Federal Boulevard
It’s time to fix Federal Boulevard.
Federal Boulevard is a critical part of Denver’s transportation system.
What it is.
It is home to some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city, including a mixture of immigrant, low-income, young adult and senior populations as well as established neighborhoods and college campus communities.
Federal serves as a main street for these communities, providing access to social services, numerous parks, and a plethora of cherished local minority-owned businesses.
What's the problem?
Federal Boulevard is the most dangerous street in Denver, with a fatality rate more than twenty times the average for urban streets in Colorado. Between 2012 and 2017, twenty-two percent of all pedestrian-involved crashes in Denver were on Federal Boulevard.
This traffic violence is preventable. City leaders acknowledged this with Denver’s commitment to Vision Zero and eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries on our streets. It’s time to back up this commitment with action.
Why it matters.
The victims of fatal crashes on Federal come from all walks of life, but their deaths have something in common: speed. Federal is designed to facilitate high-speed travel and people often drive well above the posted speed limit.
This is unacceptable for a major urban corridor lined with multifamily housing, schools, mom-and-pop businesses, parks, cultural destinations, social service providers, and major transit routes.
People should be able to enjoy one of Denver’s most vibrant urban streets without fear of injury or death.
Three steps to a safer Federal Boulevard.
Traffic calming
Raised, planted medians limit dangerous turning motions and slow traffic.
Pedestrian median refuges shorten crossing distances and provide a safe place to wait.
High-visibility, mid-block crossings provide safe connections to destinations.
Reduced turning radii slow turning vehicles and increase pedestrian space.
Dedicated transit lanes
Updated state law
Federal Boulevard Projects
Over the Colfax-Federal Clover
We teamed up with the West Colfax Business Improvement District to launch the Over the Colfax-Federal Clover project as an effort to bring together community members and local experts to develop design solutions for an intersection that is currently unsafe and dangerous to navigate for all users.
Pop-up Traffic Calming on Federal
Using cones, painted tires, beach balls, and hay bales, we hosted a pop-up demonstration at the intersection of Federal Blvd and 50th Ave complete with a temporary median, protected bike lanes, and curb extensions. Drivers slowed down and pedestrians said it made them feel safer. Next step: permanent installation by DOTI!
Friends of Little Saigon
We’re partnering with local businesses along South Federal Boulevard to celebrate the cultural diversity of this corridor while improving traffic safety and the pedestrian environment.
Related Resources
Federal Boulevard Corridor Study
Federal Blvd is a critical north-south link on Denver’s west side connecting people to local cultural districts and regional destinations. The corridor has the 2nd highest ridership in the RTD bus system, and 26% of Denver residents, more than 16,000 people, live in adjacent neighborhoods. Completed by the City in 2017, the Federal Boulevard Corridor […]
Report: It’s Time to Fix Federal
Federal Boulevard has: The 2nd highest bus ridership in the RTD system 26% of Denver residents in adjacent neighborhoods BUT: 45% of sidewalks have no buffer from fast-moving traffic 47% of sidewalk segments have a low-quality pedestrian rating Between 2012 & 2017: 22% of fatal pedestrian-involved crashes in Denver were on Federal Boulevard Federal Boulevard’s […]
Federal Boulevard is getting another median in the name of pedestrian safety
April 7, 2020 — Federal Boulevard, a state highway that doubles as an urban street, is one of Denver’s deadliest to travel. City and state transportation planners say a median down the center of the road’s southern segment will make it safer for pedestrians and drivers alike. “It’s definitely not the entirety of what we […]
Boulevard of Broken Hearts
Incomplete streets are anti-love. Join us in telling City leaders: adopt street design standards that put people first!
One Federal Boulevard
In 2017, 11 people died in crashes along Federal, including 7 pedestrians. The rate of fatalities on Federal was 20 times higher than the urban rate on Colorado roadways. To expedite safety improvements, the City and County of Denver is coordinating closely with partners, convening the One Federal Boulevard task force, which includes members from Denver Public […]
Federal Boulevard gets a (temporary) makeover
We invited community and city leaders to experience firsthand what conditions are like for those who travel the corridor on foot and envision what a safer street could look like.
Local decision-makers take a walk with community members along Federal Boulevard in northwest Denver
We took Denver and Adams county leaders on a walk along Federal. The goal: for these decision-makers to experience firsthand what conditions are like for those who travel the corridor on foot.
Community asks Mayor Hancock to fund safety improvements on Federal
Community organizations request funding commitment for Federal Boulevard in the 2019 City Budget
Taking a deep dive into the Athmar Park neighborhood’s active transportation network
Athmar Park has many great assets but also has some challenges concerning mobility
Federal Boulevard Corridor Study
Federal Blvd is a critical north-south link on Denver’s west side connecting people to local cultural districts and regional destinations. The corridor has the 2nd highest ridership in the RTD bus system, and 26% of Denver residents, more than 16,000 people, live in adjacent neighborhoods. Completed by the City in 2017, the Federal Boulevard Corridor […]
Cultivate Health Walk Audit Final Report
Cultivate Health is a partnership among Regis University, private real estate developers Urban Ventures and Perry Rose,\ the Chaffee Park neighborhood, and)several nonprofit organizations. The goal of Cultivate Health is to support the health and wellness of residents living in the multigenerational. mixed income community within a four-census tract neighborhood adjacent to Regis University. This […]