Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, staff from the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, and safe streets advocates use the new HAWK signal to cross Federal Boulevard at 25th Avenue. Photo credit: Rob Toftness
On November 14th, representatives from the City and County of Denver, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), advocates for safer streets and the community came together to celebrate the completion of pedestrian safety improvements on Federal Boulevard between West 23rd and 27th avenues and on W 25th Avenue between Federal Blvd and Eliot Street.
With funding from the voter-approved Elevate Denver Bond and CDOT Safer Main Streets Program, Denver upgraded pedestrian ramps in the area, shortened pedestrian crossing distances and installed a new signal to help pedestrians cross Federal Boulevard more safely to access local neighborhood and business destinations. In addition, West 25th Avenue between Federal and Eliot Street was transformed into a more pedestrian-friendly street with green infrastructure and a curved design to slow vehicle speeds.
At the Denver Streets Partnership we were especially excited to celebrate the completion of this project, because the movement for people-friendly streets can trace its roots to the Better Block Jefferson Park demonstration project that took place at this exact location 12 years ago.
It’s common for people to assert that Denver is car-centric city, but it hasn’t always been that way. Many neighborhoods in Denver, including Jefferson Park, grew up around an extensive streetcar system that existed for nearly 80 years. While the streetcars are long gone, they left a lasting impression on our neighborhoods, with embedded commercial areas like the one at Federal and 25th, where people could walk from the neighborhood to local businesses clustered around the streetcar stop. As our transportation system evolved to prioritize driving over other ways of getting around, many of these neighborhood commercial areas suffered, with mom-and-pop businesses closing their doors.
The Better Block Jefferson Park project came about when local residents like Gosia Kung and other founding members of WalkDenver began to dream about reviving the historical character of the street, and once again making Federal and 25th a vibrant heart of the neighborhood, a place that prioritizes the life of the community over the movement of cars.
That demonstration project not only led to the street improvements we are celebrating today, but sparked the pedestrian advocacy movement in Denver, with community members organizing similar demonstration projects in neighborhoods throughout the city, many of which have also led to more permanent street improvements.
Looking forward, we’re hopeful that the success of this project on 25th Ave will lead to similar improvements up and down the Federal Boulevard corridor, as CDOT plans for the launch of Bus Rapid Transit along Federal by the end of the decade, and as we continue to embrace Denver’s roots as a transit-oriented city.
The completion of this project is another reminder that we are only limited by our courage and our imagination of what’s possible. If we can boldly imagine the transformation of Federal Boulevard from a car-centric highway into a vibrant, people-oriented main street serving multiple west-side neighborhoods, it’s within our power to make it happen.
Check out our photo album for more pictures from the ribbon-cutting event!