Denver Moves: Downtown is a planning effort that is re-envisioning the city’s downtown transportation system. It will build off years of study and analysis to create a roadmap for implementing tangible near-term improvements that the hundreds of thousands of people who live, work, study, visit and play in downtown Denver will experience in the coming years, while also identifying a long-term vision for the future of mobility in the city’s center.
It’s more than just a transportation plan — it’s a critical step in building a successful and flexible multimodal future for Denver.
VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
A virtual open house meeting was held June 10, 2020. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the proposed future improvements for getting around on downtown streets. A recording of the meeting and a PowerPoint presentation are now available (below).
- Wednesday, June 10th, 2020
- Virtual Open House Video (YouTube)
- Final Public Meeting (PDF)
DENVER MOVES: DOWNTOWN
The effort is being led by the City and County of Denver, in collaboration with the Regional Transportation District and the Downtown Denver Partnership, and will be completed in early 2020.
The boundaries for Denver Moves: Downtown generally follow I-25 to the west, Park Ave. to the north, Lincoln Ave. to the east, and Speer Blvd. to the south, but the project will also take into account how surrounding neighborhoods and the entire region access downtown.
Denver Moves: Downtown is a twenty-year mobility plan for Denver’s core that identifies ways to provide more travel options for getting around Downtown, improve safety, and make downtown streets easier to navigate.
Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI) provided a virtual overview of the planning effort and process on Wednesday June 10th, 2020. We are seeking input on the “signature project” recommendations that were identified in the plan.
PLEASE TAKE THIS SURVEY about the signature projects and provide your input.
More information is provided below about each project.
Larimer Street Transitway & Two-Way Conversion - Between Speer Boulevard and 25th Street
Project Description
This project envisions Larimer Street as an extension of RTD’s FreeRide Network that would provide a transit connection from the Auraria Campus to the RiNo neighborhood. Transit service would be provided in exclusive lanes, while allowing for two-way vehicle travel on the street. Proposed for Larimer Square is the option to close the street between 14th and 16th Street to automobiles, while providing limited commercial loading times. This would enhance the public space and expand transit opportunities.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Bannock Street Bikeway - Between Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue
Project Description
Bannock Street is envisioned as both a place to hold festivals and as a bicycle gateway to downtown and the Civic Center from the Cherry Creek Trail. The street is closed to vehicular traffic north of 14th Avenue, and high-comfort bikeways are added the length of the corridor.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
15th Street Bicycle Connection - Between Larimer Street and Central Street
Project Description
This project completes the 15th Street vision as the key bike corridor through, into, and out of downtown. It creates a greener public realm along an important pedestrian corridor, while remaining a key automobile and transit corridor.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Broadway North Grand Boulevard - Between 19th Street and Market Street
Project Description
Streetscaping, dedicated transit lanes, a high-comfort bikeway, intersection safety improvements and operational modifications would create a Grand Boulevard on Broadway between 19th Avenue and Market Street. This would link people in Five Points, Curtis Park, and Uptown into the downtown core.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Broadway Central Grand Boulevard - Between 9th Avenue and 19th Street
Project Description
The project completes the vision of Broadway as the heart of north-south travel in downtown. The long-term vision is for exclusive bus lanes and a two-way high-comfort bicycle facility that will transform the corridor into a true multimodal corridor. Complementary improvements to Lincoln Street enhance transit efficiency and intersection safety.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
MetroRide Extension - Between Civic Center Station and Golden Triangle
Project Description
Extending the existing MetroRide service from Civic Center Station to the Golden Triangle would provide frequent transit service in the rapidly densifying neighborhood.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Wewatta Street & 16th Street Multimodal Improvements - Wewatta Street from Speer to Park Avenue 16th Street from Wynkoop to Chestnut
Project Description
Wewatta Street between Speer Boulevard and Park Avenue West would be transformed into a multimodal corridor with a high-comfort bikeway and future transit service. The section of 16th Street between Wynkoop and Chestnut would be enhanced to compliment the investments on 16th Street Mall.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Central 15th & 17th Streets Multimodal Improvements - 15th Street from Cleveland to Larimer and 17th Street from Broadway to Wynkoop
Project Description
Multimodal improvements including dedicated space for transit and high-comfort bikeways are being designed and constructed on 15th Street between Cleveland Place and Larimer Street between Broadway and Wynkoop Street.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Central Platte Valley Gondola - Between Union Station and Highland Neighborhood
Project Description
An aerial tram or gondola between Union Station and Highland neighborhood is proposed to overcome physical barriers between two rapidly expanding areas.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Lower Downtown Bikeways - Between Speer Boulevard and Broadway
Project Description
Blake Street and Market Street are the heart of Lower Downtown and would be transformed into multimodal corridors with high-comfort bikeways. Bicycle operations are improved through infrastructure improvements and signal timing optimization.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Curb Space Organization - Throughout Downtown
Project Description
This concept would apply a predictable and consistent curbside management strategy which would increase space for uses such as deliveries, ride-share drops offs, and general loading throughout Downtown Denver.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Pedestrian Signal Phasing - Throughout Downtown
Project Description
Signal operations would be modified downtown to make the pedestrian “walk” signals more intuitive and predictable for both pedestrians and drivers.
Read more about this project (PDF)
Watch a short video about this project (YouTube)
Funding is a combination of city capital improvement program dollars and partner contributions from RTD and DDP.
The total budget for Denver Moves: Downtown is $1.5 million dollars. This includes the current study and alternative development phase. An additional $250,000 will be available to put toward the implementation of short-term projects and improvements identified through this current effort.
Denver Moves: Downtown is primarily concentrated on the city center to review and consider future changes to the downtown transportation system. The boundaries shown on the map serve as general guidelines for needed modeling and the project’s focus area. The project is taking a holistic approach that will also take into account how surrounding neighborhoods and the entire region access downtown.
Denver Moves: Downtown will identify projects that improve the transportation system for the city center in the near term as well over the long-term. These projects will be prioritized for funding consideration over the next 5, 10 and 20 years. Early activation pilot projects are anticipated to begin as soon as 2020.
Denver Moves: Downtown, just like its predecessors, supports goals set forth in other citywide plans including Blueprint Denver and the Vision Zero Action Plan. The Denver Moves: Transit plan, Denver Moves: Pedestrians and Trails plan and Denver Moves: Bicycles plan prioritize multimodal improvements on a citywide scale. Denver Moves: Downtown more holistically addresses transportation within the city center.
As a result of the general obligation bond approved by voters in 2017, the City and County of Denver will be providing critical citywide improvements through the Elevate Denver Bond Program. A variety of downtown transportation and mobility projects are included on the project list such as the 16th Street Mall Plan Implementation, citywide sidewalk construction, Auraria/Downtown Connection Vision Plan, etc. Denver Moves: Downtown will coordinate with these projects as well as other previous plans such as Vision Zero.
Denver Moves: Downtown will be addressing a wide range of transportation goals including safety, accessibility and efficiency. We would like to hear your ideas and recommendations, whether big or small, on how we can improve our downtown transportation system.
Community Task Force
Workshop #4 Materials
- Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)
Community Task Force Workshop #3 – June 2019
Materials
- Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)
Community Task Force Workshop #2 – April 2019
Materials
- Meeting Summary (PDF)
- Presentation (PDF)
Kickoff Meeting — December 2018
Materials (PDF)
Arapahoe Square Design Advisory Board
Ballpark Collective
Bicycle Colorado
Bike Denver
Blake 27
City Council ( Districts 9 and 10)
CityLive
Clements Historic District Neighborhood Association
Colorado Motor Carriers Association
Colorado Rockies
CU Denver - Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Cultural Arts Residential Organization
Curtis Park Neighbors
Denver Art Museum
Denver Broncos
Denver Convention Center
Denver Streets Partnership
Downtown Denver BID
Downtown Denver Partnership Mobility Council
Downtown Denver Partnership Public Realm Council
Downtown Denver Partnership Retail Council
Enterprise Hill Homeowners Association
Five Points BlD
Five Points Business District
Five Points Historic Association
Golden Triangle Creative District
Greenway Foundation
Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC)
Larimer Place Condominium Association
Lo Do District, Inc.
Lower Downtown Design Review Board
Lower Downtown Historic District
Lower Downtown Neighborhood Association (LoDoNA)
Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee
Mayor's Multi-Modal Advisory Committee
Mayor's Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Monarch Mills HOA
Pepsi Center
Rio Norte
Riverfront Park Association
RTD Citizen's Advisory Committee
The Central Platte Valley - Auraria District RNO
The Points Historical Redevelopment Corp
The River Mile
Union Station Advocates
Union Station North
Vision Zero
Visit Denver
Walk Denver
Windsor Condominium Association
For questions or more information, contact the Denver Moves: Downtown project team