DENVER — The Governor’s Office launched a survey Tuesday for Coloradans to have their voices heard on the CO 150 Walkway, and the results will help determine if the project moves forward.
There are a lot of passionate, differing opinions on the proposed bridge, especially about the $28.5 million price tag.
“I've been excited by the level of passion around this. People who love it, people who dislike it, people want to see it done differently,” Governor Jared Polis said. “Ultimately, we have to make a decision, and we want to know where people are, not just the loudest, but really everybody who cares enough to spend five minutes expressing their opinion.”
Politics
Capitol Walkway: Legacy or luxury as state faces $1 billion financial shortfall?
The project pitched by the governor will build a pedestrian bridge connecting the State Capitol to Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park and Civic Center Park to celebrate Colorado’s 150th year of statehood. That anniversary is also the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The project will honor Colorado history, allow for greater connectivity and feature public art.
If the state moves forward with the walkway, the question then becomes how it will be funded. Polis said the state has set aside about $8.5 million for the project, and the rest would come from private funding.
“If the people of the state say, ‘We want to do this,’ I’ve got to get busy talking through the phone to raise the money,” Polis said. “If people say, ‘Go a different direction,’ we can deploy that elsewhere.”
The walkway proposal has faced criticism from residents and organizations alike as the state faces a $1 billion budget shortfall. Denver7 also heard from an educator and community activist who says it offers a safe educational experience.
While most people spoke against the project at the Capitol Building Advisory Committee meeting in June, members voted 8-4 for it to move forward.
The survey asks three questions seeking input on the scale – or the existence – of the 150th anniversary walkway, and another about whether the survey taker is more excited about Colorado’s 150th anniversary or America’s 250th.
Colorado, of course, is known as the Centennial State because it was granted statehood in America’s 100th year, 1876.
“[We want to know] how we brand the festivities and observe this across the state – which one is the lead and which one is the secondary,” Polis told Denver7. “We're kind of like the kid with a Christmas birthday, right? [...] Do we want to make it more about [the] American holiday? Or do we want to just put them equally? So I want to see what people say about that.”
The governor said Tuesday that he hopes the survey feedback leans overwhelmingly one way or another, so the choice is clear on the future of the project.
Voting closes at midnight Monday, July 21st, 2025.
