Bicycling in Denver

Street Maintenance repaved 16^th Avenue from Park Avenue to Lincoln to create a smooth ride on one of Denver’s most popular bikeways. The project also included changing in the bicycle pavement markings at Lincoln and 16^th to improve safety of the intersection.

The intersection has a unique traffic pattern because a majority of cars turn right while the majority of bikes continue straight, putting the two in conflict on either a red or green light. The new striping design gives bike and cars two different options.

-     If both car and bike are going straight (or both making a right turn), then it functions as a normal bike lane.

-     If a car is turning right and a bike is going straight, the skip striping of the bike lane allows cars to move into the right turn space. The complementary sharrow shows the cyclists (and cars) it is okay for cyclists move out into the lane and around the left of the car.

The bike lanes on Washington and Emerson Streets provide direct connectivity between the Louisiana-Pearl LRT Station, West Wash Park neighborhood, and entrances to the Cherry Creek Trail.

The decision to stripe bike lanes on Washington and Emerson Streets was part of a larger initiative to address the West Wash Park Neighborhood Association (WWPNA) desire to calm traffic. Various proposals were discussed between Public Works, Councilman Nevitt, and WWPNA throughout Fall 2009 and ultimately finalized at a neighborhood association meeting. 

The result was strong community support for removing the stop lights for 4-way stop signs, reducing the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph, and installing bike lanes. The traffic control and speed limit changes occurred in Spring 2010. Public Works monitors traffic volumes on Washington and Emerson Streets and saw a decrease in volumes after these changes. Public Works then proceeded with design and implementation of the bike lanes. Different cross-section alternatives, all of which met traffic engineering industry standards, were reviewed by Public Works, Council Office, WWPNA, the Mayors Bicycle Advisory Committee.

A final configuration of 18 ' parking + travel lane | 4.5' bike lane | 7.5' parking lane was decided upon for both Emerson and Washington Streets. Research from other cities has showed a narrower parking lane induces people to park closer to the curb, giving bicyclists more operating space within their lane to maneuver. 

Public Works continues to expand the bicycle network downtown. In 2010, this included completing connectivity on Champa, Welton, and Tremont Streets. The Champa Street bike facility is “buffered bike lane”—the first of it’s kind in Denver. A “buffered bike lanes” means there is a 4 foot buffer between the bike lane and the adjacent vehicle travel lane. In 2011, bike facilities will be implemented on 15^th Street, 14^th Street, and Bannock.

Public Works recognizes the important role 15^th Street plays in the downtown bicycle network and performed an initial assessment which showed a bike facility was feasible. Public Works has hired Fehr and Peers to complete more detailed investigation of the design options to ensure operational safety and maintenance, as well as understand the potential affects to adjacent property owners and/or businesses. Public Works will be working closely with the Mayors Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Downtown Denver Partnership through the design process.

This $14,000,000 bond project will enhance the pedestrian and bicycle experience along 14th Street from Market to Colfax. This will be accomplished by:

-     Widening the northern sidewalk to 19 feet and reconstructing the southern sidewalk to 16 feet.

-     Bulbouts will be added to the south side to minimize the pedestrian crossing distance across 14th Street. 

-     On-street bike lane will be provided to connect the Cherry Creek trail and Civic Center Park. 

-     Streetscape Improvements include granite seating areas, elongated planters and planter pots with annual plantings, shrubs, trees, street lighting, accent lighting, and wayfinding signage. 

For more information on project status, visit:

http://www.denvergov.org/Projects/1DStreetsandPublicWorks/14thStreetSidewalkStreetscape/tabid/437297/Default.aspx

The Better Denver Bond Project implements the vision established for Colfax and 14^th Avenue as “Grand Avenues”—streets with generous pedestrian ways and amenities that main mandated traffic flow. This also includes quality connections for the bicycle network.

The project will enhance the bicycle network from the Cherry Creek Trail into the Civic Center Campus and downtown. It extends the existing bicycle lane on 14^th Avenue to Acoma Plaza, creating a destination connection to the Denver Art Museum, Central Library, and a B-cycle station. The project also improves the bicycle connectivity along Bannock Street through new, innovative treatments that allow two-directional bicycle movement in a one-way block. Between Colfax and 14^th Avenues, Bannock has southbound bicycle lane in the street and a northbound cycletrack in the sidewalk. The intersection of Bannock and 14^th will have bicycle box and bicycle signal. The sharrows on Bannock south of 14^th Ave will be converted to bike lanes.

View project details (map pdf)

For more information on project status, visit:

http://denvergov.org/betterdenver/Colfax14thAveImprovementsDesignCharrette/tabid/435628/Default.aspx

The City of Denver received $250,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for bike mobility enhancements. Bike mobility enhancements included 10 miles of new lane markings and bicycle signage to complete existing bicycle routes, improve bicycle connectivity, and improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Locations of new bike lanes include: 

The Denver Bicycle Master Plan identifies connectivity across I-25 to the Colorado Center and RTD Light Rail Station as a major missing link in the bicycle system. The need for a bridge at this location was also discussed as far back as 1999 in the Southeast Corridor EIS Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, which included the following text: "As a result of the poor conditions along Colorado it has been suggested that a separate pedestrian overpass be constructed from the Colorado Center to Jewell, north of I-25."

2008-2013 TIP Funding Request was submitted to DRCOG in September 2007 and was approved for funding in the Spring of 2008. The total project budget, including design and construction, is $8 Million. The Project is funded with $4 M in 2010 City Capital Improvement Funds, and $4 M in 2011 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Funds.

The City and County of Denver (CCD) in April of 2010 hired the firm of HNTB to design the project.

For more information on project status, visit:

http://www.denvergov.org/ProjectsinProgress/ColoradoCenterBicyclePedestrianBridge/tabid/437358/Default.aspx

This project includes extension of the Lakewood Gulch recreational trail from Tennyson Street to Wolff Street. For more information on project status, visit:

This project will include the following improvements for the bicycle network:

-     reconstruct the multi-use trail along the west bank of the South Platte River

-     construct a grade separated trail crossing under the 13^th Avenue Bridge,
reconstruct a multi-use trail along the north side of Lakewood Gulch,

-     construct two pedestrian/bicycle bridges

For more information on project status, visit:

http://www.denvergov.org/capital_projects_center/ProjectsinProgress/SouthPlatteRiverZuniSunValleyReach/tabid/434950/Default.aspx