Toole Design’s Denver office staff presented at the 2018 Colorado Transportation Symposium in downtown Denver, the largest annual gathering of transportation professionals in Colorado. The Symposium brought together local governments, the business community, and transportation enthusiasts to learn about latest trends and projects. We were honored to sponsor the event, which was hosted by the Colorado/Wyoming ITE Section, APA Colorado, WTS Colorado, ITS Rocky Mountain Chapter, ASCE Colorado Section, and the USDOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
Our Denver office staff led three sessions during the event. In the first, What to Expect from the 2018 AASHTO Bike Guide Update, Denver Regional Office Director Jessica Fields, P.E., AICP and Denver Regional Engineering Director Sagar Onta, P.E., PTOE provided an overview of the forthcoming update to the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, last published in 2012. The presentation included a history lesson of how our industry moved away from separated/protected bicycle infrastructure, and why it is now moving back in that direction. The presentation highlighted fundamental changes in the Bike Guide from previous versions, which includes a focus on the “Interested but Concerned” design user.
In the second session, New Innovations in Bicycle Connectivity, Project Planner Michele Scanze moderated a panel that included Ken Brubaker from CDOT and Rebecca Davies of PeopleForBikes. The presentations included CDOT’s use of STRAVA data and an overview of the new Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA) tool. Michele presented a case study of how the BNA tool was recently used to prioritize over 20 potential bicycle/pedestrian grade separated crossings in Fort Collins, CO.
In the third session, From Vision to Solution: Vision Zero in Colorado, Senior Planner Joe Fish moderated a panel that included Jill Locantore from WalkDenver and the Denver Vision Zero Coalition, David DiGiacomo of the City and County of Denver, and Dave “DK” Kemp from the City of Boulder. The session included concrete examples of how Denver and Boulder are working to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The discussion amongst participants and presenters showed a strong interest in new approaches to traffic safety—ones that equitably and systematically address root causes, engineering changes, and cultural shifts.
The AASHTO Bike Guide presentation is available for review and download here.
