As an east-west thoroughfare for the roughly 10,000 drivers who pass through Mancos each day, U.S. 160 serves its purpose. However, for those who work and live on either side of it, the highway is an unattractive, high-speed barrier that splits the town in two, wards off potential economic development and is difficult for non-motorists to cross.
That reality isn't lost on town officials or the Colorado Department of Transportation, who hosted a joint April 23 meeting to gather feedback from residents on how the two can make the U.S. 160 corridor more attractive and safe, yet still productive for all users. Also leading the meeting were representatives from Russell Planning and Engineering of Durango, which was hired by the town to help design a plan.
Goals so far include improving frontage road access, north-south mobility, gateways to town, crossway safety, connections to neighborhood streets, and aesthetics.
"I call it (U.S. 160) our frontyard. It's what most people see when they come into Mancos," said Town Manager Andrea Phillips on the importance of improving the corridor.
Officials were quick to note that there is no funding for improvements, but that could change once the town has a more concrete idea of how to go forward.
CDOT traffic engineer Mike McVaugh explained that CDOT Region 5's annual funding for all projects in its district is about $3.5 million, which means the agency relies on grant funding and mechanisms like public-private partnerships to make projects come to fruition. If Mancos has an actual engineer-designed improvement plan in place, the town can forge an intergovernmental agreement with CDOT - a crucial way to leverage more funds.
He and Russell Engineering planner Nancy Lauro also stressed that not every possible solution has a huge price tag attached.
One feasible idea is a "road diet" that entails slimming lanes down and adding features like protected bike lanes and pedestrian medians with landscaping. By changing the overall design of the road, drivers get the cue that they've made the transition from open highway to in-town.
"The problem is we have this wide, straight road (leading into Mancos) with no friction. We need to create friction. You can add a median, change the curve of the road - the right designs invites the right driver response," said McVaugh. "These are things that are relatively low cost that can also get the results that you want to see."
Using Bridgeport, Wisc., as an example, McVaugh said that when planners added a median and narrowed lanes, traffic slowed, the number of accidents were reduced and annual sales taxes dramatically increased.
"What a town looks like can affect how a town thrives," said Lauro. "Medians are more attractive, pedestrian-friendly and create a sense of arrival for drivers."
The town, Russell Engineering and CDOT hope to conduct two more public meetings on the corridor. The next meeting will entail to laying concepts and the third meeting will center around what concepts the town wants to prioritize. The town is also seeking public feedback on its website: mancoscolorado.com/hwy160/.