Colorado Springs Removes West Colorado Avenue Barriers

City planners removed concrete barriers from West Colorado Avenue crosswalks following public feedback on the year-long street redesign project.

The initial phase of the project included lane realignment, parking adjustments, and new pedestrian options. Protected crosswalks were installed last month. Modifications occurred shortly after installation based on comments from residents and local businesses.

Ryan Phipps, the city's capital improvements manager, described the work as an ongoing process of trial and adjustment. He stated, "Recently we made some adjustments to what we had initially implemented, and this is just that ongoing iterative process of testing what's working, what's not working as well as was originally anticipated." Phipps noted that the concrete barriers formed a solid wall that blocked sightlines for pedestrians, particularly shorter ones.

The center pedestrian refuge areas were also scaled back. Phipps explained that drivers pulling over for emergency vehicles sometimes created blockages at these refuge points. The city removed those sections "to ensure that fire and police have the access that they need up and down Colorado Avenue." He characterized the changes as a search for better options rather than corrections of mistakes, adding, "It's all just kind of tweaking and balancing."

Local businesses are monitoring the corridor changes closely. Joe Kliche, manager of Centennial Cuts, a Colorado beef shop, stated that the store relies on customers reaching its door. The family ranch in Fowler, Colorado, is now in its third generation, and the beef is sold at the company's single brick-and-mortar location. Kliche said he likes the center lane for parking because it aids loading and unloading, though he noted reactions to the crosswalk changes have been mixed. He described the stanchions rising in the middle of the street as "a little weird."

City planners are now asking for further feedback to judge whether the current configuration is working. The latest updates reset this part of the trial period. Officials will continue to evaluate the design's performance in practice.

The project aims to balance pedestrian safety with vehicle flow. The removal of the barriers and the adjustment of refuge areas represent the first major physical changes since the protected crosswalks went live. Planners are reviewing the data collected during this initial phase.