Pedestrian Facilities Inventory
Kristin Bennett, AICP
Senior Transportation Planner
Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Neighborhood
Traffic Programs Manager
City of Colorado Springs
Project Evolution
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Change in City Code – City responsible for
sidewalk capital maintenance (March 2005)
Council request to infill sidewalks
Increasing public demand for sidewalks
Increasing number of ADA complaints to DOJ
No pedestrian infrastructure mapped or
inventoried, even hard copy
No Citywide Pedestrian Plan
Initial Steps by Staff
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Windshield survey of 7 areas of the City
Cost to infill 7 areas estimated
Staff provided initial infill recommendations for
$250,000 special allocation
Opportunity to request permission to proceed with
Pedestrian Plan and Inventory (recommended in City’s
transportation plan
** Had to “sell” concept to internal staff
as well as to City Council **
Multi-Department Use of Data
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Transportation Planning
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Overall City Needs Assessment
Cost Estimation – What is the Total Price Tag?
Application of Criteria to Prioritize Improvements
Support Data for Funding Applications
Traffic Engineering, incl. School Traffic staff
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School route planning
Maintenance of crosswalk markings
Project development activities - prioritization
Multi-Department Use of Data
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City Engineering
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Curb ramp installation prioritization
Sidewalk infill prioritization
Stormwater management calculations (more
precise impervious surface information)
Mountain Metro Transit
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Analysis tool to recommend priority for sidewalk/
ramp installations along transit routes
Support Data for Funding Applications
Multi-Department Use of Data
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Urban Redevelopment
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Downtown / Old Colorado City Pedestrian Facilities
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds
Street Maintenance
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Sidewalk condition ratings kept on paper now; could
be cataloged into Citywide Facilities Inventory
Alley paving – ADA issues at alley/sidewalk intersect;
Combine with Existing GIS Data
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Roadway Functional Class
Corridor Traffic Volumes
Transit Routes, Stops (Pads, Benches, Shelters)
Trails, Park Space
School Locations
Neighborhood Strategy Areas (CDBG-fund eligible)
Curb Ramp Installations (database)
GIS Analysis Opportunities
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Transit Routes with Missing Sidewalk/Ramps
#’ radius around school sites with Missing
Sidewalk/Ramps
Parks/open spaces with missing sidewalk adjacent
to them
Principal and/or Minor Arterial Streets with missing
sidewalks/ramps
Transit Routes within Neighborhood Strategy Areas
with missing sidewalk/ramps
Missing Sidewalk/Ramps along routes that serve
both transit and schools…..
Geodatabase Development Steps
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Developed parameters for what to digitize
Developed actual geo-database
Tested geo-database with sample sections to
determine any changes needed
Intern staff acquired (4 part-time initially, now 3 parttime on this project)
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Digitize, digitize, digitize – very detailed work!
Modifications to geo-database as issues arise,
interns ID improvements
Field checking required – shadows, trees, etc.
What Are We Digitizing?
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Sidewalks – existing, missing with social trail
(“goat path”) distinction
Accessible curb ramps
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new w/ truncated domes, older era, vertical curb
position (corner or mid-block)
type (perpendicular, diagonal, parallel/dip)
Ramp ID #
Trails not owned/maintained by Parks Dept.
Crosswalks (painted, unpainted, school xing,
type of traffic control)
Field Checking – Two Approaches
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Manual Field Checking
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Identify areas to field check while digitizing
Travel out to locations and check in person
More time and resource consuming (fuel/vehicle)
Video-Based Field Checks
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Video log may be available
Some communities have highly detailed video
captures of streets (e.g., Cartegraph)
Field check in the office – time/resource savings
Colorado Springs’ Cartegraph Video
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Entire City street network (~1,800 centerline
miles) being captured on digital video
Cameras on van in all directions so visibility
of sidewalk network is excellent (360°)
High resolution
Digitize on one monitor and view field check
area frame by frame on 2nd monitor
Other Key Project Information
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Only $30,000 assigned to project –
necessitated use of interns
Approx. 1,800 centerline miles being digitized
Project about 60% complete – 1,300 hours to
date (Feb. 2006 start)
Geographic areas assigned to interns –
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Digitize sections
Field check completed sections
Quality control by peer (some checks by Senior GIS staff)
Lessons Learned
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Spend time drafting geodatabase before actual
creating it (saves time in the long run)
Train everyone in specific application, assumptions
Routine meetings to address issues, answer
questions, changes to geo-database
Expect changes will need to be made to database
structure as it is used
Accurate facility digitization is time consuming
Talented interns can produce an exceptional
product, add value
Special Thanks to Our Team…
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Beth Diana, MS – Public Administration (UCCS)
Aaron Moss, MS – Community Planning (U. of Wyoming)
Nancy Olson, MS – Geography (UCCS)
Angela Zakaras, BS – Geography (UCCS)
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Phil Friesen, Senior GIS Analyst, City of Colorado Springs
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For More Information on the City of
Colorado Springs Pedestrian Facilities
GIS Inventory Project, contact….
Kristin Bennett, AICP
Senior Transportation Planner
City of Colorado Springs
(719) 385-5622
kbennett@springsgov.com