Data Collection

City staff has identified the following information to be gathered in order to have a full understanding of the issues and current conditions along the Mineral Avenue corridor between Platte Canyon Road and Polo Ridge Drive. A link to each piece of data will be provided as the information becomes available.

  1. The Meadows at Platte Valley Traffic Impact Study

    This report was prepared by Harris Kocher Smith in July 2013 for Evergreen Development and is a public record that can be viewed upon request. Due to the size of the document, the entire study content was not able to be provided on the webpage; however, the following is the Executive Summary from the report.

    Executive Summary

    1. The proposed Meadows at Platte Valley development is projected to generate approximately 52% less total daily traffic than a development that could be constructed that complies with the existing PD-C zoning of the property. This translates to approximately 12% less traffic generated during the morning peak hour and 57% less traffic generated during the evening peak hour.
    2. The proposed access locations and configurations for the Meadows at Platte Valley development will adequately accommodate the traffic projected to be generated by the proposed development.
    3. The traffic congestion along Mineral Avenue is and will continue to be a direct reflection of the importance this roadway has to the east-west mobility of the Columbine and Ken Caryl communities as well as to access to the RTD Mineral Station and Santa Fe Drive (US 85).
    4. The Wolff Street/Mineral Avenue intersection is programmed by the City of Littleton to become signalized with the development of the subject property.

    In addition, supplemental information and decisions to the roadway improvement requirements for the development project include:

    • A traffic generation comparison(PDF, 238KB) letter was prepared by Harris Kocher Smith on February 12, 2014 that described changes to the expected trip generation projections based on updated information.
    • The Subdivision Improvement Agreement(PDF, 170KB) (SIA) prepared for the development and included public improvements related to public streets, on-site water, on-site sanitary sewer, and on-site storm drainage and erosion control

  2. Current Physical Roadway Conditions

    City staff will start by documenting the current conditions along the Mineral Avenue corridor, including:

    1. Measuring roadway lane widths, median widths, turn lane lengths, crossing widths, turn radii, sidewalk widths, etc.
    2. Checking sight distances for each access along Mineral Avenue.
    3. Identifying current street lighting conditions along the Mineral Avenue corridor.
    4. Documenting existing traffic control, signage, pavement markings and supplementary traffic equipment.
    5. Noting existing pedestrian curb ramp conditions and satisfaction of American with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

  3. Land Use Information

    Information available for on-going and any future planned development in the immediate area will be obtained, including:

    1. Current occupancy of the apartments associated with The Meadows at Platte Valley development, as well as any projections or trends expected for future occupancy.
    2. Proposed completion and expectations of an opening date for the preschool/daycare facility associated with The Meadows at Platte Valley development.
    3. Expected use and occupancy of the last tenant finish in the commercial facility associated with The Meadows at Platte Valley development.
    4. Access, trip projections and schedule for the Jefferson County multi-family development located along Platte Canyon Rd south of Mineral Ave.
    5. Status of the Wild Plum Farm residential development located in Columbine Valley, as well as other development projects with access along Platte Canyon Road north of Mineral Avenue.

    Land Use Information(PDF, 197KB)

  4. Roadway Traffic Volume Data

    Hourly counts will be conducted for one week at various locations along Mineral Avenue and Platte Canyon Road, including:

    1. Mineral Avenue west of Platte Canyon Road
    2. Mineral Avenue east of Platte Canyon Road
    3. Mineral Avenue west of Polo Ridge Drive
    4. Platte Canyon Road north of Mineral Avenue
    5. Platte Canyon Road south of Mineral Avenue

    If possible, the data will be conducted after The Meadows at Platte Valley development has been completed and fully occupied. In addition, historical daily count data will be obtained for comparison.

    Roadway Volume Data - Week 1(PDF, 26KB)
    Roadway Volume Data - Week 2(PDF, 25KB)

  5. Roadway Traffic Speed Data

    Directional hourly speed data will also be obtained at each of the five roadway traffic volume locations identified above.

  6. Intersection Volume Data

    In addition to the daily traffic counts, turn movement volumes will be collected during peak times at the following intersections within the study area:

    1. Mineral Avenue & Platte Canyon Road
    2. Mineral Avenue & The Meadows at Platte Valley right-in/right-out driveway
    3. Mineral Avenue & Wolff Street
    4. Mineral Avenue & Utica Drive
    5. Mineral Avenue & Dusk Court/Overlook Way
    6. Mineral Avenue & Polo Ridge Drive
    7. Platte Canyon Road & Mineral Drive
    8. Platte Canyon Road & Hinsdale Circle

    The exact duration and time of the counts will be determined based on the information obtained from the daily counts. In addition, not only will traffic volumes be collected but also pedestrian and bicycle activity at each intersection.

    Intersection Turn Movement Data Summary(PDF, 25KB)

  7. Movement Delay & Queuing

    Once the intersection counts have been conducted, peak morning and evening periods will be identified during which to conduct delay and queuing observations of the following movements:

    1. Wolff Street northbound left turn to westbound Mineral Avenue
    2. Wolff Street southbound left turn to eastbound Mineral Avenue
    3. Utica Drive northbound left turn to westbound Mineral Avenue
    4. Dusk Court southbound left turn to eastbound Mineral Avenue
    5. Overlook Way northbound left turn to westbound Mineral Avenue
    6. Polo Ridge Drive northbound left turn to westbound Mineral Avenue
    7. Polo Ridge Drive southbound left turn to eastbound Mineral Avenue 

    Delay Summary(PDF, 74KB)

  8. Accident History

    In addition to the accident data that was presented at the January 27, 2016 community meeting #1, more comprehensive data will be obtained for the Mineral Avenue corridor. This information will provide city staff with the location, type and severity of the accidents, from which the data can be assessed for identifying modifications that will correct certain types of accidents. In addition, accident rates can be calculated by combining the frequency and severity of the accidents with the traffic volumes to determine how critical the conditions are for the area compared to other areas of the city.

    Accidents(PDF, 106KB)

  9. Enforcement History

    The City of Littleton Police will be contacted to identify how frequently the Mineral Avenue corridor is policed and the number and type of violations that have been issued in the area, including speeding along Mineral Avenue, illegal U-turns at Wolff Street and other moving infractions.

  10. Transit Information

    The current Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus schedule along Mineral Avenue and Platte Canyon Road will be obtained, along with any boarding and alighting information available to identify the frequency and use of the transit system.

  11. School Bus Information

    Littleton Public Schools will be contacted to obtain the current school bus route and schedule information and to solicit input on any issues bus drivers have reported regarding access through the neighborhoods and along Mineral Avenue and Platte Canyon Road in the area.

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