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Advisory board presses to add culture‑change goals to TMP: safety, education, and street typologies
Summary
Advisory board members urged the Transportation Master Plan update to include a stronger, actionable culture‑change component—covering safety education, partner collaboration and street classifications—and asked staff and consultants to formalize tactics and metrics.
Board members spent substantial time in a special session framing a culture‑change goal for the TMP update, arguing that engineering design alone is insufficient to shift travel behavior and improve safety.
The board described “culture change” as a combination of safety, mode shift and everyday behavior on streets and trails. Members said the TMP should do more than list projects: it should set expectations for how the city will prioritize users (pedestrians, cyclists, transit, freight and drivers), formalize street typologies with clear cross‑sections, and describe programs to educate and engage residents.
Why this matters: board members said changing how people travel in Littleton is central to meeting TMP goals such as safety, inclusivity and sustainability. They argued that a culture‑change element in the TMP — implemented through a safety action plan or an appendix — would give staff and partners a standard set of approaches to use in grant applications, corridor studies and capital projects.
Key discussion points
- Culture change as a TMP element: Several members recommended a dedicated chapter or a safety action plan appended to the TMP that would list partners, a menu of tools (education campaigns, enforcement, partner agreements, pilot projects), and example annual activities to build and measure change.
- Street typologies and prioritization: Members urged clearer cross‑sections and definitions for “pedestrian‑prioritized,” “bicycle‑prioritized” and multimodal streets so the engineering and funding decisions align with community goals. One staff member recommended the DRCOG Complete Streets toolkit as a useful reference for typology graphics.
- Education and partnerships: The group discussed concrete education tactics: Bicycle Colorado course offerings and an online “Shift” driver training; a planned permanent “traffic garden” / practice network at East Community Center where residents and school groups can learn different facility types; targeted outreach for seniors and school communities; and coordinating with Littleton Public Schools (LPS) on bike trailers and school field trips to the East Community Center resource.
- Metrics: Staff showed draft key performance indicators used in the Safer Streets strategic plan (engagement reach, mode‑shift targets, crash data) and invited the board to suggest additional KPIs to measure cultural change, such as changes in perceived safety or percentages of students walking and biking to school.
Board direction and follow up
The board agreed to include culture change in the set of topics for one‑page findings and recommendations to the consultant, and to provide suggested tactical items (education programs, partner matrices, KPIs) the consultant can translate into an action plan. Staff said the safer‑streets strategic plan materials will be made available to the consultant and that the TMP update can reference an external safety action plan if the board and staff prefer that structure.
Quotations and participants
A staff member summarized the gap succinctly: “Candidly, we don't have that now,” referring to a citywide culture that prioritizes safety and multimodal travel. Mark Flank, a resident, raised transparency questions earlier in the meeting about trail decisions and funding. Jess Dunley, who leads the Development Services group in Community Development, was identified as a staff contact about development and sidewalk requirements. Participants also mentioned Bicycle Colorado, Littleton Public Schools, and East Community Center as partners.
Clarifying details
- A permanent practice area is planned at East Community Center to demonstrate and teach protected bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, traffic circles and other facilities; Bicycle Colorado will run small learn‑to‑ride classes there. - Staff suggested KPIs tied to the Safer Streets strategic plan: engagement reach, reduction in high‑risk behaviors, crash statistics, mode‑shift measures (e.g., percent of students walking/biking). - Board recommended the consultant either include a culture‑change chapter in the TMP or append a safety action plan that lists partners, funding approaches, and a multi‑year engagement program.
Proper names referenced
Littleton City; Safer Streets Littleton; East Community Center; Bicycle Colorado; Littleton Public Schools (LPS); DRCOG Complete Streets toolkit; Broadway Corridor; Mineral Station; Mark Flank; Jess Dunley.
Community relevance
Geographies: citywide, with emphasis on Downtown Littleton, school corridors and shared trails. Impact groups: schoolchildren and families, seniors, cyclists, pedestrians, transit users, drivers.
Provenance
Key discussion of culture change begins where meeting participants transition to the second agenda topic: “the next one is… shifting culture” and continues through the board's closing comments on implementing a safety action plan and KPIs.
