Latest news with #DOTI
CBS News
12-08-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Plan to limit lanes on East Alameda Avenue in Denver triggers opposition: "It is not going to help"
A plan to cut down on the number of through lanes on East Alameda near Denver's Washington Park neighborhood is receiving a chilly reception from some residents and business owners. The plan from Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure calls for reducing the speed limit between Logan Street and Franklin Street from 30 to 25 mph, reducing the number of travel lanes from four to two, and establishing dedicated left-turn lanes in the newly configured corridor. "It is not going to help," said Garrett Ladd, who co-owns the Blackbird Public House restaurant at the corner of Alameda and Downing Streets. "I think it could be a bad move to go to less lanes," he said, suggesting the city plan will create more backups and congestion on Alameda and steer business away from his restaurant. "As a restaurant, I can't really rely on just the people who live next door. We have to have people able to come here. If it takes them too long to get here, they will find other places, and I will lose more business." Other opponents of the plan are upset that restricting travel on Alameda, which carries about 15,000 vehicles per day through the affected stretch, will send motorists onto quiet side streets seeking faster ways to get through the area. The city concedes its plan will likely send about 10% of Alameda commuters onto area side streets. But Nancy Kuhn, a spokesperson for Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, called the diversion rate "not significant." Kuhn said the East Alameda Lane Repurposing project is being pursued in the name of safety and decreasing accidents on Alameda. "It's a major focus of ours in the city to get people to slow down," said Kuhn. "We know that what we proposed now are proven counter-measures to the crashes and the issues we're seeing on the corridor, and the goal is to make it safer for all." Kuhn pointed to city accident numbers that showed between 2017 and 2019, there were 127 accidents on the stretch of Alameda. But from 2022 to 2024, there were 169 crashes. "We hope to make it more efficient and safer," she said. Opponents of the changes have begun a website, which includes a letter to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, asking him to reconsider the proposed changes. Although the changes to the Alameda arterial were supposed to have been implemented by September, Kuhn said the city is pausing the plan so it can listen more to residents and address their concerns. For Ladd, further conversation with the city about reducing the number of lanes seems unlikely to sway him: "How is it going to help? I don't see it being any safer."
CBS News
30-07-2025
- CBS News
Fake QR code scams target Denver drivers trying to pay city parking fees
A new scam is tricking drivers across Denver into thinking they're paying for parking when in fact they're handing over personal information to scammers. Fake QR code stickers have been spotted on parking meters from Broadway to Cherry Creek, and they're convincing enough to fool people like Audrey Bissonnett. "I do it all the time," said Bissonnett. "Typically, I've scanned that and paid for that." She said it was embarrassing to realize she'd been duped. The fraudulent stickers redirect users to suspicious websites, often with odd formatting and misspelled text. They resemble legitimate parking payment portals, but they're designed to steal personal or financial information. Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has been proactively removing fake QR codes from parking meters. Ben Chason, another Denver resident, said he uses the official app to pay for parking and hasn't fallen for the scam. "Well, I think that's pretty awful, because people are just trying to be good citizens and pay their parking bill," Chason said. But others may not be so lucky. Many are now double checking their bank accounts and online safety. Nancy Kuhn with DOTI says the scam sites appear to originate from overseas. However, the website in question is now showing up as invalid, but it still raises concerns. "It did look like these were websites that were created in other countries," Kuhn explained. "Sometimes the information was misspelled, and the websites just looked a little odd." According to city officials, legitimate QR codes used for parking in Denver have green dots in the center and are usually found on overhead signs in designated areas -- like LoHi -- not directly on the meter poles. "The valid QR code is going to prompt you to either download the PayByPhone app, or if you already have the app it will open the app," Kuhn said. "But we're not asking people when they use pay-by-phone to plug their information into a website." While city officials are proactively removing the fake QR codes, they say there's a chance the stickers could reappear since the person or people behind the scam have not yet been caught. Denver police say there is currently only one report filed which is under investigation. However, no arrests have been made. Police add the investigation is ongoing and are urging anyone with information about someone placing stickers on parking meters -- or any other relevant details -- to come forward. Some residents are urging the city to take stronger action. "They should do something right there," said one driver, pointing to a meter pole. "Because that's like a perfect space for a QR code." If you've received a parking ticket and suspect it's connected to one of these fake QR codes, you can contest it online. The city also encourages anyone who sees a suspicious QR code to report it by calling 311 or submitting a claim through Denver's Consumer Protection website.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Denver spends $200,000 to change protected bike lanes, biking community shares concerns
In recent weeks, changes in downtown Denver have been made to some protected bike lanes. Those lanes are meant to provide dedicated safe areas on the street for cyclists. Now, some of the vertical barriers have been changed, including those along the protected bike lane on Market Street. The biking community said it's a safety concern and is more dangerous now. But the city said the changes were made for several reasons. The City Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, otherwise known as DOTI, said they removed several of the vertical barriers on corridors and replaced them with travel lane dividers. They added that travel lane dividers on the ground are easier to maintain because the vertical barriers kept falling. They also mentioned that the travel lane dividers are sturdier, reducing maintenance and replacement needs. CBS For June Churchill, biking is her ideal mode of transportation to get around the city. "Biking is just a way some people get around, and it's just a way of life," said Churchill. She's also the budget chair of the DOTI Advisory Board and often rides in protected bike lanes, where she said the vertical barriers help bikers feel safer by providing separation. "It's safety, anyone who bikes knows that outside of a nice, protected bike lane or a trail, it is dangerous," said Churchill. Bikers are now concerned that many of those barriers have been removed. DOTI just finished installing the protected bike lane and barriers last fall along Market Street. "We had to plan for and study and implement this, these bike lanes in downtown for years. It has taken years to study and plan and implement the vertical protection for these bike lanes, making them more accessible, making them safer," said Aylene McCallum, who co-chairs the DOTI Advisory Board. McCallum pushed for protected bike lanes to be built, which bikers wanted, to feel safer. Now she believes this is a step in the wrong direction. "They're looking for safe infrastructure to help them feel safe enough to use it. If the vertical separation is not there on a protected bike lane, it's more likely that people won't use it," said McCallum. CBS Colorado DOTI said they were also hearing concerns about "visual clutter." Since the changes, they say sight lines have also opened, making corridors less visually impacted. The city said they spent about $200,000 on the changes, using money set aside for "neighborhood transportation and calming." "It eats up valuable dollars that could be spent to make biking a better experience," said Churchill, who feels like bike lanes were downgraded without any input, and she hopes for more transparency moving forward. "Removing the vertical protection from these bike lanes is absolutely a step backwards for bicycling," said McCallum. "If this isn't the right answer for everyone, then let's have an open and honest conversation about what might be a better answer, but let's keep our bicyclists safe before we remove it." The city said they're working on coming up with different ways and strategies to improve biking, and have kept vertical barriers in busy areas and intersections.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Study shows nearly 3,000 crashes over 4-year period in Denver
DENVER (KDVR) — New numbers are being looked at from a traffic study done by Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure along troublesome corridors. The traffic study focused on East 13th and 14th Avenues from Broadway to Yosemite, East 16th Avenue from Detroit Street to Colorado Boulevard and East 17th Avenue from Colorado Boulevard to Yosemite Street, all over a four-year period. An outside transportation firm, 'Fehr & Peers,' found that between 2018 and 2022, there were 2,383 crashes, with 537 of those resulting in death or injury. 86 crashes involved a pedestrian or bicyclist. The majority of the crashes happened along 13th and 14th Avenues, which have been the focus of FOX31 reporting over the years. Crashes on 14th totaled 1,076, and there were 909 along 13th in the study time frame. The study found that on these corridors, between 31% and 88% of drivers are speeding. Something residents in the area, like Kay Spring, feel is the main issue. 'It's terrible. I've been here a long time, lots of years, and so I know it's really increased. I think it's just excessive speed. There's cars being hit all the time and accidents,' Spring said. Denver among best, while other metro city among worst places to raise a family: Study The study lists short-term and long-term solutions or as they're named in the study 'near-term countermeasures and additional countermeasures.' Near-term countermeasures are those that can be implemented with quick-build materials and that already meet DOTI standards or have otherwise recently been designed/implemented elsewhere in Denver. Additional countermeasures are those that have been shown to reduce crashes but are either non-standard in Denver or require technology upgrades that could be costly or require citywide prioritization for implementation. According to the study, those recommended countermeasures at what the city will determine are priority locations will cost between $960,000 and $1.2 million. The city's budget is limited to implementing the recommendations of the city but the first phase of safety improvements will include some of those low-cost, short-term solutions, but those larger, more costly improvements the city has would have to find the money for. You can find the full study and information on the DOTI website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Flagship arch installed on East Colfax Avenue amid BRT project construction
DENVER (KDVR) — The first of 32 planned bus stop arches was installed Tuesday on East Colfax Avenue, marking a milestone for a project aimed at having Bus Rapid Transit begin operating along the thoroughfare in 2027. The flagship arch is located on the eastbound BRT station platform located at East Colfax Avenue and Franklin Street. New mid-rise apartment under construction on Colfax Avenue The Department of Transporation and Infrastructure said that, once up-and-running, the BRT will offer all-day rides on the busy street with enhanced driver amenities and a dedicated travel lane in each direction. The project also aims to shorten travel times for transit riders commuting between Denver and Aurora, providing a connection between the neighboring cities. The first of 32 planned bus stop arches was installed on East Colfax Avenue on Tuesday. (Credit DOTI) The installed steel arch is 21 feet tall, 87 feet long and can be 'easily seen' and recognized from a distance, according to DOTI, which said the arches will also provide transit riders with a canopy for comfort and shade. BRT Project provided with local, federal funds The East Colfax BRT project has received around $280 million in total funds, including $88 million from Denver, $28.4 million from the Denver Regional Council of Government and $14 million from Aurora. Free on Your TV • New FOX31+ App for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Artist rendering of the East Colfax Avenue BRT project (Credit: DOTI) The BRT project has also received $150 million in federal funding — the maximum allowed the discretionary grant category. Some area residents expressed concern about the project last year, namely that it would create traffic issues in adjacent neighborhoods and reduce parking options, forcing drivers to park in residential areas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
