The town of Timnath, Colo., has updated its transportation plan, outlining roadway projects that span the next 25 years, in effort to get ahead of what officials see as increased population and the traffic congestion that will go along with it.
Projects totalling some $190 million, according to the Timnath Transportation Plan will promote alternative transportation, streets improvements and reduction in congestion as Timnath grows. The city is anticipates growing from 3,000 to 30,000 residents by 2040.
“I find (the plan) a very useful document to understand some of the changes that are going to happen over time to our roads,” said councilman Paul Steinway.
The updated plan proposes solutions including widening Kechter, Prospect and Harmony Roads by 2030, along with imminent plans to build a north-south parkway east of Larimer County Road 5.
The town also estimated up to $2.1 million would be needed over the next five years for railroad crossing projects, and upward of $10.3 million would go toward bicycle and pedestrian projects slated for the next quarter century.
“Like most other municipalities along Colorado’s Front Range, Timnath faces a challenge of how to fund transportation improvements,” the plan reads.
Funding for the projects will come from the consideration of adopting street-impact and maintenance-fee programs, and a creating an ordinance that ties in infrastructure requirements with new developments. Other money is slated to come from the town’s budget, federal and state funds, borrowing or a regional transportation authority.
“Congestion is expected on Harmony Road between (I-25) and Three Bell Parkway in the future, even when (Harmony) is expanded to six lanes,” according to the plan. The 2040 forecasts on Harmony Road are in the range of 48,000 vehicles per day, which is approximately the current volume on the six-lane Harmony Road between Timberline Road and Lemay Street in Fort Collins.
Harmony Road, east of I-25, has the highest volume of traffic within Timnath’s 34-sq-mile growth-management area. The arterial sees 32,000 vehicles per day, according to the plan. Colorado Highway 14, also known as East Mulberry Street, sees the second-highest volume with 9,400 vehicles per day.
