Denver just walked back a long-promised safety plan for Alameda Avenue: a widely supported, five-years-in-the-making redesign that would have removed dangerous extra lanes and added space for people walking. Instead, after pushback from a well-organized, well-resourced group that included a member of the Anschutz family–upset about a 60-second delay and tougher left turns–the city scaled the plan back, even though Alameda residents continue to face cars jumping curbs, parents and children being hit, and frequent serious crashes.
And here’s the bigger issue: if a well-organized, wealthier neighborhood can’t secure safety improvements over driver speed, what hope is there for families further west on Alameda, or Colorado, or Federal, or 38th, or other deadly corridors? Rolling back Alameda’s road diet sets a dangerous precedent across Denver’s High Injury Network. Denver talks about equity and Vision Zero, but decisions like this say something different: that safety is optional. Tell the Mayor and the Director of Transportation: Restore the original Alameda safety plan and recommit to people-first, data-driven street design, even if it inconveniences drivers.

Tell Denver: Put safety first on Alameda and recommit to people-first design

I’m writing because Denver’s decision to walk back the long-promised safety redesign for Alameda Avenue is deeply concerning for anyone who cares about safe, equitable streets across our city.

After five years of study and community engagement, this widely supported design would have increased safety for everyone. The suspicious sudden decision to scale down the project following pushback from a well-organized, well-resourced group led by a member of the Anschutz family is dishearting and frustrating. Meanwhile, Alameda residents and people moving through the area are still facing the very real dangers this project was meant to fix: cars jumping curbs, parents and children hit by cars, and a steady pattern of crashes causing serious injuries and fatalities.

The original design had broad neighborhood support and the endorsement of the city’s own transportation advisory board. The City's decision to spend $100,000 from an already strained transportation budget to redesign the project around driver convenience has left many residents feeling unheard and undervalued.

The implications go far beyond Alameda. If a well-organized, higher-income neighborhood can’t secure data-driven safety improvements over driver speed, what hope is there for families along Colorado, Federal, 38th, and across Denver’s entire High Injury Network? Rolling back the Alameda plan sets a dangerous precedent: that even the most basic safety upgrades are negotiable, and that the comfort of drivers outweighs the safety of people walking, biking, and simply living on these streets.

Denver regularly speaks about equity and Vision Zero, but actions like this send a different message: safety is optional.

I urge you to rebuild that trust and change course. Please restore the original Alameda safety plan and recommit to people-first, data-driven street design across the city, even when it requires minor inconvenience for drivers.

Denver’s residents deserve streets where safety is non-negotiable. Alameda is an opportunity to show the city is willing to prioritize people over pressure and evidence over influence.

Thank you.