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:
(1) 
Reducing congestion;
(2) 
Easing commutes;
(3) 
Improving roadway safety;
(4) 
Enhancing sidewalks, bike, and multi-use trails; and
(5) 
Maintaining an efficient and effective transportation system.
(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.
(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;
(4) 
2002 Redlands Area Transportation Plan (repealed by Ord. No, 5227, August 2024);
(5) 
2004 Pear Park Neighborhood Plan (repealed by Ord. No, 5227, August 2024);
(6) 
2014 Orchard Mesa Neighborhood Plan (repealed by Ord. No, 5227, August 2024);
(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;
(3) 
City of Grand Junction Transportation Engineering Design Standards (TEDS) (GJMC Title 29);
(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. No. 5227, 8/9/2024; Ord. 4808, 7-18-18)