DENVER — Whether your a pedestrian or a driver, you can probably think of a few roads you feel are dangerous.
The City of Denver has identified eight that are now the focus of a new federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program:
- Alameda Avenue from Kearney Street to Fairmount Drive
- Broadway from E. Colfax Avenue to 29th Street
- Colorado Boulevard from Mississippi Avenue to Iliff Avenue
- Speer Boulevard from Federal Boulevard to Elitch Circle
- University Boulevard from Iowa Avenue to Yale Avenue
- W. 38th Ave. from Federal Boulevard to Fox Street
- Evans Avenue from Colorado Boulevard to Quebec Street
- Tower Road from 45th Ave. to 71st Ave.
"These are corridors on which we know more serious injury crashes and fatal crashes are happening. So they're areas of greatest need in the city, they tend to be wider arterial roadways where speeds are faster," said Nancy Kuhn with the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI).
Just a few months ago, we brought you the story of Logan Rocklin, who was hit and killed at W. 38th Ave. and Sheridan Boulevard. The same stretch of road was identified as needing safety improvements.
Less than a month after Rocklin was killed, a memorial set up to honor him was also hit by a car.
"We count the number of cars that run the red light, or drive up over the curb when they're turning. People crossing the street, they push the botton, they wait, they step out, then they have to jump back because cars are turning," said Andy Morris, Rocklin's sister.
It's those types of issues that the City of Denver hopes to identify through safety audits, paid for by the federal grant.
"What we do is we hire a group of consultants — professional designers, engineers — to look at a stretch of roadway and look at it from a variety of different user viewpoints — whether you're driving, walking, biking, or taking the bus — and identifying opportunities for safety improvements," said Nancy Kuhn with DOTI.
After that, anything that can be quickly improved will take priority, according to Kuhn. For other major changes that might be needed, Denver says it's willing to use its own funding or search out more grants to make the improvements.
"This could include things such as traffic calming treatments, finding out ways to slow cars down. Perhaps it's low turning speeds and puts things in the road that make those left and right turns more slow," said Kuhn.
Those solutions won't be identified until after the safety audits determine what exact changes are needed for each specific stretch of road. The city does not have a solid timeline for when the audits would be complete. Officials say they expect to finalize the grant approval soon.
Denver has completed road safety audits for eight other roads in need of safety improvements.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will grant $800 million in investments over the next five years.
