Denver Surpassed 2018’s Total Traffic Deaths Last Month
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Three more people died in Denver traffic crashes in October, the latest carnage in a city experiencing a 23-percent increase in road fatalities so far this year. Now 64 people are dead in crashes, up from 62 in all of last year — which itself was a bloody year with 16-percent more deaths.
Overall, there were 2,072 crashes last month, seriously injuring 23 people, including five pedestrians, two bicyclists and one person on a motorcycle, according to police data. Fifty-two crashes involved pedestrians, while 27 involved people on bikes (with 225 crashes still under investigation, which could change these statistics).
The trend of increasing road deaths continues despite Mayor Hancock’s 2016 pledge to end all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
When Hancock introduced his initial 2020 budget proposal in September, the Denver Streets Partnership denounced the plan for its weak funding for sidewalks and street safety. Last month, the mayor added three line items to the budget that will add $2.7 million to improve street safety and sidewalks.
