Mineral Mobility East Improvements

The Mineral Mobility East Improvements Project is divided into two phases. Implementing the project through two phases allowed for the design of Phase 1 to move forward as grant funding was being pursued and secured for Phase 2. All local, state, and federal funding is now secured to fund both phases of the project. 

Design of the Phase 1 elements is complete and shown in yellow on the map. Construction of the first phase will begin in late spring 2025 and completed in fall 2025. Design of the Phase 2 elements, represented by the purple on the map, is underway and anticipated to be completed in late 2025, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026. Descriptions of the improvements are provided in the next section.

The following is an overview of the key Phase 1 and Phase 2 improvements. Alternative development, analysis, and design of the improvements were informed by community and stakeholder engagement conducted between late 2021 and mid-2023 (as described in the Community Engagement section on this webpage).

Phase 1 Elements (analysis & design 2021-2024, construction in 2025):

• Jackass Hill Road – Enhance the existing bike lanes by buffering the bike lanes on each side of the street (to be converted to protected bike lanes in the future).
• Jackass Hill Road & Jamison Way/Curtice Court Intersections – Intersection modifications to reduce vehicle speeds, to provide protection for bicyclists from turning vehicles, and to clearly direct pedestrians and shorten crossing distances.
• High Line Canal Trail Extension Crossing of Jackass Hill Road – Crossing modifications to reduce vehicle speeds through the curve, along with a pedestrian activated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, where lights flash both at the crossing and in advance of the crossing for northbound traffic to alert drivers of the presence of a pedestrian or bicyclist.
• Mineral Avenue Trail East of Jackass Hill Road – Paved trail for year-round use with designated space to separate bicyclists and pedestrians. Additional details about the trail improvements are provided in the Mineral Avenue Trail Improvements section on this webpage.
• Mineral Avenue – Enhance the existing bike lanes by buffering the bike lanes on each side of the street (to be converted to protected bike lanes in the future) from Jackass Hill Road to Windermere Street.
• High Line Canal Trail Crossing of Mineral Avenue – Improved bicycle and pedestrian crossing with better visibility for vehicles on Mineral Avenue, more clearly defined crossing for trail users, and upgraded facility equipment (updated pedestrian signal equipment and signage). The city continues to evaluate and pursue funding opportunities for an underpass as the ultimate vision.

Phase 2 Elements (design in 2025, construction in 2026):

• Mineral Avenue & Jackass Hill Road/Long Avenue Intersection – The second phase of the project will provide improvements to the Mineral Avenue & Jackass Hill Road/Long Avenue intersection to add physical and signal timing separation for bicyclists and pedestrians. The emergency repair of the culvert at Jackass Hill Road just north of Mineral Avenue in the spring 2024 will integrate into the planned intersection improvements in this second phase of the project.
• Mineral Avenue Trail West of Jackass Hill Road – Widening the Mineral Avenue Trail on the north side of Mineral Avenue between Jackass Hill Road and the bridge to RTD’s Mineral Light Rail Station. Additional details about the trail improvements are provided in the Mineral Avenue Trail Improvements section on this webpage.

The Mineral Mobility East Improvements project will provide safety and accessibility improvements to the Mineral Avenue Trail along two trail segments running parallel to and north of Mineral Avenue between the RTD Mineral Light Rail Station and Peninsula Drive/High Line Canal Trail crossing.

Phase 1 Mineral Avenue Trail Modifications (Jackass Hill Road to Peninsula Drive/High Line Canal Trail Crossing) include:

• The existing trail will be upgraded to a 16-foot paved trail including providing designated space for bicyclists (8-foot, two-way bike path) and pedestrians (7-foot sidewalk), with a one-foot buffer separation between these facilities to reduce conflicts between modes. The conceptual cross-section of the trail improvements is shown in the graphic below.
• This path will meet ADA standards and provide year-round access between the RTD Mineral Light Rail Station and neighborhoods to the east.
• The trail was also designed to reduce impacts to the surrounding environment including the terrain and unique species of existing maturing trees along the trail.
• South Suburban Parks and Recreation District maintains the Mineral Avenue Trail. Creating a paved trail allows SSPRD service vehicles to access and clear snow and debris from the trail, therefore supporting a year-round accessible facility for trail users.
• This segment is the only remaining unpaved section of the 2.5-mile Mineral Avenue Trail.
• A funding contribution from South Suburban Parks and Recreation District and an Arapahoe County Open Space grant are funding the construction of the Phase 1 Mineral Avenue Trail improvements.

Phase 2 Mineral Avenue Trail Modifications (Jackass Hill Road to RTD Mineral Light Rail Station) include:

• The existing 10-foot-wide sidewalk will transform into a widened multi-use trail to provide an upgraded and safer transportation facility. Similar to the Phase 1 trail improvements, this western trail segment will also become a 16-foot trail that includes designated space for bicyclists (8-foot, two-way bike path) and pedestrians (7-foot sidewalk), with a one-foot buffer separation between these facilities to reduce conflicts between modes. The conceptual graphic depicting the cross-section of the trail improvements is shown below.

The Mineral Mobility East Improvements project will be funded through several external sources including a Colorado Department of Transportation Safer Main Streets grant, a Denver Regional Council of Governments Transportation Improvements Program grant, an Arapahoe County Open Space grant, and South Suburban Parks and Recreation District funding.

• Late 2021: Investigate existing and forecasted conditions
• Early 2022: Develop and screen improvement alternatives
• Late Summer 2022: Complete preliminary (30%) design
• 2024: Complete Phase 1 final design
• Spring 2025 to Fall 2025: Phase 1 construction
• Spring 2025 to late 2025: Complete Phase 2 design
• 2026: Phase 2 construction

Littleton's Transportation Master Plan used input from community members to identify a primary goal of providing safe multimodal options for vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians. Additionally, community engagement during the evaluation and design of the Phase 1 improvements for the Mineral Mobility East Improvements project helped identify improvements to encourage and safely accommodate active travel within the one-mile travel shed of the Mineral Light Rail Station. Below are the documents associated with each of the community engagement activities between late 2021 and mid-2023.

December 2021/January 2022 Online Engagement

Comments regarding existing transportation concerns and desired improvements in the area were accepted via a survey and comment map between December 17, 2021 and January 7, 2022. The summary available through the link below outlines the outreach conducted and lists comments received. The input received was used by the city to develop a list of improvements to be considered.

• Mineral Mobility Improvements Public Comments -12/17/21 - 1/7/22(PDF, 956KB)

February 23, 2022 Focus Group

A small group video conference was held to present alternatives pre-screening results and gather feedback from those who live nearby or travel through the project area.

• Mineral Mobility Focus Group Comment Summary and Presentation, February 2022(PDF, 5MB)

June 22, 2022 Virtual Open House

A virtual open house meeting was held to present the improvement alternatives considered(PDF, 371KB) and alternatives screening results. Feedback was gathered to inform preliminary design.

• Mineral Mobility Virtual Open House Presentation and Public Comments, June 2022(PDF, 8MB)

June 2023 Virtual Meeting

A virtual meeting provided information about roadway improvements coming to the area around the Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue intersection.

• Read the frequently asked questions: Mineral-Mobility-East-Improvements-Project-FAQs-05-14-2025.pdf(PDF, 1MB)

The Mineral Mobility East Improvements Project is one of several projects in the Mineral Light Rail Station area that will provide high comfort, safer, and more accessible bike and pedestrian facilities. The other area projects include: 

Mineral Station West Multimodal Improvements: This project will provide enhanced safety and connectivity for both pedestrians and bicyclists between the RTD Mineral Light Rail Station, surrounding developments, and the Carson Nature Center and Mary Carter Greenway Trail.

Santa Fe & Mineral Improvements Project: This project aims to reduce congestion and improve safety at the Santa Fe Drive and Mineral Avenue intersection by constructing a new roadway in the southwest quadrant of the intersection. The quadrant road concept will remove left turning movements from the intersection to prioritize east-west and north-south travel.

Santa Fe Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study: This study identifies future transportation and safety improvements for an 11-mile stretch of Santa Fe Drive between C-470 and Alameda Avenue. The plan was developed beginning in 2020 and finalized in 2022.