Like many urban neighborhoods, northwest Denver is experiencing a true Renaissance. With new restaurants and businesses opening their doors there are more places to visit and more people moving in to enjoy these amenities. Residents would like to walk to local destinations but there are many barriers such as busy streets and poor sidewalk conditions. Safety is often a concern.
The purpose of the Great Paths project was to promote neighborhood amenities and walking in northwest Denver through pedestrian improvements. The project aimed to alert neighborhood residents and visitors to destinations that are within easy walking distance, highlight the best route for walking through the neighborhood, and enhance the pedestrian experience along that route. We focused particular attention on the pedestrian challenge of crossing Federal Boulevard and other major roads that cut through the neighborhood. Our overarching goal is to support healthy living, economic vitality, and more walkable communities.
WalkDenver and neighborhood leaders facilitated a community meeting in the fall of 2014, focused on identifying the top destinations for walking in the neighborhood, and a priority path that links these destinations along a relatively safe and pleasant pedestrian route. Meeting attendees participated in three different interactive mapping exercises, each focused on a different theme:
- Destinations – where do you (or would you) like to walk to in the neighborhood?
- Paths – what routes do you (or would you) like to walk along in the neighborhood?
- Barriers – what makes it difficult to walk around the neighborhood?
Click on the links below to view materials from the community meeting.
- Overview presentation, including examples of potential enhancements to the pedestrian environment [PDF]
- Results of the mapping exercise [PDF]
- Results of the mapping exercise [interactive online map]
Based on the results of the community meeting, WalkDenver and neighborhood leaders developed and implemented a plan for low-cost pedestrian improvements along the priority path. The primary focus was on pedestrian wayfinding signs that indicate how long it takes (in minutes) to walk to top destinations in the neighborhood. Community members voted on a bumblebee design that grace the signage and give pedestrians visual cues that they’re headed the right direction. Other pedestrian improvements include a street mural at the intersection of 25th and Eliot, and a sculpture at the intersection of 25th and Federal that will be installed in fall of 2015.
Check out the video from the “Bee JP” community celebration on May 16, 2015, when volunteers installed the pedestrian wayfinding signs.
The Great Paths project was made possible through a crowdfunding campaign on ioby (“in our back yard”), a Kickstarter-like platform focused on community projects. Local donors contributed $4,828, which was matched with $4,000 from the TransitCenter as part of their “Trick Out My Trip” campaign. WalkDenver’s partners on the project include the Federal Blvd Business Improvement District and Partnership, Jefferson Park United Neighbors, Sloan’s Lake Citizens Group, and Walk2Connect.