Self-Enforcing Roadways

CITY OF GOLDEN, CO

ISSUE STRATEGIES TAKEAWAYS

➤ Major community corridor with

speeding and safety issues

➤ Safety concerns for pedestrian and

bicycles

➤ Businesses were concerned with

the impact of road modifications

especially with roundabouts

➤ Strategic approach with specific

goals for all road users

➤ Self-enforcing design including

roundabouts and center median

➤ Reduced speeding

➤ Improved safety for vehicles,

pedestrians, and bicyclists

➤ Improved public spaces and

positive impact on businesses

Background

A self-enforcing road is a roadway that is planned and designed 

to encourage drivers to select operating speeds in harmony 

with the posted speed limit. Properly designed self-enforcing 

roadways can be effective in producing speed compliance and 

may contribute to less severe crash outcomes1

.

The City of Golden, Colorado is located west of Denver at the 

base of the Rocky Mountains. It is both a residential community 

as well as home to the Coors Brewery and Colorado School of 

Mines. South Golden Road is one of the major arterials in town 

with a long-standing history of being a major thoroughfare2

. 

In 1999, plans for a new shopping center along South Golden 

Road elevated citizens’ concerns about traffic speeds as well 

as pedestrian and bicycle safety along the corridor (see South 

Golden Road photo). 

In response, the city rebuilt South Golden Road using design 

elements to address speeding, access, and overall safety. The 

self-enforcing design replaced traffic signals with roundabouts 

and addressed vulnerable road user safety3.

South Golden Road after improvements. 

Source: Dan Hartman, City of Golden, CO.

South Golden Road before improvements. 

Source: Dan Hartman, City of Golden, CO.

Case Study 2: Noteworthy Speed Management Practices 1 FHWA-SA-20-078
Self-Enforcing Roadways

The Challenge

Prior to improvement - South Golden Road was a very wide (80 

foot) street to cross and consisted of four through lanes plus 

a center turn lane. The corridor was capable of handling the 

20,000 vehicles per day, however, the frequent points of access 

from business and side streets created operational and safety 

issues. The half-mile section of South Golden Road included 

two signalized intersections at Johnson Road and Ulysses 

Street and two stop-controlled intersections at Lunnonhaus 

Drive and Utah Street. The corridor was experiencing a 

number of issues including speeding between intersections, 

traffic conflicts at intersections for vehicles, pedestrians, and 

bicycles, and significant delays especially at Utah Street. Prior 

to improvement, the posted speed limit was 35 mph and the 

measured 85th percentile speed was 48 mph. The corridor 

experienced an average of four crashes per month with at least 

one of these involving an injury3.

Community Input - The city initiated a study that included 

community input to identify the most viable alternatives for 

improvement. The study established the following goals for 

South Golden Road:

• Reduce speed through the intersection

• Improve aesthetics

• Improve access for businesses and residential

neighborhoods

• Improve safety

• Create a pedestrian-friendly environment

Design Process – The city considered a range of improvement 

options, researched roundabout design opportunities, and then 

gained feedback from the community through public meetings, 

discussions with businesses, and at public hearings with City 

Council. The resulting two design options were the following:

• Option 1: Traditional traffic signals with center medians

and restricted left turns. This option faced issues as it

restricted access to several businesses. In addition, the

large intersections were not advantageous for pedestrian

and bike crossings.

• Option 2: Modern roundabout section with four

roundabouts, narrower roads through using center

medians, and restricted left turns. This option was shown

to provide improved access for both businesses and

vulnerable road users.

The city’s efforts led to the ultimate choice for Option 2 

(roundabouts) where the design supports speed compliance 

even with a 25 mph speed limit in addition to enhancing 

access, operations, and safety for all users. The roundabouts 

were constructed in 1998 - 1999 and were fully operational in 

late 1999 (see South Golden Road after improvements photo).

Golden, Colorado. Source: Getty Images

FHWA-SA-20-078

2

Case Study 2: Noteworthy Speed Management Practices
Self-Enforcing Roadways

Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned

Once constructed, the city was pleased to report that the new 

design was in fact supporting speed compliance as well as 

safety as noted by several metrics.

• Reduced Vehicle Speeds – Reduction of 85th percentile

speed from 48 to 33 mph.

• Less Delay – Reduction in average delay—the time it

takes to drive the half-mile—is lower even with a 15 mph

speed reduction. The design also helped to eliminate the

large queues experienced from adjacent parking lots.

• Reduction in Crashes – Both crash frequency and severity

were lowered even with increased traffic from the new

shopping center. The improvement reduced total crashes

per month by 36 percent and injuries per month by 97

percent (analysis included 36 months before and 42

months after the improvement).

• Improved Pedestrian Access – Pedestrian safety was

improved through reduced crossing times with few

conflicts. Given that traffic only comes from one direction,

smaller gaps are required due to reduced vehicle speeds,

and the elimination of conflicts with turning traffic (see

improved pedestrian access photo).

• Bicycle Safety – The corridor improvements did not include

separate bike lanes; however, there was a significant reduction

in bike related crashes going from 78 crashes over the 5 years

before to just four crashes over 3.5 years after construction.

• Positive Impact on Businesses – The evaluation found

that the new design positively impacted the adjacent

business community in terms of fostering new development,

redevelopment, and increased traffic volumes4.

• Enhanced Community Space – The project provided an

opportunity to aesthetically enhance the corridor through

the removal of the sea of asphalt. The roundabout

design provides space for fountains, statues, landscaped

medians, and community art.

• Important Educational Component – The city

developed an educational brochure that was mailed

to every resident and placed in racks within businesses

stressing how to navigate a roundabout for both

vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

The City of Golden established corridor goals that resulted 

in eliminating a very wide, high-speed roadway that was 

experiencing safety and mobility issues. Instead of adding 

more traffic signals and stepping up police enforcement due 

to increasing vehicle speeds, they chose a roadway redesign 

including roundabouts and medians which was found to not 

only improve both operations and safety but to also provide 

a showcase community space which is aesthetically pleasing 

and has continued to accommodate all users in terms of traffic 

growth and safety.

1 Donnell, Eric., Kersavage, Kristin., Fontana Tierney, Lisa. Self-Enforcing Roadways: A Guidance Report (Report No. FHWA-HRT-17-098). 

McLean, VA: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, January 2018.

2 City of Golden. South Golden Road Neighborhoods Plan. Planning Commission Resolution No. PC15-01, 2016. 

https://www.cityofgolden.net/media/SouthGoldenRoadPlan.pdf

3 Hartman, Dan. Roundabouts – Safety, Business Impact and Growth [Presentation], June 2013.

4 Ariniello, A. J. Are Roundabouts Good for Business? In Transportation Research Board National Roundabout Conference, Vail Colorado, December 2004.

Case Study 2: Noteworthy Speed Management Practices 3 FHWA-SA-20-078