by Valley Gadfly | Feb 22, 2023 | Main Articles
Calling All Denver Irish Leprechauns, Four-Leaf Clover Wearers, It’s Time For Wearing Of The Green
by Glen Richardson
Casey’s Cuisine: Shepherd’s Pie is among Irish menu choices at Casey’s Bistro & Pub in the Lowry Town Center. Restaurant also has Irish Whiskey Chicken, Bangers & Mash, plus Irish Nachos.
Music Magic: Irish concerts are one of the charms during St. Patrick’s Day weekend. With more than a million records sold, Irish folk band Altan entertains at the Lakewood Center March 11.
Luck, charms, shamrocks, and shenanigans, Dublin days in Denver begins March 9 at 3 p.m. (weather permitting) when the city paints a green strip down Blake Street. From that day and after, St. Paddy’s Day events begin with just a “wee bit” O’ Blarney. The green stripe signifies the parade route and is followed by the Changin’ of Blake’s Street sign to Tooley Street, honoring 1970s Irish former District Attorney Dale Tooley.
All the days thereafter, according to Irish folklore, will be filled with fond memories, happiness, and laughter throughout St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.
Get ready for one of the nation’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day Parades on March 11, followed by days of revelry from shamrock-covered bars serving classic pub grub with music, drinking, and a whole lot of green. Embrace the luck and prepare for revelry and merrymaking with the Chronicle’s yearly guide to partying in green garb:
Concerts
Luck of the Irish, March 4-5: The Aurora Singers entertain with haunting ballads, lullabies, and songs to stir your Irish soul at South Middle School, Sat. 7 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Information: 303-343-3377.
Gobs O’ Phun, March 5 & 17: Brothers-in-law duo-duet Denis Sullivan and Martin Lambuth accompany themselves with guitar, bodhran, and harmonica at Swallow Hill’s Quinian Café, 7 p.m., and on St. Paddy’s Day, 8 p.m. Information: 303-777-1003.
Young Dubliners, March 10: Irish-American rock band and lead singer-rhythm guitarist Keith Roberts perform at the Soiled Dove Underground in the Lowry Town Center, 8 p.m. Information: 303-830-9214.
Celtic Awakening, March 10-12: The Denver Brass Celtic show with the Colorado Pipes & Drums, Wick School of Irish Dance, the Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers, and Irish tenor Todd Teske bring Irish magic to the Newman Center, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-871-7720.
Altan, March 11: The 1987 Irish folk band formed by lead vocalist Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and her husband Frankie Kennedy and sold over a million records is at the Lakewood C
Popular Procession: Denver’s Irish parade is accompanied by Celtic Music Groups, Acoustic Bands, plus Irish Music Bands. Hip hounds march along with horses in the annual parade.
enter, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-987-7845.
Parade & Princess
Set to step off March 11 at 9:30 a.m., Denver’s St. Paddy’s Day parade is one of the largest in the country with nearly half a million people expected. Featuring Irish step dancers, marching bands, elaborate floats, and bagpipers, the Mile High version is legendary.
St. Paddy’s Swarm: Nearly a half million people are expected downtown for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 11. Irish marching bands, floats, and bagpipers annually draw state’s single largest gathering in one place.
Many claim it annually draws Colorado’s single largest gathering in one place.
If you’re attending, you’ll want to get a spot early since some people arrive by 6 a.m. to find a prime place for spectating. The parade launches from Wynkoop at 19th, turns down 17th in front of Union Station, and then turns NE down Blake St. proceeding all the way to 27th. Information: 720-577-6884.
Competition to be Denver’s next Irish queen — known as Queen Colleen — was set from Feb. 11, after the deadline for the Chronicle’s March issue. Currently Miss Colorado All American Girl, Molly Casey served as Queen Colleen for 2022. Born and raised here, she is 100% Irish and still visits her family’s homestead in Cork, Ireland.
Pub Grub
The Abbey Tavern: A bright, relaxing eatery on E. Colfax serving American breakfasts and brunch, patrons can also choose from an Irish Breakfast, a Corned Beef Hash Skillet, Irish Eggs Benedict, plus Shepherd’s Pie. Irish Bread Pudding is available for dessert. Information: 303-321-5151.
Casey’s Bistro & Pub: Located in the Lowry Town Center, this lively restaurant-bar’s menu includes Irish Nachos, Bangers & Mash, Shepherd’s Pie, plus Irish Whiskey Chicken. Information: 720-974-7350.
The Irish Rover: This friendly Baker neighborhood pub on South Broadway is celebrating St. Paddy’s Day March 12-17. With a fireplace and huge rooftop patio, diverse food choices are always available. Irish selections include a Corned Beef Reuben, Shepherd’s Pie, and an Irish
Corned Beef Custom: Corned Beef & Cabbage has become a yearly St. Paddy’s Day Special at the Monaco Inn Restaurant. The hoped-for coming year fortune dish is being served for lunch and dinner March 17.
Breakfast. Information: 303-282-4643.
Monaco Inn Restaurant: When Irish eateries began to shutter a dozen years ago, this South Monaco Parkway restaurant started offering Corned Beef & Cabbage as a St. Patrick’s Day Special. The dish quickly became a draw, and will again be the March 17th Special for lunch and dinner. Information: 303-320-1104.
Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub: An authentic slice of the Emerald Isle on Larimer St. near Coors Field, the kitchen serves Shepherd’s Pie, Banger’s ’n Mash, plus Irish Spring Rolls. Information: 303-291-6992.
Pub Places To Play
Clancy’s Irish Pub, March 17-18: State’s oldest and longest running Irish Pub has live music Fri., 8 a.m.-1 a.m;, Sat., 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Among outdoor headlines Fri.-Sat. are Bleed N Green, No B
ueno, and The Delta Sonics, plus dozens more entertaining inside. Information: 720-456-7320.
Keggs & Eggs, March 17: Annual St. Paddy’s Day morning concert hosted by rock station KTCL returns to Jackson’s Sports Bar across from Coors Field, 7 a.m. Singer Matt Maeson and bands Holdfast and Ripe entertain. Information: 303-298-7625.
Pig & The Sprout, March 17: Restaurant at 19th & Chestnut Place hosts 5th annual St. Paddy’s Day bar crawl with a $1,000 costume contest, 4 p.m. Information: 720-535-9719.
St. Paddy’s Day Block Party, March 11, 17-18: Live music and parties at the Gin Mill & Larimer Beer Hall noon-4 p.m. Sat.; 3-7 p.m. Fri. 17th & 1-4 p.m. Sat. 18th. Information: 303-295-0706.
Running Luck
Races & Irish Festival, March 12: Family 7K, 2 mile race-walk at Wash Park, 10 a.m. Post-race party with Irish music and dancers, plus Beer Garden. Information: rungreen7K.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Jan 19, 2023 | Main Articles
Property, Violent Crimes Soar Past New York City, Chicago; With 100 Cars Stolen Daily, Auto Theft Is Nation’s Second Highest
by Glen Richardson
Once amazingly safe, crime in the Mile High City is now worse than New York City or Chicago, and growing increasingly dangerous as the new year begins. Ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime), Denver outranks New York City in violent crimes by 2.5 points. Denver’s property crime has doubled that in New York City. Chicago continues to edge Denver in Violent Crime (19.2 points), but property crimes in Colorado’s capital are 4.5 points greater than in the Windy City.
Denver’s violent crime rate has been rising over the last 10 years and especially the last two. Furthermore, police don’t believe the pandemic triggered the crime spike. Denver Police Department records show 6,810 aggravated assaults, robberies, and homicides through mid-December, up from just 4,924 in 2019. Property crimes during the same period totaled 42,100, up from 26,133 in 2019. Most come from just a portion of the city’s 78 neighborhoods. The higher-income neighborhoods located east of Broadway and south of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard have lighter violent crime numbers than Denver’s urban core and southwestern neighborhoods.
Auto theft is now an epidemic in Denver and the second highest in the nation. Denver Police Department data as of Dec. 5, 2022, showed auto theft had skyrocketed 71% compared with the city’s three-year average. The car theft rate in Denver is now averaging 19.8 crimes per 1,000 residents. Nearly 100 vehicles are stolen every day in Denver. Furthermore, Colorado now leads the nation in auto theft per capita.
Least Safe City
People wielding guns recorded 6,810 assaults, robberies, and homicides through mid-Dec. 2022.
Denver now also ranks as one of the nation’s least safe cities, according to data
from website WalletHub. The study analyzed 182 U.S. cities for home and community safety, natural disaster risk, and financial safety, then gave each city an overall score and reported the results. Denver is sandwiched in between Little Rock and New Orleans in terms of overall safety.
Colorado’s largest city ranked 166th for home and community safety, in between Baltimore and Fort Lauderdale. Denver’s growing troubles with elevated property and violent crime, low first responder recruitment, high homelessness concentrations, and growing drug overdoses played large roles in the low ranking. While Denver doesn’t have hurricane or earthquake risks, the city ranks extremely high for risks from wildfires, hail, and tornados. The website ranked Denver 139th for natural disaster risk.
On the plus side, the Mile High City’s financial security ranks high. Of 182 cities, Denver ranked 62nd for financial safety. The city’s high concentration of high-income workers and rebounding post-COVID unemployment likely pushed the personal financial measurements higher.
Risky, Safe Spots
Hate Crime Rally: Colorado had more hate crimes in 2021 than any year since the FBI began tracking them in 1990. Photo is of Denver Asian-Pacific Islander hate crime rally.
Auto Theft Epidemic: Stolen vehicles are often wrecked and stripped according to local police. Chart, below, shows thefts per 1,000 residents from 2008 to 2021. From six per 1,000 residents in 2008, thefts jumped to 18 in 2021. At end of 2022 it’s at 19.8.
Five Points continues its multi-year streak as Denver’s most violent neighborhood. The Montbello, and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods that straddle Interstate 70 rank second and third. The city’s urban nightlife center and public transit hub Union Station ranks fourth. Capitol Hill and Central Park (previously Stapleton) are fifth and sixth, trailed by East Colfax in the seventh spot. Most of Denver’s other high-violence neighborhoods are seated in the city’s southwestern edge.
Five neighborhoods have remained steady for violent crime: Washington Park West, Regis, Cory-Merrill, Clayton, and East Colfax.
The biggest news, though, is the drop in violent-crime counts for four of the five areas among the highest in overall offenses: Capitol Hill dropped from 163 in 2021 to 157 in 2022, North Capitol Hill from 104 to 85, and the Central Business District from 185 to 131. Union Station also dropped, albeit a single point, from 167 to 166.
The city’s south-end Wellshire neighborhood — at E. Hampden Ave. between Colorado Blvd. and University Blvd. — is Denver’s safest area. North Park Hill, Wash Park, Country Club, and Hilltop also recorded low violent crime rates compared to the city’s other districts.
Crime Surge Statewide
T
Busy Beat: Calls to potentially deadly crime scenes continue to surge in Denver. Officers are pictured at a September shooting next to the Carla Madison Center where two juveniles were hospitalized. Photo: Jeremy Sparig
he 2022 crime rate statewide was also up — averaging 530 crimes per 100,000 residents — with no relief in sight for the year ahead. While slightly lower than 2021’s peak, crimes in Colorado remained 7.3% higher than in 2019, and 20% higher than in 2008. Incidents of robbery, arson, car theft, vandalism, prostitution, and the purchase of stolen property continued to increase in 2022. Compared to other states, Colorado ranks first in motor vehicle theft and second in property crimes.
Concurrent with Colorado’s rising crime rates, since the start of the pandemic, incarceration in the state’s Department of Corrections facilities have dropped by 15.5%. Moreover, the number of offenders on parole declined by 14.1%, and the number of offenders on probation fell by 14.4%.
For the sake of public safety and justice for victims, law enforcement officials imply that a rise in crime should create a corresponding rise in arrests, convictions, and incarceration.
Hate Crimes Climb
Surge In Violence: Memorial where six people were shot on E. Colfax Ave. on Nov. 2, 2022. Photo by Denverite’s Kevin J. Beaty
Colorado had more hate crimes in 2021 than any year since the FBI began tracking them in 1990. There were 285 reported to the agency, up from 280 in 2020. Data for 2022 isn’t yet available. The state saw a 138% jump in reported hate crimes between 2018 and 2019, and an additional 23% surge in 2020.
In the last five years, three out of every 10 Coloradans experienced a hate crime. More: an October 2022 Hate Free Colorado survey found that most of those crimes go unreported. The survey also indicates that racial and ethnic minorities are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to experience hate crimes than white Coloradans. It also found that only 18% of hate crimes are reported to law enforcement and just 29% are reported to workplace managers or others in authority.
Collected statewide data indicates that 60% of hate crimes in the state are committed based on someone’s race or ethnicity; 20% due to sexual orientation; another 12% because of religion. Additionally, the FBI found the offender’s race was overwhelmingly white.” This is a wake-up call that more must be done at the local, state, and federal level to address the rise in hate,” warns Scott Levin, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Denver Vs. NY & Chicago Charts:
New York, NY Denver, CO United States
Violent Crime 28.2 30.7 22.7
Property Crime 24.9 50.8 35.4
Chicago, IL Denver, CO United States
Violent Crime 49.9 30.7 22.7
Property Crime 46.3 50.8 35.4
by Valley Gadfly | Jan 19, 2023 | Main Articles
by Glen Richardson
The cupid countdown has begun as fans cherry-pick February choices to make their crush feel special so they can catch or connect, be it girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse. Even the cynical admit February fans the flames of their heartstrings. To help young and old alike make it through the next 28 days, the Chronicle has collected cool choices for the romantic and not so romantic. Here’s how to impress your soulmates, sidekicks, buddy, or beau, so you survive with your sanity intact:
Singing Surprise: Leave your sweetheart speechless with a serenade at home, work, in a restaurant, or anywhere. Singing telegrams draw a crowd, laughs, and sometimes tears.
Entertaining Romance
The Clocktower Clockettes present Cupid’s Delight, a Valentine burlesque, variety & comedy show at The Clocktower Cabaret, Feb. 10-14, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Cast sets hearts aflame with aerial acts, singing, dance, and comedy. Information: 303-293-0075.
Sounds of the Denver Brass and Colorado Dance Company present Fiesta, a sizzling blend of rhythm & romance, blazing brass & fiery dance in the Newman Center. Your heartbeat will keep time to the rhythms Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-871-7720.
“So This Is Love,” is a night at Dazzle@ Baur’s listening to the foremost musical ambassadors of romance: Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. The Legacy Valentine’s Day evening is Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
Pianist Jeffrey Siegel plays Musical Valentines by Schumann, Chopin, and Mendelssohn at the Arvada Center Feb. 15. The pianist who has been a soloist with the word’s great orchestras entertains at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Information: 720-898-7200.
Flower Power
Bold Blossoms: Arrangements such as these from Newberry Brothers Florist are a lovely love token. Florals from longtime local artisans last longer than many and feel specially made.
Shop for Valentine’s Day flowers at Newberry Brothers Florist located at 5301 Leetsdale Dr. Longtime local artisans create unique arrangements to inspire, celebrate, and bring people together using the freshest flowers. Information: 303-322-0443.
Learn to create a floral centerpiece during a Valentine Centerpiece Workshop hosted by Brooks Floral & Co. at 1489 S. Broadway, Feb. 9. Evening of designing, fun, and connection is from 6-8 p.m. Drinks and snacks provided. Information: 720-296-2431.
Food Feasts
Blue Island Oyster Bar
Romantic seafood restaurant with a raw bar in nautical surrounds is on E. 2nd Ave. in Cherry Creek North. Top-rated eatery serving lunch and dinner, annually has a Valentine menu. Special spot for slurping fresh oysters. Information: 303-333-2462.
Coohills
Reminiscent of charismatic European restaurants, this 1400 Wewatta St. eatery is serving a five course New York Strip Valentine dinner Feb. 14, 15 & 16. Upscale space has open kitchen and modern interior. Information: 303-623-5700.
D Bar
Valentine’s day or any day, foodies and sweet lovers line up at this popular uptown restaurant on E. 19th Ave. for drinks, dining, and dessert. With a passion and background in pastry, space has a unique dessert bar. Information: 303-861-4710.
Give Love A Boost: Lip-smacking sweets and pastries from bakeries such as Holly Street’s Detour will boost relationships with all of your loved ones.
Detour
Treat your love to the tastes of this boulangerie — a French Bakery vs. a pastry shop — along Holly St. and Florida Ave. in Virginia Ave. Choose lip-smacking pastries, croissants, quiche & sandwiches in a cozy, cheery spot. Information: 303-756-2020.
Inga’s Alpine Tavern
For a starry-eyed V-Day, stop in for drinks and creative bites at this hip Leetsdale Dr. space 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Rob Wivchar — man of 1,000 songs — sings 6-9:30 p.m. Plus, enjoy a pizza-wine deal! Kitchen in lively spot is open late. Information: 720-389-6203.
Jimmy’s Jersey Street Café
Quaint neighborhood eatery serving tasty Italian fare. A cute, comfortable restaurant where friends and family can gather for V-Day or any holiday. The pièce de ré·sis·tance is the Bananas Foster for two, flamed table side. Information: 720-328-9481.
La Merise
It’s romantic Paris at this French Bistro that has drawn romance-seekers to the corner of 3rd Ave. & Clayton in Cherry Creek for years. Moderately priced home-style meals in a cozy setting with a sunken terrace. Information: 720-596-4360.
Monaco Inn Restaurant
A 30-plus year holiday hot spot, eatery in Monaco Square Center serves New York Steak with Shrimp, Lamb Chops with Shrimp or Salmon specials Feb. 14. Regular menu is also available. Treated like family and the hospitality is genuine. Information: 303-320-1104.
Panzano
Posh yet casual restaurant in the Hotel Monaco on 17th St. downtown is foodie favorite that beckons Valentine’s Day diners each year. Treat your special someone to cocktails or wine and Northern Italian cuisine. Information: 303-296-3525.
Luck And Love: Treat your Valentine to an authentic Mexican experience in Que Bueno Suerte’s dramatic and colorful bi-level space with two bars, artwork, plus a mix and match menu.
Que Bueno Suerte
Creative S. Pearl St. Mexican restaurant serves traditional and modern plates in a dramatic and colorful bi-level space with two bars. Surroundings and artwork plus mix and match menu is ideal for Valentine’s celebrations. Information: 720-642-7322.
Viale Pizza & Kitchen
An airy, down to earth neighborhood bistro-lounge serving traditional Italian cuisine plus New York inspired pizza. Eatery in the Century 21 Plaza on S. Colorado Blvd. annual has memorable V-Day specials. Information: 303-495-2065.
Musical Message
Send your sweetheart, and coworkers a Singing Valentine Feb. 14, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Orange Peel Moses has been writing & singing telegrams for 15 years. Elvis, Lady Cupid, Love Bug, and Tuxedo Joe are popular choices. Information: 303-931-8466.
Recipe For Love
Cook Street School of Culinary Arts is hosting a Cooking with Cupid celebration. Classes at 43 W. 9th Ave., are Feb. 9-11, 6-9:30 p.m., Feb. 12, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wine and dishes to spoil your palate are also available. Information: 303-308-9300.
Runaway Love
Fiery V-Day Dance: For a sizzling blend of rhythm and romance take your Valentine to see Fiesta Feb. 11 as the Colorado Dance Company and Denver Brass entertain at the Newman Center.
Meet cupid and find a sweetheart or run with your sweetie at the Valentine’s Day 4-Mile in Wash Park Feb. 12, 9 a.m. There’s also a free Kids 200 Meter. Dress up as your favorite TV, Movie, or Book couple to win a prize. Information: halsports.net.
V-Day Shindig
For a wing-ding dinner-dance, attend The Valentines Affair in the Space Gallery Feb. 11, 6-10 p.m. Party in the soaring ceiling site at 400 Santa Fe Dr. with stunning architecture includes gift bag and flowers for the ladies. Information: 720-707-7835.
by Valley Gadfly | Jan 19, 2023 | Valley Gadfly
For being the only month with less than 30 days, February sure has a lot going on: Chinese New Year, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, plus Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.
The season’s big holidays are o’er. But take heart, there are 50 food feasts this month. It was writer Virginia Woolf who said, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well!”
Here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment, so February doesn’t feel like it will last forever. Valentine’s Day is linked to “lovebirds” and an early spring, so let it frolic forward:
3 View an acre of gardens plus 650 exhibits at this year’s Colorado Garden & Home Show in the Convention Center Feb. 2-12, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Information: 303-932-8100.
3 Lisa Loeb, who had top hit “Stay,” and who has her 15th album out, entertains at Temple Emanuel fundraiser Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-388-4013.
3 Catch chart-topping jazz-soul vocalist and actor Rajdulari as she brings her Valentine’s Day Show to Dazzle@Baur’s Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m. Information: 303-839-5100.
3 Head to Cherry Creek’s Pelican Bay Lake House Feb. 12 for the Mardi Gras Crawdad Boil. Music is by Bluekrewe plus food, 4 to 8 p.m. Information: 303-220-5253.
3 For all you desire Feb. 14th, make the Monaco Inn Restaurant your Valley Valentine’s Day retreat. Specials you’ll love at irresistible prices, with full bar and extensive wine list. Plus, sweets to swoon for! It’s a holiday hot spot, so make reservations early. Information: 303-320-1104.
3 Hardwood floors are beautiful, easy to clean, and last forever, so keep your floors par excellent by relying on Above Parr Hardwood Floors. Expert installation, refinishing, staircases, rails & water damage restoration at affordable prices for 35 years. Information: 303-333-7277.
3 Love valentine masterpieces as Jeffrey Siegel plays Schumann and Chopin at the Arvada Center Feb. 15, 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Information: 720-898-7200.
3 Enjoy Symphony space faves from Close Encounters to Star Wars at the Intergalactic Spectacular in Boettcher Feb. 19, 2:30 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
3 Catch country singer Ingrid Andress who’s joined by country-soul artist Madeline Edwards at the Bluebird Theater Feb. 25, 8 p.m. Information: 303-377-1666.
3 Quench your thirst for a burst of spring colors by taking the family to the Orchid Showcase at the Denver Botanic Gardens through Feb. 20. The colorful blossoms are complimented by exotic bromeliads and other lush tropical foliage plus citrus trees. Between the scent of the citrus blossoms and the bright colors of the orchid flowers in the Orangery, you’ll forget that it is still winter. In the Marnie’s Pavilion you can learn about repotting and caring for orchids from the Horticulture staff. The Orangery is a walkable greenhouse, while the Marnie’s Pavilion has floor-to-ceiling windows, a two-story waterfall, plus lots of orchids, ferns, and other tropical plants. Information: 720-297-1166.
Despite being the shortest month of the year, February can be chock-full of cold and snow. The Farmer’s Almanac warns Denver should get ready to, “shake, shiver, and shovel!” this month.
Last year (2022), Denver did not see measurable snowfall until December 10. It was the second longest snowless streak in city history. Expect snow and windier conditions in the coming 28 days.
But time Marches on: This February’s freeze will end, flowers will bloom, and we will once again be out of the house enjoying the sunshine. Warm up with coffee, its “Feb-BREW-ary!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Valley Gadfly | Dec 16, 2022 | Main Articles
Voters Favor Ordinance 307 By Slim 55.2%; Initiative Will Cost Homeowners $110 To $1,000 Per Year, Based On Sidewalk Frontage
by Glen Richardson
Unstoppable: Colorado’s new “Safety Stop” law allows bicycle riders to treat a Stop Sign as a Yield Sign. The law is creating hostility and resentment among motorists. Photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat
Cyclists Vs. Pedestrians: Bicyclists seek to have walkways and streets designed with both in mind, yet many riders show little concern for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Mobility Muscle: Support for Denver’s Transportation & Mobility Fund by Denver Streets Partnership may result in as much as $9.5 million transferred to sidewalk construction.
Denver’s scrappy band of die-hard cyclists and activists who have proliferated painted bike lanes on Denver streets — and will add another 125 miles by 2024 at a cost of $13.4 million — created and advocated for the new tax that allows the City of Denver to regulate and improve sidewalks. The advocates — known as the Denver Streets Partnership — say the tax, “will give parents, children, people with disabilities, and those that don’t drive, the independence to move about Denver freely and safely rather than walk next to big trucks, navigate cracks, and take detours to find a safe route.”
Costs will be based on how much of the property owner’s land faces a street, and what kind of street is adjacent to the land. Fees will run from $2.15 per linear foot on a residential street to $4.30 per linear foot on downtown streets. Albeit, whatever property owners will be forced to pay, it removes their responsibility for patching-up adjacent property owners’ unrepaired sidewalks and places the responsibility on the City of Denver. The city’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure is expected to be responsible for implementing the plan.
The annual fee for the owner of a typical 50-foot-wide lot was estimated at about $110 a year by the Streets Partnership and was the number widely quoted during the election. Denver District 2 City Councilman Kevin Flynn, however, told Channel 7 News during the campaign that some of his constituents in Harvey Park, “could pay close to $1,000 a year under 307.” Whatever the figure, owners of larger lots — especially on corners — will have fees significantly higher than $110 a year.
A Fast Fix?
Fees could be deferred until property owners sell, and that would amount to about $40 million a year in new revenue, which the Denver Streets Partnership says can be bonded against to raise $850 million upfront. That would enable Denver to fix or build a “complete sidewalk network” within nine years, the organization claimed during the election.
City officials, nonetheless, conversely contend, “that it will take closer to 30 years and cost billions more,” despite the Streets Partnership’s prophecies.
Moreover, many within the city worry that the government and citizens will push property owners beyond their limit. “If a resident is struggling to afford groceries, why and how can they be expected to spend $100 or more to fix their sidewalks?”
Or Sure Failure?
Denver Streets Partnership — the weight behind the initiative — insinuated during a Sept. 2021 “Sidewalk Palooza” event highlighting the issue, claimed the sidewalks in front of many Denver homes and businesses have turned into tripping hazards that are also barriers or obstructions to wheelchairs and strollers. Likewise, they maintained, “47% of city streets in low-income neighborhoods have substandard or missing sidewalks forcing walkers into the streets, where the risks of a tragic accident increase.”
Opposed to the tax throughout the campaign cycle, Councilman Flynn argues that, “As written the program will fail.” He contends there’s not nearly enough funding or time in the new tax law, and the cost burdens are inequitably spread. Nonetheless, he believes the city will somehow find a way to make the program work.
- Skyler McKinley, AAA Colorado Public Affairs Director, submits that the new sidewalk law has crafted what is apt to become a “10-year question.” Just how the law will be im
Peloton Push: Cyclists turned politicians found enough air pressure to get Denver voter approval for Ordinance 307, taxing homeowners to fund the patch-up of city sidewalks.
plemented is “a little fuzzy now,” he says. As a result, he suggests, “sidewalks will become an important issue in next year’s race to replace outgoing Mayor Michael Hancock. Candidates will have to become proficient on the issue and campaign on how they will implement the program.”
Condo, Renter Shock
Although condo owners and renters likely weren’t as concerned by the tax campaign as were homeowners, most won’t be absolved from the new tax’s impact now that it has been approved.
HOAs will receive the tax bill, but families that own condominiums will have their share of the fee passed onto them. Remember, the association’s covenants give HOAs the legal powers to place a lien on units or impose fines.
Furthermore, renters are not off the hook either. While the owners of rental properties will be billed for what will potentially be considerably higher fees, they will surely pass the costs on to tenants as they ratchet rent prices up.
Peddle-Pushing Politics
Pricey Place: Owners of larger lots — especially on corners — will pay fees significantly higher than the projected average of $110 a year. Large lot fees could be close to $1,000 per year.
If sidewalks are for pedestrians, why did Denver’s bicycle lobby campaign for the sidewalk tax? Fundamentally, the bicycle-lobby is pushing the city and state to reevaluate street space and design corridors with cyclists and pedestrians predominantly in mind.
Cyclists regard themselves as “vulnerable users,” the same as pedestrians. As they’ve gained political power, they have increasingly pushed the city and state to reevaluate street space. They want walkways and streets designed with cyclists and pedestrians in mind, not motorists. The Streets Partnership, for example, strongly supported Denver’s new Transportation & Mobility Fund. The fund — made possible by an increase in parking meter fees last year (2022) — is expected to transfer about $9.5 million, allowing for a significant increase in sidewalk construction.
At the state level, the biking lobby helped get Colorado’s statewide “Safety Stop” law adopted, allowing bicycle riders to treat a Stop Sign as a Yield Sign and a Red Light as a Stop Sign. Now, anyone age 15 or over who rides a bicycle, eBike, e-scooter, regular scooter, skateboard, or one-wheel on Colorado public roads, has the law on their side when approaching stop signs, red lights, and other forms of traffic. It became law on April 13, 2022. Furthermore, state law now gives cyclists priority when passing turning vehicles. Also, the Highway Code now gives priority to cyclists on roundabouts.
