One of my favorite parts about living in and serving the community of Edgewater is the shared attitude that no challenge is too large. Over the past two years I have been amazed at the willingness of our community to dive headfirst into difficult conversations. One of those conversations I am most excited about is our focus to make sure our Mobility Plan becomes the forefront of our investment back into Edgewater.
This focus has resulted in a shift, hopefully one that many of you can see and feel every time you leave your house. Our community is quickly becoming a beacon of safe multimodal transportation. One only needs to stroll down the nine-foot sidewalks on the north side of 20th Avenue to experience this transition.
Our mobility plan was born out of a genuine commitment to listening to public input and a recognition that we can do better for our residents by designing safe spaces for all types of travelers. In 2021 we kicked off the implementation of this plan and have already accomplished several cornerstones including:
• Creating a median, crosswalks and additional lighting on Pierce Street, making our children’s walk to school more convenient and accessible.
• The intersection at 25th and Gray was turned into a speed table, effectively slowing traffic and making the pedestrian experience much safer.
• Installed a roundabout at Harlan and 20th Avenue, creating a more sustainable flow of traffic, safer crosswalks and limiting the speed at which a driver can enter Harlan from the south.
• Installed new sidewalks along the northern side of 20th. If you have been here a little while you can remember the time when it was safer to walk in the street than the sidewalk – go check it out if you haven’t already!
As I write this, the city is in final negotiations to create one additional roundabout at the eastern entrance to Target. From there the nice wide sidewalks will be connected all the way to Sheridan Boulevard.
This summer we start to see the 25th Avenue project kick off and we will begin to see the final improvements along Harlan and Kendall be scheduled for completion. We will effectively implement the mobility plan suggestions by 2025. To get updates on these projects, sign up for the Edgewater Town Cryer at www.EdgewaterCO.com/TownCryer.
This progress is very exciting as a resident and councilor, but we all know there is more work to be done. We will continue to look at sidewalks on neighborhood streets and will set the foundations for a sidewalk strategy in the coming months.
One final note, if you or anyone you know is interested in serving the community of Edgewater there are important positions/vacancies available on boards and commissions. You can find more information on www.EdgewaterCO.com/GetInvolved.
Contact Edgewater Councilmember Casey Earp at CEarp@EdgewaterCO.com
