It is startling to me that the town of Castle Rock would plan the widening of 5th Street to four lanes based on a 2008 survey. Putting narrower lanes and a median down 5th Street will only make it more dangerous than it is already. Fifth Street is a major artery into downtown Castle Rock from the ever-growing Terrain development, Elizabeth, and Franktown. A current survey needs to be completed before the current plan is executed.

Because the town has had difficulty keeping the street clear during snow days cars are often stuck going up the hill and slid down into ditches coming into town. Additionally, when the new Catholic Church was built, the town required the church to put in long acceleration lanes and turn lanes in both directions to the tune of well over a million dollars. Now, the town wants to take away those lanes and use them as part of their widening with no compensation to the church.

There is a significant amount of traffic in that area that was not there when the 2008 survey was done. Common sense would be to do an updated survey of traffic needs especially with the huge expansion of the Terrain and the growth in Franktown and Elizabeth.

Judy Robinson

Castle Rock