Latest news with #Denverites
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Less signaling, more doing is needed on the environment in Denver
A pair of e-scooters sit on a street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver in June 2025. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) This year, Denver again earned the ignominious distinction as the sixth worst city in the country for certain air pollutants. Poor air quality is a public health threat, leading to respiratory symptoms and negative long-term health outcomes — coughing, asthma attacks, cardiovascular diseases, etc. As the Trump administration proudly rolls back federal regulations intended to protect people from air pollution and climate change, it's imperative that local governments pass policies to fill the void. However, thus far in 2025, Denver's City Council has done more to signal its disapproval of poor air quality than actually tackle it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Denver's 13-member council made headlines at the start of May when it unanimously rejected a $25 million contract with Suncor Energy's Commerce City oil refinery to purchase asphalt. The council cited concerns of environmental justice and persistent regulatory violations committed by Suncor. While divestment from negligent or unethical businesses can be a powerful tool to drive change, the practice must be undertaken strategically. In this case, Denver is taking a stance against Suncor by paying an additional $300,000 to an oil refinery with a similarly long rap sheet of regulatory violations — including some that led to explosions and fires. Because Denver's asphalt will now come from Cenovus Energy in Wisconsin, it must be transported by rail to Colorado, which creates additional environmental risk. Twenty-five percent of the nation's hazardous material accidents are caused by railroad derailments. For example, in 2023, a train spilled 500,000 pounds of asphalt into the Yellowstone River damaging hundreds of miles of natural habitat. And finally, asphalt is a byproduct of the oil refining process, and will be produced regardless of whether or not the city buys it. The Denver council's symbolic support of environmental justice and clean air is well-intentioned, but not strategic. A more effective means of opposing Suncor would be to reduce demand for gasoline — perhaps by promoting public transit or other modes of transportation, which would have the added benefit of reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Just weeks after the Denver City Council's symbolic move against Suncor, the council passed an ordinance to crack down on micromobility. Since Denver signed an exclusive contract with Lime and Lyft in 2020, ridership of shared electric scooters and bikes has increased steadily. On average, Denverites take 11,100 micromobility rides every day, many of which replace car trips. Considering the emission reduction potential of micromobility, Denver's council should focus on increasing adoption while balancing the needs of pedestrians and other road users. Unfortunately, the new ordinance isn't balanced — it forces micromobility companies to mitigate 'sidewalk riding,' which is tantamount to making micromobility less safe and, therefore, less desirable. In 2024, 134 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed by cars in Denver — a 78% increase in fatalities since 2015. Although bike infrastructure is expanding, the city is still decades away from a truly connected, cycle-safe city. Going forward, Lime and Lyft must enforce Denver's law prohibiting sidewalk riding or face fines. A possible outcome is charging riders more if they ride on sidewalks. But in a city where sidewalk riding is sometimes the only safe option, that discourages safety. For many riders, this would create a lose-lose situation: Avoid the sidewalk even on busy, dangerous roads, or use sidewalks for safety and incur fines. Or, drive a car, instead. The new micromobility ordinance isn't all bad, though. It implements a much needed mechanism to reduce improperly parked scooters and bikes, which too often obstruct sidewalks for pedestrians and wheelchair users. The council should have stopped there — regulate parking, but don't dictate how riders should safely navigate our car-oriented landscape. The best way to encourage riders to avoid sidewalks is to build safe bike infrastructure. Contrary to its stated support of cleaner air, Denver's City Council has recently made moves to further entrench the city's car reliance by taking steps to widen Peña Boulevard. This Spring, in a 9-2 vote, the council approved a $15 million study to investigate widening Peña and assess other options to alleviate traffic congestion. One council member suggested that the study is a mere 'formality' unlikely to seriously consider alternatives to widening Peña. Transportation contributes significantly to the region's poor air quality and is the greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado. Investing in road expansion would undermine the city's commitments to clean air, climate action, and a transit-oriented future. To retain a modicum of consistency, City Council should instead fund bus rapid transit, improvements to the Denver A-Line, greater security at Park-n-Rides along the A-line, or any number of options that would make public transit the most convenient method of traversing the city and getting to the airport. Considering Denver's record of poor air quality and the ongoing attacks on our nation's bedrock environmental protection laws, Denver's City Council should focus less on signaling support for clean air and environmental justice and more on substantive policies. Besides limiting the construction of new gas stations, the city has done nothing to improve Denver's air quality this year — the opposite, actually. Hopefully, the council reconsiders its priorities — before Peña is widened and micromobility ridership drops. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denver sues Trump administration over potential loss of transportation funding
DENVER (KDVR) — The city and county of Denver is joining a lawsuit against the Trump administration after a memo said transportation funding could be jeopardized for failing to follow the administration's policies on immigration enforcement and diversity, equity and inclusion. Mayor Mike Johnson's Office said a lawsuit was filed this week in Federal District Court in the Western District of Washington at Seattle. The mayor's office announced Friday that Denver joined several counties, cities and plaintiffs suing the Trump administration 'over its unlawful and unconstitutional threats to withhold grant funding for transportation programs and priorities.' F-16 Vipers to flyover these Colorado areas over Memorial Day weekend The lawsuit comes after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a memo in April outlining the department's interpretation of federal law and potential consequences for DOT funding recipients that do not follow it. 'These actions are illegal and coercive in that they ignore Congress's role in enacting policy into law and appropriating funds, have nothing to do with the substance of the grants in question, and potentially jeopardize hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in Denver and billions of dollars across the country,' the mayor's office said in a press release. The city claims that the administration doesn't have the authority to make grants contingent on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or immigration without action from Congress, and Congress can't condition grants when it's unrelated to the purposes of programs. A collective of $300 million in federal funding was put toward Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, according to the city. Meanwhile, the Denver International Airport also uses federal funding. Between fiscal years 2022 to 2024, the city said the Federal Aviation Administration issued approximately $310 million in grants to the airport and DIA was expecting to be eligible for $267 million in grants from 2025 to 2028. Denver joins lawsuit against Trump Admin after $24M FEMA grants terminated 'I will continue fighting for Denverites to ensure they receive the services they pay for and are entitled to receive as taxpayers,' Johnston said. 'The Trump Administration is willfully breaking the law and, in ignoring the separation of powers between Congress and the White House, violating the bedrock constitutional foundation on which our country was built.' This isn't the first lawsuit Denver has joined against the Trump Administration. In mid-May, Denver joined Chicago and Pima County in Arizona in a lawsuit against the administration, trying to recover $24 million in FEMA grants, which included millions put toward Denver migrant shelters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Is it legal to put furniture on the curb for people to pick up in Denver?
DENVER (KDVR) — The days are getting longer, and with more sunshine also means more furniture on the sides of the road. It's not exactly uncommon to see things like chairs, tables, file cabinets and other furniture sitting on the side of the road, sometimes with a 'free' sign. Yes pizza boxes, no plastic bags: Here's what Denver Recycles accepts But before you haul a piece of furniture to the curb in hopes that someone will come take it off your hands, be warned that you could be hit with a fine. In the city and county of Denver, placing furniture or other large items on the curb is considered illegal dumping. Violations for illegal dumping or unlawful disposal of trash can come with a fine starting at $150 for the first citation, $500 for the second and $999 for the third and each following citation, according to the Denver Code of Ordinances. Fines are higher for larger items. The penalty for illegal dumping or unlawful disposal of trash over 50 lbs., 32 gallons or two cubic feet starts at $500 for the first citation, jumps to $750 for the second and $999 for the third and each subsequent citation. There are occasional days, however, when placing large items on the curb is allowed. Denver's Solid Waste Department has large item pickup days about once every nine weeks. On these days, residents can place large items on the curb to be picked up by waste management crews, including: Furniture Large toys Non-electric bicycles Rugs Exercise equipment Bundled branches (no more than 4 feet long and 4 inches in diameter) Mattresses and box springs (must be bagged and wrapped) Large item pickup days are the only time placing furniture on the curb is legal in Denver. By the end of those days, the items will be gone as crews will have come and picked them up. The large item pickup days do not include service for electronic waste, construction materials, automotive materials, loose trash, hazardous materials, commercial and industrial waste or appliances. 'Disposable' vapes are hazardous waste: Here's how to throw them away Residents can schedule pickup anytime for appliances like refrigerators and washing machines. The city also has programs for household hazardous waste, paint recycling, appliances, and electronic waste. For those looking to get rid of large items outside of their large item pickup day, the Department of Solid Waste recommends donating items to local thrift stores, selling on online marketplaces, taking items to the landfill or finding a private disposal company. Denverites can put their address into a tool on the city's website to find out when their regular trash services are scheduled and when large item pickup days are scheduled. This information can also be found in the Denver Trash and Recycling App. The city of Denver recommends reporting concerns regarding trash or illegal dumping by calling 311. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Royal Palace Motel on Colorado Boulevard near Colfax torn down
DENVER (KDVR) — For more than a decade, Denverites driving near Colfax Avenue and Colorado Boulevard have wondered what will happen to the old Royal Palace Motel building. The motel has stood at 1565 Colorado Blvd., just north of Colfax Avenue, since 1969, and on Tuesday, the building met its fateful end. It will be replaced with an apartment building. Warm weather brings paddleboarders to Standley Lake: Tips to stay safe The motel closed its doors in 2013 and has been vacant ever since. Over the years since it was abandoned, it has been the source of many emergency calls and crimes. A former owner of the hotel told FOX31's Shaul Turner that the property has a bad history of break-ins that resulted in some $20,000 in expenses every month. Residents have mixed feelings about seeing the landmark demolished. 'It's always been there, I will miss it,' one man told Turner. Others say the old building disrupts the progress and recent development aesthetics of the City Park neighborhood. 'I'm so excited, it's such an eyesore and it's so rundown,' another resident told Turner. However, its history of crime predates its abandoned era. One of the infamous cold cases that occurred at the hotel is the murder of John Eggers. According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Eggers was a guest at the motel when he was killed. A housekeeper entered his room and found him dead of a gunshot wound inside, and the suspect or suspects responsible have not been identified to this day. Before Interstate 70 was built, Colfax was known as the 'Gateway to the Rockies' and was the main route into the Mile High City and the high country. The 60s brought a lot of tourism and traffic to Colfax Avenue, and the old hotels and mid-century neon signs that remain today serve as a glimpse into the highway's glory days. Denver Sheriff Department honors fallen officers during annual memorial During the '60s and '70s, Colfax Avenue became a haven for topless bars and sexually explicit theaters, according to the Denver Public Library. This earned Colfax Avenue the title of 'the longest, wickedest street in America' by Playboy magazine. Interstate 70 was completed in the Denver area in the late 60s and early 70's, beginning a steady decline in traffic on the highway, according to the Colfax Avenue Museum website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City and County, McNichols buildings to light up red at night for National Salvation Army Week
DENVER () — The Denver City and County Building and the McNichols Building will be lit up red at night this week to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the Salvation Army. Gov. Jared Polis declared May 12-18 as National Salvation Army Week in the city, in recognition of members of the Salvation Army, which boasts that it is the largest nongovernmental provider of social services in the country. Travis Hunter's act of kindness goes viral In addition to the lighting, the Salvation Army Brass Band will be performing at the State Capitol West Steps at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. In the Denver metro, the international charitable organization said it provides shelter and meals each day for up to 1,800 people via five centers and 10 social services programs in the city. 'I am deeply grateful to Gov. Polis for his support and for helping to raise awareness about The Salvation Army's essential sheltering, feeding and emergency services in efforts in Colorado,' said Major Nesan Kistan, divisional commander of the Salvation Army Intermountain Division, in a statement. Free on Your TV • New FOX31+ App for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV In addition to the Salvation Army, Denverites looking to make a difference may also consider donating to and/or volunteering with local organizations such as the , and , among others. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
