The evidence is clear: speed kills.
The faster a car is moving, the less time the driver has to see a pedestrian and slow down or stop and the higher the injury risk for the pedestrian. Even small increases in vehicle speed can have fatal results. That’s why today we’re launching a “Twenty is Plenty” campaign, calling on the City to reduce speed limits on neighborhood streets throughout Denver. Read more below about the campaign and how you can help champion safer streets for all. Plus, this week’s newsletter highlights opportunities to provide input on neighborhood plans in West Denver, improve multimodal options in downtown, and give feedback on proposed bikeways across the city.
A pedestrian has a 13% likelihood of a severe injury or fatality if struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph. That chance jumps to 40% if the vehicle is going 30 mph. Last year, 71 people were killed in crashes on our city streets. We don’t need any more crash data to demonstrate that slowing vehicle traffic is one critical step our community can take to improve safety and livability for everyone.
Twenty miles per hour is plenty fast for neighborhood streets, contrasted with the City’s current default of 25 mph. People should be able to safely walk dogs, play with kids in their front yard, garden in the planting strip, walk to get groceries, or bike with their kids to school on neighborhood streets.
You can join the Twenty is Plenty campaign by ordering a yard sign delivered for FREE to your home. We’ve got two great designs you can choose from!
Want to do even more to help out? We need volunteers to help deliver the signs, and because we like to do things the car-free way, a limited number of volunteers will have the opportunity to borrow an electric cargo bike or a trailer that can be attached to a regular bike for deliveries!