Creating an equitable and vibrant Denver means guaranteeing that our public spaces are designed for people. Human dignity should be the guiding principle for the design of our transportation system so that everyone can thrive and connect to what matters most. Today, the Denver Streets Partnership is renewing our call to City leadership to prioritize our most basic, yet essential infrastructure—sidewalks.
Too many Denverites are lacking access to sidewalks. Guaranteeing high quality sidewalks would allow everyone, including parents, children, people with disabilities, and those that don’t drive, the independence to move about Denver freely and safely rather than walk next to big trucks, navigate cracks, and take detours to find a safe route. At current funding levels, it would take nearly 400 years to build out a complete, integrated sidewalk network that serves every Denver neighborhood.
That’s why we are urgently calling on the City and County of Denver to create a comprehensive and integrated Denver sidewalk network to guarantee that all of Denver is designed to prioritize and connect people first and to reduce our dependence on cars.
To create a comprehensive and integrated sidewalk network, Denver must take the following actions:
- Eliminate barriers to and ensure the:
- Repair of deteriorated sidewalks
- Construction of new sidewalks where missing and needed
- Upgrades of substandard sidewalks that are too narrow to comply with ADA standards
- Develop a sustainable funding source to build and maintain the network in a timely manner, without placing an undue burden on individual property owners, particularly in low-income areas
- Use existing plans—such as Blueprint Denver, Denver Moves Pedestrians and Trails, and the Vision Zero Action Plan—to inform the implementation strategy, prioritizing Equity Index Areas and the High Injury Network.
It’s time for Denver to step up and provide equitable infrastructure. Show your support for sidewalks by signing on to the Denver Deserves Sidewalks campaign and posting your sidewalk photos and stories to Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #DenverDeservesSidewalks or #SadSidewalks.