Denver will lower some speed limits
Mayor Michael Hancock announced reduced speed limits on a handful of Denver streets and several other changes Wednesday amid mounting traffic deaths, including two bicyclists killed in July.
First up, Evans Avenue from Huron Street to Federal Boulevard will see its limit dropped from 35 mph to 30 mph in coming months.
Similar changes will follow on: • Cherry Creek Drive South from University to Colorado boulevards.
• First Avenue, Steele Street, Cherry Creek Drive North and Alameda Avenue from University to Colorado boulevards.
• Peoria Street from 39th to 47th avenues.
• 56th Avenue from Quebec Street to Tower Road.
There are no immediate speedlimit changes planned for Colfax Avenue or Federal Boulevard, two of the city’s most dangerous roads. The city is installing bollards and new paint at several Colfax intersections, but a larger $20 million safety project can’t proceed on segments of East Colfax Avenue amid delays to the bus-rapid transit project.
The city’s default speed limit of 25 mph on neighborhood streets also remains unchanged. Piep van Heuven of Bicycle Colorado suggested that it drop to 20 mph.
The city also is installing highvisibility crosswalks around downtown and 12 corrals for bike parking on the street. In addition, more staff will be added to the city’s police traffic enforcement teams, including six officers for a unit focused on large vehicles.
Hancock urged residents to cooperate with changes on the roads as the city deploys new bike lanes and other changes.
New bike protections planned for South Marion Street Parkway have proved controversial among some residents. The road was the site of Alexis Bounds’ death last month.
“Work with us as we come down your streets. We need to make sure that we create multimodal opportunities for all residents,” Hancock said. “Our city, our culture, is shifting, and in order to keep people safe, we need to make sure that we can move forward with their implementation of these bike lanes around our city, along with all the other modes.”
The mayor cautioned, though, that government alone can’t stop traffic deaths.
“We’re going to do all these things, but it’s still up to the human beings who are traversing these streets,” Hancock said.
More than half of traffic deaths are linked to intoxicated driving, distracted driving and aggressive driving, according to public works director Eulois Cleckley.