Joseph from Denver writes, “What is driving you crazy? Why there is not a traffic turn signal light at north 35th & Colorado blvd, to allow someone to turn left on to 35th eastbound off of north Colorado blvd or left turn on to 35th westbound off of north Colorado blvd???”
Anyone who drives it knows, Colorado Blvd is one of the busiest roads in metro Denver. Not just the area near Glendale over Cherry Creek and near I-25 but also the stretch near City Park and I-70. At times, 35th Ave can be a very busy road as it is the gateway to the popular Park Hill Golf Course.
Right now, there aren’t any dedicated turn arrows on the traffic lights facing 35th or Colorado Blvd for any of the left turn movements but Denver Public Works tells me that could change. “Denver Public Works is currently studying the traffic signal at 35th & Colorado Boulevard to see if the intersection is a good candidate for a left turn arrow,” said Heather Burke with DPW.
Unfortunately the process to change a traffic light is long and sticky. Before the city installs a left turn arrow they have to do a study to see how adding the arrow would change the overall flow of traffic through that intersection as well as nearby intersections.
“Depending on the corridor, adding a left turn arrow can sometimes make wait times longer for all movements. However, if an intersection has a pattern of crashes, then Denver Public Works will add a left turn arrow to improve safety,” Burke said.
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DPW will also look at the history of crashes at 35th & Colorado to determine if traffic flow and safety would be improved by adding a left turn signal.
“Our goal is to always strike a balance between mobility and safety for drivers, people on bikes, and pedestrians,” Burke said.
Government can sometimes move slower than a sloth crossing a lonely Central American road so if the city of Denver eventually determines they want to install turn arrows, it might be a long wait until you will see them hanging over the street.
Denver7 traffic anchor Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 20 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or listen to his Driving You Crazy podcast.
