First Batch of Revitalizing Main Street Grants Awarded

DENVER – Cities and towns working to begin or expand their efforts to promote public health during the COVID crisis have been awarded the initial six grants through the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Revitalizing Main Streets program. 

The $4.1 million initiative is providing financial assistance to communities seeking to make creative modifications to state roadways or other public spaces as a way of promoting social distancing and economic activity. 

CDOT is providing grants to the following:     

• Aspen – Enlarging the city’s Roadway for Restaurant and Retail Recovery program to increase the number of customers served within COVID-19 health guidelines. Expanding      e-bike capacity and increasing the number of downtown docking stations ($50,000).
• Alamosa – Reducing its one-way Main St. (U.S. 160) from three to two lanes, repurposing the closed lane for public use, including dining and retail activities in downtown. It will provide permanent space that is more pedestrian friendly and accommodating for COVID-19 mitigation measures ($50,000).
• Littleton - Increasing its Weekends on Main initiative – closing Main Street on summer weekends to let restaurants expand table service and extending the program for several more weekends, while also helping the city adhere to and promote social distancing guidelines. ($50,000).
• Frisco – Providing new parklets (a sidewalk extension utilizing parking lanes) to increase pedestrian activities and enhance business access along Main Street ($50,000). 
• Silt – Improving two sidewalk segments connecting residential areas to downtown and improve the walking spaces surrounding a senior living facility ($32,421).
• Oak Creek – Converting an empty lot into a park, providing outdoor eating space and constructing a resting and repair station for bicyclists ($11,709).

Each entity is required to provide an additional 10 percent match to qualify for a grant. 

"In the applications received thus far, we have seen creative examples ranging from expanding downtown business capacity to encouraging multi-model access to a park in a small, rural community," said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. "The program has additional capacity, so we encourage localities to take a look at other cities' solutions and explore how these funds could benefit their own community."

For awarded projects on the state’s right-of-way, temporary special use permits will be required, including safety plans that address traffic flow for vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, freight/delivery and detour plans. More information on these permits can be found here: https://www.codot.gov/business/permits/utilitiesspecialuse/online-permit-application.

This initiative is supporting the Can Do Community Challenge, as part of the Can Do Colorado campaign.  Another CDOT “Can Do” initiative is the Community Telework program, which builds on the existing efforts to offer healthy and safe transportation options for employees who can work from home.  

Please submit questions about either program to [email protected]. 

More information about the Can Do Colorado campaign is available at: CanDoColorado.org.