Greeley council hears MPO pitch to add County Road 17 interchange and 131st mobility hub to 10-year priority list

GREELEY, Colo. — At its Jan. 14 work session, the Greeley City Council heard a presentation from North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO) staff on two proposed projects for the MPO's 10-year priority list: a conceptual interchange where County Road 17 would meet U.S. 34 and a mobility-hub proposal at 131st Avenue that includes a bridge over U.S. 34 with pedestrian and micromobility facilities.

The projects were presented by Paul (NFRMPO staff), who described the 10-year priority list as the step that makes projects eligible for the Regional Transportation Plan and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which CDOT then uses to select projects for funding. Paul said the request to council was to “plant these two projects in the 10-year priority” so they would be eligible for future funding consideration rather than to commit a schedule or specific dollars.

Councilors and staff placed the proposals in context: the interchange and mobility hub respond to planned growth on Greeley’s west side and are intended to complement the Merge project and other local mobility improvements. Paul described how the mobility hub concept would provide a pedestrian and bicycle crossing over U.S. 34, space for local and regional bus stops, and connections designed to reduce some trips on the state highway by increasing local connectivity.

Why it matters: placement on the NFRMPO 10-year priority list and into the RTP/TIP is a precondition for being eligible for state or federal project funds. Councilors noted that being listed does not guarantee funding — projects must ultimately be fiscally constrained and compete for limited monies in the MPO and CDOT programs.

Council discussion focused on prioritization, safety and process. Councilor Boebert said the project’s rapid emergence concerned her: “this project that we're looking at out here didn't exist essentially 8 months ago,” and she pressed staff on how the new proposals relate to existing safety problems along U.S. 34, notably pedestrian fatalities at 11th Avenue. Paul responded that the corridor has been a long-standing planning priority and that the city is also pursuing near-term safety work, including Vision Zero-aligned measures and additional pedestrian improvements such as a planned 15th Avenue Court connector that staff said could improve crossings between 17th and 11th Avenue sooner than major interchange work.

Councilor Wilson asked about functional classification and whether County Road 17 qualified for the interchange process. Paul and other staff indicated classification and ownership questions would be part of early studies and that some segments already are treated as arterials for planning. Paul said the MPO will refine scope, and staff will coordinate with Weld County and CDOT about classifications and next steps.

Other councilors and an attendee who identified as a former regional CDOT director warned the council that corridor-level priorities and available funding heavily influence what projects actually move forward; the MPO will review and narrow priorities at its Jan. 30 meeting. Paul and councilors emphasized the difference between placement on the priority list (which makes projects eligible) and being programmed with dollars in the TIP (which is required to advance design and construction).

No formal council vote was taken on adding the projects to the MPO list at the Jan. 14 meeting. Staff said they will continue coordinating with the county and CDOT, return to council with additional detail in Q1–Q2 as the mobility development plan and related studies advance, and seek MPO support at the Jan. 30 NFRMPO meeting.

The council moved on to other business after the discussion; staff did not present a formal motion to instruct the city manager to take a specific action on MPO placement during the Jan. 14 session.