Nevada Traffic Study
Nevada Ave is a killer
A 1-Mile Death Zone in the Heart of Our Neighborhood
You or someone you love is 15x more likely to be killed on North Nevada Avenue in the Old North End than on any other street in Colorado Springs. Since 2002, 10 people have lost their lives here. 5 deaths in just the past 5 years, right on our doorsteps.
The Next Fatality Is Imminent
North Nevada isn’t a highway; it’s home. This stretch is lined with:
- Homes filled with families
- Dozens of driveways, crosswalks, and intersections
- Children walking to school
- Cyclists, pets, and pedestrians navigate daily life
Yet cars routinely speed down this 30 mph zone at 50–60 miles per hour.
Speed Kills
You Have the Power to Prevent It
Every time you hit the gas, you make a choice. A choice between convenience and someone’s life.
Please, Slow Down
- Respect the posted speed limits
- Stay alert for pedestrians, bikes, and families.
- Treat our neighborhood like your own
Help Us Make Nevada Avenue Safer
Whether you’re a neighbor, commuter, or concerned citizen, your actions matter. Let’s end the needless tragedies on our streets.
Because the next life lost… could be someone you love.
Timeline
09/26/2002
Fatality 1
👤 Name: Unknown
🕰️ Time of Day: 1:52:00 AM
📍 Location: 1705 N Nevada Ave
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: Unknown
🚶 Type of Road User: Driver
02/13/2012
Fatality 2
👤 Name: Mark Meschelle
🕰️ Time of Day: 9:01:00 AM
📍 Location: 1432 N Nevada Ave
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: 46-year-old male
🚶 Type of Road User: Driver, Pedestrian, Parked Car
11/13/2012
Colorado College Transportation Master Plan Working Group
Several Old North End neighbors, including ONEN Board Members, participated in a working group to address immediate and long-term safety and mobility of all who travel through and around the Colorado College campus.
11/11/2014
Fatality 3
👤 Name: Unknown
🕰️ Time of Day: 1:42:00 PM
📍 Location: 1619 – 1621 N Nevada Ave
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: Unknown
🚶 Type of Road User: Driver, Parked Car
1/25/2015
Fatality 4
👤 Name: Unknown
🕰️ Time of Day: 1:23:00 AM
📍 Location: 1723 N Nevada Ave
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: Adult male
🚶 Type of Road User: Driver, Parked Car
07/12/2015
Fatality 5
👤 Name: Arthur “Naomi” Ornelas
🕰️ Time of Day: 9:10:00 PM
📍 Location: Jackson & Nevada (northbound)
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: 66-year-old male
🚶 Type of Road User: Driver
9/2/2016
Exprerience Downtown Master Plan
Issued with safety measures for all ONEN streets
03/14/2017
Renew North Nevada Avenue Master Plan
Nevada safety measures removed from City plan
10/22/2020
Fatality 6
👤 Name: Unknown
🕰️ Time of Day: 1:18:00 PM
📍 Location: Columbia & Nevada (northbound)
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: Unknown
🚶 Type of Road User: Motorcyclist, Driver
12/14/2020
North Nevada Transit Connectivity Study
Wilson Study confirms Nevada safety feasibility
03/29/2021
Fatality 7
👤 Name: Unknown
🕰️ Time of Day: 1:30:00 PM
📍 Location: Monroe & Nevada (southbound)
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: Unknown
🚶 Type of Road User: Driver
06/18/2022
Fatality 8
👤 Name: Jacob Kuhel-Heinzel
🕰️ Time of Day: 10:47:00 PM
📍 Location: E. Espanola & Nevada (southbound)
🧍♂️ Age & Gender: 24-year-old male
🚶 Type of Road User: Motorcyclist, Driver
12/28/2022
Fatality 9
Name: Unknown
Time of Day: 2:15:00 AM
Location: E. Caramillo & Nevada (southbound)
Age & Gender: 17-year-old female
Type of Road User: Vehicle Passenger
03/10/2023
ConnectCOS
ConnectCOS directs the city to implement Nevada safety measures
03/2024
Safety Action Plan
Citywide Arterial Safety Study urges Nevada safety improvements
06/18/2024
Fatality 10
Name: Kelly Rehm Time of Day: 7:57:00 PM Location: Jackson & Nevada (southbound) Age & Gender: 23-year-old male Type of Road User: Motorcyclist, Driver
11/01/2024
Speed Feedback Signs Installed
Speed feedback signs installed by Public Works
Crash Gallery
Nevada Ave in ONEN is the Most Lethal in COS
This page provides data collected by the City of Colorado Springs to support this fact. If you doubt this fact, please follow the analysis shown here:
- Conforming to conventional safety analyses, we consider the past 5 years
- “Fatality Rate” is defined as the number of fatalities per car, per mile
- It is typically quantified as the number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
The equation is conventionally written as:
Therefore, Nevada Avenue in ONEN is about 15 times more deadly than the average street in El Paso County.
Other arterials in COS (Academy, Fillmore, Uintah, etc) are actually below the County average.
Here is why Nevada Ave in ONEN is so Deadly
The road was designed for horse-drawn carriages 150 years ago. No significant changes have been made to the design. It now violates numerous safety standards. There are two main reasons for the ghastly lethality.
- The road is designed to lure drivers into traveling at extravagantly high speeds.
- There are two open lanes in each direction.
Enabling cars to pass and engage in drag racing. We subconsciously choose speed based on visual cues; four open lanes indicate high speed. There are far fewer cars than on a typical 4-lane road (one-third the traffic as Uintah & Fillmore). This excess capacity results in several impediments to high-speed operation. There are prolonged red lights at Uintah and Fillmore, prompting drivers to rush for the green light.
There is an extraordinarily high density of conflicts. It is a vibrant residential neighborhood. Countless pedestrians and bicyclists. Numerous uncontrolled intersections with crosswalks. Numerous parked cars, mature trees, driveways, etc. The technical solutions to this problem are pretty cheap and straightforward.
Letters from Residents
