GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — According to World Population Review, since 2020, roughly 5,000 people have moved to Grand Junction, totaling 70,000 residents.
The city has been actively trying to accommodate the newcomers, especially on the roadways, but controversy surrounds some of the city's decisions in how to do that.
Take the 4th and 5th Street change, for example - local Mike Legate tells WesternSlopeNow he doesn't feel the city listened to public feedback. Local Chansely Nelson, however, says people just need time to adjust to the change.
Or the 29 Road interchange proposal, which will be on the upcoming ballot in November. Local Rick Hamm believes even though it would be an expensive project, the flow of traffic would increase dramatically.
But WesternSlopeNow wanted to zoom out and take a look at the bigger picture, so we asked Grand Junction residents what they thought of the roadways as a whole.
A common answer seemed to critique Patterson - locals Zach Pomeroy and Rick Hamm think traffic flow is too heavy for this main arterial.
The city of Grand Junction's Patterson Road Access Study, done in 2020, claims Patterson traffic will only increase over the next 20 years, which led the city to propose an Access Management Plan - something locals like Hamm say can't come soon enough.
Another common and more positive topic brought up was roundabouts. Local Ri Regina tells WesternSlopeNow they are the most efficient way to manage traffic, and if the power goes out, traffic lights won't be compromised.