David Sachs
David cut his teeth covering transportation, development, politics, education, and art in D.C. He's covered sustainable transportation for Streetsblog since 2015 and has lived in Denver's Cheesman Park neighborhood since 2012.
Recent Posts
Will Denver City Council Make Good on Its Goal to Expand B-Cycle Citywide?
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Nestled in the Denver City Council’s “work plan” — a document that guides its priorities — is a noteworthy goal for the city’s bike-share system: “A several-year plan for erecting B-cycle stations citywide.” It’s a worthwhile target, as long as the stations are sited close enough together. For bike-share systems to work well, the network has to cover a lot of ground and […]
Hickenlooper on I-70: A Wider Highway Will Be Good for Your Health
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Even as Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx calls on state officials to mend the scars left by urban highways in the 1950s and 60s, Governor John Hickenlooper is recycling 60-year-old talking points to justify making the I-70 scar even wider in north Denver. Streetsblog NYC’s David Meyer got a few minutes with the governor while he was in New York […]
The Case for a Car-Free Public Plaza on Wynkoop Street By Union Station
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Here’s a quick video about the potential to turn Wynkoop Street in front of Union Station into a great public space. It’s by Chris Jones, a self-described “urbanist making videos about urbanism.” Jones envisions transforming Wynkoop Street between 16th and 18th into “Wynkoop Square” by making those blocks car-free. If that seems like a radical idea, he says, just test […]
BikeDenver Demands Long-Term Funding for Citywide Bike Network
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At current funding levels it would take Denver Public Works up to 50 years to build the safe, functional bike network envisioned in Denver Moves, the city’s bicycle plan. That’s why BikeDenver Board President Mark Chapman recently sent a letter [PDF] to City Council President Chris Herndon asking electeds to ensure robust annual funding for bike […]
#StreetFail: Sad Bus Stop Near RTD’s New A-Line
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Here’s a #StreetFail that gets at how much progress Denver still needs to make to become a great transit city. It’s a sad bus stop at 40th and Fillmore in Elyria Swansea, across the street from Bruce Randolph School, on a side of the road with no sidewalks. Happy Walk to School Day, kids! Because RTD and […]
How Will Public Works Fix Everything That’s Wrong With Federal Boulevard?
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Federal Boulevard is one of the deadliest streets in the city, especially if you’re walking. But it could be so much better. Federal is already full of foot traffic, it carries more transit passengers than all but one other street in the city, and it could serve as an incredibly direct and useful bike route. If only […]
Hickenlooper’s DOT Casts Itself as the Hero in I-70 Propaganda Film
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Colorado DOT has produced a half-hour documentary about Colorado DOT saving Elyria, Swansea, and Globeville from an old highway. How does Colorado DOT come to the rescue? By building an enormous new highway, of course! This 30-minute piece of propaganda, called “Changing Lanes,” cost taxpayers $88,000 to make. The film was produced to fulfill federal historic preservation requirements, […]
Denver Public Works Built a Bike Lane-Protected Gutter
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Over the last few weeks, Denver Public Works has been working to improve walking and biking conditions at 17th and Wynkoop near Union Station. With the A-Line opening and more foot traffic on the way, the old design wasn’t going to cut it. Streetsblog posted photos of the changes when they were almost complete a couple of weeks ago. Now DenverUrbanism […]
Why the A-Line to Denver International Airport Costs $9
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A lot has been made of the $9 fare to get to and from Denver International Airport on RTD’s gleaming new A-Line. As Streetsblog reported a few weeks ago, it’s more expensive than airport rail in comparable American cities, but about the same as in San Francisco. CBS4 and ABC7 did similar stories more recently. Why […]
Denver City Council Looks to Create Fund for a Complete Sidewalk Network
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The Denver City Council is inching closer to a long-term fix for the city’s antiquated sidewalk policies, which have led to shoddy walking infrastructure and major gaps in the sidewalk network. City Councilman Paul Kashmann, who heads the Sidewalk Working Group, is looking to establish a sidewalk fund. The question is where the money will come from. Elected officials questioned planners from […]
#StreetFail: Truck Parks in 15th St. Protected Bike Lane Next to Public Works
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Yesterday we brought you a #StreetFail from the raised bike lane right in front of City Hall, Mayor Michael Hancock’s office. In a fitting sequel, a reader sends this shot from the 15th Street protected bike lane, where a semi set up shop next to the Wellington Webb Building, home of Denver Public Works. The symbolism again runs […]
#StreetFail: Denver Police Block Bike Lane in Front of City Hall
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Here’s a #StreetFail that encapsulates one of the key obstacles to safe, bikeable streets in Denver. Drivers park in bike lanes all the time, and the people who are supposed to enforce the law do it too. This Denver Police Department bus was parked on top of the bike lane directly across the street from City Hall last Thursday. The symbolism […]