A local girl scout troupe has helped to design pedestrian improvements as part of a redesign project funded by the town of Basalt and a Colorado Department of Transportation grant, aiming to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility from Basalt Avenue to the Basalt middle and elementary schools on Two Rivers Road.

According to Basalt Engineer Catherine Christoff, the city is hoping to make the section of road alongside the schools safer for students and encourage more non-motorized travel to school. According to Christoff, the current layout of the road discourages bike and foot travel to school as it is more dangerous.

“The improvements that the Town of Basalt will make in this area are significant for the community and for the safety of our children,” Christoff said in a press release.

The project is currently in the design phase, so a finalized plan and cost have not been presented to the public. Basalt acquired a $573,200 grant from CDOT to assist in the redesign project, but according to Christoff the rest of the money for the project will come from the Town of Basalt’s annual budget. 

“I don’t have all those answers yet, but we will be doing some of the work this year, this fall, hopefully, and then the remainder of the work will occur in 2026,” Chritsoff said in an interview.

According to Christoff, the project will improve bicycle travel, likely including a new bike lane on the bridge over the Roaring Fork river, and improved bike lanes and bike paths along Two Rivers Road. The project will also likely improve the safety and visibility of crosswalks, and improve lighting.

“This project has been in partnership with the school district, and the intent is to kind of build upon some of the efforts that they’ve made, and the town has made in recent years,” Christoff said.

According to Christoff, the project has been developed in collaboration with the Citizen’s committee, and as the project progresses the public can stay informed and involved on the Let’s Talk Basalt website, letstalk.basalt.net/.