PRESS RELEASE: Mayor Hancock Moves to Reduce Speed Limits in Package of Improvements to Advance Vision Zero Goal

DENVER – Mayor Michael B. Hancock today, as part of a package of safety improvements to Denver streets, moved to begin reducing speed limits on the city’s streets. The speed reduction initiative, among several immediate improvements being implemented, is aimed at reaching the city’s Vision Zero goal following several recent fatal crashes.

“More and more people are choosing to use different modes to move around our community. We all need to be more aware and less distracted when we’re on our streets,” Mayor Hancock said. “City government needs to do its part too. We’re going to keep pushing for more steps to reduce speeds and reduce conflicts between modes, so fewer and fewer people, until we reach zero, are losing their lives on our streets.

Five corridors in the city will see their speed limits reduced throughout the fall. Evans Avenue will be the first. Between Huron Street and Federal Boulevard, speed limits will be reduced from 35 mph to 30 mph by the end of August.

Speed reduction is an essential strategy for meeting the city’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injuries on Denver streets. Data shows higher speeds not only increase the risk of a crash, but also increase the risk of serious injury or death from a crash, regardless of mode. In Denver, data shows that people in cars are also more likely to drive faster than the speed limit on streets with higher posted speeds.

“Denver’s crash data indicates a significant problem with speeding and one way we can address that is by reducing speed limits,” said Eulois Cleckley, Executive Director of Denver Public Works. “Our speed reduction efforts will serve to protect all those who travel in Denver, but will benefit to an even greater extent, those who are most vulnerable – people walking and biking.”

Along with the speed reduction initiative, Denver Public Works, the Denver Police Department and Public Health and Environment will be making infrastructure and enforcement improvements to increase safety on Denver’s streets this summer and fall, including:

• Installing more “In-street” pedestrian crossing signage, high visibility crosswalks and on-street bike corrals;
• Enhancing protected bike lanes;
• Increasing the number of driver feedback signs to alert passing motorists of their speeds;
• Exploring additional low-cost safety treatments, such as shortening crossing distances, midblock crossing refuges and parking setbacks;
• Promoting safe driving habits among Denver’s youth and improving safe routes to school; and
• Increasing enforcement of traffic laws and unsafe behaviors on city streets.

See attached factsheets for further details

As part of the third bond issuance for the Elevate Denver Bond program, construction of protected bike lanes and neighborhood bikeways and multi-modal improvements along major corridors are planned to be included.

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