Planning commission hears draft Commerce City Transportation Master Plan; public comment open through Oct. 17

Commerce City staff and their transportation consultant on Oct. 8 presented a draft Transportation Master Plan that updates the city's 2010 plan and sets a 25‑year vision for roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian and safety investments. Staff said public comment remains open through Oct. 17 and the plan is scheduled for City Council adoption on Dec. 1.

Jenna Hahn, director of public works, said the city began the plan in early 2024 and is in the fourth and final phase of public engagement. Hahn said the project will return to the Planning Commission for a formal recommendation before going to council and that the project team is accepting online comments through Oct. 17.

Stephanie Ball, transportation planner with consultant Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU), summarized the draft plan's five goals: connected multimodal network, accessibility and equity, safety, sustainable growth and innovation, and asset maintenance. Ball described a modal approach with a roadway plan (widening, new roadways, interchanges and operational improvements), a transit plan with identified transit priority corridors and potential treatments (transit signal priority, queue jumps, dedicated lanes and stop amenities), a bicycle plan informed by a level‑of‑traffic‑stress analysis, a pedestrian plan that prioritizes sidewalk gap closures, and an incorporated safety plan that adopts recommendations from the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.

Ball said the plan includes a project evaluation framework to score candidate projects on alignment with goals, maintenance implications, public input and implementation readiness (design status and funding opportunities). She said the transit plan focuses on actions the city can take in the public right of way because Commerce City does not operate its own transit service.

Commissioner Schechter asked whether the commission was being asked to take an action; staff replied the meeting item was for presentation and discussion only. Schechter also raised a legal concern about language in the draft plan referencing race or racial preference and asked that the city attorney review whether such language could jeopardize federal grant eligibility; city staff agreed to bring the concern to the city attorney's attention.

Commissioner Van Heusen asked staff to consider adding Quebec Street to the list of transit priority routes because of large venues and connections to the commuter rail A Line; staff said they would take the suggestion under advisement and noted a separate one‑year microtransit study focused on the core city is underway.

Other commissioner comments asked staff to consider secured/structured bike parking at major nodes and transit stops, to confirm that roadway tree‑lawn and clearance standards reflect the current land development code, and to pursue interjurisdictional trail connections (for example a path to Barr Lake/Arsenal areas) and amenities such as restrooms along long‑distance recreational corridors.

No formal planning commission action was taken; staff said they will incorporate public feedback received by Oct. 17 and return with a recommended draft prior to the council hearing on Dec. 1.