DENVER — Cyclists in Denver took over a portion of W. 29th Avenue near Sloan’s Lake on Saturday morning to protest the city’s decision not to construct a protected bike lane in the area.
In July, Denver7 reported on the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure's proposal to add a protected bike lane with a barrier on W. 29th Avenue, stretching from Sheridan to Federal boulevards.
However, this would require removing more than 200 parking spots, which some businesses and residents opposed.
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The final decision from DOTI to keep existing parking spots west of Tennyson Street to Sheridan Boulevard came a few weeks ago, leaving the cycling community feeling frustrated.
“It was so disappointing because we had high hopes,” said Denver resident Alejandra Castañeda.
Castañeda was one of dozens of cyclists at Saturday’s rally.
“[W. 29th Avenue] has had a painted bike lane for years, and people talk about not having had any serious injuries or deaths from people biking, but that's because people aren't using it really,” she said.
As it stands, the remaining half-mile portion of the bike lane will remain a painted bike lane.
While most of the bike rally attendees called for the City of Denver to reconsider, a few business owners and residents told Denver7 that they agreed with the final decision.
Longtime homeowner Richard Lobato told Denver7 there’s already a lack of parking in the community, and removing those remaining spots would make things worse for residents, too,
“That, along with the overdevelopment of the neighborhood, has created more parking congestion on the side streets. I know that because I'm impacted by that as well. Now people block driveways,” he said.
However, both sides agree that the changes have yet to improve safety for anyone.
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Lobato raised concerns about the improvements that have already been made, saying they make the street more difficult to navigate.
“You've narrowed the lanes to the point where now cars are in conflict with one another, so the potential for head-on collisions has increased,” he pointed out.
As part of the rally, cycling advocates lined the soon-to-be-painted bike lane with red solo cups to illustrate the space they’ll have in proximity to moving vehicles.
Within minutes, vehicles had run over some of those cups.
“That does not have to be this way. These things are preventable with good design that prioritizes people, and that's all we're asking,” said Castañeda.
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