Recent Streetsblog DENVER posts about vision zero

John Zois Killed Melissa Montañez With His Car, Then Denver PD Blamed Her

By David Sachs | Aug 10, 2016 | 11 Comments

Melissa Montañez was walking back to her dorm room at Johnson and Wales University around 10 p.m. on July 18 when John Zois rammed her with an Acura MDX on Quebec Street near 23rd Avenue. The impact killed Montañez instantly. Montañez, 19, was a culinary student. She wanted to own her own restaurant someday. Montañez did not […]

#StreetFail: Golfers Enjoy Luxurious Sidewalks While Bus Riders Take a Hike

By David Sachs | Jul 13, 2016 | 4 Comments

Here’s a sad joke on Colorado Boulevard. This bus stop near 38th Avenue on the edge of Park Hill Golf Course requires people to walk and wait on a ridge of lumpy dirt. Weeds, plants, and bushes create an impassable route for wheelchair users and a dangerous one for everyone else. The RTD stop is […]

Hancock Puts Rosy Spin on I-70 Widening in His State of the City Speech

By David Sachs | Jul 11, 2016 | 7 Comments

About 25 miles east of Denver’s urban core, across acres and acres of sprawl and rural fields, Mayor Michael Hancock delivered his annual “State of the City” address at Denver International Airport today. Hancock acknowledged that many residents aren’t reaping the benefits of Denver’s economic growth. Nodding to the city’s homelessness epidemic and housing shortage, he announced […]

Public Works Should Fix Deadly Intersections, Not Tell People to Avoid Them

By David Sachs | Jun 17, 2016 | 8 Comments

Doctors said Jonathan Beltran was lucky. After all, he could have died when a driver hit him while he crossed West Colfax on his bicycle, he told 9News. Beltran suffered serious injuries that required surgery. He also got slapped with a ticket from the Denver PD because, on this street, the law compels bicyclists and pedestrians to cower before cars. A […]

A Vision Zero Checklist for Mayor Hancock

By David Sachs | Jun 9, 2016 | 36 Comments

Last year, 57 people were killed in traffic on Denver’s streets, and hundreds more suffered life-altering injuries. What is Mayor Michael Hancock’s plan to reduce the death toll? Four months ago, Hancock declared his intention to bring traffic deaths in Denver down to zero, but his Vision Zero plan is still in development and specifics remain in short supply. One thing that’s certain, […]

The Death of David Washington and the Need for Better DPD Crash Reports

By David Sachs | Mar 30, 2016 | 1 Comment

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 […]

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