Sidewalks
Denver deserves sidewalks! Thank you Denver Voters for voting YES on 307! With the new property fee approved by voters, Denver will begin creating a comprehensive program to repair hazardous sidewalks, reconstruct sidewalks that are deficient, and build sidewalks where they’re missing. Learn more on the City’s website.
Walkable neighborhoods with good sidewalks are the foundation of a complete transportation system.
Currently in Denver:
- Many people with disabilities, older adults, and parents with children struggle to get around parts of Denver where the sidewalks are missing, too narrow, or in bad condition.
- Low-income neighborhoods are the most likely to have unsafe, poorly-maintained sidewalks.
- Previous policies that forced adjacent property owners to shoulder the full cost of sidewalk construction and repair created a huge financial burden.
It's an equity issue
Poor pedestrian environments disproportionately impact the most vulnerable members of our community. Low income neighborhoods are the least likely to have sidewalks, accessible pedestrian ramps, street and sidewalk lighting, marked crosswalks, and traffic calming measures.*
*Source: Governing Report
It's a safety issue, too
The pedestrian conditions in low income Denver neighborhoods directly contribute to these tragic injuries and deaths. Residents of these neighborhoods who need to walk to transit stops, a grocery store, school or medical clinics should not have to brave unsafe conditions and risk becoming a crash or fatality statistic.
*Source: Denver Vision Zero Action Plan
The Voter-Approved Denver Deserves Sidewalks Program:
- Removed the responsibility for repairs from adjacent property owners and placed this responsibility on the City.
- Funds the construction and repair of sidewalks citywide, through a modest annual fee charged to property owners, so that everyone can get around Denver more freely and safely.
- Enables the construction of a complete sidewalk network that serves every Denver neighborhood within 9 years.
- Provides ongoing funding for sidewalk repairs.
Learn more about the Denver Deserves Sidewalks ballot initiative
The “Denver Deserves Sidewalks” citizen-initiated ordinance 307 passed in November 2022 with 56% of the vote.
- Read a summary of the proposed ordinance
- Read the full ordinance
- Read more about why sidewalks matter
- Frequently asked questions
Learn more about Denver's new sidewalk program
Learn more about the fee and the City’s plans for creating a comprehensive program to repair hazardous sidewalks, reconstruct sidewalks that are deficient, and build sidewalks where they’re missing on their website.
These organizations endorsed the
Denver Deserves Sidewalks Ballot Initiative 307
Related Resources
Sidewalks: Seriously. It’s time to hit the pavement.
PRESS RELEASE: Denver Deserves Sidewalks qualifies for November 2022 ballot
PRESS RELEASE — Tuesday, August 2, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT Jill Locantore, Executive Director, the Denver Streets Partnership jill@denverstreetspartnership.org | 303-895-6376 DENVER — Today, the Denver Elections Division announced that Denver Deserves Sidewalks gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the November 2022 ballot. Denver Deserves Sidewalks would publicly fund the buildout and ongoing maintenance […]
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