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Arapahoe County board backs updated Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan, will adopt via consent
Summary
Public Works presented a revised Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan that updates strategies, application processes and prioritization for traffic calming; the Board gave informal approval to advance the plan for adoption on consent.
Arapahoe County Public Works presented a revised Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan (NTMP) on Wednesday that updates traffic‑calming strategies, clarifies the application process and adds procedures for ranking candidate projects; the Board indicated support and staff will return the plan for formal adoption on a future consent agenda.
Brian Weimer, Director of Public Works and Development, said the county’s NTMP had not been updated in many years and that the revision expands the program to address minor collectors in addition to residential streets. The plan updates engineering strategies that can be used to address speeding, cut‑through traffic and pedestrian safety, and it aims to make the application process more resident‑friendly.
Carl Packer, Traffic Operations Manager, reviewed traffic‑calming options included in the update: chicanes, raised medians, curb extensions (bulb‑outs), raised crossings and speed humps, speed‑feedback signs that record before‑and‑after speeds, rumble strips, traffic circles, and traffic diverters. Staff emphasized tradeoffs — for example, some physical devices can increase maintenance costs, affect drainage or impact emergency response times, and several approaches are more effective when combined rather than used alone.
Staff also explained how the NTMP ties to the county’s TOPS (Traffic Operations Policy and Procedures) manual and requires compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) when warrants apply. Weimer and Carl said the process typically begins with data collection (volume, speed and crash history), possible enforcement, low‑cost measures such as signing and striping, and then escalation to physical improvements when necessary.
Examples and costs highlighted in the meeting included the Tempe/Versailles corridor project (a roundabout pursued with federal grants and now scheduled for bid) and typical cost ranges for calming measures — chicanes ($8,000–$25,000), speed humps ($2,000–$4,000) — and staff said the county currently has three projects on its implementation list and has received eight requests since 2023.
Commissioners asked about how warrants are applied and how pedestrian and bicycle needs will be weighted in the plan’s priority system. Staff said the draft NTMP will include a ranking framework that accounts for AADT, speeding, crash history and proximity to schools; the final plan will include sample polling and survey materials to standardize neighborhood outreach.
The board indicated support by hand signals; the meeting record shows four thumbs up and one commissioner absent. Staff requested board direction to move the revised NTMP forward for formal adoption on a consent agenda; commissioners agreed and staff said they will finish ranking criteria and standard outreach materials before returning the plan for adoption.
Next steps: staff will finalize the NTMP’s prioritization criteria and outreach examples, publish the plan on the county website, and bring the revised NTMP back to the Board as a consent item for formal adoption. Implementation of individual traffic calming projects will follow the plan and require budget allocation.
