Denver has set out ambitious plans to add bike lanes along streets and make the increasingly urban city more walkable, but a coalition of advocates called Tuesday for officials to commit far more money to the cause.
How much? The Denver Streets Partnership says it would take $40 million a year over the next two decades to fix sidewalk gaps, create more safe street crossings and build out a robust bikeways network.
This year, the coalition says, Denver has budgeted just $5 million for bike- and pedestrian-friendly projects. According to its research, that compares with $15 million in El Paso, $25 million in Oklahoma City and $30 million in Seattle, among other examples.
The group’s unveiling Tuesday of a report pushing for a rapid acceleration of spending on such projects — starting with $21 million next year — is timed to precede the rollout of Mayor Michael Hancock’s proposed 2019 city budget, expected in the coming months.
In an interview after a news conference, Jill Locantore, the executive director of WalkDenver, said about Hancock: “He’s stated these really bold goals. It’s just unclear how he plans to reach them.”
The partnership includes WalkDenver, Bicycle Colorado, the American Heart Association, the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and All In Denver among nine local groups on its steering committee. It’s echoing longstanding calls from some City Council members for a greater city commitment to support pedestrian safety and alternatives to driving.
Participants at the event gave credit to Hancock for unveiling a 12-year, $2 billion Mobility Action Plan last year. It came with a sizable funding gap, but the city has begun to carry it out by dedicating more money in the annual budget to transportation projects, including a nascent sidewalk-repair program that was delayed a few months.
The city also won voter approval last fall for the 10-year, $937 million Elevate Denver bond package, which is heavy on both road repairs and projects geared toward better access for pedestrians, the disabled and cyclists.
Hancock could shed more light on his plans during his State of the City address, set for Monday.
In a statement issued in response to the Streets Partnership’s report, the Denver Department of Public Works said officials “look forward to working together” with the partnership to make more inroads.
“The city is committed to providing more walking, biking and transit choices for Denver residents to use, and we continue to accelerate transportation projects, policies and programs through Denver’s Mobility Action Plan,” the statement says. “Denver has put $15.5 million towards investments in bike, pedestrian, transit and Vision Zero safety improvements since the launch of the plan last year.”
The bond package’s transportation and mobility category totals $431 million. The subset for walking- and bike-focused projects amounts to about $70 million, or $7 million a year, said Piep van Heuven, the Denver director for Bicycle Colorado.
She called that a good start but said much more is needed.
The city of Denver has a $2 billion operating budget this year. Absent in the partnership’s report are suggestions for which funding sources to tap or trade-offs that city leaders should make to carry out its recommendations.
Tuesday’s news conference was staged along Park Avenue just north of a five-way intersection with Colfax Avenue and Franklin Street to give attention to a positive change by the city and state last fall. Crews installed safety bollards in a tan-painted median on Colfax, along with new crosswalks and curb extensions, and banned some left turns, all inexpensive moves intended to make crossing the street safer.
The partnership’s $21 million proposal for next year’s budget includes $10 million for new sidewalks, $6 million for bike lanes and $5 million for safety improvements on Federal Boulevard — an artery with recurring pedestrian fatalities.
The groups also recommended that Denver update its street design standards to incorporate practices used by other U.S. cities that accommodate people outside cars.
During the news conference, Jaime Lewis, a transit adviser to the disability coalition, ticked off several questions for city leaders.
“Is it adequate to have 40 percent of Denver’s streets have missing or substandard sidewalks?” he said. “Is it adequate that 64 percent of our residents do not have access to frequent, all-day transit services? Is it acceptable that tax dollars are not being used to provide the most basic infrastructure for our most vulnerable — our youth, older adults and people with disabilities?”
Document: Denver Streets Partnership report
