Sometimes, you have to give up the ghost. Abandoning a long-planned effort can be hard, especially for those most intimately involved. But that’s exactly what must be done with one aspect of Durango’s upcoming speed management program planned for August - October (Herald, May 29).
Devin King, Multimodal Manager with the City of Durango, has been especially skilled at securing grants that bring state and federal dollars to implement the city’s Multi Modal Transportation Plan. That’s no small feat, especially as the Trump administration continues hollowing out the federal government and state funding dries up. We’re unlikely to see this level of outside support again anytime soon. It’s benefited our community in big ways.
So, congratulations to King for landing a $300,000 Safe Streets for All grant. It will fund the speed management plan focused on Goeglein Gulch and Riverview Drive – both known for speeding – and also 7th Street, where even the city later determined there isn’t a problem.
The Herald editorial board supports the overall plan and is glad it's finally happening. We all need to slow down. However, we strongly believe the 7th Street diagonal parking pilot must be removed.
Back-in angled (diagonal) parking – alternating from the North to the South sides on 7th between East 3rd and East 6th Avenues – is one of several traffic calming measures the city plans to implement. Other measures include narrower road and buffered bike lanes, road curves, roundabouts and curb extensions.
The main issue with 7th Street? There is no speed problem. The city admits as much, yet claims there have been many complaints (Herald, July 9), the main one which came from resident Sarah Shaw last winter. Shaw watched a car fly down 7th Street nearly hitting another car. Alarmed, she called the city and suggested adding a stop sign.
In December 2024, city engineer Keith Dougherty enlisted the Durango Police Department to determine if one was warranted and responded with detailed findings succinctly summed up in a “No”:
1. Stop signs are not allowed as speed control tools under federal guidelines.
2. A speed study showed 85% of drivers were going 24–26 MPH on a street with a 25 MPH limit – not a speeding problem.
3. Traffic volume was relatively low: 555–845 cars per day near 4th and 5th Avenues. A “busy” street starts around 2,000.
4. Accident history? None in the last five years.
5. He also conducted pedestrian counts and said Shaw’s concerns would result in crosswalks at 6th and 7th Avenues, though not at 4th or 5th.
Case closed, so Shaw thought. But not quite.
Now satisfied with data in hand, Shaw, who says she and her neighbors were blindsided, is opposing the pilot entirely. She’s organized over 100 neighbors who signed a petition objecting to the 7th Street pilot – for all the above reasons. What’s troubling is how this area, which clearly doesn't need intervention, got chosen at all. Worse, the city never informed neighbors. Shaw only learned about it in May – from the Herald.
So why are King and Transportation Director Sarah Hill still pushing this? Hill has said it’s too late to change locations. But if the site is wrong, it’s because staff added it without data and outreach. That’s on the city, not residents.
City Council is expected to take up the issue Tuesday. Since removing 7th Street won’t affect the grant, we urge council to pull the plug on this flawed pilot and listen to the 100-strong residents asking for common sense.
