Agenda Date: 01/21/2025
Subject:
Title
Resolution 03-2025: Approving a License Agreement between the City of Littleton and Denver Water for construction on Denver Water property for the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements Project
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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Brent Thompson, City Engineer |
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Aaron Heumann, Transportation Engineering Manager |
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Presentations: |
N/A |
PURPOSE:
Does city council support a License Agreement with Denver Water to construct on Denver Water property for the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements Project?
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Safe Community; High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
The Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection project will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity at the Platte Canyon Road intersections with Mineral Avenue and Bowles Avenue. The Columbine Trail runs along the west side of Platte Canyon Road from south of Mineral Avenue to Bowles Avenue, while the Mineral Trail runs along the north side of Mineral Avenue, terminating at Platte Canyon Road with the connection to the Columbine Trail. This project will improve these trail connections and crossings at the two project intersections through a combination of realigning approaches, raised pedestrian crossings, sidewalk/trail extensions, updated pedestrian ramps, updated striping, and signal equipment and operational improvements.
Denver Water owns a 100-foot band of right-of-way along the west side of Platte Canyon Road extending from their facility in the northwest corner of the Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection to the south through the Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue intersection. With the addition of a channelized island in the northwest corner of the Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue intersection to accommodate a raised pedestrian crossing, there is a small portion of the Denver Water property that will need to be utilized for construction at this location.
CDOT owns Platte Canyon Road (SH 75) and will have ultimate ownership and maintenance responsibility for the infrastructure proposed within the Denver Water right-of-way. As a result, CDOT and Denver Water are entering into a License Agreement to address ownership and maintenance responsibilities. However, since the City of Littleton is acting as the local agency and managers of this project, the city needs to enter into a separate License Agreement with Denver Water to obtain permission to conduct construction on Denver Water property. There are no costs associated with or required as part of this License Agreement.
BACKGROUND:
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) identified the Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection as a safety concern that met the conditions for FASTER funding. FASTER (Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery Act of 2009) established the Road Safety Fund to support the construction, reconstruction, or maintenance of projects the state determines are needed to enhance the safety of a state highway, county road, or city street. This state distributed funding source is specifically intended for addressing safety issues, such as addressing a pattern identified by crash history or interactions between vehicles and pedestrians and bicyclists. The Platte Canyon Road and Bowles Avenue intersection project proposes upgrading the traffic signal system, providing geometric safety improvements, and upgrading the pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
CDOT also identified the Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue intersection as a location requiring pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements, along with capacity improvements. CDOT identified HSIP (Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program) as the appropriate program to fund this work. The purpose of the Colorado HSIP is to provide for a continuous and systematic procedure that identifies and reviews specific traffic safety issues around the state to identify locations with potential for improvement. The ultimate goal of the HSIP process is to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities by eliminating certain predominant types of crashes through the implementation of engineering, enforcement, education, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) solutions. The Platte Canyon Road and Mineral Avenue project involves adding dual southbound left turn lanes, relocating and improving access to bus stops, and upgrading the pedestrian facilities at the intersection.
The city entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with CDOT in 2018 for design and construction costs in the amount of $2,450,000 associated with safety, operational, and mobility improvements at these two intersections on Platte Canyon Road. The city hired a consultant to undertake the design of these projects in 2020. As the city and consultant proceeded through project design, a small portion of Denver Water property was identified where construction would need to occur. While Platte Canyon Road is a CDOT roadway, since this project is funded as a local agency project, the city must enter into a License Agreement with Denver Water to allow construction on this parcel. However, CDOT will have ultimate responsibility for maintaining Platte Canyon Road and is also working on a License Agreement with Denver Water.
At this time, the design has been completed and all required clearances have been obtained from CDOT. In addition, the project has been put out to bid and a contractor has been selected to complete the construction for this project. As a result, construction is anticipated to begin in early 2025 and be completed by the summer of 2025.
Prior Actions or Discussions
An IGA with CDOT for design and construction of the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements Project was approved by city council as Resolution 72-2018 on November 6, 2018. An amendment to the IGA was approved by city council as Resolution 34-2021 on August 17, 2021.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the resolution approving the License Agreement with Denver Water to allow construction on Denver Water property.
ALTERNATIVES:
If this License Agreement is not approved, the city will not be able to construct the portion of the project on Denver Water property, requiring added costs for redesign of the project and potential delay to construction.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 03-2025 approving a License Agreement between the City of Littleton and Denver Water for construction related to the Platte Canyon Road Intersections Improvements project on Denver Water property.