On April 14, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners and Pagosa Springs Town Council heard an update from the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT’s) public information team in regard to current status of the U.S. 160 reconstruction project with pedestrian safety being a top concern as of late.
Public Information Manager Meredith Greene explained that the first section of utility work is about to begin between 1st and 3rd streets, and that additional flags and banners for business are on the way.
“I think right now the biggest thing we’re grappling with is just managing pedestrian pathways and ensuring that folks are being safe,” Greene said.
She explained that recently it’s been a challenge with individuals “who are walking through our active construction site and jumping over concrete barriers, and taking their pets with them in some instances.”
She explained that CDOT’s message to the public is to look for the clearly marked crosswalks located at 1st Street, 3rd Street and Hot Springs Boulevard, emphasizing the importance of pedestrian safety.
“I just want people to be safe,” she added, noting that a school resource officer is helping kids cross the highway after being let out from Pagosa Springs Middle School.
“The kids are being safe,” she said, while noting that crews are still witnessing vehicles running red lights at the intersection of U.S. 160 and Hot Springs Boulevard.
She explained that, the previous week, crews spent time moving and aligning those signals to be in line with the lanes.
Council member Brooks Lindner asked why the entire north side of U.S. 160 is being blocked off, rather than having crews work on one block at a time.
Greene explained that since the north side is the “busier side,” CDOT wanted to “tackle that first.”
Greene was also joined by Tracey Trulove, another public information manager on the project, who explained that the thought behind having the entire side blocked off is for pedestrian safety, noting that taking down, moving and putting up barriers every week may cause safety concerns.
Trulove also indicated that CDOT typically works under that system when blocking off roads.
Commissioner Veronica Medina asked why the entrance to businesses on Rosita Street were blocked off when there is no work actively taking place in that area.
“The extent of our construction actually goes to Harman Park [Drive],” Greene stated.
She explained that a lot of the utility work in that area is related to the downtown area and, “we’re trying to rip that big part of the Band-Aid off first.”
Medina acknowledged that she understood the“misconception, I guess you could say,” but still questioned why the entrance was blocked off by Rosita Street.
Greene indicated that she would get a “better answer” after consulting with the construction team, but explained that “we started to tear up some sidewalk in that area” and there was a water leak near the San Juan Mercantile, causing water to flow onto the asphalt, “so we needed to go ahead and close off all of that for utilities.”
Pagosa Springs Mayor Shari Pierce asked how pedestrian safety has been addressed in other projects when areas are blocked off and people still are going over barriers.
Trulove indicated that there is orange pedestrian fencing up now, but other projects have used much taller chain-link blocks, describing that as an “eyesore.”
She also explained that the information team meets weekly with the community’s emergency management team.
“I’ll be honest, it comes down to letting folks that’s just not gonna be tolerated because of the safety aspect,” Trulove said.
She added that people going over barriers are also putting the crew’s safety at risk when doing so.
“They’re gonna start having really heavy excavation equipment come through that work zone,” she said, adding, “I think our team would really like to avoid going to that chain-link fencing panels, ‘cause it’s just not a great look.”
Pagosa Springs Police Department (PSPD) Chief Bill Rockensock explained that the possibility of having those chain-link panels put up was discussed at a safety meeting,while noting, “It’s so random that we have people coming across there.”
He explained that the PSPD does not have the manpower to have officers stationed downtown at all times to catch whoever goes over these barriers, adding that the PSPD has put out education on its Facebook page to “hopefully” help out.
“To be honest with you, the only way to keep people completely out of there is to put up fencing, otherwise you’re just gonna have random people doing whatever they want to at any given time,” Rockensock said, adding there is not an exact answer, “but the fencing would help even though it’s an eyesore.”
Pierce explained that she is concerned for the busy summer season with pedestrian safety, given it is currently a slower season and it is a problem now.
Rockensock explained that the chain-link panels may be put up in certain areas as a “trial run,” while noting that “when it gets busy, it’s gonna get worse.”
“I appreciate you guys looking at it, ‘cause I’m really concerned,” Pierce added.
Greene mentioned that the CDOT information team is planning to meet with the schools to remind kids to be safe this summer.
“It seems to be the adult people that are having the biggest challenge,” she said. “It’s the grown adults that we’re having challenges with.”
Council member Madeline Bergon urged everyone in the community to “please make good decisions and set good examples.”
Commissioner Warren Brown suggested the CDOT team could potentially work with the Main Street Advisory Board to develop some sort of “point system” for using crosswalks for visitors during their stay that could be rewarded with some kind of award.
“These kinds of things work, and it makes people look for it,” he said.
clayton@pagosasun.com
