The Grand Junction Circulation Plan is adopted as part of the
Comprehensive Plan.
(Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)
The community envisions a safe, balanced and environmentally
sensitive multi-modal, urban transportation system that supports greater
social interaction, facilitates the movement of people and goods,
and encourages active living, mobility independence, and convenient
access to goods and services for all users.
A multi-modal transportation system should accommodate pedestrians,
bicyclists, motorists, movers of goods, and transit; and should be
safe and navigable for all users. It must provide transportation options
to all users including those with limited mobility such as children,
seniors, and persons with disabilities.
(Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)
(a)
The Grand Junction Circulation Plan (“Circulation Plan”)
is a strategic document adopted by both the City of Grand Junction
and Mesa County. This document moves forward the transportation principles,
strategies and vision to create an urban area-wide multi-modal circulation
plan as identified in: the Grand Junction Comprehensive Plan adopted
in 2010; the 2010 Circulation Plan; and the 2001 Urban Trails Plan.
(b)
It supports the Grand Valley 2040 Regional Transportation Plan’s
sound planning principles and best practices including:
(c)
It builds on the transportation goals found in the Grand Junction
Comprehensive Plan, including:
(1)
Designing streets and walkways as attractive public spaces;
(2)
Constructing streets to include enhanced pedestrian amenities; and
(3)
Developing a well-balanced transportation system that supports automobile,
local transit, pedestrian, bicycle, and freight movement while protecting
environmental conditions of air, water and natural resources.
(d)
The Circulation Plan will be used by elected officials and staff
to guide the assignment of financial resources for infrastructure
construction, future development and dedication of other funds for
transportation purposes.
(Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)
This Circulation Plan is applicable to transportation corridors
within the Urban Development Boundary as defined by the Grand Junction
Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map. Minor exceptions occur where
a particular corridor falls both within and outside of the Urban Development
Boundary and whereby consistency of standards along the length of
the corridor would be beneficial to the traveling public.
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(Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)
The Circulation Plan establishes a comprehensive approach to transportation planning through the following four sections (Plan Elements). Conceptual and corridor maps have been created to aid decision makers and City and County staff to improve the transportation systems. See GJMC § 31.08.150, Appendix A – Maps, for full-page maps.
(Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)
(a)
The Network Map identifies important corridors and linkages connecting
centers, neighborhoods and community attractions.
(b)
The Street Functional Classification Map identifies the functional
classification of the roadway corridors that connect neighborhoods,
employment centers and local attractions and amenities. Many of these
corridors are also major truck routes providing heavy truck movement
and access to the Grand Junction community. There are over 50 proposed
changes since the map was last adopted by City Council and Mesa County
Board of County Commissioners in 2010. These changes include adding
road segments, reclassifying some existing road segments and removing
others from the map.
(c)
The Active Transportation Corridors Map replaces the Urban Trails
Master Plan/Map and identifies major corridors important for nonmotorized
travel by providing critical, continuous and convenient connections
for bicyclists and pedestrians. The corridors are broadly defined
and could accommodate active transportation as part of the road network
or as separated paths. This Circulation Plan identifies corridors
important for active transportation and does not attempt to identify
trails that are predominately recreational in nature. In the city
limits, it proposes using trails on, along, adjacent to or near canals,
ditches and drainages for nonmotorized route connections only where
there is not another safe or better alternative for nonmotorized transportation
on the road network.
(d)
Specific Strategies and Policies.
Goals and policies
identified in the Grand Junction Comprehensive Plan and strategies
and policies identified in the Circulation Plan will help the community
achieve its vision of becoming the most livable city west of the Rockies.
A balanced transportation system will be achieved through the following
strategies and policies that are further described in the Circulation
Plan.
(1)
Adopt a Complete Streets Policy for Grand Junction and develop and
adopt a Complete Streets Policy for Mesa County.
(2)
Develop or revise policies for support of an integrated transportation
system.
(3)
Provide conceptual and corridor maps that will be used by decision
makers and staff to improve transportation systems.
(4)
Improve interconnectivity between Grand Valley Transit and centers,
neighborhoods and community attractions.
(5)
Improve the Urban Trails System on and connecting to active transportation
corridors.
(i)
Provide guidance on incentives for trail construction;
(ii)
Provide guidance on standards for trail construction;
(iii)
Provide guidance on ownership and maintenance of trail system;
(iv)
Maintain or improve multi-purpose trails;
(v)
Provide wayfinding to attract visitors to the trail system and improve
the ability of residents and visitors to find area attractions.
(6)
Maintain or improve circulation of vehicles on road system.
(Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)
(a)
The 2010 Circulation Plan was adopted as an element of the Grand
Junction Comprehensive Plan. It is limited to a brief description
of the planning area and the principle that development should support
an integrated transportation system. It also includes a functional
classification street network map, of future, general vehicular circulation
patterns for collector and arterial streets and highways to accommodate
the ultimate buildout of the urban area.
(b)
The 2001 Urban Trails Plan was developed as a strategic tool to guide
the future course of trail development in the Grand Valley. The Plan
identifies the locations for new nonmotorized facilities and serves
as a guide for the development, protection, management, operations
and use of a trail system that meets the demands of the growing community.
The Plan identifies the opportunity to utilize the natural waterways,
drainages and canals to create an interconnected system of safe and
efficient means of nonmotorized travel.
(c)
This Circulation Plan acknowledges the planning that was previously completed and incorporates the previous findings into a broader framework for transportation to include more than a functional classification of streets. The Circulation Plan works to combine urban trails planning with street planning and establish goals and policies with a multi-modal approach to transportation within the Urban Development Boundary established in the Comprehensive Plan. In addition to these two plans, the City and County also have adopted transportation plans for specific neighborhoods and geographic areas (see GJMC § 31.08.150, Appendix A – Maps).
(d)
The following adopted plans have shaped the transportation planning
in the community and have been adopted by one or both, the City of
Grand Junction and Mesa County, and can be found at www.mesacounty.us/planning
and/or at http://www.gjcity.org. These plans serve as the foundation
for the updated Circulation Plan.
(1)
2010 Grand Junction Comprehensive Plan (GJMC Title 31);
(2)
Grand Valley 2040 Regional Transportation Plan;
(3)
2001 Urban Trails Master Plan;
(5)
2004 Pear Park Neighborhood Plan (GJMC Title 37);
(6)
2014 Orchard Mesa Neighborhood Plan (GJMC Title 39);
(7)
2011 Clifton/Fruitvale Community Plan;
(8)
2007/2011 North Avenue Corridor Plans and Zoning Overlay (GJMC Title
32);
(9)
24 Road Subarea Plan and Overlay (GJMC Title 33).
(e)
Access Management Policies and Access Control Plans.
The City, County and CDOT have various access management plans and
policies. This Circulation Plan update has been developed to work
in conjunction with these policies, which can be found in the following
documents:
(1)
Mesa County Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction
(RB Spec) – www.mesacounty.us/publicworks/roads/specifications.aspx;
(2)
Mesa County Road Access Policy – www.mesacounty.us/RoadAccessPolicy.aspx;
(4)
Access Control Plans with the Colorado Department of Transportation
(CDOT). Some corridors fall under the ownership and jurisdiction of
CDOT. CDOT has specific “Access Control Plans” that are
implemented through intergovernmental agreements with Mesa County
and/or Grand Junction for the State Highway system which affects driveways,
street intersections and signalization spacing on these roads. The
roads include Interstate-70, I-70 Business Loop, State Highway 141,
State Highway 340, U.S. Highway 6 (North Avenue), and U.S. Highway
50, all of which run through the Grand Junction community.
(Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)
