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Littleton staff outlines Transportation Master Plan update, funding hurdles and Safer Streets initiatives
Summary
City staff told the Transportation & Mobility Advisory Board the TMP update will begin solicitation this summer as an 18–20 month process; the presentation covered federal/state/regional/local funding differences, the Safer Streets program, ongoing studies (microtransit, Littleton Boulevard plan) and an $89M pre-pandemic ADA transition estimate.
City staff briefed the Transportation & Mobility Advisory Board on the upcoming Transportation Master Plan (TMP) update, funding sources and priority programs, saying the solicitation for consultant services will start in August or September and the update will likely run 18–20 months.
Shane Roberts, senior transportation planner, said the 2019 TMP was produced with broad public engagement but that travel patterns and policy priorities have changed since its adoption. Staff emphasized the board will be closely involved in alternating high-level TMP check-ins and deeper consultant briefings throughout the update.
Funding differences were a central focus. Staff explained federal grants carry competitive requirements and procedural burdens (NEPA and additional reviews) that can lengthen timelines and raise local costs; staff used the downtown “race crossings” project as an example where federal requirements increased final costs. State funding administered through CDOT, regional programming via the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), county grants (Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas) and local revenues (capital improvement sales tax “3A,” impact fees) were all described as distinct pots with different constraints.
Kenna Davis, senior transportation planner, outlined the Safer Streets program (launched 2024) focused on pedestrian and bicycle safety through neighborhood and connector street projects. Key Safer Streets elements include a traffic safety committee, school coordination, pilot projects intended to move to permanent infrastructure, protected bike lanes and a data-driven road safety report identifying hot spots. Staff flagged the challenge of converting pilots to permanent infrastructure because permanent construction triggers drainage, slope and utility work that sharply raises costs.
Staff reviewed ongoing studies: an Arapahoe County transit-connection study examining microtransit and on-demand services, the Littleton Boulevard area plan (Blueprint Boulevard) led by Community Development, and corridor studies such as Bowles Avenue and Prince Street Link. Project examples included Euclid Complete Streets, Platte Canyon intersection signal upgrades, and protected bike-lane rollouts; staff said 11 of 14 high-injury network intersections have completed or active projects.
The presentation also summarized the ADA transition plan, which identified roughly 5,000 noncompliant points across the city and estimated remediation at about $89 million pre-pandemic (staff cautioned current costs are likely higher). Staff encouraged board members to review linked materials and prior meeting recordings and said staff will bring focused TMP updates on alternating months and consultant-led sessions when the contractor is selected.
The board discussed thresholds for pursuing federal funding and the tradeoffs between local control and federal financial support; staff said internal thresholds are under discussion and candidate thresholds of several million dollars were mentioned during the meeting.
