It’s Time to Vote for the 2016 Denver Streetsies
There are plenty of reasons to say good riddance to 2016. Before we do, it’s time to vote for the 2016 Streetsies, Denver edition.
This year our country elected a president and administration that could be outright hostile to sustainable transportation and to the American cities that depend on it. As Donald Trump signals he will go along with eviscerating transit while ignoring climate change and deregulating big oil and gas, it’s even more important that Denver act locally to make transit, walking, and biking the cornerstone of its transportation system.
To an extent, Denver’s decision makers are trying to do just that. They’ve come around to thinking about the Mile High City as a growing, modern metropolis that can no longer afford to plan around automobiles. Despite a lot of rhetoric, it’s a slow-turning ship. Denver’s national reputation as a first-class transit city, for example, is undercut by cold, hard facts: Fewer people use transit now, and more people drive, than they did in 2000.
The Streetsies are a way to remember the year that was, but also a way to track progress. So vote on the projects, policies, and other happenings — good and bad — below. (Head over to Streetsblog USA for the national Streetsies.)
Happy new year and happy voting!
Best Street Transformation
- South Broadway gets a road diet and a half-mile protected bike lane (52%, 49 Votes)
- 17th and Wynkoop puts pedestrians first (21%, 20 Votes)
- Blake Street goes from a one-way to two-way street with bike lanes (21%, 20 Votes)
- 16th and Broadway gets bike crossings and a small raised bike lane (6%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 95
Loading ...Most Egregious #StreetFail
- The bike lane-protected gutter (40%, 36 Votes)
- The epic Wynkoop Street blockade (27%, 24 Votes)
- A very sad bus stop near RTD's spanking new A-Line train (21%, 19 Votes)
- Stop signs — for pedestrians — on Broadway (12%, 11 Votes)
Total Voters: 90
Loading ...What Denver Should Be Most Embarrassed About
- As other cities raze highways, CDOT is shoving a bigger I-70 through Denver (32%, 31 Votes)
- More people, not fewer, are dying just trying to move around the city (21%, 21 Votes)
- RTD still doesn't have a modern fare payment system (17%, 17 Votes)
- More than a quarter of Denver's streets are missing sidewalks (15%, 15 Votes)
- Despite national rep, driving is more prevalent now than in 2000 (14%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 98
Loading ...What Denver Should Be Most Hopeful For
- Overhauling the city's pedestrian, transit, and land use plans (Denveright) (41%, 41 Votes)
- Heavy resistance to the I-70 boondoogle (25%, 25 Votes)
- The prospect of getting sidewalks citywide (18%, 18 Votes)
- A complete transformation of Brighton Boulevard (17%, 17 Votes)
Total Voters: 101
Loading ...Biggest Deal for People-First Streets
- Vision Zero (36%, 35 Votes)
- Real-time arrival and departure data on RTD buses (32%, 31 Votes)
- The end of parking minimums in Arapahoe Square (16%, 15 Votes)
- More electronic traffic enforcement (9%, 9 Votes)
- A "green wave" on 16th Avenue (6%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 96
Loading ...Worst Deal for People-First Streets
- Constant, unenforced parking in bike lanes (36%, 34 Votes)
- Council chooses parking for cars over homes for people (33%, 31 Votes)
- A systemic shrug when it comes to clearing snowy sidewalks (23%, 22 Votes)
- Denver PD blames pedestrians with 1920s messaging (8%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 95
Loading ...Most Absurd Media Takes on Urban Streets
- Denver Post cheers on a car-choked future (37%, 32 Votes)
- Denver Business Journal editor flops on Broadway bike lane (25%, 22 Votes)
- The Denver Post gets the economics of parking utterly wrong (24%, 21 Votes)
- Crack CBS4 team investigates: Some bicyclists don't follow rules (14%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 87
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