Addison staff and commissioners debate Master Transportation Plan adoption, pedestrian toolbox and signal pilot

Becky Divini, the town's director of public works and engineering, presented the draft Master Transportation Plan to the Planning and Zoning Commission and said staff will return in January for a recommendation before a council public hearing and ordinance adoption. "I'll be back in January, for a recommendation, and then we'll work through our plan is to go to the last council meeting in January to hold that public hearing and then the overall plan adoption," she said.

Divini described the plan as a multimodal blueprint that covers vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian and transit connectivity and emphasized new flexibility in cross sections to reduce costly right-of-way acquisitions. She said the town contracted Kimberly Horn & Associates for professional services and noted the contract amount of "$144,500." The plan adds a pedestrian toolbox with countermeasures drawn from Federal Highway Administration guidance to help prioritize crossing and sidewalk improvements.

Why it matters: the MTP guides priorities for sidewalks, crossings, signal work and roadway cross sections for the next planning cycle, and it establishes which corridors will be targeted for operational fixes rather than expensive widening. Divini pointed commissioners to a public-facing traffic counts dashboard that covers more than 90 street segments and 37 signalized intersections, which staff will use to justify interventions.

Key details and commitments

- Pedestrian toolbox: Divini said the toolbox includes about 37 FHWA countermeasures (examples: pedestrian hybrid beacons, leading pedestrian intervals, curb extensions and mid-block crossings) and that council asked staff to add lighting as a toolbox item. "Not all of the items are shown on this slide and lighting is already in the toolbox," she said.

- Traffic data and level of service: the town's dashboard shows crash heat maps, turning movements and daily counts; Divini said Addison policy allows level-of-service D or better and staff will evaluate corridors with E/F performance for signal timing, turn-lane changes or other operational measures.

- Speed guidance: Divini reported council directed staff to keep Addison Road and Arapahoe at 40 mph and not lower them to 35 mph as part of the plan's recommendations.

- Silver Line and document updates: commissioners asked whether the plan should reflect DART's Silver Line. Divini said the plan will be updated to incorporate the Silver Line and other recent changes.

- Signal pilot: Divini told the commission the town is piloting a dynamic signal program that will use satellite-based communications and that pilot results will be available in January; she said current signals are timed and staff will evaluate dynamic timing options if the pilot proves successful.

Commissioner concerns and next steps

Multiple commissioners praised the plan's pedestrian focus but pressed staff for clearer, actionable strategies to reduce congestion on high-volume corridors. One commissioner urged caution given nearby regional votes and DART changes, suggesting the commission could delay formal recommendation by several months. Divini said there is no legal deadline preventing delay but noted the plan is intended to be updated on a regular cycle and may be amended later if significant changes occur.

The commission will continue reviewing comments and staff expects to return in January with a revised draft and recommendations ahead of the council public hearing and ordinance adoption.