On December 3, 2020, the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Revitalizing Main Streets program—an initiative designed to promote public health and the economy during the COVID-19 crisis—awarded another series of grants to 14 entities around the state.
“It’s great to see such creativity from our Colorado communities and our celebrated downtown areas,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
“The revitalizing main streets program is a great way for Coloradans to take an active role in the use of their transportation and mobility infrastructure. From winterizing restaurant patios to increasing accessibility, Coloradans have come up with excellent ideas that will benefit our communities and economy while helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he added.
Salida Main Street. Photo via Office of Colorado Governor.
Applicants are required to provide a 10 percent match to qualify.
“CDOT is thrilled to see twelve more communities benefit from our innovative Revitalizing Main Streets program, which is supporting communities large and small as we help people and our economy stay active outside,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.
“We are pleased to see so many parts of the state putting this program to good use, including as we head into a winter, where continuing to focus on active transportation, even in the cold, will be especially important,” she continued.
The current round of funding is winter-focused and assists the following entities:
- Breckenridge – Provides an additional walkway by lighting the River Walk corridor, parallel to Main Street. It will spread out foot traffic from Main Street and activate about one mile of underutilized pedestrian pathways during the busy winter season. ($50,000)
- Colorado Springs – Launches a pilot program closing 25th Street to vehicular traffic through historic Old Colorado City and utilizes extended patios to facilitate outdoor dining, walking, and shopping this winter. ($26,448)
- Crestone – Installs covered seating areas in the town park for eating and other outdoor activities. ($50,000)
- Downtown Denver Partnership – Constructs and maintains a “Winter Village Park” for visitors to the 16th Street Mall, with access to outdoor seating, dining, and retail space following the holidays. An adjacent space will be enhanced for vehicle and bike parking. Includes additional seating, lighting, and signage. ($36,000)
- Estes Park – Winterizes the town’s outdoor areas to help support an extended business season. It includes modifications for social distancing, street-level activation and continued economic activity. ($50,000)
- Fountain – Upgrades intersections and sidewalks to enhance accessibility to the Town Center. Includes bump-outs, ADA ramps and bike racks. ($50,000)
- Fruita – Provides new signage along the Colorado Riverfront Trail, a non-motorized paved route connecting Fruita, Grand Junction and Palisade. The project is designed to improve navigation, wayfinding, access, safety, connectivity and education. ($50,000)
- Limon – Replaces and revitalizes downtown sidewalks, adds new benches to assist social distancing, and install bench shade awnings and bike infrastructure. ($37,242)
- Manassa – Constructs a ½ mile path along 1st St., connecting the town to M-Hill Trail, improving mobility and safety for bikers and hikers. Includes updated signage and road markings. ($50,000)
- Manitou Springs – Develops outdoor, socially-distanced patio dining space and bike parking. Barricades will section off parking spaces along Manitou Ave. to provide safe spaces for walking, biking, and dining in the business district. ($48,848)
- Rangely – Widens, flattens and upgrades sidewalks in downtown to enhance walking and biking opportunities. A new rest area, small park and bike infrastructure will be placed near the library, town hall and other key locations. ($49,971)
- Rifle – Installs wider sidewalks along 2nd St. to accommodate social distancing in downtown, connecting businesses, city hall, library, theater, public parking and a bus stop. Intermittent sidewalk segments also will be connected and a sidewalk ramp will be upgraded to ADA standards. ($50,000)
- Wheat Ridge – Provides additional outdoor seating and bicycle parking for restaurants utilizing on-street parking spaces along 38th Ave., expanding on a 2012 program utilizing existing infrastructure. Additional pop-up patios will encourage social distancing. ($50,000)
- Windsor – Expands sidewalk dining and active transportation, including bike infrastructure, in the downtown area. Creates winterized sidewalk café kit-of-parts for outdoor heaters, floor insulation and greenhouses to function as enclosed dining spaces. ($50,000)
Since the program began in June 2020, 59 grants have been awarded to entities across Colorado.
Photo of downtown Breckenridge by David Mark from Pixabay.