DPD

A cyclist was hit and killed by a reckless driver at one of Denver's many unsafe intersections, the first person on a bike killed so far this year. Scott Hendrickson, who was 62, was an energetic and well-liked member of the local bicycle community.

Denver police are asking drivers to use caution after three motorcycle crashes resulted in two deaths and one serious injury between June 20 and 22. The recent bloodshed brings the number of traffic fatalities to 35, compared to 29 deaths at this point last year.

As Mayor Michael Hancock and his Denver PD spend time and money harrying “urban travelers” off the 16th Street Mall in an attempt to improve perceptions of public safety, they continue to diminish the actual safety of people on bikes by allowing people to park in bike lanes — and by parking in bike lanes themselves. Extra Denver PD … Continued

Last week the Denver Police Department, cheered on by CBS 4, made a concerted effort to scold people who bike through stop signs or on sidewalks. Denver PD’s focus on bicyclist behavior is curious. No city has made its streets safe for bicycling by punishing people on bikes. Even the Hancock administration’s bike safety analysis found that unsafe driving behavior … Continued

If you walk or bike in Denver and you’re worried about reckless, speeding drivers, the Denver Police Department has a message for you: Too bad, you’re on your own. DPD has been handing out cards to people walking and biking that rehash the same messages every American gets drilled into them starting in grade school. The … Continued

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 … Continued

The second Denver pedestrian killed by a driver this year was David Washington Jr., 26. According to a police report [PDF], he was lying in the westbound side of East Colfax near Wabash Street on the night of January 30, possibly because of “a medical issue,” when a woman ran him over with her Crown Victoria. Police did not charge … Continued

It’s clearly against the law for motor vehicle drivers to obstruct a bike lane in Denver, but no city agency is making enforcement a priority. Cars and trucks parked in bike lanes are a consistent problem, so Streetsblog Denver wanted to find out how many tickets have been written for obstructing bicyclists’ right to the lane. Multiple ordinances in Denver’s municipal … Continued

It’s been about a month since Streetsblog Denver questioned the whereabouts of the Department of Public Works’ bike crash analysis. The study of where cyclists get hurt and what contributes to crashes was due out in April, but still hasn’t seen daylight. Since then we’ve learned that the Denver Police Department has been using it to guide … Continued