Shailen Bhatt

In the inaugural year of Colorado DOT’s timid Toward Zero Deaths initiative, 545 people were killed on roads throughout the state. That’s a stark spike in fatalities — 57 more, or 10 percent, than in 2014, and the most since 2008. The number of people killed while walking or biking rose from 74 to 78. More than a quarter … Continued

A lot of people don’t like Colorado DOT’s plan to widen I-70 in north Denver — and for good reason. Expanding I-70 will generate more traffic, noise pollution, and greenhouse gases while costing a bundle of money that could be spent on other things, like, say, better transit. Opponents of the road widening told CDOT why they … Continued

End-of-year lists are an inescapable part of the calendar flipping from December to January. Some of those serve to entertain, but this list serves to remind Mayor Michael Hancock, his Department of Public Works, and CDOT Executive Director Shailen Bhatt that 19 20 people were killed while walking and biking through the city in 2015. Half … Continued

It’s been a notable year for walking, biking, and transit in the Mile High City. But what was the most notable? The best project? The worst? We put those questions and others to our readers, and the votes are in. Here are your winners of the first-ever Denver Streetsies. Best Livable Streets Victory Money talks — and gets votes. Governor John Hickenlooper’s $100 … Continued

Yesterday Streetsblog Denver published the first half of our interview with Shailen Bhatt, the head of Colorado’s Department of Transportation, in which he talked about CDOT’s changing role in a changing Denver. Bhatt isn’t your average DOT leader — or at least he doesn’t sound like one. He talks about complete streets a lot, and … Continued

Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shailen Bhatt has said all the right things since taking over early this year. He talks about his job like he’s looking out for everyone who uses our streets — not just cars and drivers — giving us reason to believe that the titanic government agency will change course and … Continued

Yesterday the Transit Alliance held its annual Transit Event, which honored advocates, lawmakers, and companies from the world of transit, walking, and biking. RTD Interim General Manager Dave Genova was a lock for the keynote address for obvious reasons, but the other speaker was a less obvious choice: Shailen Bhatt, executive director of the highway-inclined Colorado … Continued

Colorado Department of Transportation Director Shailen Bhatt on Wednesday announced a $20 million initiative to outfit the state’s roads with cutting edge technology. His goal: Eliminate roadway deaths and congestion by asking tech ventures to step in and help solve problems. The initiative, dubbed “RoadX,” will contract out the development of high-tech solutions to road troubles. Semi-autonomous vehicles, for … Continued

Governor John Hickenlooper’s announcement that Colorado will invest more than $100 million over four years in bike and pedestrian infrastructure was bold, and not just because that money can go a long way. Along with committing 2.5 percent of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s budget to bike and pedestrian projects, Hickenlooper appears intent on strategically reorienting the agency toward a … Continued