New sidewalks to provide easier, safer walking for residents along Cheyenne Road in SW Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Shawn Palko said that walking her dog along the narrow Cheyenne Road corridor with few or no sidewalks, was rarely enjoyable.
But a current project has changed her outlook.
"It was scary and dirty walking my dog here," she recalled. "But this project has been going very quickly. It hasn't been too much of a hassle, I don't think. They're building a lovely sidewalk. I was almost in tears when I discovered it for the first time."
Financed by the penny sales tax of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, workers have begun installing sidewalks and curbs in six segments on a mile long stretch of Cheyenne Road -- between Cascade Avenue and Cresta Road.
The infrastructure is going in on the north side of the road.
Along with improving pedestrian safety on a road with a limited number of street lights, the upgrades will improve drainage on days like Friday when melting snow can make walking and driving messy.
"We used to get flooding before," said Ben Miller, a neighbor. "The water would come in and make a lake out of our yard. So, now, it's just going to go cruising by. The sidewalks are double wide, so we can take our walks side-by-side as opposed to one behind the other."
Bryan Scott-Sylvia said that crews are going out of their way to reduce the inconveniences to neighbors.
"My wife just had surgery," he explained. "The workers said that they would do our sidewalks last, so that she'd have plenty of time to get in and out easily. I'm losing some parking in the process, but the intent is good because it makes the area look better and provides pedestrians with more safety."
The project includes upgrades to pedestrian crossings, improved walkability around Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School, and connecting the sidewalks to Stratton Open Space.
Finally, the new infrastructure prepares Cheyenne Road for its eventual repaving under the city's 2C expanded street paving program.
For more information, visit: https://coloradosprings.gov/cheyennestudy?fbclid=IwAR39DgoDmOsWjRZe73K3rsjFf0nzacTzBWjsOb_q332g43iD-iNeo-W8n78.
