Dear Mayor Johnston,
We are writing to express serious concerns regarding the proposed roadway redesign. The changes — particularly the conversion of travel lanes into a turn lane — threaten to create substantial and lasting negative impacts on traffic safety, neighborhood livability, and the vitality of local businesses.
Our key concerns are:
1. Increased congestion and traffic flow issues
Reducing Alameda’s travel lanes to add a dedicated turn lane will shrink roadway capacity and cause severe backups, particularly during peak hours. This bottleneck will create gridlock and slow traffic along a major east-west corridor.
2. Negative changes in driver behavior
Frustrated drivers will seek alternate routes through residential neighborhoods, leading to an increase in cut-through traffic. Over time, this shift in driver habits could become permanent, burdening roads that were never designed to serve as arterial routes.
3. Risk to Virginia Avenue and park-adjacent areas
Virginia Avenue, which borders Wash Park and community gathering areas, is particularly vulnerable. Redirected traffic will put pedestrians, cyclists, and families at risk, turning a recreational corridor into a high-traffic danger zone.
4. Neighborhood safety degradation
Residents who rely on Alameda for daily access will face greater difficulty entering and exiting their neighborhoods. More traffic will be diverted onto smaller residential streets, increasing the risk of collisions, speeding, and unsafe conditions for children, pedestrians, and pets.
5. Economic harm to local businesses
Businesses along Alameda depend on accessible, predictable traffic patterns. Increased congestion, confusion, and delays may deter customers, reduce visibility, and undercut foot traffic — threatening the health of small businesses that are vital to our community.
6. Lack of justifying safety data
Current traffic and safety data does not support the need for a major redesign. These changes appear to be driven more by theoretical modeling than by demonstrated issues on the ground.
7. Need for transparent, collaborative planning
We urge the City to pause the project and commit to a broader, more inclusive public process. Community voices have not been adequately engaged in a change that will deeply impact our quality of life and daily mobility.
We appreciate your leadership and ask that you work with DOTI to reconsider the scope and design of this project. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your staff to offer community-driven input that prioritizes both safety and common-sense transportation planning.
Thank you for your time and commitment to a safer, more inclusive Denver.
Respectfully,