To draft the 2040 Transportation Master Plan, work started in 2020. Staff performed data collection, defined existing conditions and an examined future land uses. Resident and stakeholders gave input on the plan through regular engagement events and town halls. 

There were 24 key corridors identified and recommendations given for each. The goal of the 2040 Transportation Master Plan project team was to engage the public throughout the process. Below are key highlights from each of the phases that were crucial in drafting the 2040 Transportation Master Plan.

Data Collection and Existing Conditions

Defining existing conditions and future land uses is critical to the master planning process. Data defines which roadways are expected to be over capacity and helps to identify priority areas for improvement. View the Existing Conditions Report and Future Conditions Assessment.   

Key highlights:

• 85% of the County population lives within an incorporated city 
• 65% of employed residents work outside of the County 
• Widespread congestion is currently the highest along Arapahoe Road, Belleview Avenue and Hampden Avenue corridors 
• 77 intersections or road segments have been identified for cost-effective safety improvements 
• Drivers and travelers on county roads will exhibit a 32 percent increase in total miles traveled by the year 2040 
• The sharpest traffic increases are expected for the area around and east of E-470 including I-70, 6th Avenue, Jewell Avenue, Gun Club Road and Watkins Road 
• Today, 16.5% of travel is considered “congested.” An increase to 20.4 percent is expected by 2040 
• The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated trends toward more work-at-home and electronic commerce; long-range effects on travel will become clearer in coming years

This analysis resulted in the need to get more feedback from the community regarding a list of 24 key transportation corridors that are included in the 2040 TMP. 

Public Engagement

What We Learned in Phase 1

We spent 2020 listening to you and your ideas about transportation in the county. You provided valuable feedback during a virtual public meeting, engaged with a survey, an idea wall and a commenting map. Here’s what we learned: 

• 70% of residents want a focus on roadway modifications to increase safety and manage congestion 
• Residents highly value safe infrastructure that will encourage different mobility options, i.e., bike lanes 
• Residents hope this feedback helps to provide a more connected, accessible and reliable transit system. Note, the county does not directly provide public transit, but does play a critical role in how residents access public transit and is committed to coordination with transit partners. 

View a summary report 

What We Learned in Phase 2

Public Feedback Survey Results 

Community input for the 2040 TMP indicated that no two corridors are alike, and each requires different solutions to meet our mobility needs in the future, according to survey results. The survey was conducted in 2021 to gather community input for the 24 key transportation corridors that the 2040 TMP identified as critical to meeting the transportation needs of the county’s transportation network. The results provide valuable insight in the drafting stage of the plan. 

Community response shows that while some of these corridors would benefit from new roadway connections others need to focus on traffic congestion, maintenance and multimodal investments. Here are some highlights from the survey results: 

• The most common highest priority concern was congestion/traffic (the most cited highest priority for 17 of the 24 corridors). 
• Updating facilities was the number one priority for 4 corridors and maintenance was number one for 3 of the 24 corridors. 
• Safety was mentioned often as a priority and carried the most citations after congestion/traffic; however, safety was the number one priority for only the Colfax corridor, along with pedestrian improvements. Mississippi, Hampden and I-225 also had significant safety concerns. 
• The project team received input from the 431 people who completed the survey and 460 corridor responses. You can check out the full survey results along with a map of identified critical corridors in the county.

What We Learned in Phase 3

Arapahoe County sought input from the public to ensure the recommendations and proposed transportation and mobility investment priorities accurately reflect the values and needs of those who live, work, visit and recreate in the county. View the recommendations 

The County asked the public to weigh in on proposed recommendations for road improvements, new roadway connections, bike and pedestrian projects, traffic operational improvements and public transit.  

Input on the recommendations and investment priorities was collected and reviewed by the team and feedback helped form priorities and create a more thoughtful 2040 TMP. The county’s goal is to have a plan that not only meets the needs of the county’s growing communities, but also creates a more resilient and responsive transportation system.