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<br />The Shook's Run sih.Jotion reflects the oreo'shistory in thot most of the area
<br />W(l'S laid outoto time when vehicular traffic trove led at a very law speed-
<br />still primarily, if nat completely, hal"Se-drown. The pedestdon in that
<br />situatian cauld fend far himself quite successfully but the automobile has
<br />drostlcolly changed that ootlook. The situation is particularly unfortunate
<br />for the Shook's Run areo b.ecause it does hove proximity to schools and the
<br />.hopping and ,ervice, of the downtown ore" ond the northerly portion;'
<br />close to the open space of Potty Jewell GolfCoorse, Rf!O.on,e"ist, then,
<br />far on area re,ident to walk and thi.mode of movement could probobly
<br />be.mcouragedifautoconflictcouldbecurtoiled,
<br />
<br />because of the inctea.ed grode difference from the neighborhood level and
<br />the slr;.,tly utilitarion nature of 011 mointeMnce. Notwithstanding Ihe
<br />foct that 011 operatiOn! soulhof Pikes Peak Avenue are currently slated to
<br />continue indefinitely, there ore two redeeming foctorsta consider, The
<br />first is Ihe stotior> building itself.....hich i, a struclure of some choraet..r
<br />that ho, been viewed by many 0' having considerable patential far remodel-
<br />ing into an attraclive commercial building and which, in Foct, was recom-
<br />mended for thet purpose by the plonning-d"sigr> consultant. forth.. City's
<br />downtown plan, Th.. second is thot the roil yard doe. provide on essential
<br />service to the busin.." ond indu.try afthe community, Thequedion, of
<br />course, i.whether, "..entia I ,ervice or not, the location is appropriate for
<br />o freightmar.holling yard, It certainly isn't conducive to residential
<br />livability which i. demonstraled k some extent by the condition of the
<br />homes in the immediate vicinity. Th.. plan for the Shook'. Run study area
<br />must oddre..theqve,tion of the approprioleness ofa roil yard in this area
<br />ond/or contrarily, the appropriate.,es, of re.idences neor Ihe roil yard.
<br />
<br />Atpre,ent, it oppeal"S that on opporh,lrllly may exist for incorporating
<br />pedestrian pathways intolhe develapment program for the Shook's Run
<br />drainage channel. There i. potential for development of a linear pork
<br />.Irip from norlh to south either in conjunction with the drainage channel Or
<br />on portions of A.T, & S.F ,R,R. right-of-way which ore to be abandoned,
<br />north of Pikes Peak Avenue or bath. Such 0 development would be 0 de-
<br />finite asset to thearoo, os far os it goes, but it would do little to aid the
<br />east-west pedeslrian flow to the downtown area and would probably be
<br />moslappropriately viewed as primarily a recreation resource, Ifon the
<br />otherhond, pedellrion linkscO\Jld be established from 0 linear pari< pathway
<br />10 the downtown area, considerobleaddilionol benefit could be dedved
<br />and higher use potential cooldprobably be realized thus providing ev en
<br />greater benefit for the Shook'sRun'ludy area,
<br />
<br />Finolly, "mass Iran.it" .ervices the Shook', Run sludy ar..a oswell a.any
<br />comparable area in Ihe City, thoU<Jh thot cannot be considered to be very
<br />substantial exonerotion of the generol transit service level in Colorado
<br />Springs,
<br />
<br />As mentioned, there isan exi.ling Atchi.an, Topeka, and Santo Fe roil
<br />line running north and south throughtheentir", length of the study are 0,
<br />"ne the railroodolsomo;ntains a t,,"";nal andyerd faci!itys<:>uth of Pike,
<br />Peak Avenue. The line is c"mmtlyused..xclusively for freight service
<br />with no remaining po.seng..rtrips. North of Pikes Peak Avenue the rail-
<br />road mu,tbe con,ideredo. on elmast tolally negatIve factor relative to Ihe
<br />Shook', Run area and the City 0' (]whole dve to its effecls of limitinglhe
<br />copacHy of major east.wesl streets, re.lricting pede.trian flow ea.l-west
<br />and the visiting of noi.e and pollution on the neighboring home, by poising
<br />trainl. Fortunolely, Ihis leclion oflmck will be removed in the near future
<br />vnderon ogreement between tM ,oilrood, the City and Ihe Stote of Colorodo.
<br />ihe right-of-wey slrip, san.lmck, cO\Jid, if properly Treated, be considered
<br />o significant polential asset as opposed to what is now on unquestionable
<br />nobility to the residentlol area adjoinin(lit,
<br />
<br />The Sludyorec i, .erved by buses on 6C-minute hecdwcy, on the Wahsotch
<br />route, (Weber Stre<!t, and Wohsatch Avenue north of Pike, Peck Avenue
<br />circulating generally north and e",;terly 10 the Circle Ea,tMoll area); the
<br />Institute-Ru.tic Hills route (eost~west on Boulder, north On In,tilute Street,
<br />Cache La Poudre Street, ond Hancock Avenue and ultimalely emt to the
<br />Ruslic Hill, 0"'0); Ihe AudubOl1-W'lhsatch loop (eost-wesl on Plkes Peak
<br />Avenue circling narthea.terly lol},e Circle EOlt Moll area); the Hill,ide
<br />route, east.""es! on Ca,tillo Slreet, ond eventual!ysoutheaslerly to the
<br />Pikes Peok Pork or..o; and the Fort Carson route, north-soulh on Nevada
<br />Avenue 10 Ihe Fori. It iloilO served by the eoslerlY"")lt 10Qpof th..
<br />Manitau Spring, roule On 30-n,;nute headways (see mop p.6 ),
<br />
<br />Th" route CMerage i.rea,onobly (ood Ihrough Ihemiddle of the Shook',
<br />Run ,Iudy oreo and along its we,lern edge bvt the northemmoSI and wuthern-
<br />",,,,,' p"";"..s of '~e ".eo;! I,o;!ve v~"/ p"ar accell t<, 1:0.,\ ,""'vice oo'~ becOOJ,e
<br />of the distance from line. and becuuse of the spOr'le spacing of bu. stops,
<br />Ihough the ,pacing afstop. could vosily be improved if the demand could be
<br />de,,"ons""'ed,
<br />
<br />Soulh of Pikes Peak Avenue, much the some problems ore apporent and to
<br />o gr..ater degr".. because of the gr..at~r activity and scope 01 railway opera-
<br />tion.. In addition, Ihe roilroad is considerably more obtrusive vi,ually
<br />
<br />"Immed;"t.. Action and t.ong-R'lrlge Public TrO\'lSporle1ion Plan fo, the
<br />Colorado Sf'rings Region" (Borlon-Aochman, 1972) indicate, tholtran,il
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