Drivers aren't stopping outside senior living building on Federal Blvd.

Maxine from Denver writes, “What’s driving you crazy? I live at 2nd & Federal in a senior living building and boy, I see a lot of stuff here."

Drivers aren't stopping outside senior living building on Federal Blvd.

By: Jayson Luber

DENVER — Maxine from Denver writes, “What’s driving you crazy? I live at 2^nd & Federal in a senior living building and boy, I see a lot of stuff here. People run red lights and make illegal U-turns where we have to cross the street. Some of us are in power chairs, have canes or walkers and have almost been hit by cars. What would be the next steps to take care of this issue if nobody stops for us?”

Watch the full story in the video player below.

Drivers aren't stopping outside senior living building on Federal Blvd.

If you are seeing something that is dangerous, Denver police said you should call them right away. The City of Denver is working on the traffic problems here and the state will transform how this section of Federal Boulevard will look like in a few years.

I went down there to take a look Maxine and that is a busy intersection. Let me start by saying U-turns are not illegal here, but there is a requirement that drivers making a U-turn yield to right turning drivers from 2^nd Ave. There is also a sign that requires drivers to yield to pedestrians, but that is the rule no matter if there is a sign or not.

The city has already made changes here that they say is starting to help slow traffic and reduce the potential of being hit when crossing the street. In June 2024, Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) announced its “Start Protecting Everyone Every Day” (SPEED) program with the goal to reduce traffic fatalities and speeding, especially on Federal. To do that, the city instituted several targeted actions including:

Installing approximately one speed limit sign every quarter mile to raise driver awareness of the speed limit.
Installing 14 electronic feedback signs along Federal Blvd that show drivers how fast they’re going.
Programmed traffic signals to slow vehicles down to the posted speed limits and shortening the signal cycle length during overnight hours, reducing the amount of time that signals rest in green that discourages speeding when there are fewer cars on the road.
Increasing the number of intersections with leading pedestrian intervals to give pedestrians a head start crossing the street before cars get the green.
Working with Xcel to get damaged and dark street lights shining brightly again.
Launched “For the Love of Safety” campaign on billboards to spread awareness of the danger of speeding and its relationship to traffic fatalities.

The city said due to these actions, it has recorded a decrease of late-night crashes on Federal by 14%.

There is another major action that has yet to be installed, the deployment of speed enforcement cameras. At a March 4, 2026 City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting, representatives from DOTI said several speed cameras would be set up along Federal as well as along Colfax Avenue, Broadway and in parts of downtown Denver. The fixed location cameras would operate similar to the existing mobile photo radar vans where they would take a picture of the vehicle, including the driver, and violation notices would be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Signs would be placed at least 300 feet before each camera as called for in state law.

DOT said the locations of the cameras have not been finalized yet but will be prioritized based on several factors including where the greatest number of fatalities and serious bodily injurie crashes occur and in areas where speeding is happening.

DOTI has to wait to install the cameras until after the final draft approval is given by city council to change existing automated vehicle identification system language to align with state law. DOTI expects once the ordinance language is approved, installation of these speed safety cameras will be complete by the end of this year.

This is not the only change coming to this corridor. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is nearing completion of the design for the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route that would change the look of 18 miles of Federal between 120^th and Dartmouth Avenues.

Unlike along Colfax, the BRT would take up the right lane instead of the middle part of the roadway. That means there would be only two lanes for general traffic and one dedicated lane for buses. Reducing general traffic capacity like this usually leads to slower speeds. There would also be an improvement to the crossing as two new BRT stations would be constructed right at the Federal and 2^nd Ave. intersection.

The final design is expected to be complete by 2027 with construction beginning a year or so later. CDOT expects the BRT service to be underway by 2030.

Denver police told me if you are still seeing problematic drivers, give them a call and they will come out and take a look. Meanwhile, with all the changes coming in the next four years, this intersection will look much different and traffic flow will be changed as well. Maybe that will give you the relief and safety you are hoping for.

Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his award winning Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.