The RTC unveiled new plans Tuesday night on proposed changes to commuting in the South Meadows area. This is the second meeting of the South Meadows Multimodal Transportation Study that started in March. More than 50 people showed up for the second meeting. But overall the RTC says it has received more than 3,000 comments. The proposed plans displayed Tuesday largely came out of that feedback.
Tuesday night, the RTC outlined proposals on how to improve commuting throughout the South Meadows Area as it continues to grow.“This area is growing more than any other area. It needs planning. Every street, every project and every development needs to be planned and made better for all of us,” said South Meadows developer Jack Dolan from Six Development Inc. “I just really appreciate being involved in the process,” said South Meadows residentMichele Moreno.
The community shared their concerns during the second public meeting on transit in the South Meadows area. “So my biggest concern is bicycle safety,” said Moreno. “I hope they address the issues of the speeding in the South Meadows,” said South Meadows resident Jennifer Baker.
The RTC crafted proposals out of the feedback they received during the first meeting on the subject. And they are hoping to adjust plans even more based on feedback from Tuesday night's meeting. That includes possible solutions to traffic issues. “One of the key concerns we heard about was the intersections of Veterans Parkway and Steamboat Parkway. We know there is a big backup of traffic there during peak periods. One thing we think would help a lot would be to have two lanes that go straight through, if you're going Eastbound on Steamboat Parkway. Right now there's only one lane,” said Amy Cummings from the RTC.
There’s also a proposal for Virginia Street and Interstate 580. “One of the things we are looking at there is adding an additional Northbound lane of Virginia Street, so people can come off that freeway ramp more efficiently,” said Cummings.
There are also proposals to improve pedestrian safety. “We would like to add traffic signals. One of the concerns we heard a lot about is on Veterans Parkway at Long Meadow Drive. So there's a park on one side of the street. There’s going to be a school on the other side of the street,” said Cummings.
The safety of cyclists is also a concern. “Geiger Grade is one example where there may be room for a multi-use path next to the roadway,” said Cummings.
The RTC also has plans to make the bus stops in the South Meadows area more handicap accessible.
You can still contact the RTC with your feedback for the study. The RTC plans to use all of the public feedback to craft a final plan that will be discussed at a public meeting with the RTC Board.
