https://youtu.be/0ul7sx9aCSE

It happens all day, every day, but this obstructed bike lane on Wynkoop Street in front of Union Station borders on the absurd.

Reader Micah Gurard-Levin stumbled upon this impenetrable blockade of 10 cars Thursday and took a video. Notice the extra hazard of the wide open door.

The practice of picking up and dropping off passengers in the bike lane is standard on Wynkoop. Despite a redesign of the strip by Denver Public Works meant to make the area less stressful and safer for people biking, walking, and driving, more clearly needs to be done now that RTD’s A-Line is open. There’s no physical barrier keeping cars out of the bike lane, and this is the inevitable result.

The streets around Union Station should be the most walkable and bikeable part of the city. After all, the goal of redeveloping the station was to anchor a truly transit-oriented Lower Downtown. As long as streets prioritize vehicle drop-offs (and protecting the Wynkoop Street gutter) instead of car-free travel, the area isn’t going to live up to expectations.

With scenes like the one in this video, the case for a car-free Wynkoop gets even stronger.

Got a picture or video of something that’s making Denver’s streets better? Worse? Share it on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #SweetStreet or #StreetFail, and we may share it on the blog. You can email me as well.