~ Colorado Springs, CO - The City of Colorado Springs has announced plans to reconfigure Vickers Drive between Academy Boulevard and Union Boulevard in an effort to improve safety and meet city standards.

The lane change will reduce Vickers Drive to one lane in each direction while maintaining the center turn lane. This decision comes after recent repaving work on Vickers Drive as part of the 2C project.

According to City Traffic Engineer Todd Frisbie, the changes are being made for two main reasons. Firstly, the existing lanes do not meet city standards for width. The driving lanes will be widened from 10 feet to 11 feet, while the center turn lane will increase from 10 feet to 13 feet. Additionally, the bike lane width will be increased from its current substandard size to six feet, in line with city standards for on-street bike lanes.

The second reason for the reconfiguration is safety concerns. The current four-lane configuration has led to excessive speeding and related accidents. In fact, over the last decade, there have been 28 broadside crashes and three bicycle crashes on this section of Vickers Drive. Broadside crashes are known to be one of the most severe types of vehicle accidents. National research and the city's own experience have shown that reconfiguring lanes in this manner can reduce these types of accidents by 30-50%.

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Despite concerns about potential impacts on travel times, Frisbie assures that they are not expected to be significantly affected by this change. Roads with a single lane in each direction and a center turn lane have a capacity of up to 15,000 vehicles per day, while Vickers Drive's traffic volume ranges between 6,000-8,800 vehicles per day.

"Our data shows that travel times will only see a slight increase of about 10 seconds," Frisbie stated. "This is mostly due to drivers who exceed the speed limit no longer being able to pass slower vehicles. Overall, we believe that the tradeoffs are worth it, as we expect to see a reduction in accidents and better compliance with posted speed limits. This is a common-sense change that will improve safety and make it easier for drivers to travel along the road by widening the lanes, while having minimal impact on drivers."

In addition to safety improvements, the reconfiguration will also include a buffer between the travel lanes and the existing bike lane. Vickers Drive is an important part of the city's on-street bike system, connecting to bike lanes on Flintridge Drive and providing east-west connectivity for bikes between Austin Bluffs Parkway and Academy Boulevard.

The city plans to begin work on this project in the near future and urges drivers to be aware of any changes in traffic patterns during this time. With these improvements, Vickers Drive is expected to become a safer and more efficient route for both drivers and cyclists alike.

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