Since the last update, the subcommittee has been hard at work meeting with various stakeholders in the neighborhood including the Denver Theatre District (DTD), Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Arts & Venues, Colorado Convention Center, Visit Denver, Councilman Chris Hinds, Denver City Planner Lily Lizarraga (Department of Transportation and Infrastructure–DOTI), and others. The committee has been working on a grassroots plan to find new ways to promote education through utilizing advertising time in the electronic digital signs around the neighborhood. In addition, we have been working on an effort with DOTI and Denver Arts and Venues to have stencils painted on sidewalks around the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and elsewhere in the UpDoNA area that will indicate that scooters are not allowed to be ridden there. A similar program is being piloted in the LoDoNA area. The committee is also encouraging DOTI in their efforts to get additional e-scooter corrals in the street for e-scooter parking. We have also encouraged DOTI to change their regulatory signage along bike lanes to clarify that they can be used for other transportation devices.
The subcommittee has received incredible support from the stakeholders that they have met with and will continue to work with them. Other stakeholders such as the Auraria Campus, Ball Arena, and Coors Field are also being contacted to see what type of support and/or relationship can be built with them to address these issues.
On Thursday, October 20, committee members staged a photo that will be used for the changeable message signs encouraging proper use of sidewalks and bicycle lanes. The message sign will encourage people to be courteous and use only the assigned lanes–sidewalks for pedestrians, bike lanes for bicycle and scooter riders, and, of course, parking and auto lanes for cars.
As a reminder, the subcommittee (chaired by David Kurth) goals are to find workable solutions to enhance the safety of both e-scooter users and pedestrians, and foster knowledge and compliance with the rules surrounding scooter use. Responsibilities of the committee include: working with City leaders (including Councilman Hinds) to discuss pedestrian safety, supporting possible changes to City ordinances and enforcement of the same, coordinating our efforts with LoDoNA, and developing communications with e-scooter companies regarding methods for enhancing pedestrian safety.
Photo attribution: Thumbnail – Rob Squire
