Traffic

How much traffic will all of this generate?
Traffic analysis by the standard Denver Regional Council of Governments model indicates that proposed land uses in 2030 will generate about 9,500 vehicle trips per day. This is the same amount of traffic that was generated by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) on the site when some 3,000 people worked there. One key difference, however, is that the DFAS employees all used a single entrance and exit (Quebec Street between First Avenue and Bayaud Street), whereas people living and working in the new Buckley Annex area will have numerous ways to come and go. The land plan will distribute traffic so that it accounts for about 3 to 9% of total traffic on adjacent streets.

The Buckley Annex transportation network was extensively discussed during the public planning process in 2007-2008 by a Transportation Task Force of stakeholders and consultants. Additional traffic modeling has shown that the proposed Buckley Annex development only accounts for 3-9% of projected increase in traffic volumes by 2030, the rest is regional growth. The narrowing of Lowry Boulevard to three lanes has very little impact on surrounding streets, which can handle the additional projected traffic volume created by the Buckley Annex in 2030.

Buckley Annex Transportation Analysis

How wide will Lowry Boulevard be?
The Buckley Annex redevelopment plan calls for Lowry Boulevard to be a five lane arterial, with two lanes of traffic in each direction and a center turn lane. The LRA is proposing that Lowry Boulevard be built with three lanes instead - one in each direction and a center turn lane at Quebec Street and Monaco Parkway. This is being proposed due to planning and market concerns that a five-lane arterial would bisect the neighborhood and reduce pedestrian walkability. A narrower Lowry Boulevard is also favored by sustainable development models. It is a prerequisite, for example, for the Buckley Annex to be eligible for a LEED-Neighborhood Development certification.

Will RTD add any bus routes?
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) has also been a part of the planning process for the Buckley Annex redevelopment since 2007. They remain involved and the LRA will work with them to determine if additional bus routes through the site are needed. The Buckley Annex site is currently served by RTD Routes 3, 3L, 6, 65 and 73. Plans propose a redirection of the 6 route through Lowry Boulevard from Quebec Street to Monaco Parkway.