Thank you for your interest in the City of Durango’s pilot phase of the Downtown’s Next Step project! Downtown’s Next Step will improve safety and accessibility, calm traffic, and encourage economic vitality in historic downtown Durango. This pilot uses temporary materials to demonstrate some of the proposed elements of the project including expanded sidewalks, curb extensions, and amenities. This temporary installation illustrates the benefit and functionality of these features before the permanent capital investment of the project. Let us know what you think!

Pedlets and Wider Sidewalk

Photo of people walking downtown on Main Ave Durango, with the focus on a woman wearing black, walking with a stroller next to bistro signs on the sidewalk

Purpose: Increase space for people and improve economic vitality for downtown businesses

The Downtown’s Next Step project proposes to expand sidewalks by an additional 5 feet on each side of Main Avenue, for a total of 12 feet.

Five key benefits of widened sidewalks

1. Increased pedestrian space and safety – Wide sidewalks offer pedestrians enough space to walk at their chosen or able pace, stand, sit, socialize, or merely enjoy their surroundings. Wider sidewalks make the streetscape more useful and also act as a buffer between traffic and pedestrians.

2. Enhanced economic benefits – walkable streets bring new businesses, reinvestment, new jobs, and increase retail sales (sources: Main Street America, Colorado Main Street Program, Urban Land Institute). Expanded sidewalks offers convenient access to businesses for all types of physical abilities, and provides safe opportunities for businesses to share in the public realm.

3. Improved bistro space – enhances and expands outdoor bistro and patio space for all types of businesses by removing bump-outs from the streets and providing enough space for seating to be adjacent to the business.

4. Additional amenity space – additional sidewalk space allows for additional amenities such as landscaping, seating, and bicycle parking.

5. Maintains historic character of downtown Durango – Expanded sidewalks will eliminate the seasonal bump-out program and provide a cleaner, more uniform outdoor business area adjacent to the buildings. Expanded sidewalks will provide space for additional street trees downtown.