4th and 5th Street Improvements Pilot Project
The City of Grand Junction and Downtown Grand Junction launched a pilot project in Aug. 2024 designed to reduce speeds on 4th and 5th Streets to increase safety for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. Throughout the early stages of the pilot, challenges became apparent from a layout perspective, and community feedback provided areas of improvement for modifications to the pilot.
2025 Modifications to the Pilot Project
City staff recommended and received direction from City Council to modify based on challenges with the current layout, feedback from the community, and data collected since the project’s implementation. The pilot will maintain the one-way, one-lane configuration with minor alterations, while several modifications are planned to improve the functionality and address concerns. Review the pilot project modifications in the presentation.
Timeline for modifications:
In the first quarter of 2025, modifications will include minimizing the number of vertical delineators and replacing them with more subtle, lower vertical, elements such as curb stops and rollover humps, to define bulb-outs. Parking spaces near intersections will also be adjusted to increase visibility and sight distances.
In the second quarter of 2025, alterations including restriping both corridors to adjust the bike lane adjacent to the travel lane which accommodates an increase in lane width for vehicular users, and pre-pilot parking configurations will be restored. These recommendations cannot occur until consistent warmer temperatures return.
After the second round of modifications is made, city staff will continue to monitor the pilot project for three to six months collecting data, receiving community feedback, and assessing the pilot’s progress to determine the next steps.
Planning of 4th and 5th Street Pilot Project
Planning done in the 1980s helped lay the foundation for designs developed for 2024 that were implemented. These were based on how the City grew and how downtown evolved for more pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists driving in for business, shopping, a cold beverage, or a meal.
The original study completed in 2022 had contemplated two lanes instead of one. In 2023, at the request of downtown merchants, the City's consultant evaluated a single-lane configuration which confirmed from a traffic volume standpoint, that a single lane on 4th Street and 5th Street would work in the context of the entire downtown street network. This single-lane design accommodated diagonal parking to remain.
The first iteration of the pilot project from Aug. 2024 to early 2025 proved layout challenges with increased community feedback. Early pilot modifications were completed to adjust the configurations.
Notable Changes Include (updated Sept.9):
City Leadership reviewing project plans for 5th Street
- The turning radius at various corners has been modified based on feedback from the original 4th Street design
- Additional diagonal parking will be provided along the west side of 5th Street south of Grand Ave.
- Bike lanes will be added and buffered by parallel parking on both 4th St. and 5th St.
- Angled parking will remain on the left side of both 4th St. and 5th St. in the downtown area
- Reduction to a one-lane, one-way configuration on both 4th St. and 5th St. between North Ave. and Ute Ave
- Belford Ave. is converted to a two-way street between 4th St. and 5th St.
- A westbound bike lane is added to the north side of Belford Ave. and parking is restricted to only the south side between 4th St. and 5th St.
- Travel lanes were adjusted from the original 11 ft. width to 18 ft. creating more room for car doors on either side and providing more room for drivers to navigate around parallel parking vehicles. The Fire Department initially reviewed the designs and since operating emergency vehicles has recommended the increase in travel lane
- Select parking spaces will be restriped to "no parking zone" to increase pedestrian ability to view oncoming traffic, two specifically in concern are along Colorado Ave.
- Three parking spaces near St. Regis will be restored in order to maintain self-waiting areas for riders
Living Streets Mural Project
As a part of the 4th and 5th Street Pilot Project, the Living Streets subcommittee, Community Development, and Parks and Recreation Departments created several Living Streets Mural along these corridors. The artist's work can be seen along the road sections in the downtown area.
I think it is confusing & dangerous, especially at night. The fact the emergency vehicles can’t get through is a no brainer!
The article from Diane Schwenke in the October 26th edition of the Sentinel does a great job of summing the situation up. 277 people surveyed and the majority said to leave it alone. Please listen to your constituents.
I had already found downtown to be inconvenient in general, but now its simply uninviting. I want to support downtown businesses, but its not worth it as is. Even more insulting is the inability for the City Council and the City to show they are listening to the majority of negative feedback for a few supporting voices. Clearly enough GJ citizens have disengaged too long and allowed special interest groups to dominate the conversation. I believe the city wants to maintain a thriving downtown and the voice of the businesses and the large portion of the community will eventually turn this around. We can still allow for bike safety and pedestrians have crosswalks and sidewalks already so once the majority of travelers (vehicles) are prioritized again the project can be deemed successful.
I had already found downtown to be inconvenient in general, but now its simply uninviting. I want to support downtown businesses, but its not worth it as is. Even more insulting is the inability for the City Council and the City to show they are listening to the majority of negative feedback for a few supporting voices. Clearly GJ citizens have disengaged too long and allowed special interest groups to dominate the conversation. I believe the city wants to maintain a thriving downtown and the voice of the businesses and the large portion of the community will eventually turn this around. We can still allow for bike safety and pedestrians have crosswalks and sidewalks already so once the majority of travelers (vehicles) are prioritized again the project can be deemed successful.
Over an hour I witnessed 6 near accidents (one near miss for a cyclist) while enjoying a pint on the corner of Colorado and 5th St. With no double lane and no turning lanes the downtown area has become congested and annoying to navigate. I don't understand why we need to "fix" something that wasn't broken at the taxpayer's expense.
Over an hour I witnessed 6 near accidents (one near miss for a cyclist) while enjoying a pint on the corner of Colorado and 5th St. With no double lane and no turning lanes the downtown area has become congested and annoying to navigate. I don't understand why we need to "fix" something that wasn't broken at the taxpayer's expense.
Sorry but what a waste of money. Please leave 7th and Main Street alone, unless you want to watch the downtown businesses to close and the homeless people to take over.
Wow, I haven't shopped downtown since the changes to 4th and 5th. I'm sorry, but I feel as though I'm in some sort of roadway pinball machine bouncing off a bunch of plastic pipe posts with fraying reflector tape(?) at the end. Aesthetically, NOTHING about these meandering lines, dots (what's with the short lines?), striped zones, green lanes, and last but not least: the awful plastic pipes everywhere ....nothing enhances the appearance of downtown. Now, I get that the real purpose was all about safety and slowing down traffic, and creating more parking, but couldn't that be accomplished in a less clown-like fashion? It really looks unprofessional. All that combined creates chaos and distractions. The one lane doesn't even go straight down the road! Visibility is extremely poor crossing the streets in your car when traveling on Colorado Avenue and how many people are really good at parallel parking? NOT many. Then you open your door right into traffic. None of this looks like the fancy drawings promoting this debacle. It really takes away from how nice I used to think main street looked. I can't believe the city intentionally did this. Did grown-ups design this? I guess the merchants will know the real impact.
In spite of its positive intentions, the pilot project in 4th and 5th street has had disastrous outcomes. 4th and 5th absolutely need to remain two-lane, one-way streets. They represent one of the main north-south thoroughfares through town, and lead directly to highway 50. The bottleneck effect now imposed on traffic is not only infuriating, but unsafe. Buses and vehicles trying to park or turn left/right while pedestrians are crossing now have to completely stop traffic. On top of that, the thru lane zig zags back and forth unpredictably, and due to the terrible merge points and poor visibility, accidents for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians are now far more likely than they were before. This was absolutely a step backward in making downtown Junction more safe and pedestrian/biker-friendly.
If the intention was to slow traffic, elevated crosswalks like on 1st would have been a better solution. If the intention was to encourage more biking for daily commutes, using 3rd and 6th would have been a safe solution that doesn't impede traffic. The response to Dbco 13 days ago is an unconvincing denial to an excellent suggestion. I can't imagine changing those streets would have required more planning or cost than ruining 4th and 5th streets. I agree with Socket11 that those who made this decision should try commuting from Orchard Mesa, Whitewater, or Delta, as many of our working citizens do. This is the poorest transportation choice the city of Grand Junction has made since I moved here ten years ago, and needs to be undone. Please do so promptly.
In spite of its positive intentions, the pilot project in 4th and 5th street has had disastrous outcomes. 4th and 5th absolutely need to remain two-lane, one-way streets. They represent one of the main north-south thoroughfares through town, and lead directly to highway 50. The bottleneck effect now imposed on traffic is not only infuriating, but unsafe. Buses and vehicles trying to park or turn left/right while pedestrians are crossing now have to completely stop traffic. On top of that, the thru lane zig zags back and forth unpredictably, and due to the terrible merge points and poor visibility, accidents for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians are now far more likely than they were before. This was absolutely a step backward in making downtown Junction more safe and pedestrian/biker-friendly.
If the intention was to slow traffic, elevated crosswalks like on 1st would have been a better solution. If the intention was to encourage more biking for daily commutes, using 3rd and 6th would have been a safe solution that doesn't impede traffic. The response to Dbco 13 days ago is an unconvincing denial to an excellent suggestion. I can't imagine changing those streets would have required more planning or cost than ruining 4th and 5th streets. I agree with Socket11 that those who made this decision should try commuting from Orchard Mesa, Whitewater, or Delta, as many of our working citizens do. This is the poorest transportation choice the city of Grand Junction has made since I moved here ten years ago, and needs to be undone. Please do so promptly.
In spite of its positive intentions, the pilot project in 4th and 5th street has had disastrous outcomes. 4th and 5th absolutely need to remain two-lane, one-way streets. They represent one of the main north-south thoroughfares through town, and lead directly to highway 50. The bottleneck effect now imposed on traffic is not only infuriating, but unsafe. Buses and vehicles trying to park or turn left/right while pedestrians are crossing now have to completely stop traffic. On top of that, the thru lane zig zags back and forth unpredictably, and due to the terrible merge points and poor visibility, accidents for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians are now far more likely than they were before. This was absolutely a step backward in making downtown Junction more safe and pedestrian/biker-friendly.
If the intention was to slow traffic, elevated crosswalks like on 1st would have been a better solution. If the intention was to encourage more biking for daily commutes, using 3rd and 6th would have been a safe solution that doesn't impede traffic. The response to Dbco 13 days ago is an unconvincing denial to an excellent suggestion. I can't imagine changing those streets would have required more planning or cost than ruining 4th and 5th streets. This is the poorest transportation choice the city of Grand Junction has made since I moved here ten years ago, and needs to be undone. Please do so promptly.
In spite of its positive intentions, the pilot project in 4th and 5th street has had disastrous outcomes. 4th and 5th absolutely need to remain two-lane, one-way streets. They represent one of the main north-south thoroughfares through town, and lead directly to highway 50. The bottleneck effect now imposed on traffic is not only infuriating, but unsafe. Buses and vehicles trying to park or turn left/right while pedestrians are crossing now have to completely stop traffic. On top of that, the thru lane zig zags back and forth unpredictably, and due to the terrible merge points and poor visibility, accidents for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians are now far more likely than they were before. This was absolutely a step backward in making downtown Junction more safe and pedestrian/biker-friendly.
If the intention was to slow traffic, elevated crosswalks like on 1st would have been a better solution. If the intention was to encourage more biking for daily commutes, using 3rd and 6th would have been a safe solution that doesn't impede traffic. The response to Dbco 13 days ago is an unconvincing denial to an excellent suggestion. I can't imagine changing those streets would have required more planning or cost than ruining 4th and 5th streets. This is the poorest transportation choice the city of Grand Junction has made since I moved here ten years ago, and needs to be undone. Please do so promptly.
I drove north on 5th street and it is a nightmare. It is a failed project and 4th & 5th streets need to be returned to their former route. Too many people driving cars travel these streets and turning them into one lane is asinine.
Your poles on 4th create a moving blind spot to traffic. I have spoken with so many people that hate this and have stopped driving downtown. My daughter drives a delivery truck and complains about the width space and not being able to see what side road traffic is doing. The Mayor make think it is safer but, sorry to say he lacks a lot of common sense even if he won't admit it. Downtown business owners you have lost a customer until these streets are returned to a fully functional road. Grand Junction you are working very hard to make this a city of mail order shopping. You are allowing high density housing (yes it is needed) but fail to mandate offstreet parking.
I understand that Grand Junction is growing, and we must change the infrastructure to support the growth. However, the current 4th and 5th Street projects create a mess downtown. I watched a news clip from KJCT News in which they interviewed local businesses, and the Rockslide Brew Pub stated, "They had seen a dramatic drop in customers." These changes hurt our local economy, but the City of Grand Junction is adamant about going forward with the project. The EngageGj site states the project is "designed to reduce speeds on 4th and 5th Streets." If that is the purpose, there are cost-effective ways to reduce speed. Instead of spending millions of taxpayer dollars, how about you reduce the speed limit and install speed bumps? I also agree with the citizens who have said 5th Street creates a bottleneck and disrupts traffic flow. I have been driving down 5th Street from Orchard Mesa 5 days a week for the past four years. Traffic was congested in the morning, but it's tremendously worse since the changes. I would also like to respond to this statement left by a Grand Junction City Worker, "Thank you for your feedback regarding the pilot project. The 2022 study shows that the single lane accommodates the current and future flow of traffic for these corridors." Understand that your study theoretically accommodates traffic, but it does not work when applied to real-life situations. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the study of traffic flow is defined as, "Traffic-flow theories seek to describe in a precise mathematical way the interactions among vehicles, drivers, and the infrastructure." With that information, how does going from 2 lanes down to 1 lane mathematically make sense? It was congested with the two lanes, so what did you think would happen when the road was reduced to 1 lane? The bottom line is here, so Grand Junction, listen up. Most of the comments left are negative criticisms. Citizens are dissatisfied with your project, yet you are doubling down on this. You should reconsider pushing forward with your project.
I understand that Grand Junction is growing, and we must change the infrastructure to support the growth. However, the current 4th and 5th Street projects create a mess downtown. I watched a news clip from KJCT News in which they interviewed local businesses, and the Rockslide Brew Pub stated, "They had seen a dramatic drop in customers." These changes hurt our local economy, but the City of Grand Junction is adamant about going forward with the project. The EngageGj site states the project is "designed to reduce speeds on 4th and 5th Streets." If that is the purpose, there are cost-effective ways to reduce speed. Instead of spending millions of taxpayer dollars, how about you reduce the speed limit and install speed bumps? I also agree with the citizens who have said 5th Street creates a bottleneck and disrupts traffic flow. I have been driving down 5th Street from Orchard Mesa 5 days a week for the past four years. Traffic was congested in the morning, but it's tremendously worse since the changes. I would also like to respond to this statement left by a Grand Junction City Worker, "Thank you for your feedback regarding the pilot project. The 2022 study shows that the single lane accommodates the current and future flow of traffic for these corridors." Understand that your study theoretically accommodates traffic, but it does not work when applied to real-life situations. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the study of traffic flow is defined as, "Traffic-flow theories seek to describe in a precise mathematical way the interactions among vehicles, drivers, and the infrastructure." With that information, how does going from 2 lanes down to 1 lane mathematically make sense? It was congested with the two lanes, so what did you think would happen when the road was reduced to 1 lane? The bottom line is here, so Grand Junction, listen up. Most of the comments left are negative criticisms. Citizens are dissatisfied with your project, yet you are doubling down on this. You should reconsider pushing forward with your project.
I understand that Grand Junction is growing, and we must change the infrastructure to support the growth. However, the current 4th and 5th Street projects create a mess downtown. I watched a news clip from KJCT News in which they interviewed local businesses, and the Rockslide Brew Pub stated, "They had seen a dramatic drop in customers." These changes hurt our local economy, but the City of Grand Junction is adamant about going forward with the project. The EngageGj site states the project is "designed to reduce speeds on 4th and 5th Streets." If that is the purpose, there are cost-effective ways to reduce speed. Instead of spending millions of taxpayer dollars, how about you reduce the speed limit and install speed bumps? I also agree with the citizens who have said 5th Street creates a bottleneck and disrupts traffic flow. I have been driving down 5th Street from Orchard Mesa 5 days a week for the past four years. Traffic was congested in the morning, but it's tremendously worse since the changes. I would also like to respond to this statement left by a Grand Junction City Worker, "Thank you for your feedback regarding the pilot project. The 2022 study shows that the single lane accommodates the current and future flow of traffic for these corridors." Understand that your study theoretically accommodates traffic, but it does not work when applied to real-life situations. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the study of traffic flow is defined as, "Traffic-flow theories seek to describe in a precise mathematical way the interactions among vehicles, drivers, and the infrastructure." With that information, how does going from 2 lanes down to 1 lane mathematically make sense? It was congested with the two lanes, so what did you think would happen when the road was reduced to 1 lane? The bottom line is here, so Grand Junction, listen up. Most of the comments left are negative criticisms. Citizens are dissatisfied with your project, yet you are doubling down on this. You should reconsider pushing forward with your project.
I understand that Grand Junction is growing, and we must change the infrastructure to support the growth. However, the current 4th and 5th Street projects create a mess downtown. I watched a news clip from KJCT News in which they interviewed local businesses, and the Rockslide Brew Pub stated, "They had seen a dramatic drop in customers." These changes hurt our local economy, but the City of Grand Junction is adamant about going forward with the project. The EngageGj site states the project is "designed to reduce speeds on 4th and 5th Streets." If that is the purpose, there are cost-effective ways to reduce speed. Instead of spending millions of taxpayer dollars, how about you reduce the speed limit and install speed bumps? I also agree with the citizens who have said 5th Street creates a bottleneck and disrupts traffic flow. I have been driving down 5th Street from Orchard Mesa 5 days a week for the past four years. Traffic was congested in the morning, but it's tremendously worse since the changes. I would also like to respond to this statement left by a Grand Junction City Worker, "Thank you for your feedback regarding the pilot project. The 2022 study shows that the single lane accommodates the current and future flow of traffic for these corridors." Understand that your study theoretically accommodates traffic, but it does not work when applied to real-life situations. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the study of traffic flow is defined as, "Traffic-flow theories seek to describe in a precise mathematical way the interactions among vehicles, drivers, and the infrastructure." With that information, how does going from 2 lanes down to 1 lane mathematically make sense? It was congested with the two lanes, so what did you think would happen when the road was reduced to 1 lane? The bottom line is here, so Grand Junction, listen up. Most of the comments left are negative criticisms. Citizens are dissatisfied with your project, yet you are doubling down on this. You should reconsider pushing forward with your project.
I'd like to know why we are catering so much to bicyclists downtown? I don't see that many when I am going through downtown. What - are you trying to steal bicyclists away from Fruita? Have bicyclists been complaining that they can't ride through town? Are they getting in accidents? If so, where's the data? What exactly is the impetus for all this expenditure of tax money if we don't know it actually will do what we want? Wait a couple years to see if 4th and 5th Sts. perform like you expect (and the taxpayers want it!) before screwing with 7th St. And the bike traffic should be monitored - how many bikes are actually using those streets with these improvements? If there is not a huge increase I'd take those streets back to their original structure.
Bicyclists have tons of places to ride safely, and going through and/or stopping in downtown is not necessarily a destination for a biker - if that's what you are thinking, that they would stop downtown to play? I don't think so. I think they will fly through without a second look. Maybe the bicyclists on your citizen's group know something I don't.
If the reason for all this is to attract people to downtown, I think you have it wrong. And I may, no, I WILL have to find other ways to get through to North Ave.
The structure of 5th St./Hwy. 50 is going to impede me coming into town from Orchard Mesa because the cars coming into town on Hwy 50 in the left lane don't realize they have to turn left on Colorado until they are at the light on Ute - so they have to merge into the right lane within 1 block. If you are a local and have done it, it's not a problem - you get in the right lane way before coming to Ute - which increases vehicles in that lane, backing it up. Someone new coming into town, however, may get confused and accidents or road rage will increase. I have a feeling it's going to back up traffic and we'll never get to North Ave. as easily as we used to. That's why I take 5th! It's quick and easy to get to North Ave! And you better get some big signs up on Hwy. 50 before Ute so people know where they should go. The temporary "warning" sign there now is on the right, it should be on the left so people in the left lane can see it before it's too late and they are blocking the turn to Colorado. I just see a big mess coming to that intersection. And the shifting lane on 4th Street from Rood to Colorado is just ugly and distracting!
And should I mention how ugly 4th and 5th are with all those posts? If they are going to be taken down eventually, people (especially visitors) will not know where they should be in the lane, even with the copious markings on the street, and drive all over the "lane". And who in their right mind will parallel park on that street? Glad I don't live there.