Littleton updates Safer Streets program: pilots, protected bike lanes and data‑driven enforcement steps underway

Littleton staff gave a detailed update on the city’s Safer Streets program during the Aug. 12 study session, outlining a five‑year strategic plan, a series of pilot and quick‑build projects, recent crash‑data analysis, and near‑term project timelines.

Brent Sutterland, director of public works and utilities, described organizational priorities for the program—strengthening partnerships, fostering a community culture of safety, using data to guide decisions, and prioritizing “people‑first” street design. Staff told council they had identified more than 90 actions in a strategic plan and assigned task leads for four goal areas: collaboration, culture change, data‑driven decision‑making and people‑first streets.

Staff reviewed the Safer Streets budget and near‑term spending priorities. The program’s current year allocation is about $1 million, most of which staff said will fund pilot projects and quick‑build installations; some funds are set aside for corridor studies, consultant support and equipment. Staff noted an encumbered balance from prior years dedicated to protected bike lane construction.

Program leads described completed and planned engagement and outreach: an East Community Center practice park (to be installed by September) with a bike fleet donated by Littleton Public Schools Foundation; 1,500 pieces of safety giveaway items distributed at events this year; targeted school‑zone outreach timed with the first day of school; and an outreach schedule tied to the Transportation Master Plan update in 2026. Staff said they are preparing short video explainers to help the public understand how pilot treatments work and how to use new facilities.

Engineering staff presented project details and schedules. Protected bike lanes are nearly complete on Phillips and Bellevue (installation and final striping or plastic curb elements remain), and staff said installations of protected bike lanes on Irving, Windermere and Church are scheduled for mid‑September. Staff emphasized that the city is piloting a range of quick‑build materials (plastic delineators, modular curbs, low concrete safety lane elements) to test durability, maintenance needs and user comfort before selecting standard materials for future, larger installations. As an example of scale, staff contrasted a roughly $200,000 expected cost for some quick‑build protected‑lane installs with multi‑million‑dollar permanent curb projects.

Staff also briefed council on a neighborhood traffic calming toolbox and evaluation that will provide design details and guidance for measures such as raised crosswalks, speed cushions, curb extensions, chicanes and diverters. Project examples in the toolbox include Irving Street, Bellevue corridor segments and other priority locations where the toolbox includes conceptual designs.

Traffic safety and enforcement updates came from Littleton Police and the city’s crash‑analysis team. The city’s contracted crash report and dashboard work has produced a mid‑year snapshot (Jan. 1–June 30) that staff used as a baseline. Staff said many crash measures are improving compared with prior periods but that serious injuries and fatalities remain a concern; one multi‑fatality crash in January at a Santa Fe intersection drove this year’s higher fatality count. Vulnerable road‑user crashes (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists) remain the program’s focus: staff reported an increase in serious injuries among motorcyclists (12 year‑to‑date versus 6 the same period last year). Littleton Police told council their traffic team is fully staffed and that directed patrols are being used to focus enforcement in school zones and other areas.

Staff described improvements to their data‑collection toolkit: automated mobility analytics (Urban SDK) will provide automated alerts (for example, when 85th‑percentile speeds in school zones exceed thresholds), more sensitive radar counters that distinguish bikes and pedestrians are entering the market, and the city is developing a formal data‑collection routine to standardize how counts, speed data and crash data guide project selection and evaluation.

Councilors asked about communication with bordering jurisdictions, maintenance and snow removal for new facilities, roadway sight lines (vegetation clearing), and next steps on corridor studies. Staff said they will continue public engagement, will collect post‑installation data and resident feedback on pilot projects and will bring corridor study recommendations and budget options back to council in future briefings. The session closed with council expressing broad support for accelerating the program subject to budget availability.

Ending: Staff said Euclid Avenue phase 1 is open, the practice park will be installed by September, Phillips and Bellevue protected lanes are nearly complete, and staff will return to council with corridor study products and budget options in future meetings.