Transportation Town Hall Meeting 2023
Channel: MyMountainTown
Date: 2023-02-06

On February 4, 2023, Representative Julie McCluskie and Senator Mark Baisley hosted a Transportation Town Hall Meeting with CDOT representatives (Lisa Hickey, Shane Ferguson, and Jason Nelson) in Bailey, Colorado to share upcoming highway projects for US 285, the ten year plan for construction projects, and to answer questions from the community. Panel introduced by Robb Green, President, Platte Canyon Area Chamber of Commerce.

For more about this project, please go to https://mymountaintown.com/forum/46-scanner-emergency-info-weather-forecasts/341795-us-285-bailey-safety-improvements-crow-hill-project

Questions asked:
1. Could a Smart light be installed at CR 43? 
Answer: There is one already installed.

2. Are there any plans for barriers between NB & SB lanes (i.e. in the median) on US 285 between Conifer & Bailey?

3. Why isn't the 7% downgrade prohibited for greater than 80,000 lbs Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) vehicles & why are jake brakes not restricted south of Crow Hill?

4. The posted speed for Crow Hill is 40 mph. Why?

5. The solution at Shaffer's Crossing seems to be a great fix, what are the statistics on accidents at that location?

6. What can CDOT do to improve safety?

7. How to better curb excessive speed on 285?

8. Runaway truck ramp-opportunity to install? Planned location in environmental document wouldn't be effective enough - it’s not where accidents/crossovers are happening.

9. Status of Bailey by-pass? Nothing planned on CDOT side.

10. J-turns not used, why not?

11. Can we get a pedestrian bridge in downtown Bailey?

12. Can traffic monitoring be extended down to Shawnee? (Backups at merge/choke points)

13. Do we have maintenance scheduled/planned for 285? Yes, previously answered.

14. Rural counties cannot afford 50/50 split funding for transit options, i.e. senior transportation services, is there help available?

15. Shouldering on 285: Pine Junction will be done this year, plan for another location in 2026-27

16. What will projects in Bailey do to the traffic?

17. Will barriers make line of sight more difficult? (Turning left out from CR 68 left onto 285 SB)

18 Can the passing lane be shortened mid-Crow Hill where there’s a blind curve?

19. Can interim/temporary concrete barriers be installed until the summer project begins?

20. 285 NB at the top of Crow Hill where it merges w/CR 72: can we change the merge from right lane to left lane to give vehicles merging in more space?

There were more questions provided on cards, Representative McCluskie will be compiling and posting those on the project website.