December 12, 2017 Karen Good 201 W. Colfax Dept. 509 Denver, CO 80202 Dear Karen, VISI CDN ZERCD SAFE SPEEDS FOR DENVER We are writing on behalf of the Denver Vision Zero Coalition to express conditional support for the shared bicycle and pedestrian facility design for the Washington Street GO Bond project currently proposed by the Denver Public Works Project Team and Matrix Design Group. The initial "30% design" concept of an off-street facility is a fit with the community needs expressed during the public process and with Globeville's Neighborhood Plan. Ensuring that the final design adequately accommodates both bicyclists and pedestrians will require a high standard of safety and comfort treatments and innovations new to Denver, which we have outlined below. Without these, the project will fail to meet the standards Denver has set to become a Vision Zero leader and will fail to capture the interest of the local community as a true amenity that brings a "Main Street" feel to Washington Street. Attached are examples of the elements we are recommending that are in common use in other municipalities. Further, we recommend that Denver Public Works move away from the description of the facility as a "shared sidewalk." Instead, the facility should be identified as side-by-side facilities of a 6-foot sidewalk and a 6-foot off-street elevated cycletrack or protected bike lane. Specifically, we are identifying these critical, desired, and recommended elements: 1. Critical Elements for the side-by-side facilities (these elements are the basis for our preliminary indication of support): • 6 or more feet of space each for both bicycles and pedestrians (i.e., 12+ feet total), on both sides of the street • Differentiation in concrete pavement color for bike and pedestrian space (Bannock Street in front of the City and County Building is a nice example that could be greatly improved by choosing a brighter color for the bike lane) • Consistent color markings demarcating the elevated protected bicycle facility that runs through intersection crossings • Marked crossings for both bike and pedestrian traffic at every intersection in each direction (north/south/east/west), with automatic pedestrian and bicycle phases included at signalized intersections • Curb extensions at intersections to shorten crossing distances, reduce turning vehicle speed, increase the vehicle turning angle, and provide adequate space for people to safely get on and off transit without conflicting with bicycle and pedestrian through traffic.