Objecting to Northbound Traffic Diversion at 14th and Franklin

On February 12, 2021, the FANS board of directors sent a letter to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) and our City Council representatives objecting to plans to "divert" northbound traffic on Franklin Street at 14th Avenue. At the FANS Annual Meeting on January 26, 2021, the proposed changes to North Franklin Street as part of the South Central Community Transportation Network were discussed, based on information provided by DOTI. A motion was made to send a letter objecting to the proposed changes, including the closure of Franklin at 14th Avenue to northbound traffic; the motion passed unanimously.  

The rationale for diverting traffic patterns on Franklin Street is not clear because this street is already an existing mapped bike route, with relatively few problems considering the volume of use. If the goal is to change traffic speed behavior, this could be accomplished with less detrimental options, such as changed traffic light timing, speed bumps, flashing warning lights, and speed monitoring. The proposed changes leave many unanswered questions and will likely result in unintended consequences, such as new, complex, and unpredictable traffic patterns that will create dangers for drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, law enforcement, and emergency vehicles. Also, forcing drivers to find alternate routes to medical providers and businesses north of Colfax will increase the potential for accidents on side streets as well as more local air pollution. This directly contradicts goals for Net Zero deaths and a reduced carbon footprint.

Northbound access on Franklin Street is critical to neighborhood residents, as well as emergency providers, who are accessing hospitals, medical clinics, and businesses north of Colfax. Therefore, we request that no diversion of traffic movements be made at 14th Avenue and North Franklin Street and that all present access patterns / turning movements be maintained.

Please click here to read a copy of the letter.

Click here for a copy of the South Central Community Network’s overview of existing conditions on North Franklin Street. Click here for a copy of the current proposed plan. This is a large PDF file and the closure of Franklin to northbound at 14th Avenue is not explicitly stated. This is the most recent plan we have.

If you have questions about the proposed changes, see the DOTI Community Transportation Network's webpage and look at the South Central Denver links. You can also sign up for virtual office hours with DOTI planners to discuss any questions. 

​Cheesman Park Ranger Statistics

​Below in comparative form are statistics for violations in Cheesman Park and the Esplanade since May 2017:​​

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