CO 66 Planning & Environmental Linkages Study

Study complete

Study Overview

The Colorado Department of Transportation is conducting a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study of the Colorado Highway 66 corridor, from McConnell Drive in Lyons to Weld County Road 19. The study team will identify the needs along CO 66 and develop a strategic, long-term vision for the corridor.

Project Process

The PEL project team will work with community stakeholders and the public to identify the transportation deficiencies and needs along the CO 66 corridor. The goal is to understand:

  • the communities along the corridor;
  • how the transportation system currently functions;
  • how the system affects communities; and
  • how the system/corridor can be improved now and in the future.

Once the team identifies the transportation deficiencies and needs, it will develop a series of conceptual ideas and alternatives to address these needs. The team will evaluate and consider the ability of these alternatives to meet the corridor's needs, along with any impacts to the communities and the environment.

The CO 66 PEL study began in fall 2016 and is anticipated to be completed in spring 2018. The project team is currently meeting with local agency representatives, and gathering existing condition and high-level visioning information.

Beyond the PEL

After the PEL study is complete, CDOT and local agencies will use a documented set of projects and an implementation plan to identify funding opportunities for design and implementation, as well as identify future transportation right-of-way corridors. The team will also prepare an access control plan to further document CDOT's CO 66 access requirements.

If the team pursues federal funds, a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process will be required. The PEL's resulting recommendations will serve as a "bucket-list" of improvements that will be implemented along CO 66 over time, and as funding becomes available.

The higher-priority projects will likely be implemented first, but the goal is to implement all of the projects identified in the PEL as conditions warrant and as funding becomes available. This process will take many years.

Purpose and Need

One of the first major steps in the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) process is to develop a purpose and need statement.

Developing this statement during long-range planning:

  • Provides a vision for future projects along the corridor.
  • Identifies the greatest needs to address.
  • Is the foundation for the alternatives analysis process.
  • Provides a way to determine the project's short-term and long-term transportation priorities.

CO 66 transportation improvements:

  • increase safety;
  • reduce traffic congestion;
  • provide managed access for existing and future development; and
  • improve multimodal mobility of people, goods and services.

The improvements should be resilient, accommodate developing technologies and strive to complement adjacent community context.

The document below summarizes the transportation needs for the CO 66 corridor and provides a more detailed description of each need in the corridor.

What is Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL)?

Planning and environmental linkages (PEL) is an approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmental, community, and economic goals, and potential impacts early in the planning process to inform the subsequent project development, design, and construction phases.

The PEL process is intended to be a decision-making process that:

  • Minimizes duplication of effort;
  • Promotes efficient and cost-effective solutions;
  • Connects corridor stakeholders and promotes information sharing;
  • Promotes environmental stewardship; and
  • Reduces delays in project implementation.

Learn more about PEL

PEL Report and Right of Way Preservation

The CO 66 Planning & Environmental Linkages (PEL) studies represent an approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmental, community, and economic goals during early planning stages. PELs minimize duplication of effort, promote cost-effective solutions, encourage environmental stewardship, and reduce project implementation delays.

This CO 66 PEL report was completed with the goal of highlighting key information in a concise and useful manner. Each section includes key background and findings from the CO 66 PEL process. The appendices include detailed content for further examination, including right of way preservation maps. Interactive right of way preservation digital files are included on this page to aid local agencies, developers and stakeholders with interests along SH 66.

Resources:

Access Control Plan

As a part of the CO 66 study, an Access Control Plan (ACP) was developed along the same limits as the PEL Study. The purpose of an ACP is to evaluate existing accesses on the corridor and make long-term recommendations for the location, number, design, and type of future accesses that will improve safety and traffic flow along the corridor. The ACP is being signed into an Intergovernmental Agreement between the agencies on the corridor, including:

  • Boulder County
  • Weld County
  • Town of Lyons
  • City of Longmont
  • Town of Mead
  • Town of Firestone
  • CDOT 

The approved ACP will guide the agencies’ decisions regarding future access conditions while supporting the planning objectives of the Towns, City, Counties, and CDOT along the corridor.

The report below summarizes the ACP process and recommendations for the SH 66 corridor. The Appendix includes the IGA document between the agencies, the Access Control Plan table and Access maps, and other supplemental material related to the ACP.

Corridor Conditions Report

The Corridor Conditions Report has been prepared to document current and anticipated future conditions of the corridor (without any additional planned improvements) regarding land use and planning, the transportation system, and environmental resources.

The format of this report is intended to provide detailed information at a glance to help in developing and evaluating possible transportation improvements along the corridor.

 

Public Participation

Next Steps

  • Fall 20119 – Finalize the PEL and ACP

Past Public Meetings

Thank you to those who attended the final round of public meetings on Sept. 25 and 26, 2019.  80 people attended and were able to review and provide feedback on:

  • PEL recommendations along the entire project corridor
  • The potential environmental impacts associated with each recommendation
  • List of future access changes

If you were unable to attend an open house, you can view the meeting materials here:

Thank you to those who attended the ACP meeting on July 25, 2019.  More than 100 people attended and were able to learn about the methods and benefits of access management along CO 66.  Attendees were able to review all recommendations identified in the draft ACP. 

The meeting was an open-house format and display boards were set-up around the room. 

April 2019 Public Meetings

Thank you to those who attended the second round of public meetings on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, and Thursday, April 18, 2019. More than 100 people attended and were able to review the study's current status, provide feedback on transportation alternatives, and learn about CDOT's risk and resiliency assessment.

The Access Control Plan (ACP), which will make recommendations for future changes to the location and design of driveways and intersections, was also displayed.

April 2017 Public Meetings

Thank you to those who attended the first round of public meetings on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, and Wednesday, April 26, 2017. More than 50 people attended and were able to review the purpose and need of the PEL process. They also participated in a discussion about existing corridor conditions.