Agenda Date: 09/01/2026
Subject:
Title
Elati Street Corridor Study update
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities |
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Shane Roberts, Senior Transportation Planner |
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Presentations: |
Shane Roberts, Senior Transportation Planner |
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Kenna Davis, Senior Transportation Planner |
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Shaida Libhart, Senior Transportation Planner, HDR |
PURPOSE:
A project update on the Elati Street Corridor Study summarizing the study findings and next steps to make safety and multimodal upgrades to the corridor. The purpose of this item is to seek Council direction on the preferred implementation option.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Safe Community; High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
In 2025 and 2026, through the Elati Street Corridor Study, the City of Littleton’s Transportation Team worked with consultant HDR to conduct an existing conditions assessment of the Elati Street corridor, identify corridor issues, needs, and goals, create and evaluate alternatives, develop and design implementation concepts, and engage community members to inform the final recommendation through three phases of engagement. Staff will present the recommended implementation option and Phase 3 community engagement results and will be asking for Council's direction on advancing the implementation approach for the Elati Street Corridor Study.
BACKGROUND:
Safer Streets Littleton started in 2024 as a response to both a community tragedy and growing resident desire for mobility choice. The program focuses on neighborhood safety and mobility. Safer Streets Littleton takes a multifaceted approach to advancing safety through citywide planning, pilot & quick-build installations, corridor studies, and education & outreach.
The Elati Corridor Study is the first Safer Streets Littleton corridor study, kicking off in in 2025. The first phase of public engagement was conducted in Summer 2025 with a self-guided online public meeting to learn how people use Elati Streets and what key issues need to be addressed through this project. The second phase of public engagement was conducted in Fall 2025 with a self-guided online public meeting and walk audit along the corridor. This phase of engagement focused on three potential long-term visions for the corridor-one focused on pedestrians, one on cyclists, and one on a shared-use path. The third phase of public engagement included an in-person open house and live demonstration of the potential retrofit for the corridor and focused on three different paths for implementation. The team also worked with Heritage High School student ambassadors throughout the first two phases of the project to promote the project and gather additional community feedback; students received a letter of recommendation at the conclusion of their participation in the project. The Elati Corridor Study serves as a foundation for future corridor studies, both in the technical analysis and the implementation of the study.
The three implementation concepts developed through the study are:
• Option A: Traffic Calming Only ($480,000): Traffic calming improvements include speed cushions, raised crossings and intersections, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), narrowing existing street crossings with bulb outs, and potentially replacing traffic circles with standard intersections with bulb outs. Implementation would be funded through Safer Streets Littleton and align with the 2028 pavement project.
• Option B: Traffic Calming and Retrofit ($560,000-$1,112,000): Reallocating existing street space to include a protected non-vehicular shared space along the west side of the corridor. Improvements also include the traffic calming elements identified in Option A. Implementation would be funded through Safer Streets Littleton and align with the 2028 pavement project. Project cost does not include Option A - the total for Option A + B would be up to $1.2 million.
• Option C: Reconstruct Corridor ($14.6 million): Full rebuild to create a new street configuration. This includes construction of a shared-use path on the west side with a landscaped buffer, a rebuilt roadway, and a wider sidewalk on the east side. Improvements also include the traffic calming elements identified in Option A. Implementation timeline to be determined with funding, including availability of grants, debt, and other financing options. Timeline would likely be 10+ years.
Prior Actions or Discussions
No prior Council action, though staff has provided updates as a part of Safer Streets Littleton program updates.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Options A and B can be budgeted within the existing Safer Streets Littleton program and/or capital budget. However, Option C would require a much larger budget and either redirection of current capital funds or programming of future capital funds to construct the project. Options for funding may also include debt or grant funds, though Elati is a lower volume street which is not typically eligible for most transportation grant opportunities.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is seeking council direction on the preferred implementation option. Based on public engagement, staff recommend pursuing Option B, the retrofit implementation along with traffic calming. This would be in line with the study vision of the shared-use path, allow for quicker implementation, and can achieve a similar result for a much lower cost.
ALTERNATIVES:
Council could choose Option A, which would make some safety improvements but not allow for safer walking and biking on the corridor, or Option C, which would provide the best benefit for mobility and safety but require a significant expenditure.