Brighton Blvd Design/Reconstruction Recommendations

My first time on Brighton Blvd in the design/construction area was a pre-move visit to Denver in April 2015. I was attempting to find and get an on-the-street perspective of RiNo in it's transition. I'm not sure even today if I found part of the Arts District, though I did get a quick education on Brighton Blvd from a pedestrian perspective that left me happy to see something proposed.

These comments therefore are based on both an initial, one-time visit as a newbie to the area a couple months ago, as well as the simulation video posted at http://denver.streetsblog.org/2015/06/19/nailing-down-the-details-for-the-brighton-boulevard-redesign/. The StreetsBlog post addressed the big stuff, so I expanded on it with some additional details. This is what I shared on the comments form at https://trackvia-customer-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/26419/forms/EBA_yHwJH2CFn6/Comment_Form.html.

• Protected bike lanes need to continue behind the bus waiting/loading area creating a transit island.
• Grade separation for bike lane and pedestrian zones.
• Green street infrastructure to move rain fall and snow into rain "garden" areas to compliment existing storm drains and provide low-maintenance, natural irrigation--continuous through entire project.
• Street lights for pedestrian and bike zones in addition to vehicle lanes.
• Design the street for a natural lower speed by visually reducing the width of the car space (landscaped center island--additional water catchment area?); 10' right hand lane, 9' left lane.
• Parallel parking dominant on north side to enhance solar snow melt in winter.
• Design for snow removal in bike lanes and pedestrian zones at similar time frame as traffic lanes--reduce barriers to snow removal and prevent snow accumulation in bike lane.
• Raised medians for mid-block protected pedestrian crosswalk where distance between cross walks exceeds x00' (determined by human behavior metrics and what would encourage mid-block jay walking, like getting to a venue across the street from parallel parking).
• Bike and pedestrian priority signaling similar to downtown intersections.
• Work with property owners to move primary access to their property to side streets to minimize conflict zones between signals, and pavement changes before vehicles enter pedestrian zone from private property; plan for future property uses to reduce impact/conflict on Brighton by addressing cross streets access as well.
• Incorporate traffic circles at low-volume and T-intersections to reduce waiting periods and conflicts with turning vehicles.
• Trash and recycling receptacles: QR codes to scan and alert BID to address volume, condition, and provide schedule of collection/maintenance by smartphone.
• Shrink curb curve radiuses to encourage slower speed right turns.
• Provide bicycle parking in vehicle parking areas close to intersections where vehicle parking would be too close; reduces pedestrian zone conflicts and signals bike/vehicle parity in this area.
• Good use of benches/seating areas, street art/info signs, varied paving for pedestrian zone; expand use of street lights, signage, structured shade, seating, landscape to create place making and well-lit pedestrian and bike zones (unique design elements to distinguish area from others).
• Incorporate gutter connections under bike lane between vehicle lanes and green/rain garden planting zone to eliminate flooding conditions over bike lanes during rains.
• Good use of buffer zone for vehicle exit/entry between parallel parking and bike lane; additional vertical elements like lighted bollards that would be recessed during snow plowing.
• No turn on red (right turn) to eliminate vehicles from creeping into bike box and crosswalk zones.
• Continue green/planting/rain garden zones with walk-able grates in parallel parking areas.
• Consider a traffic circle at 33rd and 43rd Streets (reduces number of left turns into private property and street, and reduces speed for pedestrian crossing areas).
• Encourage the use of structured shading where trees are inappropriate or conflicting (priority for posts in public space between bike lane and pedestrian zone to ensure longevity when adjacent property gets redeveloped; solar collectors on north side to power light from under canopies).
• Crosswalks of contrasting materials that are durable and maintenance friendly.

Feel free to add your own comments and ideas here, as they help me to understand the additional perspectives of locals.