The Denver Streets Partnership urges Denverites to vote YES on Measure 2A, which dedicates $441 million to transportation and mobility projects. But passing the bond isn’t enough — we also need Mayor Johnston to make sure these investments actually make our streets safer and give Denverites more options to get around—not just more ways to drive.
Denver’s Transportation Funding Gap
Denver’s transportation needs have far outpaced its budget for years. According to Denver Moves Everyone — the City’s long-range transportation plan — we should be investing about $800 million every year to create complete transit, bike, and pedestrian networks by 2050, while also keeping our transportation system in good repair.
In reality, the city spends only about $170 million a year on transportation — leaving a $630 million annual gap. The bond measure helps fill that gap, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Denver needs a long-term commitment to fund the safe, sustainable transportation system residents deserve.
What’s in the Bond (and What’s Missing)
Let’s be honest: the process for choosing which transportation projects made it into the Vibrant Denver package was rushed and messy. Advocates are right to criticize some of the final decisions.
A big disappointment? No dedicated funding for new protected bike lanes or dedicated bus lanes—a major missed opportunity as Denver continues to fall short of building complete, high-quality networks for people of all ages and abilities.
The good news? This bond doesn’t include the kinds of harmful projects we’ve seen in the past, like road-widening that just encourages more driving. The 2017 GO Bond, for example, allocated $27 million for widening roads and $101 million for paving and other routine road maintenance — things that should be paid for through the city’s regular budget, not long-term debt.
This time around, no money goes to road widening or repaving. That’s a meaningful step in the right direction.
A Chance to Transform Streets Like West 38th Avenue
Most of the transportation funds in this bond — about 83% — are set aside for “major multimodal projects” like the West 38th Avenue Multimodal Project.
If done right, this project could transform a dangerous, car-dominated corridor into a vibrant, people-friendly main street with better sidewalks, safer crossings, and improved bus service. West 38th Avenue is currently on the city’s High Injury Network — the streets where most serious crashes happen — and is also a priority transit corridor.
This bond gives us the chance to make real change. But as the City itself admits, the details of these major multimodal projects are still to be determined — meaning community input and political will are key to ensuring these projects actually prioritize safety, walking, biking, and transit.
Will the Mayor Follow Through?
That’s where our concern comes in. Mayor Johnston’s recent decisions raise red flags.
His administration has canceled or reversed protected bike lane projects, removed popular car-free streets created during the pandemic, and backed away from expanding bus rapid transit (BRT) beyond East Colfax.
These actions don’t line up with what he told the Denver Streets Partnership during his 2023 mayoral campaign—that his top transportation priority was to make Denver “a city where you don’t have to have a car to get around.”
If the Mayor truly believes that, he must back up his words with action.
What Denver Needs Now
We urge Denver voters to vote YES on 2A—and then hold City Hall accountable.
Creating a Denver where everyone can walk, roll, bike, or ride transit safely isn’t just about money — it’s about leadership. It’s about having the courage to see big changes through, even when those changes meet resistance.
Now is the moment for Mayor Johnston to show bold leadership and rebuild the community’s trust by ensuring the Vibrant Denver bond delivers on its promise: streets designed for people, not just for cars.
Learn more
Below you’ll find our more detailed categorization of the transportation projects included in the Vibrant Denver GO Bond package.
