Sidewalks OLD
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
Placing responsibility for sidewalk construction and repair on private property owners resulted in inconsistent and deficient sidewalks throughout the city, particularly in low-income neighborhoods and places an undue and inequitable financial burden on some Denver residents.
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
Low-income areas have more than double the pedestrian fatality rates of wealthier communities. In Denver, people walking are approximately 30 times more likely to die in a crash compared to motorists.*
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
Starting in 2025, the new fee for sidewalks will be included on people’s bi-annual stormwater bills, with half the annual sidewalk fee assessed the first half of the year and second half of the sidewalk fee assessed the second half of the year. Amendments made to the sidewalk ordinance passed by voters in November 2022 will result in approximately 96% of all property owners being charged a flat fee of $150 annually.
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 support the
Denver Deserves Sidewalks campaign
- Doris Apartments
- Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council (DRMAC)
- East Colfax Neighborhood Association
- Exploryst
- Groundwork Denver
- Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC)
- La Alma Lincoln Park Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO)
- Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC)
- Mile High Connects
- Montbello Walks
- Safesidewalks.com: Precision Concrete Cutting
- Tai Chi Project @ Living Younger Longer Institute
- The Trust for Public Land
- Unite North Metro Denver
- Uptown on the Hill RNO
- Valverde Neighborhood Association
- West Colfax Association of Neighbors (WeCAN)
- West Colfax Business Improvement District
- West Corridor Transportation Management Association (TMA)
- YIMBY Denver
Here’s what we’ve been up to:
Advocating for Budget Allocations
- In 2017, for the first time ever, the City allocated $2.5 Million for new sidewalk construction. The City has continued to allocate funding for new sidewalk construction at roughly this level in each Annual Budget, including the 2021 Budget.
- In 2017 voters also approved the Elevate Denver GO Bond which included $47.7 M for new sidewalk construction.
- In 2018 Denver established the Neighborhood Sidewalk Repair Program and revolving loan fund.
- At current funding levels it would take more than 400 years to build out the complete sidewalk network.
Holding Denver Accountable
It’s not a good sign when you consistently fail to meet your own goals. Unfortunately, Denver’s been doing just that regarding sidewalk-related targets. We’ve been holding the City accountable to its self-imposed goals for new sidewalk construction, established in the Vision Zero Action Plan: 14 miles per year in 2018 and 2019, 20 miles per year 2020-2023. Their anemic progress has received failing grades from us in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Raising Awareness to the Issue
Related Resources
Sidewalks: Seriously. It’s time to hit the pavement.
Denver transportation officials ask for $10 million to implement sidewalk ballot measure that will cost property owners $41 million a year
Seven months after Denver voters approved a ballot measure to create a complete, crack-free network of sidewalks, officials from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure have yet to begin implementation.
For Coloradans with Disabilities, Navigating Denver’s Snow-Covered Sidewalks and Streets is Dangerous—and Often Impossible
For nearly two weeks after a late December snowstorm that left 7 inches of snow on the ground in Denver, when resident Julie Reiskin needed to leave her home on Milwaukee and 37th, she had to roll her wheelchair down the middle of busy streets and then station herself in the street to flag down a public bus.
How the Walkability-Related Campaigns in 2022 are Impacting 2023
At America Walks, we love tracking walkability wins, and 2022 had some exceptional ones. As advocates, we understand the power of communities to use the democratic process to create long-lasting change. Here are four big policy wins, followed by some of our thoughts on what made them possible (spoiler alert – persistent and passionate organizing):
Denver’s sidewalk repair initiative could face big changes before it’s implemented
It was a clear mandate from Denver voters, a mandate for city council to repair and improve sidewalks. In November, residents voted 56% to 44% to move the burden for sidewalk repairs away from homeowners and to the city itself.
Denver voters OK’d money to improve sidewalks. Now what?
In a city strewn with cracked, crumbling and even nonexistent sidewalks, a huge influx of cash is on the way to address the problem courtesy of Denver voters who supported Initiated Ordinance 307 in the Nov. 8 election.
Denver sidewalk initiative backers have declared victory. Here’s what may come next
The advocacy group behind the “Denver Deserves Sidewalks” ballot initiative declared victory Sunday night after unofficial results showed the measure continuing to pull ahead.
Denver sidewalk fee supporters declare victory with Initiated Ordinance 307 up more than 24K votes
Denver election workers still have roughly 32,000 ballots to count from Tuesday’s midterm election but supporters of Initiated Ordinance 307, the sidewalk tax measure, finally feel confident enough to declare victory in the tightest race in the city this cycle.
Should Homeowners or Cities Maintain Sidewalks?
With all the talk about infrastructure in the country over the last few years, one of the most familiar transportation networks has often been overlooked and underfunded: city sidewalks. But voters in Denver this month will have a chance to change that.
Advocates hit the streets in support of Denver sidewalks ballot measure
Voters will decide in November on potential fees for sidewalk improvements, maintenance By Russell Haythorn, Denver 7 DENVER — Advocates for Denver Initiative 307, which would publicly fund sidewalk construction and upkeep, reached out to Denver homeowners Sunday trying to garner support for the November ballot measure. Dominic Hughes spent much of his weekend pounding […]
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 […]
PRESS RELEASE: Denver Deserves Sidewalks submits 19,197 signatures for ballot bid
PRESS RELEASE — Monday, July 11, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT Molly McKinley, Policy Director, the Denver Streets Partnership molly@denverstreetspartnership.org | 919-588-9676 Campaign organizers gathered required signatures in two months DENVER — The Denver Streets Partnership submitted petition signatures to the Denver Elections Division today for Denver Deserves Sidewalks to qualify for the 2022 ballot. […]