Safe Routes to Parks Program, Wheat Ridge

In December 2023, the Safe Routes Partnership selected Bike Jeffco to participate in a technical assistance program focused on improving safe and equitable local park access in the City of Wheat Ridge. Since January 2024, Bike Jeffco had been working closely with the City of Wheat Ridge and the Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAT) to select a site to implement an early action or pilot project by the end of the year. The program will also develop a long-term action plan for continuing efforts to improve biking or walking to parks in Wheat Ridge.  

Community engagement meetings were held in February and March to solicit input from community stakeholders. On April 30, an all-day workshop was held with representatives from many different organizations: Bike Jeffco, ATAT, Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation, Wheat Ridge Public Works, Colorado Department of Transportation, Jefferson County Transportation & Engineering, Jefferson County Open Space, Denver Regional Council of Governments, Colorado Department of Wildlife, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and two members of Wheat Ridge City Council.  Brandon Altenburg, Wheat Ridge’s Grants and Special Projects Administrator and Vanessa Cascio, Program & Policy Manager with Safe Routes Partnership were the main coordinators of the event.   

At the workshop, two potential sites that may be addressed in an early action were visited: Miller Street near Fruitdale Park and W. 32nd St. near Crown Hill Park. Discussions were held regarding the feasibility of short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to improve connectivity and safety at the two project sites.

The afternoon workshop discussion focused on funding opportunities and resources from Colorado state partners, as well as new federal funding opportunities for biking and walking. Significant progress was made in identifying funding sources and opportunities for collaboration between the entities represented at the meeting.  The meeting concluded with a focused conversation on the role of elected officials, government agencies, community groups, and advocates in Wheat Ridge and Jefferson County to work together to advance biking and walking. This was an opportunity to discuss the benefits/drawbacks of informal and formal partnership structures and identify long-term goals for local partnerships.

For the remainder of the year the plan is to continue community engagement, select the site and implement an early action, work on grants for funding future projects and develop a long-term action plan for safe routes to parks in Wheat Ridge.