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The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) presented the Arvada Police Department with a 3rd place award for Cooperative Service Delivery for its Trouble Traffic Task Force Program at an awards ceremony held on April 13.

“Traffic is one of the greatest concerns of Arvada residents. Whether it’s speeding, volume or violations, the department receives hundreds of calls each month pertaining to traffic issues,” said Commander Kathy Foos of the Arvada Police Department. “Traffic not only affects the quality of life of Arvada residents, but many departments within the City of Arvada are impacted as well.”

Understanding the dynamics of this issue, Commander Kathy Foos created the Trouble Traffic Task Force, which is a unique group formed to empower residents to resolve traffic issues. Formed in 2003, the Trouble Traffic Task Force includes representatives from the Arvada police Department, Traffic Engineering, courts and other city officials along with citizens.

The group meets once each month to discuss traffic issues impacting the city, either through specific complaints or through data collected about locations where traffic accidents involving serious bodily injuries have occurred. The team then coordinates with citizens in the neighborhoods to help them develop solutions to traffic problems.

“There’s a lot of research suggesting that if we accept our role as a victim that limits us in our response and we feel helpless in addressing the situation,” said Dr. Tiffany Hild, an Arvada resident who serves on the Trouble Traffic Task Force and conducts Reclaim Your Street workshops in the community. “If citizens take an active role, it allows us to become innovative. Citizens are then empowered to take charge of a situation like we have done in Arvada.”

The Casa Granada neighborhood recently teamed with the Trouble Traffic Task Force to address a variety of traffic related problems occurring in their community.

The neighborhood group, led by Sue Arndt, applied for (and received) a grant through the Lutheran Foundation. The grant funded a traffic calming device which alerts drivers of their speed near 68th and Simms.

City workers also re-striped the area with a defined bike lane along with other improvements that have worked in reducing the speeds of drivers in the area.

“It’s critical that we work together to resolve traffic concerns,” said Commander Kathy Foos. “We simply don’t have the staffing to patrol every neighborhood with traffic issues 24-hours a day. Through the work of the Trouble Traffic Task Force, we’re teaming with the community to not only impact traffic for a week at a time, but months and even years down to road to develop permanent solutions.”

This is the Arvada Police Department’s second award from DRCOG in two years. The department’s innovative Informed Alarm Response program earned a first place finish in 2004.

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