City removes concrete barriers from West Colorado Avenue crosswalks

Drivers and pedestrians on West Colorado Avenue in Colorado Springs will see a different street layout starting this week. City crews removed the concrete barriers that were installed at crosswalks last month. The changes follow a period of public feedback on the street's ongoing redesign.

The concrete barriers were part of the initial design for protected crosswalks. Ryan Phipps, the city's capital improvements manager, said residents reported that the barriers blocked their view of traffic. He noted that shorter pedestrians struggled to see around the solid wall of concrete. The barriers have now been taken out.

The city also reduced the size of the center pedestrian refuge areas. First responders provided input that drivers pulling over for emergency vehicles sometimes got stuck at these refuges. Phipps stated the city removed those sections to ensure fire and police have clear access to move up and down the avenue.

Local businesses are watching the changes closely. Joe Kliche, manager of Centennial Cuts, a shop selling Colorado beef, said the store relies on customers reaching its door. He noted that the store sells beef from a family ranch in Fowler, Colorado, which is now in its third generation. Kliche said the center lane is helpful for loading and unloading, but he called the stanchions in the middle of the street a little weird.

Phipps described the project as an iterative process of testing what works and what does not. He said the changes are not necessarily corrections of mistakes but a search for better options. The city is now using this reset phase to gather more feedback on how the design performs in practice.