A group of pedestrians packed the sidewalk at Seventh Street and Main Avenue in Durango, waiting for the signal to cross the street. They lingered at the edge of the curb, jammed together beside a signal pole.
Right under their noses, extra space to stand extended into the street, marked by red paint and white flex posts. But the pedestrians were oblivious to the temporary feature installed by the city of Durango to demonstrate what extended curbs, or “bulb-outs,” would create.
“They’re kind of confusing,” said Kurtis Davenport, a part-time resident of Durango.
He said he had noticed the faux curb extensions – installed at intersections along Main Avenue at Seventh Street, Eighth Street and College Drive – but he had no idea what they were for. He said it seems like it’s only a matter of time before someone standing in one gets hit by a car.
Other supported the idea of curb extensions, which shorten the crossing distance. They also liked the idea of widening sidewalks and narrowing traffic lanes, which the city says helps reduce vehicle speeds – even during turns.
Few of the roughly 10 pedestrians interviewed for this story understood the purpose of the temporary curb extensions until it was explained.
Resident Julie Levinson’s face lit up when she realized the purpose of the red paint and flex posts. She said wider sidewalks could benefit businesses.
“I think it’s smart,” she said. “I love it here. The city has done a nice job and businesses are prospering. Local shops are super important.”
She said she is only somewhat familiar with Downtown’s Next Step – the city’s proposal to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and walkability by widening sidewalks and slowing traffic – but she supports the idea of safer, more business-friendly streets.
“It does seem like people don’t necessarily understand them,” said Devin King, the city’s multimodal manager.
He said residents aren’t necessarily used to bulb-outs. The city plans to install planters and infographics to explain the features. It also recruited local artists to paint street murals on them this month, which could help draw pedestrians’ attention.
The city of Durango funded the temporary bulb-outs and pedlets – temporary pathways representing widened sidewalks – on Main Avenue with a $171,040 Revitalizing Main Street Grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation. It also contributed $42,760 from the 2015 half-cent sales tax fund.
King said the money was well spent, even if pedestrians don’t necessarily recognize the bulb-outs’ benefits.
“It’s still providing that safety benefit on turning radiuses and shortening the crossing distance,” he said.
He said whether people are crossing the street or delivery drivers are making stops, they are on the street for a shorter amount of time.
The demonstration bulb-outs have also allowed the city to test turning radiuses on larger vehicles such as fire engines, and adjust the project design accordingly.
Still, the cost of implementing Next Step remains a concern, especially among residents who are skeptical of or openly oppose the proposal.
At a Next Step meeting with business owners this week, King said the city has spent about $500,000 on the project since 2021, though similar discussions produced a design as far back as 2006.
Resident Sweetie Marbury asked how much the Next Step project will cost and how the city plans to fund it.
“Don’t you have any idea? I mean, I don’t remodel my house unless I have some idea of what it’s going to cost,” she said.
Responding to her question, King said cost estimates won’t be ready until an engineering design is completed.
There is no construction timeline, although city officials and some residents agree that any changes to the streetscape should coincide with needed water and sewer replacements beneath Main Avenue – a project that also lacks a timeline.
La Plata County residents Amber Cox and her daughter, Danika, said they don’t like the bulb-outs. They visit downtown Durango regularly.
“I don’t think people can manage around these things,” Amber said. “You’re going to narrow the lanes and they’re going to have a lot more accidents. Tourists are going to have problems not understanding.”
Danika said that if permanent concrete curb extensions are installed, drivers of larger vehicles will have a harder time than they already do navigating Main Avenue.
“I just have to be careful which truck I choose, because – especially with the overhang rules – you can get ticketed. I’m having to park up on Third,” she said. “Fine for me, not fine for older folks.”
While curb extensions have gone unnoticed by some, residents interviewed this week seemed stoked about the temporary pedlets, which allow pedestrians to walk comfortably around outdoor seating and other obstacles in front of businesses.
“The occupancy load on Main has certainly doubled in the 30 years that I’ve been here,” said Michael Hardy, a resident and former owner of Inferno on Main Avenue.
He said the additional walkable space, along with improved pedestrian safety, is a necessity.
Resident Connie Matthews, a former business owner who ran the Spaaah Shop & Day Spa on Main Avenue, said she supports the Next Step proposal and doesn’t believe the impact to businesses would be as significant as some fear.
The city is hosting a series of meetings all about Next Step this month. The first meeting was held Wednesday. The remaining meetings will take place on these dates and times:
- Downtown business employees are invited to a meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. June 10 at 11th Street Station, 1101 Main Ave.
- From 10 a.m. to noon June 16, a meeting specifically for residents will be held at the Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave
- An accessibility meeting is scheduled to be held at the library from 10 a.m. to noon June 23.
cburney@durangoherald.com
