Wheat Ridge approves mobility projects, but work remains ahead
The City Council approved trail grant applications, a Route 32 bus-stop agreement and HAWK signals, but construction, funding and service questions remain.
Wheat Ridge City Council approved trail grant applications, a Route 32 bus-stop agreement and pedestrian-signal construction Monday, but the actions do not mean the projects are funded, built or operational. The council’s actions are documented in the Aug. 24 council meeting record.
The approvals cover two Clear Creek Trail projects, accessibility improvements at the Route 32 stop at West 32nd Avenue and Kipling Street, and pedestrian-activated HAWK signals at 44th Avenue and Miller and Lamar streets.
Trail projects move to grant pursuit
The council approved resolutions supporting two applications to Jefferson County’s Parks and Open Space Trails Partnership Program.
One application, submitted jointly with Denver, would fund design of a grade-separated Clear Creek Trail segment connecting Creekside Park to the existing trail north of West 52nd Avenue. The project builds on a completed feasibility study, city staff said.
The second seeks funding for erosion-mitigation and safety improvements along the Clear Creek Trail north of the Clear Creek Crossing retention pond. Neither project had received a grant or been approved for construction, and the city did not disclose project costs, grant requests or local matches during the meeting. Staff said the county program can fund up to half of eligible regional-trail costs.
For trail users, the immediate result is authorization to pursue funding—not a repaired erosion area or a new grade-separated crossing. Design, grant selection and additional project approvals remain ahead.
Bus-stop work tied to planned Route 32 extension
The council approved an agreement with Jefferson County for accessibility improvements at the Route 32 stop on the southwest corner of West 32nd Avenue and Kipling Street, next to Crown Hill Park. The work includes an accessible path and boarding area, with Wheat Ridge authorized to construct and maintain the improvements.
The agreement supports a planned RTD extension from Wadsworth Boulevard toward Clear Creek Crossing. RTD’s proposed September service changes say the western terminal would move from Old Town Arvada Station to the Clear Creek Crossing Transfer Center via 32nd Avenue, with the change scheduled to take effect Sept. 27, 2026, subject to final board approval.
Wheat Ridge staff told the council the extension was expected to serve Wheat Ridge High School and that the line could begin operating before all stop upgrades were complete. Stops would come online as accessibility work was completed, staff said.
City staff also said RTD had warned that continued operation would depend on strong ridership. The meeting record does not provide a ridership target, evaluation date or guarantee that the extension will continue if demand is weak.
Several stops between Wadsworth Boulevard and Youngfield Street need upgrades to meet current accessibility standards, the city said. The Kipling stop was the only one described as requiring a multijurisdictional agreement to pour new concrete. A separate agreement with the Watchers Ditch Company was still being finalized and could return to the council.
HAWK signals funded, but no activation date
Under a separate agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation, the council approved construction of pedestrian HAWK signals at 44th Avenue and Miller Street and at 44th Avenue and Lamar Street.
The signals would replace or repurpose existing rapid-flashing beacons with pedestrian-activated traffic signals, including mast arms, stop bars, signs and new Americans with Disabilities Act ramps. Existing beacons would be reused elsewhere in the city, staff said.
Staff described the project as supported by $732,805 in federal funding administered by CDOT, with an $81,401 Wheat Ridge contribution. The meeting record does not clearly establish whether the larger figure is the federal award, a reimbursement amount or another project total.
Design was underway, and staff said construction would be bid after design. The project was described as a 2026-27 project, but the council record does not provide a firm construction-completion or signal-activation date. Until installation and activation, pedestrians will continue to rely on the existing facilities at the two crossings.
The approvals move the projects through different stages: the trail work into grant pursuit and design, the transit stop toward construction and the HAWK signals through design and procurement. None has yet changed conditions on the ground for people walking, riding transit or using the Clear Creek Trail.