DENVER — As the Denver City Council considers Mayor Mike Johnston’s Vibrant Denver bond proposal, community members continue to express concerns about some projects that were not included in the final list.
The proposal, which could appear on November’s ballot, will pay for dozens of public infrastructure improvement projects across the city, from parks to roads to cultural centers. But it’s what was not included that’s raising eyebrows for some.
"If we want people to bike in Denver, you gotta make it so that they have a route from A to B to bike safely on. And currently, this bond doesn't present any of that,” said June Churchill, a bike advocate who serves as the budget chair of the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s (DOTI) advisory committee.
Churchill told Denver7 the bond doesn't include enough money to build more bike safety infrastructure, such as bike lanes.
“We see a lot of dangerous crashes on these roads,” said Churchill. “Given the low cost of bike infrastructure, we should expect something, but there was nothing.”
According to the mayor's office, nearly half of the bond funding (46%) will go to transportation and mobility projects, including traffic and pedestrian safety improvements. But Churchill said there's an important distinction.
"Generally speaking, those are multimodal projects, primarily meant to benefit safety and pedestrians without a bike mobility component," said Churchill.
She hopes the city council will find a way to provide more funding for bike safety infrastructure improvements.
"My hope, as someone very interested in transportation, is that we see more money go to safety projects,” said Churchill.
Bike advocates have also started a petition to demand better transportation projects.
- Read the full list of recommended Vibrant Denver projects below
They're not the only ones who have raised concerns. Earlier this month, Denver7 spoke with Denver’s clerk and recorder, who shared his disappointment about proposed election infrastructure upgrades not being included.
Dr. Ben Sanders is Denver’s chief equity officer, and he was a member of the bond’s executive committee, which provided Johnston with a recommended list of projects.
"The thing that I'd say about the bond overall is that the city, the residents of the city of Denver, should be really proud of it,” he said.
Sanders told Denver7 it was impossible to include every project community members might have wanted, as hundreds of ideas were submitted. He said the executive committee took a big picture view and focused on areas with the greatest need, always with an eye on equity.
“We tried to build the most equitable bond that creates the best and most opportunities for folks who need it most,” said Sanders.
City officials created an interactive map that shows where the bond projects will be located. Sanders said many projects are in areas that have historically been underserved.
“We want to be a vibrant city. We've got to identify the places where there are huge opportunity gaps, huge opportunity deserts, and plugging city resources, plugging city investments, plugging opportunities into those places,” said Sanders.
On Monday, Johnston’s office announced that $15 million had been added to the American Indian Cultural Embassy for a total of $20 million for that project. That raised the overall amount of the bond package to $950 million.
The Denver City Council will review and adjust the bond proposal. It’s expected to take a final vote next week.
If the council approves the bond proposal, it will be placed on November's ballot for voters to consider.
Denverites have been presented with several bond packages in recent years. In 2017, Denver voters approved the $937 million Elevate Denver bond program to improve infrastructure. In 2021, they approved the $260 million RISE Denver bond, which also went to infrastructure improvements.
More information about the Vibrant Denver bond proposal can be found here.
