Results of Windsor Traffic Study Released

Windsor’s Historic Downtown is bisected by two state highways: State Hwy. 392 and State Hwy. 257. They provide important access in and out of town, but they also carry commuter traffic and regional truck traffic through downtown. This has long been a source of community concerns related to traffic operations and pedestrian safety.

The Downtown Alternative Route Study was conducted to better understand Main St. traffic patterns and to identify future solutions for improving safety, managing traffic and maintaining downtown vitality. Traffic data and input from the community were considered after which findings and recommendations were presented to the Town Board for consideration in January 2023.

Following the downtown traffic analysis, the total estimated potential for rerouting trips from Main St. is up to 725 vehicles per day – less than 5% of the street's average daily total of over 16,000 vehicles per day. This amount of diversion will not substantially improve downtown traffic operations, so a designed alternative route isn’t warranted. In other words, the town doesn’t have any way to divert most of the truck traffic off Main St. due to the lack of other east-west route options. Accordingly, the town will focus its efforts on the realignment and construction of Weld County Rd. 70, as well as pedestrian safety improvements on Main St.

Other Key Findings

• The busiest travel pattern found was along Main St., between 11th St. and 4th St.

• Even with an alternative route for truck traffic, congestion would continue to increase as vehicle volumes grow.

• Due to state law and access needs for businesses, trucks cannot be completely eliminated from the downtown area.

• Driving through downtown is the primary way that survey participants use Main St.