County finalizes temp pedestrian crossing proposal for Whetstone

Final approval needed from CB council

by Katherine Nettles

Gunnison County commissioners and staff have been working on a temporary solution for a pedestrian crossing across Highway 135 for the Whetstone housing development near Brush Creek this winter, as a holdover until a permanent roundabout and pedestrian underpass are constructed next summer. That top priority solution appears to be a surface crossing with a pedestrian activated stop light. If the town of Crested Butte agrees, the county will be able to start renting out the first units at Whetstone sometime this winter. That decision from the town could come at the October 19 CB council meeting.

The long-term traffic plan for the county’s Whetstone Community Housing project, which will bring about 250 new rental units to the north valley, is to construct a traffic roundabout at Highway 135 and Brush Creek Road and a pedestrian underpass to cross Highway 135 from the housing development. The town and county signed a contract agreeing that Whetstone cannot begin using the town’s municipal water supply to serve Whetstone until those traffic projects are finished, ensuring residents could more safely cross the highway with an underpass and a roundabout (with crosswalk elements) that would slow traffic down.

However, an unexpected delay in the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) review for the highway projects has delayed the roundabout and underpass construction until 2027. Whetstone construction is moving quickly due to the combination of low snowfall last winter and overall warm, dry conditions over the past year, so the county and town have been meeting to troubleshoot the miscue between available housing and safety measures, and the two entities discussed possible ideas in late September. 

John Cattles, assistant county manager for operations and sustainability, gave county commissioners an update on those ideas this week during a work session on October 13, and the next step is to confirm that the plan is acceptable to the town of CB and sign an amended agreement between the two governing bodies.

Cattles said that at the initial meeting on September 21 with the CB town council, he and other county representatives learned that the majority of town council members would prefer a temporary surface crossing over a shuttle service.

A crossing along with other traffic calming measures was priorotized for the subdivision residents to access an RTA bus stop rather than something like contracting a shuttle service to run between Whetstone and Crested Butte throughout the day. 

Cattles shared the full proposal with commissioners, which was created with the help of a consulting firm. “We need to lower the speed limit to support the surface crossing,” he said, because a surface crossing at high speeds creates more danger to public health and safety. “That’s really CDOT’s concern that we don’t want to create a condition where people walk into a street thinking it’s safe because there are stripes on the street and then we’ve created a nuisance.”

Cattles said speed limits cannot be lowered by signs alone, so the proposal includes lane narrowing as well. “This isn’t drastic, it’s actually going to maintain the current lane orientation that’s there. We’re just moving lanes over a foot or two to create a turn lane to turn left into Whetstone and create a little bit wider median where this surface crossing will go. The lanes themselves won’t change where drivers have to learn a new pattern, they will just get narrower,” described Cattles. He said traffic research shows that narrower lanes are effective at slowing traffic.

The proposal includes signage on Highway 135 placed 500 feet and 100 to 200 feet before the crossing warning of a lower speed ahead, then a speed feedback sign, potential rumble strips and a painted crosswalk with a pedestrian-activated traffic stopping device. Cattles said the consultant sent two different traffic stopping device options to CDOT to consider, including a “high-intensity pedestrian activated crosswalk” (HAWK) device.

Cattles described to commissioners that the HAWK “is essentially a stoplight.” It would be placed on one side of the highway with an extended arm that uses a pedestrian-activated sequence of yellow lights, then a red light to fully stop vehicles during a crossing.

Cattles said the HAWK was the county’s preferred device because they are intended for high speeds like in city traffic and the yellow lights give cars more notice to slow down. “CDOT got back to us last Friday and said to move forward with the HAWK, so we are developing a full submission for a permit,” said Cattles. That includes more details and specifications for the work.

CDOT was lukewarm on the rumble strips, he noted, “but we feel like it would be a really good reminder to vehicles…so that’s what we proposed.”

Cattles said the team has already received leasing proposals from contractors for a HAWK, and they can pull it together fairly quickly after a maximum two-week permitting review from CDOT which could possibly be expedited. 

“We still need a decision from Crested Butte,” he noted, and if they are willing, the two parties would amend the agreement and allow renters at Whetstone with the temporary crossing measures in place. That conversation will occur next Monday, October 19 with town council.

County attorney Matthew Hoyt said from what he had seen, things were flowing in a positive direction between the town and county on the matter. “The town attorney has come up with a very reasonable proposal on the amendment to the agreement,” he said, and he expected they could get the document language finalized between the two parties without much trouble.

Cattles said CDOT has also requested speed enforcement, and Cattles said there is discussion with the county sheriff about a possible agreement. 

Commissioner Jonathan Houck brought up that the county has also worked with the school district to create a school bus route onsite at Whetstone. The site map shows the bus coming in on the north (main) entrance, looping through the first main parking lot and exiting the same way. “We are working on the sidewalks right now and we anticipate having all the sidewalks installed,” said Cattles, so pedestrian circulation from Whetstone’s other buildings to that parking lot will be on sidewalks.

County commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels expressed appreciation to county staff for coordinating between the county and the town, CDOT, Whetstone contractors, the sheriff’s department and school district as well as internal budgeting for a complex situation so they can deliver housing faster.

Houck added that Cattles’ approach with the town of CB by asking their preference from the start rather than acting upon assumptions of what they thought the town would want, helped set everyone up for success. “The way you approached that meeting really helped us, especially in a short time frame, move quickly,” said Houck. 

Cattles said that the costs of leasing the equipment are not finalized yet, and he now anticipates units at Whetstone will be ready for leasing six to eight weeks earlier than planned, which would add to the cost of a longer lease for the HAWK. But he said the unit rental revenue would offset that expense. “So, it’s worth it,” he said.

Puckett Daniels commented that the goal was getting people into housing as soon as possible. “This allows us, hopefully, with an amendment from the town…to get people into housing sooner. And they can start building their lives, building community, setting up routines.” 

Houck added that they have been working with the town all along on this because “This is our common goal, a common goal to house people.” 

Cattles said the recent conversation with CDOT had been “refreshing” and the agency acknowledged the need to flow this traffic transition into the construction project. He pointed out that the speed limit on 135 through the Whetstone construction area has already been 45 miles per hour for almost 18 months, and it will be lowered to 40.

Cattles also updated that they are interviewing contractors for the permanent roundabout at Brush Creek intersection and expect to go out to bid early in 2027. “We’re looking really good for starting that as soon as weather allows in the spring.”