Coordinated Bike Lane Striping & Installation

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for this corridor.

Project Information: The W 8th Ave (from Zuni St to Vallejo St) corridor is proposed to include wayfinding signage. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to improve wayfinding on the corridor. The corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions? Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team? Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved:

The designs for this corridor are complete.

DOTI held two Virtual Public Meetings for this project.

February 24, 2021

At this meeting, the project team discussed the upcoming transportation safety project on E 35th Ave (from N Dahlia St to N Quebec St). Existing conditions along the corridor were presented. The project team introduced some potential changes to the corridor, as proposed previously in the Denver Moves: Bicycles Program and other previous plans.  They also provided information on the project schedule, additional opportunities for input, and next steps for the corridor.

• Meeting Video (YouTube) 

May 18, 2021

During this meeting, the project team discussed the upcoming transportation safety project on 35th Ave (from N Dahlia St to N Quebec St). Additionally, an update of N Dahlia St (from E 39th Ave to E 35th Ave), and N Holly St (from E 48th Ave to E 35th Ave) was also provided.  The team summarized feedback received so far, recapped existing conditions along the corridor, and discuss how public feedback has helped shape the proposed design.  The team also provided information on the project schedule and next steps for the corridor.

• Meeting Video - Main Session (YouTube)
• Meeting Video - Q&A Breakout Room: Those who live / work on this segment of Dahlia St or 35th Ave (YouTube)
• Meeting Video - Q&A Breakout Room: Those who do not live / work on this segment of Dahlia St or 35th Ave (YouTube) 

Additional Project Information: As part of the N Park Hill Mobility Projects, E 35th Ave (from N Dahlia St to N Quebec St) is proposed to include a bike lane. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to install a bicycle facility on the corridor. The E 35th Ave corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction: Construction from Dahlia to Monaco was completed in 2022.  Construction on the segment between Monaco and Quebec will be completed in 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions?  Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team?  Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved:

Street safety improvements are planned for E 42^nd Ave, Sandown Rd, Quebec St Frontage, 41^st Ave and 40^th Ave as a continuous east/west bicycle connection between Holly St and Quebec St.

DOTI held a Virtual Public Meeting for this project as well as reached out to business and community stakeholders.  See below for more information.

Public Meeting - August 2, 2022

At this meeting, the project team was available to provide information to the community about bikeways and safety improvements along this corridor connection between Dahlia St and Uinta St.  The meeting presentation is available upon request.

Additional Project Information: The E 42nd Ave / Sandown Rd (from Holly St to Quebec St) corridor is proposed to include a buffered bike lane. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to install a buffered bicycle facility on the corridor. The corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction Planned: 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions? Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team?  Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for E Bruce Randolph Ave, between N Colorado Blvd and N Dahlia St.

DOTI held two public events for this project.

Virtual Public Meeting #1 - February 15, 2022 

At this meeting, the project team discussed the upcoming transportation safety project on E Bruce Randolph Ave (between N Colorado Blvd and N Dahlia St). Existing conditions along the corridor were presented. The project team introduced some potential changes to the corridor, as proposed in the Denver Moves: Bicycles Program and other plans. Feedback was welcomed from community members, and participant questions were answered.  The project schedule, next steps, and ways for community members to stay involved were discussed.

• Public Meeting #1 Video English (YouTube)
• NOTE: Spanish closed captioning available in YouTube Settings options

In-Person Open House #2 - June 18, 2022

At this event, the project team set up an information table along the corridor, at City of Axum Park, to inform the public of the proposed bikeway and safety improvements project on E Bruce Randolph Ave (between N Colorado Blvd and N Dahlia St).

The project team shared proposed designs, including their impact on safety, mobility, and parking, and how these plans incorporate public feedback. 

Proposed improvements will reduce conflicts between people walking, bicycling, and driving, and will help reduce vehicle speed by visually narrowing the roadway. 

Proposed improvements include:

• A continuous dedicated bikeway throughout the corridor.
• Buffered Bike Lanes (bike lanes that are separated from vehicular travel lanes with striping).
• Full parking removal on one side of the road.
• Intersection crossing markings for people on bikes.
• Additional crosswalks.

Additional Project Information:

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions?  Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team? Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for this corridor.

Project Information: The E Bruce Randolph Ave (from N Downing St to N Williams St) corridor is proposed to include a bike lane. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to install a bicycle facility on the corridor. The corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions?  Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team?  Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for this corridor.  Additional information coming soon.

Two public events are planned for this project.

Public Meeting #1: Details coming soon

Additional Project Information:

The E Iliff Ave (from S Colorado Blvd to S Humboldt St) corridor is proposed to include a bike lane. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to install a bicycle facility on the corridor. The corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions? Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team?  Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for this corridor.  Additional information coming soon.

Two public events are planned for this project.

Public Meeting #2 - June 7, 2023

At this meeting, the project team discussed the upcoming transportation safety projects on N Kittredge St (E 53rd Ave to Green Valley Ranch Blvd) and N Uvalda St (E 56th Ave to E 51st Ave). The team noted feedback received so far, recapped existing conditions along the corridor and discussed the proposed design. They also provided information on the project schedule and next steps for the corridor.

• Meeting Video English (YouTube)

• Meeting Video Spanish (YouTube)

Additional Project Information: The N Kittredge St (from E 53rd Ave to Green Valley Ranch Blvd) corridor is proposed to include a buffered bike lane. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to install a buffered bicycle facility on the corridor. The corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions? Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team?  Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for this corridor.   Additional information coming soon.

Two public events are planned for this project.

Public Meeting #1 - February 16, 2023

Representatives were available with information regarding the project at the District 11 Open House.

Additional Project Information: The N Uvalda St (from E 56th Ave to E 51st Ave) corridor is proposed to include a protected bike lane. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to install a protected bicycle facility on the corridor. The corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions? Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team?  Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for this corridor.

Two public events are planned for this project.

Additional Project Information: The S Webster St (from W Yale Ave to W Dartmouth Ave) corridor is proposed to include a bike lane. The Denver Moves: Bicycles Program includes the recommendation to install a bicycle facility on the corridor. The corridor changes will be installed through the DOTI Bike Paving Program.

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions? Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team?  Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for this corridor.

Two public events are planned for this project.

Get Involved: Street safety improvements are planned for W Yale Ave, between S Sheridan Blvd and S Irving St.

DOTI plans to hold two Virtual Public Meetings for this project.  The first public meeting was 3/10/22, details below.  The second will take place on 5/11/22, details below.

Virtual Public Meeting #1 - March 10, 2022

At this meeting, the project team discussed the upcoming transportation safety project on W Yale Ave (between S Sheridan Blvd and S Irving St). Existing conditions along the corridor were presented. The project team introduced some potential changes to the corridor, as proposed in the Denver Moves: Bicycles Program and other plans. Feedback was welcomed from community members, and participant questions were answered.  The project schedule, next steps, and ways for community members to stay involved were discussed.

• Public Meeting #1 Video English (YouTube)
• Public Meeting #1 Video Spanish (YouTube)
• Breakout Room Video English (YouTube)

Virtual Public Meeting #2 – May 11, 2022

At this meeting, the project team discussed the upcoming transportation safety project on W Yale Ave (between S Sheridan Blvd and S Irving St). The team summarized feedback received so far, recapped existing conditions along the corridor and discussed how public comments have helped shape the proposed design.  They also provided information on the project schedule and next steps for the corridor.

• Meeting Video English (YouTube)
• Meeting Video Spanish (YouTube)
• Meeting Video Vietnamese (YouTube)

Want to share your questions or input with a DOTI Project Manager?  Sign up using the link below to arrange a meeting with the DOTI Project Manager, ask questions, and provide feedback on the proposed designs. These will be small, virtual meetings with local planners. You will be able to join either online or by calling in on the phone.

• Schedule your appointment at: Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure: W Yale Office Hours (signupgenius.com) 

Additional Project Information:

Construction Planned: 2023

Questions? Want to schedule a conversation with a member of the project team? Email bikes@denvergov.org or call the hotline at (720) 865-9378.

Safety is our number one priority!  Research from cities across the U.S. (including Denver) demonstrates that cities with more high-quality bike infrastructure have 44% fewer traffic deaths and injuries overall. In addition to enhanced bikeways, these improvements will include other types of transportation safety features where possible: intersection improvements, safer pedestrian crossings and other ways to get us closer to zero traffic related fatalities and serious injuries. 

When bike lanes are installed, the vehicular travel lanes are visually narrowed (i.e., feel narrower to a person driving). This  helps slow drivers down and contributes to safety. Other design elements (including improved pedestrian crossings and “daylighting” – increasing visibility turning to and from side streets by pulling parking back from intersections) also slow vehicle traffic, improve visibility, or both. Additionally, Denver has a Vision Zero Action Plan with a goal of eliminating all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on Denver’s roadways by 2030.  As part of Denver’s Vision Zero efforts, DOTI is conducting a city-wide speed mitigation study to identify streets where the posted speed limit can be lowered. These bike paving corridors may be evaluated and selected for speed reduction during this process.

The Street Maintenance and Improvement page provides current information on services that include paving, pothole patching, curb and gutter repairs, and curb ramp installation.

Please note, all plans subject to change, and are weather dependent.

DOTI studies each roadway carefully, and the improvements are designed to maximize safety and satisfy specific design guidelines. For example, DOTI has criteria that dictates how many lanes are required for a particular volume of vehicular traffic to ensure that changes do not cause large travel delays.  Overall, there is not always enough right-of-way to accommodate all street uses safely, which leads to tradeoffs. With safety as a design priority, it may mean that street features such as parking, curbside use, turn lanes, and in rare cases a travel lane may need to be repurposed to improve safety for the most vulnerable road users.

DOTI studies each intersection carefully, and the improvements are designed to maximize safety and satisfy specific design guidelines. For example, the DOTI has criteria that dictates when turn lanes can be repurposed based on vehicle traffic volume to ensure removal does not cause large travel delays. Overall, there is not always enough right-of-way to accommodate all street uses safely, which leads to tradeoffs. With safety as a design priority, it may mean that street features such as parking, curbside use, or turn lanes may need to be repurposed to improve safety for the most vulnerable road users.

The community helped identify and confirm where bikeways should go through the robust Denver Moves: Bicycles planning process in 2011 and 2015, and Blueprint Denver in 2019. 

DOTI uses technical analysis and design criteria to confirm the design of each of these corridors and works at multiple levels with the community to ensure the planned designs meet the needs of local neighborhoods. To gather input, DOTI will host at least one virtual open house for each of these corridors and work with community representatives through stakeholder and small group meetings. To get the word out, DOTI:

• Sends mailers to residents along each impacted street to inform them of open houses and construction.
• Puts up yard signs in the impacted neighborhoods
• Encourages stakeholders to reach out to their connections to inform them of upcoming public meetings.
• Sends out email notifications to all area residents for whom we have email addresses
• Maintains survey links and additional information about each project on the project website (bit.ly/DenverBikePaving)

DOTI developed the Denver Bikeway Design Manual that provides criteria for facility (bikeway type) selection based on variables like vehicle traffic volumes, number of traffic lanes, and vehicle speeds. Through the planning and design process, DOTI determines whether the bikeway facility proposed in Denver Moves Bikes (2011) aligns with the facility type criteria outlined in the design manual.

A high comfort bikeway provides a more comfortable ride for people of all skill levels on a bicycle, and greater predictability for all roadway users, compared to traditional bike lanes or “sharrow” streets.  Of the 125 miles of bike lanes DOTI is installing by the end of 2023, the majority will be considered high comfort facilities. 

High comfort bikeways include protected bike lanes as well as neighborhood bikeways. Protected bike lanes are dedicated bikeways on streets that have both a horizontal and vertical buffer between a person bicycling and motor vehicles. These facilities better organize the roadway so that people who ride bikes have dedicated space to travel safely.  Neighborhood Bikeways are low-stress, low-volume shared streets that use design elements to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle movement and encourage appropriate vehicular speeds. 

A high comfort bikeway is where you and your family would feel comfortable riding your bike, which means that you have space and freedom to get where you need to go. There are criteria for maximum speed and traffic volumes which dictate where high comfort bikeways are installed. Traffic calming and speed reduction measures are taken to make them safer and more comfortable.

DOTI collects street parking data by counting the number of vehicles parked on each block face. The data is collected at a time when the parking is anticipated to be most highly used: for residential areas that might be early on a weekday morning, or for commercial areas it might be around mid-morning. Once the count is complete, DOTI calculates the available parking supply and occupancy rate.

It’s hard to judge the demand for a specific bicycle facility by measuring bicycle volumes in that location because bicyclists of every age and comfort level might not want to use a particular road until a facility is built that provides a safe place to ride. For example, we don’t judge the need for a bridge based on how many people are swimming across a river.  The layout and type of bicycle facilities have been determined during the 2011 and 2015 Denver Moves planning process, where the entire City of Denver was evaluated at one time to develop a comprehensive and connected bike network citywide. Each project might not generate large volumes of bicycles on its own, but every piece is part of a complete transportation system that will attract bicyclists, improve safety for everyone, and increase mode share (percentage of people riding bicycles and walking), creating a more balanced, sustainable transportation network over time.

Yes, where school drop-off zones are present along the study corridors, DOTI planners and designers are working with school facilities and administration staff to design a roadway that accommodates school needs and is safe for all roadway users.

We are working closely with the DOTI Curbside & Parking team in areas where we anticipate parking impacts to evaluate curbside management strategies. The concept designs take these needs into account along each specific corridor. All designs will evaluate factors including the measured parking utilization, availability of driveways/garages and side street parking, the needs of all road users, land use context, the presence of businesses or institutional uses (like schools or parks), and strategies to maximize safety for all users.  If a resident needs accessible parking on the street, please apply for an ADA parking space (accessibleparking@denvergov.org) so that DOTI engineers can plan for and accommodate the ADA space needs in the design.  If a resident or business has regular (landscapers, for example) or one-time (home renovation, for example) additional parking needs, those needs may be met using driveway parking, side street parking, or by applying for a permit to close the bike lane (contact DOTI for more information).

While it can be safer to position bicyclists next to the curb and protected by parked cars (known as a “parking-protected bike lane”), the street needs to be wide enough for this design to work safely.  People on bikes have to be able to safely pass parked cars and crews need to be able to clear bike lanes of snow and debris. Often, the street just isn’t wide enough. The design team considers roadway speed, vehicular volumes, and type of roadway as well as parking supply and demand to make this decision.

The layout and type of bicycle facilities were initially determined during the 2011 and 2015 Denver Moves Bikes planning process, where the entire City of Denver was evaluated at once to develop a comprehensive and connected bike network citywide. Connections to existing community assets is one of the most important evaluation criteria used when selecting and proposing bikeway locations.  Where people live, work, learn, play, and access transit were taken into consideration when choosing the corridors.

Guided by Denver Moves: Bicycles Program and other citywide plans that focus on improving transportation choice for people moving around Denver, we are leading with the implementation of bikeways between Summer/Fall 2020 and 2023. Through this process, Denver will increase the number of households within ¼ mile of a high comfort bikeway and provide more residents with an alternative transportation option. One priority of this process is to identify a multimodal network that encourages mode shift to increase the percentage of people using bicycles, public transit, and walking for their commutes to 30%. 

As far as increasing the number of bike-friendly routes in the city, DOTI is working on planning and design activities in three areas of the city right now through “Community Transportation Networks” (more information here) and plans to address other areas of the city immediately after that.  In addition, any time a roadway is planned to be repaved as part of DOTI’s standard repaving protocol, DOTI evaluates the street for the potential to implement any future bikeway proposed in Denver’s adopted planning documents.   Any mobility concerns noted by the public that can’t be addressed as part of the current project due to scope, timeline, or budget are passed on to the appropriate DOTI staff member so that those concerns can be addressed through other projects as quickly as possible.

We know now is a very difficult time for everyone in Denver, especially for small businesses who are some of the hardest hit by this pandemic.  Construction for the “coordinated paving” projects is planned between April 2021 and October 2021.  We will work with our paving crews to provide the shortest construction schedule possible (usually just a couple of days), and will also provide businesses and residents along the corridor advanced information on paving schedule and parking or access impacts.

Denver residents decided on a vision for the city’s complete bikeway network in 2011 (Denver Moves: Bikes). In 2019, the citywide land use and transportation plan (Blueprint Denver) identified bicycle priority streets. These plans outline where and what types of bikeways Denver should install to create a complete, connected, safe, and comfortable bikeway system in Denver, allowing transportation mode choice for all residents including those who don’t own a car. 

There are three primary strategies for choosing when to install bikeways from these plans: Networks (build out Denver’s bikeway network by concentrating investment in one area at a time), Backbones (install bikeways to provide critical connections within and between network areas), and Coordinated with Paving (coordinate the striping of bike lanes with already-planned street paving operations to install facilities efficiently). 

The funding sources for each of these strategies is different, as some funding comes from the Elevate Denver Bond passed in 2016 providing funding for many of the high comfort bikeways currently in design and construction.  The bike lanes being coordinated with paving projects use paving budget already allocated to restriping the roadway after already-planned paving projects.

The best way to provide input at this time is to email DOTI at denvermoves@denvergov.org and leave your comment or suggestion.   Please also watch the Coordinated Bike Paving website for public meeting information and opportunities to fill out surveys on these corridors.

Denver selects streets for paving based on a number of factors including pavement condition, traffic volume, length of time since the last re-paving, and anticipated needs in the future. Once a street is selected for paving it is possible to make certain changes to the street layout (such as moving the striping, adding or removing parking, installing bike lanes, etc.) for little or no additional cost. 

Unfortunately, these projects are generally not budgeted for other, more costly improvements such as adding or expanding sidewalks, adding or improving lighting, or correcting drainage issues, as improvements are limited to that which can be accomplished with striping/paint and signs.  However, DOTI does collect input about additional transportation and infrastructure needs and communicates the input to the related department to determine the most appropriate way to quickly address these needs, whether it be through Denver’s sidewalk program or another method.

This term comes from research conducted several years ago both in Denver and across the country about different types of people who ride bicycles. It turns out that people generally fall into one of four categories: “Strong and Fearless” (those who are comfortable and willing to ride on any type of road), “Enthused and Confident” (people who regularly commute, run errands, or ride for fun, and are comfortable on most types of roads but not all), “Interested but Concerned” (people who like to ride or want to ride more but worry about safety, particularly on roadways without bicycle facilities) and “No Way, No How” (those who would not ride at all regardless of the type of bicycle facility). 

Research shows that about 50-65% of Denver residents are “Interested but Concerned” riders: people who probably own a bike or have in the past and like to ride, or want to ride more, but feel concerned for their safety and need better facilities to do so. Many cities focus on making streets feel safer and more inviting for the “interested but concerned” rider to increase the number of people bicycling and to provide safe, comfortable roadways for the highest number of people possible.