Denver takes aim at traffic deaths, and drivers’ speed, on two streets

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is trying new strategies to curb traffic fatalities on his city’s streets: a pilot program aimed at slowing down drivers who speed along major thoroughfares.

Denver has recorded 27 traffic deaths so far this year, with the latest occurring last week on June 17. Last year, 83 people died, according to the city, despite officials launching Vision Zero several years ago, setting a goal of reaching zero traffic deaths by 2030.

On Monday, Johnston announced the rollout of new approaches — initially along stretches of Federal Boulevard and Alameda Avenue — that include investing in more speed limit and speed feedback signs, expanded signal timing to give pedestrians extra moments to cross the street and more speed enforcement, such as ticketing.

The city aims to cut the number of traffic fatalities by half over two years. The focus will be on two stretches of roads with records of high injuries: on Federal, from 52nd Avenue to Lloyd Avenue, and on Alameda, from Sheridan Boulevard to Havana Street.

“All of these strategies, we know, work,” Johnston said. “Each of these strategies alone can account for 20, 30, 40% reductions in death and fatalities.”

One of the more innovative approaches is to reprogram the timing on traffic signals to align with the street’s speed limit.

“That means if you are going faster than the speed limit, you are going to naturally hit red lights,” Johnston said. “We actually want to time those lights to make sure you are going at the speed limit or below.”

Each corridor will cost an estimated $1 million, said Amy Ford, executive director of Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. For example, the signal light retiming along Federal will cost $400,000 to $600,000.