DENVER — New traffic signals are set to be installed along Federal Boulevard after the Denver City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
The grant marks the latest move to save lives along the road which was identified by the Denver Streets Partnership as the city's most dangerous.
According to the Denver Streets Partnership, Federal has a fatality rate more than 20 times the average for urban streets in Colorado.
Executive Director Jill Locantore said her organization has been calling for drastic changes to Federal for years, adding that it is on the list of Denver's "high injury network" that accounts for 50 percent of traffic deaths.
"There's up to eight lanes of traffic that people have to cross just to get from one side to the other," Locantore said. "So we've been advocating for years for a complete overhaul of Federal Boulevard that's required to make it truly safe for everybody to get to their destinations on this really important corridor for our city."
The resolution, adopted unanimously by Denver City Council Monday, approves more than $3.8 million from CDOT to install five new traffic signals at Federal and 38th, Federal and Kentucky, Federal and Mississippi, Federal and Jewell, and Colorado and MLK. Locantore hopes these new signals will be the first step in a series of changes that will improve safety for drivers, walkers and cyclists alike.
"This is a step in the right direction, but it's just a piece of the puzzle," she said. "We need a lot more investment in the corridor to truly make it safe for everybody."
It is unclear when the traffic signals will be installed. The resolution adopted by city council allows for the grant funds to be spent over the next 10 years.
