Every four years, the city of Denver has the opportunity to request tens of millions of dollars in transportation funding from DRCOG (1). For the current funding cycle, under the leadership of Mayor Hancock, the city requested $5 million dollars to design an expansion of Pena Blvd, despite hundreds of public comments opposing this project and asking that the funds be prioritized to transit and bicycle infrastructure. Unfortunately, a number of highly important and long-delayed multimodal projects were passed over in order to fund the design of this highway expansion.
The undersigned are petitioning Mayor Johnston to withdraw the city's $5 million dollar funding request for the expansion of Pena Blvd (2) and redirect the funds to design the extension of the Broadway bike lane from Speer Blvd to Civic Center (3). This would demonstrate the administration's commitment to both safe bicycle infrastructure and to the revitalization of downtown which would greatly benefit from the bicycle, pedestrian and transit upgrades on Broadway.
It is urgent that Mayor Johnston communicate this request to DRCOG prior to their August 16 meeting when the board of directors will vote on the funding package.
(2) https://drcog.org/sites/default/files/STBG%20Track%20-%20Denver%20-%20Peña%20Blvd.%20Managed%20Lane%20-%20I-70%20to%20E-470%20-%20Preconstruction%20-%20Application.pdf
(3) https://drcog.org/sites/default/files/Denver%20-%20S.%20Broadway%20Multimodal%20Improvements%20-%207th%20Ave.%20to%2016th%20Ave.%20-%20Preconstruction%20-%20Application.pdf
