Starting at 10 a.m. this morning, cyclists have a new way to cruise down South Broadway. Denver’s very first protected two-lane bike path is now open to the public. Spanning a half-mile between Bayaud and Virginia, the project was inspired by similar efforts implemented in other areas such as Pueblo (CO), New York, Washington D.C. and Vancouver, British Columbia. The bike lane is a part of an ongoing study by Denver Public Works to make the Lincoln-Broadway corridor safer to travel.
“We hosted two public workshops to understand community interests and visions for the Broadway-Lincoln corridor and through this community-driven process, we arrived at the bikeway design that we are going to study,” said Nancy Kuhn, communications director for Denver Public Works.
According to a press release from Denver Public Works, 40 people have moved Denver every day between 2006 and 2014. This continued growth is what inspired the study to find better and safer ways for people to travel through the city.
The two-way bikeway is located on the left lane of Broadway and features signalized intersections to prevent cars from turning left when the bikeway is being used. All non-signalized intersections and driveways are painted with green striping to indicate a potential conflict zone between motorists and bicyclists. Street parking was moved from the curb to the right of the bike lane.
The bike lane is scheduled to be open for a minimum of three months with a goal to keep it open for a total of 15 months. After those first three months, the lane will undergo a safety and engineering evaluation. If approved, a decision will be made whether or not to continue the study for another year.
To provide feedback on the bike lane, fill out the online survey here.