking, biking, riding transit, and driving in the corridor. The project also highlights opportunities to enrich public spaces and make Sheridan into an entryway to Edgewater that is more inviting for residents and visitors alike. Planned improvements include:

• Center medians added strategically on Sheridan to calm traffic, limit traffic movements, and channel pedestrians to safe crosswalk locations, enhancing safety for all users.
• Curb extensions and wider sidewalks for safer pedestrian travel. Curb extensions (see Figure 1) reduce pedestrian crossing distances and slow motorist turning speeds.

Southbound traffic on Sheridan trying to turn left (east) onto 17th Avenue often backs up past the southern driveway into the shopping center. This makes it very hard for northbound traffic to turn left into the shopping center here, but they will still try, causing an unsafe situation. How will the project address this?

The southern driveway into the Edgewater Marketplace shopping center (West of Sheridan, north of 17^th Avenue between Chase and Huntington Banks) will be converted to a right-in, right-out configuration. Left turns in and out of this driveway will be blocked by a raised center median on Sheridan to remove the most dangerous vehicle movements into and out of the southern driveway.

 Southbound traffic will continue to use the driveways while northbound traffic will use either 17^th Avenue, the northern driveway (between Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A), or 20^th Avenue. Left turns out of the northern driveway will be restricted with a raised center median, but the northbound left turns into the Marketplace will still be allowed at this entrance.

A pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB), sometimes referred to as a HAWK (High intensity Activated Crosswalk) signal, is a traffic control device designed to improve safety for pedestrians crossing arterial streets such as Sheridan. They are typically installed at mid-block locations between signalized intersections where significant pedestrian activity occurs.  

1. Activation: When pedestrians want to cross, they push a button to activate the beacon.
2. Signal Display: The beacon displays a sequence of lights:
   • Flashing Yellow – Alerts drivers that the beacon has been activated and a forthcoming red light will require them to stop. Do Not Walk signals are displayed for pedestrians.
   • Steady Yellow – Activation of red lights is imminent. Vehicles may proceed with caution. Do Not Walk signals are displayed for pedestrians.
   • Steady Red: The beacon displays solid red lights, stopping vehicles while the pedestrian Walk signals are activated.
   • Flashing Red: After a sufficient amount of time is provided for pedestrians to enter and begin to cross the street, the HAWK signal will display alternating flashing red lights to indicate that vehicles must come to a complete stop and proceed only when pedestrians have cleared the street. The pedestrian Walk signals will be flashing during this phase.
   • Dark: Once the pedestrian phase is complete, the beacon goes dark again until activated. Vehicles may proceed with caution. Do Not Walk signals are displayed for pedestrians.

The PHB/HAWK, when activated, will stop traffic long enough to allow pedestrians to cross both northbound and southbound lanes of Sheridan at one time based on typical pedestrian walking speed. The median at the HAWK crossing will be large enough to accommodate some pedestrians if necessary. The project team is looking to incorporate higher raised sections of the median at the crossing of the HAWK crossing to protect pedestrians on the median.

Cyclists are required by law to yield to pedestrians. Signs will be posted to indicate that bicyclists are expected to dismount to cross Sheridan at the HAWK signal. 

A lighting study of the corridor is underway to identify needs and deficiencies, ensuring that the final design improves nighttime safety and accommodation for all road users including motorists, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users.

The pavement area on the west side of Sheridan is being reduced to create space for a detached sidewalk and landscaped areas between the sidewalk and street. The raised center medians will also allow for landscaping. These landscaping elements are being coordinated with various jurisdictions and property owners, considering factors like long-term maintenance, icing in winter, view corridors to the lake and downtown, and cost.

Most of the construction work will occur within the existing street right-of-way on Sheridan. On the east side, the project will include improvements to sidewalks within Sloan’s Lake Park. This may also involve moving portions of the sidewalk away from the street to provide a landscaped buffer between pedestrians and vehicles.

The new HAWK mid-block pedestrian crossing signal between 22^nd and 24^th Avenues will require a new curb ramp on the Sloan’s Lake side. A planned sidewalk connection will link the HAWK signal crossing with the lakeside multi-use paths, and existing bus stops near 24^th Avenue will be relocated to the HAWK signal.

A curb ramp is a short, sloping section of concrete that connects the sidewalk with the street, allowing pedestrians and other vulnerable road users to easily access the crosswalk without having to step up or down. They are specifically designed to be accessible to people with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, or have other mobility or visibility restrictions. Ramps will be designed to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that includes requirements dictating the design for ramps and sidewalks.

In addition to the new HAWK mid-block pedestrian crossing, existing crosswalks will be enhanced to improve pedestrian safety and visibility. This will include more prominent crosswalk markings and stop bars will be relocated farther back from the crosswalks to enhance safety and comfort for pedestrians crossing the street.