Council hears detailed design, schedule and cost update for South Broadway and Old Hampton Complete Streets projects

Englewood staff presented detailed design progress and community feedback Monday on two multi-million-dollar Complete Streets projects: South Broadway (including South Sherman bikeway) and Old Hampton Avenue. Both projects are slated to start construction in late summer and aim to add pedestrian, bicycle and transit improvements.

Capital Projects Engineer Devin Keener said the South Broadway project (paired with South Sherman) is approaching 90% design and that construction is anticipated to start late summer with roughly a one-year construction schedule. Keener described project elements including 13 new bus stops with bump-outs, 41 irrigated trees, about 300 irrigated shrubs, up to 30 pedestrian lights, audible push buttons for ADA compliance, and continuous painted bike lanes on six blocks of South Sherman with sharrows and safety chicanes on other blocks. He reported an estimated total project budget of $7,540,000, with an 88% federal share and a city share of roughly $900,000. "The total budget for this is 7,540,000.00. 88% of this is federal, only 12% is city," Keener said.

Keener explained design trade-offs: the team avoided removing parking on South Sherman where possible after public comments, and used chicanes (pinch points) to calm traffic on blocks with fewer parked cars. He said the open house in April gathered roughly 40 attendees who annotated plans; staff incorporated that feedback in the 60–90% design steps. Keener also showed a proposed painted-sidewalk concept simplified to match an upcoming median-painting initiative and said the consultant expects painted sidewalks to last about five to ten years depending on traffic; he said maintenance and graffiti-removal strategies remain a design consideration.

Council members raised maintenance, parking and safety questions. Member Noonencamp pressed whether the annual cost of repainting sidewalks and anti-graffiti upkeep had been estimated; Keener said the consultant has maintenance guidance and staff will follow up with cost details. Member Russell and others asked about how public comments were captured at the open house; Keener said participants used a simple sticker-vote method and staff will provide additional outreach and another open house if council requests one. Concerns about bus-stop maintenance and drug-related activity at bus stops were raised; staff noted a third-party vendor now manages many shelters and recently upgraded maintenance terms in new contracts.

Member Wright asked about ridership and whether adding 13 stops made sense if transit ridership is low; Keener said ridership was considered during grant application and the added stops were part of the grant scope and ADA/accessibility goals. Member Prane asked about federal funding stability; staff said the IGA is signed and they were not anticipating an immediate funding impact but they are monitoring federal developments and coordinating with the state.

Rachel Graffman, capital project engineer, presented Old Hampton design updates. She said 100% design would be submitted at the end of the month, with the intention to advertise bids in April and start construction after a utilities project, likely in August. Old Hampton renderings showed medians (two of four will include trees), water-quality planters, benches with armrests for accessibility and to deter lying down, shaded bus stops with low-maintenance perforated metal shelters, and a sandblasted hexagonal sidewalk pattern; she said sandblasting "would make a cane stickier" (that is, it provides extra friction) and should not create a tripping hazard.

Council and staff discussed construction phasing and how Old Hampton utility work and other contracts coordinate with the street project, left-turn lanes at key intersections, and access to parking garages. Graffman said the corridor largely remains one lane each direction and staff coordinated with hospitals and valets about access; they expected valet and hospital operations to be able to function with the revised alignment.

Next steps: staff will complete 100% design submittals, finalize CDOT permits and easements, prepare for advertisement and return with detailed maintenance-cost and outreach plans at council request. Council members asked staff to hold an additional public open house or targeted outreach to affected businesses and residents before construction starts so businesses can provide input about access and maintenance.