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Record of Proceedings

Denver Mayor and City Council Meeting: Vision Zero Speed Program Presentation - June 25, 2024

Mayor-Council Meeting — Tuesday, June 25, 2024

BodyDenver, Colorado

SessionMayor-Council Meeting

DateTuesday, June 25, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:06:26

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Welcome to this meeting of the mayor and Denver City Council.

0:04

At this weekly session, city agencies brief the mayor and council members on various proposals and projects across the city.

0:12

This meeting of the mayor and city council members begins now.

4:20

Let's start with some introductions.

4:26

Good morning, Amanda Sanova, Northwest Denver District One.

4:29

Good morning, everyone.

4:30

Serena Gonzalez Cutieras, one of your council members at large.

4:33

Good morning, Denver.

4:34

Chris Hines, Denver's perfect ten.

4:37

Good morning, Flora Levres, Lucky District Seven.

4:39

Good morning, Amanda Sawyer, District Five.

4:41

Good morning, Diana Romero Campbell, Southeast Denver, District Four.

4:45

Jamie Torres, West Denver District Three.

4:48

Thank you all for being here.

4:49

Councilman Sawyer shaking it up by being on the different side of the table today.

4:53

I know.

4:53

I just wanted to freak you guys out and keep you on your tests.

4:55

Okay.

4:56

We all get into settled seats.

4:57

Um all right.

5:00

Thank you to members of the public that are uh joining online.

5:02

We uh wanted to start with any announcements folks might have this morning for members of council or for anyone in the listening public who might want to get updated.

5:10

Yes, Council President Pro Tem.

5:12

Thank you, Mayor.

5:12

Um we have the Denver Municipal Band, and for the first time ever, it's going to perform at one of our regional parks.

5:23

I'm hosting them at Rocky Mountain Park this Friday with food trucks.

5:28

It's the first time that they've played in the west part of town.

5:33

They always get booked on the other side of the Platte River for the history of the municipal band.

5:38

And so just anyone who wants to come out and hear our Denver municipal band, it's great.

5:43

It's from 6 to 8:30 at Rocky Mountain Park.

5:46

You can bring a picnic.

5:47

I'll have food trucks there.

5:49

My staff will be there.

5:50

Um, but it will be a great little event and featuring our Denver municipal band.

5:54

Thank you.

5:55

Thank you so much, President Pro Tem.

5:57

Other announcements, yes.

5:58

Uh Councilwoman Row Campbell.

6:00

Thank you, Mr.

6:00

Mayor.

6:01

Uh we have the summer scamper, which is going to happen at Bible Park on Wednesday, this Wednesday.

6:07

So if you haven't got your 5K in, this is the opportunity.

6:10

Um the race starts at 6 p.m.

6:12

You get a t-shirt, there's gonna be a lot of vendors and fun activities, and this is uh sponsored by the Highline Conservancy.

6:19

So it's at Bible Park, 6 p.m.

6:22

I think they have about 500 people who've signed up so far.

6:25

What day again?

6:26

Tomorrow.

6:27

Tomorrow.

6:27

Excellent.

6:30

Any other announcements that folks want to share?

6:34

Yes, Councilman Alvidros.

6:36

Thank you, Mayor.

6:37

Good to see you.

6:39

Um don't forget to vote.

6:41

Today is election day in Denver, and a very important primary election at that.

6:46

So just want to put that reminder out there.

6:48

Thank you.

6:48

Thank you, Councilman.

6:49

I have my ballot on my desk to turn in today too.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Transportation Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████56%

Public Safety███████████████████████28%

Procedural███████████14%

Parks and Recreation██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Denver Mayor and City Council Meeting: Vision Zero Speed Program Presentation - June 25, 2024

On June 25, 2024, the Mayor and Denver City Council held a weekly session focused on traffic safety, receiving a detailed presentation from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) on the new Denver Speed Program. The meeting began with announcements and council member introductions, followed by a comprehensive update on Vision Zero efforts, including strategies to reduce traffic fatalities by 50% within two years on two pilot corridors.

Announcements

Council President Pro Tem Jamie Torres announced the Denver Municipal Band's first performance at a regional park, Rocky Mountain Park, on Friday June 28, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM, with food trucks.
Councilwoman Diana Romero Campbell promoted the Summer Scamper 5K at Bible Park on Wednesday June 26 at 6:00 PM, sponsored by Highline Conservancy, with about 500 registrants.
Councilman Chris Hines reminded everyone that June 25 was election day for the primary, urging people to vote.

Discussion Items: Vision Zero and the Denver Speed Program

Amy Ford, Director of DOTI, along with Jen Hillhouse (Director of Transportation Planning) and Emily Glockner (City Traffic Engineer), presented the department's response to a challenge from Mayor and Council to reduce traffic fatalities by 50% within two years.

Key Data Presented:

Denver has seen 83–84 traffic fatalities per year in recent years, with serious injuries also rising.
Speed is the primary factor: a pedestrian hit at 40 mph is eight times more likely to die than at 20 mph.
The city identified 35 high-injury network corridors, with Federal Boulevard and Alameda Avenue chosen as pilot corridors based on crash data.
Nearly 38% of pedestrian fatalities in the last year involved unhoused individuals.

Five Strategies for Pilot Corridors:

Saturation with speed limit and feedback signs (crash reduction factor ~10-15%).
Directed marketing campaign.
Signal retiming to create green waves at speed limit (success on West Colfax: 71% fatality reduction from Irving to Sheridan).
Rest-at-red signals overnight, with dynamic detection where available.
Enforcement: surge mobile speed vans (proven 60%+ speed reduction) and pilot automated speed enforcement (estimated 40% crash reduction, state-enabled recently).

The pilot will cost approximately $1 million per corridor and aims for deployment within 6-8 months, with evaluation over the next 12-18 months.

Council Questions and Input (Themes):

Councilmembers emphasized the need for multicultural/multilingual signage, addressing CDOT-owned portions of Alameda, and coordinating with adjacent counties.
Multiple members requested attention to neighborhood streets and school zones (e.g., Valverde Elementary, Lake Middle School) and safe routes to school programs.
Concerns were raised about bike lane design (Councilman Cashman noted dangerous designs at 14th and Broadway) and the need for protected left-turn signals.
Councilwoman Sawyer noted that mobile speed vans are insufficient and questioned the transition to automated speed cameras. Councilman Hines highlighted downtown as a high-mix zone needing attention, and Councilman Watson pressed for improvements to the 38th Street underpass.
Council President Torres noted that Federal Boulevard is a commuter corridor, and the cultural/behavioral shift needed after COVID.

Key Outcomes

The Speed Program will launch as a pilot on Federal and Alameda, with speed feedback signs, directed marketing, signal retiming, rest-at-red, and surge mobile enforcement (with automated speed enforcement to follow).
DOTI will provide a full list and map of projects in each council district, including crosswalks and other infrastructure, and conduct a downtown safety study.
The city has applied for a $20 million Safe Streets for All federal grant to expand strategies across all 35 high-injury networks.
DOTI will engage CDOT on state highway portions of Alameda and will work with council on school zone safety and neighborhood traffic management.
The meeting concluded with council moving into executive session to discuss settlement of ongoing litigation.

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