Agenda Date: 03/03/2026
Subject:
Title
Transportation Master Plan Scope of Work discussion
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Shane Roberts, Senior Transportation Planner |
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Kenna Davis, Senior Transportation Planner |
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Presentations: |
Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities |
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Shane Roberts, Senior Transportation Planner |
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Kenna Davis, Senior Transportation Planner |
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Molly Rafferty, Transportation Planning Intern |
PURPOSE:
This presentation will provide an overview of the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) update scope of work in order to get buy-off from City Council to release the Request for Proposals.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Safe Community; Sustainable Community with Natural Beauty; Robust and Resilient Economy;
Vibrant Community with Rich Culture; and High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
While the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) update will not constitute a complete overhaul of the current plan, it will be significantly more than a perfunctory update. The existing TMP is increasingly misaligned with the City’s evolving priorities, including growing political support for high-comfort bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, heightened expectations for safety, and the need for more integrated planning frameworks.
An updated TMP is essential to ensure that the vision, goals, and objectives of one of the City’s core guiding documents accurately reflect current policies and strategic direction. It will also formalize coordination across divisions within Public Works, support transparency with residents, enhance the credibility of transportation investments, and further the City’s commitment to a connected, safe, and inclusive transportation system.
While the TMP continues to provide this vision for transportation in Littleton, industry best practice in the industry is to regularly update TMPs every five years. The original planned update in 2024 was postponed due to the creation and implementation of the Safer Streets Littleton (SSL) program. While delaying in order to focus more on bicycle and pedestrian safety was needed at the time, delaying further will ultimately hurt the overall transportation program, grant opportunities, and trust with the public. This memorandum outlines how the TMP is currently working well, what areas are most in need to be updated, and the staffing and financial resources needed to accomplish a successful plan.
BACKGROUND:
The first ever Transportation Master Plan (TMP) in the City of Littleton’s history was developed and adopted by City Council in 2019. The intent of the TMP was to address the challenges of facilitating mobility and access in a strategic manner, within the reasonable fiscal constraints of the City’s budget and limited state and federal funding opportunities, and in a way that is responsive to anticipated demographic and technological changes.
The TMP resulted from an 18-month planning and community engagement process. The process began with the Envision Littleton Vision Report, adopted unanimously by City Council on December 18, 2018. The Vision Report established a unifying vision and identified Littleton’s core values, guiding principles, and shared priorities and concerns. With influence from the City of Littleton’s Comprehensive Plan and other guiding documents, the TMP established the City’s ultimate transportation system vision, the policies to support that system, and capital projects that are prioritized with consideration of funding constraints. The document provides a long-term transportation vision (20+ years) for the City of Littleton and serves as a guiding document for improvements to roadways and multimodal transportation networks.
Prior Actions or Discussions
Staff worked with the Transportation & Mobility Board (TMB) since beginning of 2025 to identify high-priority updates within the TMP. TMB prepared documentation on their recommendations for five main topic areas (Safety, Communications & Engagement, Multimodal Analysis, Culture Change & Education, Implementation Tools & Prioritization) which were submitted to City Council in their last semi-annual memo in September 2025.
Staff met with internal departments starting in July 2025 to prepare the scope of work for the TMP update. The scope of work has gone through multiple iterations and has been reviewed by City and Public Works leadership.
Staff met with all city council members other than the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem to review the draft scope of work and gather feedback in advance of the 3/3 City Council Meeting.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
$1,500,000 has been allocated in the city budget for this project.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
City Council approval of the scope of work and go-ahead to publish the solicitation in mid-March. Once the solicitation and consultant selection is complete, staff will come back to City Council for contract approval in July 2026.
ALTERNATIVES:
If City Council does not approve this scope of work, staff will need to rework the scope and receive council buy-off before publishing the solicitation. This will delay the overall project schedule.
Proposed Motion