Denver Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Meeting – April 1, 2026

On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 1:00 PM (early start), the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the Denver City Council met in Room 391 of the City & County Building. Vice Chair Chris Hinds chaired the meeting in the absence of Chair Shontel Lewis. Members present: Flor Alvidrez, Kevin Flynn, Chris Hinds, Paul Kashmann, Amanda Sandoval, Shontel Lewis (remote), Sarah Parady (remote), and Darrell Watson (remote). Stacie Gilmore was absent. The agenda included one action item (a license agreement with Veo for the shared bike and scooter program), two briefings (Denver International Airport use and lease agreements and Xcel Energy’s wildfire mitigation program), and six consent items. The action item was postponed after extensive debate; the consent items were approved; the DEN briefing was heard; and the Xcel briefing was postponed to a future date.

Consent Calendar

• 26-0379 – Approved a contract with Inliner Solutions, LLC for $4,866,681.50 (NTP + 365 days) for 2025 WMD Pipe and Manhole Rehabilitation Phase 3, citywide.
• 26-0381 – Approved a contract with GOODLAND CONSTRUCTION, INC. for $3,096,936.62 (NTP + 246 days) for Project CCD FY18 HSIP PKG 2 Traffic Signal Replacement at two intersections, citywide.
• 26-0394 – Approved a contract with Gilmore Construction for $10,000,000 (5 years) for on‑call airside facilities maintenance at Denver International Airport (District 11).
• 26-0395 – Approved a contract with Hensel Phelps Construction Company for $10,000,000 (5 years) for on‑call airside facilities maintenance at Denver International Airport (District 11).
• 26-0400 – Dedicated a city‑owned parcel as public right‑of‑way (Public Alley) bounded by North Clayton Street, East 2nd Avenue, North Detroit Street, and East 3rd Avenue (District 5).
• 26-0401 – Dedicated a city‑owned parcel as public right‑of‑way (North Xanthia Street) near the intersection of North Xanthia Street and East 37th Avenue (District 8).

Discussion Items

1. Shared Bike and Scooter Program – License Agreement with Veo (26-0326)

The committee considered a three‑year license agreement with VEORIDE INC. (dba Veo) to operate Denver’s shared bike and scooter program citywide, with a planned effective date of May 1, 2026. DOTI staff (Alaina McWhorter, Justin Begley, Nick Williams) presented the recommendation, highlighting:

• A competitive procurement process that began in September 2025, with Veo selected as the single operator under a single‑operator model.
• Pricing 10–35% cheaper than current rates, with locked‑in rates.
• An access program offering 60 minutes of free ride time daily for eligible users, plus a discounted rate of 15¢/minute beyond 60 minutes.
• A per‑device fee of $245/year (fleet cap 9,000) expected to generate ~$2.2 million annually.
• An equity access program rebate: if access trips exceed 25% of total rides, the city receives a $2.50/trip rebate from the per‑device fee, up to $1 million/year. At the current 28% access ridership, the rebate would be ~$475,000, leaving the city with ~$1.7 million.

Contract change and controversy: The original contract included a provision allowing the city and Veo to discuss an administrative monthly fee for access users if the $1 million rebate cap was exceeded. After public criticism (including a 9News article and an email from Denver Streets Partnership), that provision was removed and a revised contract was sent to council members on March 31 at 5:54 PM. Several council members (President Sandoval, Flynn, Kashmann, Watson, Parady) expressed frustration that the change came too late to review properly and that a red‑line version was not provided until after the meeting began. DOTI staff explained the clause was intended only as an emergency backstop for catastrophic economic events and was removed to avoid confusion.

Key discussion points:

• Council President Sandoval emphasized the need for adequate time to review contracts and questioned the definition of “catastrophic.”
• Councilmember Kashmann expressed concerns about geofencing limitations and requested written guarantees on Veo’s parking management in District 6.
• Councilmember Alvidrez asked about the W‑2 workforce requirement; DOTI confirmed Veo is contractually committed to a W‑2 workforce throughout the contract term.
• Councilmember Parady raised concerns about the transition of access program users from current operators (Lime and Bird), noting that the two‑week overlap may not be sufficient. DOTI stated that a clean break is preferable based on experiences in other cities and that a longer overlap could hinder the new operator’s success.
• Councilmember Watson noted that the removed clause was a response to a real problem (Lime’s previous financial difficulty with the access program) but agreed the timing of the change was problematic.
• Councilmember Lewis (remote) sought clarification on the rebate structure and confirmed that the rebate comes from revenue that would otherwise go to the city, not from new budget sources.

Outcome: A motion by Councilmember Flynn to refer the resolution to the full council failed for lack of a second. A subsequent motion by Council President Sandoval to postpone the item to the next available committee date (April 15, 2026) was seconded and passed 6‑0 (with Gilmore absent).

2. Denver International Airport – Use and Lease Agreements (26-0427) – Briefing

Phillip Washington (CEO) and Chris Herndon (Chief Commercial Officer) presented an informational briefing on the upcoming batch of use and lease agreements (ULAs) for 18 signatory carriers whose current agreements expire December 31, 2026. Key points:

• The four largest carriers (United, Southwest, Frontier, Delta) have long‑term leases extending to 2034‑2035.
• The remaining 18 signatory carriers will receive three‑year ULAs (Jan 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2029) with two one‑year city‑option extensions.
• The first batch of seven airlines (Key Lime Air, Iceland Air, Turkish Air, Lutanza, Air France, Edelweiss, WestJet) will be brought to council on April 15, 2026.
• In 2024, airline revenues were $362 million in facility rentals and $210 million in landing fees.
• All signatory carriers participate in a revenue‑share program (up to $40 million annually, currently $50 million but decreasing).
• Councilmember Alvidrez asked about vacancy rates; staff provided that of 1.4 million sq ft of rentable space, about 1 million is leased exclusively/preferentially to airlines, leaving ~400,000 sq ft (28%) for common use.
• Director Washington also provided spring break travel updates (1.3 million passengers, average TSA wait time 12 minutes), gift card donations for TSA agents (~$55,000‑$65,000), and a planned update on alternative energy solutions after reviewing responses to a Request for Information.

3. Xcel Energy – Public Safety Power Shutoff Program (26-0428) – Briefing Postponed

Grace Ramirez and Lyle Moore were present to present on Xcel’s wildfire mitigation program (including public safety power shutoffs). Due to time constraints and a desire to allow full discussion, the committee agreed to reschedule the briefing. The presenter clarified that the full program (not just shutoffs) would be covered at a future meeting to be coordinated with committee staff.

Key Outcomes

• Action Item 26-0326 (Veo license agreement) was postponed to the April 15, 2026 committee meeting by a vote of 6‑0. The postponement gives council members time to review the revised contract and obtain a red‑line version.
• All six consent items (26-0379 through 26-0401) were approved by consent and will move to the full City Council.
• The DEN briefing (26-0427) was received as information; staff will return with the first batch of ULAs on April 15.
• The Xcel briefing (26-0428) was postponed to a date to be determined, with staff to coordinate scheduling.