The Colorado Department of Transportation recently completed a Revitalizing Main Streets or RMS grant project in partnership with the City of Leadville and the Leadville Main Street Program or LMSP that transformed a “parklet” into a safe, secure and accessible amenity for all residents and visitors
[Above photo by the Colorado DOT]
The agency’s RMS program funds infrastructure improvements for towns and cities across Colorado aimed at making walking and biking easier, encouraging economic development, supporting community access to public streets and multimodal transportation, and bringing innovative uses of public spaces for people to life.
Those RMS funds are used for infrastructure improvement projects that meet the aim of the program and “shovel ready,” therefore can be completed within a 12-month period from grant contract execution, if approved. To date, Colorado DOT said the RMS program has issued 191 grants.
This new parklet facility Colorado DOT helped the City of Leadville will serve as an “anchor feature” for the community; a facility that includes a handwashing station, pet area, bench, picnic table and bike racks. This parklet is adjacent to the Leadville Lake County Visitor’s Center with adequate bike and vehicle parking to serve residents and visitors.
Through this grant, the LMSP worked in partnership with 10 vital partners and agencies and a group of local volunteers to create a community-driven project; one that included a local artist to integrate the historically bright, colorful look, and feel of the City of Leadville into this new amenity.
“With the approach of working collaboratively with partners, stakeholders and community members, this parklet was able to come to life. This safe space will strengthen the connection of people to Leadville’s main street and other central economic hubs,” said Shoshana Lew, Colorado DOT’s executive director, in a statement.