The streets of Denver are set to become more accommodating to all users as the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) actively targets areas within the city for improved safety measures. With a strong emphasis on protecting vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and those who roll, the DOTI's recent implementations and forthcoming projects aim to put an end to fatal and serious injury crashes.
Significant progress has been made with a commendable 20% drop in traffic fatalities and a 33% decrease in pedestrian fatalities during the first nine months of 2024 compared to the previous year, according to DOTI. York Street, for example, underwent a makeover from the 18th to the 40th avenues, where DOTI implemented a three-lane configuration to reduce vehicle speed and modified intersections to shorten the pedestrian crossing distances.
Another completed project includes the addition of a protected bike lane along Market Street, stretching from the Cherry Creek Trail to Broadway. This is complemented by the installation of "bus only" lanes to promote safety and efficiency in transit travel. Moving forward, DOTI has initiated changes on Federal Boulevard and Alameda Avenue, notorious for their high injury rates, to manage vehicle speeds. These changes include an increased presence of speed limit signs and electronic driver speed feedback signs as part of a spectrum of efforts to improve road safety.
Moreover, safety upgrades are in the pipeline for Green Valley Ranch Boulevard between Tower and Chambers roads, a project inclusive of adding raised medians and extending protected bike lanes. This initiative represents an $11.9M investment, which includes $2.4M from the voter-approved Elevate Denver Bond. Meanwhile, the S. Monaco Parkway bridge over Cherry Creek is underway for replacement. This undertaking will bring wider sidewalks and reworked trails to address flooding concerns and is backed by $12.7M of the same bond money, with completion projected for 2026.
DOTI's efforts resonate with a broader commitment to safer streets and bear the fruit of meticulous planning and community investment, facilitating safer, more diverse transportation modalities throughout Denver. As these projects unfold, the city anticipates not only a reduction in traffic incidents but also the cultivation of an urban environment where mobility is not relegated to the swift and motorized, but is instead shared equitably among all its inhabitants on foot, on bikes, and in transit.
