Mineral Mobility East Improvements

  • Project typeTransportation
  • Project statusPhase 1: Construction, Phase 2: Design
  • StartSpring 2025
  • Completion2026

Mineral Mobility Improvements logo

The City of Littleton began an effort in Fall 2021 to identify and design transportation improvements in the area along Mineral Avenue east of Santa Fe Drive to approximately Windermere Street. Mineral Avenue is an important east-west corridor providing access to many local and regional destinations, including RTD's Mineral Light Rail Station to the west and businesses and services to the east. Although the area has some multimodal facilities, such as the High Line Canal Trail and some on-street bike lanes, additional improvements are needed to create safer and more convenient and comfortable options for bicyclist and pedestrian travel in this area.

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. Public engagement in 2022 helped identify improvements to encourage and safely accommodate active travel within this area of the one-mile travel shed of the Mineral Light Rail Station. The Mineral Mobility East Improvements project will be funded through 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.

As discussed below, the project will be completed in two phases and implement enhancements at multiple locations to encourage and safely accommodate year-round active travel within this area of the one-mile travel shed of the RTD Mineral Light Rail Station. By focusing on providing key improvements, this project will provide safe travel options to regional transit and trails, as well as employment and services to the east. This is one of many projects in the Mineral Station area that will be constructing high comfort bike and pedestrian facilities. The other projects include improvements west of the RTD Mineral Station, and the Santa Fe and Mineral Intersection Improvements.

Project Area

Map illustrats project area 

Project Phasing

The Mineral Mobility East Improvements Project is divided into two phases. Design of the phase 1 elements is complete as described below and shown in yellow on the map. Construction of the first phase will begin in spring 2025 and completed in fall 2025. Design of the phase 2 elements, described below and represented by the purple on the map , is underway and anticipated to be completed in late 2025, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026.

Mineral analysis results map phases

Phase 1 Elements (shown in yellow on the map):

  • 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 Intersection – 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.
  • 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 (shown in purple on the map):

  • 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. 

Public Engagement

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Other Area Projects

In addition to this project, there are two additional projects occurring within the larger study area. Learn more about the projects and provide your input by following the project name links below.

Santa Fe Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study: This study will identify future transportation and safety improvements for an 11-mile stretch of Santa Fe Drive between C-470 and Alameda Avenue.

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.

Schedule Highlights

  • 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 

Contact details

Transportation Engineer
303-795-3863

Location

Mineral Avenue from S. Windermere Street to Jackass Hill Road, Mineral Avenue Trail, and Jackass Hill Road, Littleton   View Map

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