The city of Thornton Traffic Engineering Division maintains the traffic signs and pavement markings. Signs are placed in compliance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, State statutes, and city ordinances.
Special Signs
The city of Thornton no longer installs Blind Child, Blind Child Area, Deaf Child, or Blind Pedestrian signs. These signs are not recognized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as official traffic control devices and are no longer in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices published by the FHWA. Any such signs that have been installed in neighborhoods in the past will remain in place until they are no longer serviceable or until the requestor has moved. The signs will then be removed. There is no evidence that these signs result in any change in driver behavior or that these signs provide any safety benefit. Therefore, these signs do not guarantee traffic safety and can create a false sense of security, particularly for children or the parents of children.
Signals
The city of Thornton maintains 173 traffic signals and is adding approximately three per year. Traffic signals are installed only after meeting warrants established in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices published by the Federal Highway Administration.
The traffic signals on Colorado Boulevard, Holly Street, Huron Street, Thornton Parkway, Washington Street, 84th Avenue, 88th Avenue, 120th Avenue, 128th Avenue, 136th Avenue, and 144th Avenue are on coordinated traffic signal systems. The traffic signals along 104th Avenue are also coordinated but maintained from I-25 to Irma Drive by the City of Northglenn.
The traffic signal map is updated as new traffic signals are constructed and can be found under “featured links” on this page.
Traffic Counts
The city of Thornton collects data about its streets continuously. The data includes 24-hour counts, turning movements, pedestrians, speeds, and consultant data. The city’s 24-hour count map is being updated quarterly and can be found under our featured links on this page. For traffic count or speed information, please email or call the Traffic Division at
trafficengineering@thorntonco.gov or at 720-977-6490.
The counts shown on the map are bi-directional. The label shows the most recent count and the year the count was taken. Data will be displayed when you zoom in on the map or click on a street segment.
Small Cell Permits
The city of Thornton, much like other communities across the nation, is receiving requests from an increasing number of wireless service providers and wireless infrastructure companies to install small cell facilities in the right-of-way. The right-of-way is essentially where the road, sidewalks, and landscaping adjacent to the road reside. Additional information about small cells and permits can be found
here.
Traffic Control Permits
The city of Thornton requires traffic control permits for items that affect pedestrian or vehicular traffic flow. Such permits include, but are not limited to:
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Block Parties
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Parades
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Street Closures
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Work Zones
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Dirt Haul Routes
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Oversized Vehicles
- Dumpster/Storage Container (Pods)/Roll-offs
The minimum review time for complete traffic control permit applications is 5 business days. All permit applications must be made through Online Permit Applications under the featured links on this page. Traffic Control Permit fees may apply.
All work in the roadway related to development must get a traffic control permit from City Development. An online application for a traffic control permit from City Development can also be made through
Online Permit Applications under the featured links on this page.
Street Light Issues
Streetlights are installed after city approval and maintained by Xcel Energy, United Power, or the city, depending on the area of the city. Please call 720-977-6490 to request that the city investigate the need for a street light(s). To report outages or damage for street lights owned by Xcel Energy, please call Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-4999 or go to
www.xcelenergy.com. For street lights owned by United Power, please contact United Power at 303-637-1350 or go to
www.unitedpower.com. For street lights owned by the city, please call 720-977-6490 or submit a
My Thornton request.