Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 1:30 p.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, room 391
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held its final meeting chaired by its current chair, who noted committee assignments will change after next week's council election. The main item was a briefing from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) on Denver Moves Everyone, the city's long-range transportation plan, its funding sources, and its Safe Routes to School and Vision Zero initiatives. DOTI staff said the full transportation need is roughly $600 million annually versus $200-300 million typically received from federal, state, and local sources. Council members pressed for dedicated budget line items for Safe Routes to School and Vision Zero, a public dashboard tracking progress, better communication from DOTI, and clarity on new local revenue options; a Department of Finance representative said a citywide fee study is being initiated. The committee also noted five consent items at the end of the meeting.
0:07 A Denver. It's time for this
0:09 biweekly meeting of the
0:10 Transportation and
0:10 Infrastructure Committee of
0:16 Denver City Council. Join us
0:16 for the Transportation and
0:17 Infrastructure Committee.
0:19 Starting now.
0:31 To the Transportation and
0:33 Infrastructure Committee.
0:34 Today is JULY 15th, 9
0:35 gentleness chair. This
0:36 committee is actually the that
0:39 I'm chairing this committee
0:39 the studies. With me take a
0:42 moment personal privilege for
0:44 those of you watching at home.
0:47 next week and after that
0:47 There is a council election
0:48 committee Zients committee
0:50 assignments will move around
0:51 as such. This me this is
0:53 actually the last meeting of
0:54 the Transportation and
0:55 Infrastructure Committee that
0:59 I am cheering. Has been an
1:00 absolute pleasure and honor to
1:01 chair this committee and to
1:04 serve in this role. I want
1:04 take a listen for the work
1:05 that she's done as well as
1:06 Melissa and the work that you
1:10 all have done to support. In
1:12 staffing this committee, the
1:13 agency staff who meet
1:14 regularly regularly with me in
1:16 my office, notably read Rita
1:21 can before he left. Dan as
1:22 well as Elena and Maggie,
1:23 Daddy. Thank you for that work
1:24 in partnership that you have
1:26 And I also wanted to thank
1:27 council PRESIDENT Sandoval who
1:28 made the move to make me the
1:31 chair of this committee. In
1:32 what was the business
1:33 committee all the way back in
1:36 the late summer of 2024. And
1:37 like I said, it has been an
1:39 absolute honor and a
1:40 privilege. I look forward to
1:42 the person who chairs the next
1:44 go-around. With that we can do
1:45 around of introductions and
1:46 I'll start with intense
1:46 manhunt. Chris hinds numbers
1:51 for Kevin Flynn, southwest
1:51 numbers district to be lucky
1:53 district. 7. If you and then
1:59 you can go online. I'm
2:01 afternoon an Americana mall
2:04 southeast Denver district 4.
2:06 And I just also want echo what
2:08 a tremendous job you have done
2:09 as the chair of this committee
2:13 and lovely, as always with
2:18 your I live in in Thank you so
2:19 We have one briefing with
2:19 daddy present on the safe
2:22 routes to school and Denver
2:23 moves everyone before we get
2:24 to that lead to attend the
2:28 floor over to COUNCILMAN Just
2:29 thank you so much. Higher
2:29 committee chair. I just want
2:30 to take a moment to talk about
2:33 how we got to this place
2:35 today. We were supposed to be
2:38 presenting next steps have
2:40 bowing ridge ready for a c tax
2:41 to provide permanent funding
2:41 for safe routes to school in
2:46 Denver moves everyone. We
2:47 really, you know, respect to
2:49 my colleagues who I just have
2:51 seen, even, for example, with
2:52 the municipal sentencing
2:54 amount of work that you need
2:54 to go to in our region. Stay
2:57 cool. During an evacuation
3:01 building. Needs to be I have
3:02 one right there. And there was
3:05 tangible things that were also
3:06 missing, which was we didn't
3:08 have projections specifically
3:10 for which not ready pretty
3:13 much by today, have in order
3:14 to make the ballot. And what I
3:16 want to say is that's not off
3:17 the table. We're still here to
3:20 look for funding sources, but
3:21 I thought this is a great
3:25 opportunity and asked, are you
3:26 to help do a strain need I
3:29 think that was one of the
3:30 biggest things to me is that
3:31 they're there is a dollar
3:33 amount rain that we need to
3:34 actually make these programs
3:36 work talk about how much what
3:37 the dollars are that we have
3:40 today. What our goals are what
3:42 that looks like and how work
3:44 in partnership my call at the
3:45 end of this is we can find
3:46 ways to work together, bring
3:47 coalition together with all
3:50 these other care about this
3:52 issue, including people that
3:54 are upset right dropped to
3:55 16th Street Grant are 16
3:56 governor wouldn't call
3:59 anymore. But the actual virus
4:00 won't be running there
4:01 anymore. So I look forward to
4:03 working together to find
4:04 solutions think high lighting
4:05 what the need is and what
4:07 we're trying to find is great.
4:09 Thank you to director for
4:11 entire team putting together
4:12 fight over short amount of
4:17 time help get us any follow
4:18 conversations. Tennis are just
4:19 want be able to say about
4:25 that. With Now with your
4:27 permission to over options
4:29 that we welcome counseling
4:32 meeting. And you can your
4:32 Internet isn't getting you it
4:33 before. I'm the executive
4:34 director, Denver's Department
4:34 of Transportation
4:37 Infrastructure, joined by Leia
4:37 introduce myself. Yes, good
4:38 afternoon. House and the
4:39 director of Transportation.
4:40 Mobility Planning forgotten it
4:41 afternoon. I'm really with me
4:42 in the principal city planner
4:46 with Dottie. And to COUNCILMAN
4:48 Out Peters is thank you for
4:50 the opportunities to talk I
4:52 think this is a start to the
4:53 conversation rather than the
4:55 end. And I think there's a lot
4:55 more definition you know,
4:56 execution about how we talk
4:57 about money and funding
5:00 transportation goals and
5:02 priorities. Today, Riley
5:03 engender going walk you
5:05 through Denver moves. Everyone
5:05 would just, you know, it's
5:07 sort of our north star
5:07 substantive process that was
5:10 completed, engaged with the
5:12 public 2022. To set the vision
5:13 and the goals for
5:14 transportation and what we
5:15 want to accomplish the kind of
5:16 city that we want to live in
5:20 for mobility sustainability
5:20 promote shift you know, for
5:26 safety. Part of that came with
5:27 not just the definition of a
5:28 variety of different programs
5:29 and others, but also with the
5:31 definition, an estimate what
5:33 does it cost to achieve our
5:35 goals of 0 fatalities on
5:37 Denver streets. We're to
5:39 achieve our goals of motion or
5:40 to achieve our goals of how we
5:42 think about a sustainable
5:42 transportation system. And so
5:46 we're going to talk about that
5:47 a high level today. We're also
5:50 ahead where we have gotten our
5:50 going to then give you a look
5:54 dollars in the past. How much
5:54 historically we have gotten
5:55 from different sources. And I
5:57 think that's an important
5:59 piece. Transportation is not
6:01 just funded by local dollars.
6:02 It is funded by federal
6:04 dollars in grants. It is also
6:05 equally funded by different
6:06 fees and enterprises. So we're
6:08 going to talk through that
6:09 basically in all probably take
6:13 those light of mind and then
6:14 we'll turn around and talk to
6:15 you about the individual
6:16 programs that we have
6:17 specially those you have
6:18 questions about think safe
6:22 routes to schools as well as
6:23 Vision 0, which are less plans
6:24 per se, but then as much
6:27 initiatives that are funded
6:29 and resourced and programs
6:31 through our existing dna,
6:32 different initiatives with
6:32 signals and transit and
6:34 pedestrian crossings and
6:36 others. So we look forward to
6:36 the start of this
6:37 conversation. Alternative is a
6:39 team so they can get going and
6:41 then please interrupt just as
6:42 usual. Some of this might be
6:44 repetitive. You know it and so
6:45 feel free tell Sullivan, if
6:48 you already know some of these
6:49 things, we can get to the meat
6:50 of the conversation. Thanks so
6:50 much, Jamie, for the great
6:51 introduction and thank so much
6:53 council for having me today.
6:54 I'm excited to give you an
6:55 overview of Denver, everyone,
6:56 which is our long-range
6:59 strategic transformation plan
7:03 that was developed 2023. And
7:03 he's even touched on today.
7:05 We're going want to spend some
7:07 time with you sharing a little
7:08 of overview about how that
7:08 long-range transportation
7:12 plan. Defiance for us what our
7:13 goals are. So what is good
7:14 look like for our
7:17 transportation system in
7:18 Denver, those schools that
7:18 have can do defined workshop
7:22 with the community and where
7:23 we today versus where we want
7:26 to between now and 2015. What
7:27 is the transportation funding
7:28 look like that? We have
7:30 currently. How do we use the
7:31 need to help define for us?
7:32 The level of investment that
7:35 we need in order to make a
7:36 meaningful impacts to our
7:38 transportation system in the
7:40 city. And finally, we'll talk
7:41 about how the steamy to inform
7:41 those programs as you touched
7:47 on. Denver, Missouri, when you
7:48 hear me abbreviate this a lot
7:52 as Dme, sure acronym for we
7:52 refer to as our long-range
7:56 strategic transportation plan.
7:57 And this is something that
7:58 cities are agencies that are
8:01 the size of Denver, do in
8:04 order to help them determine
8:06 how what our help define for
8:07 us. What our goals when it
8:08 comes to improving,
8:10 maintaining and operating our
8:11 transportation system. How
8:11 much is that going to cost?
8:14 What are the long-term
8:15 resources? What does the
8:16 community ultimately want for
8:17 transportation system? How we
8:24 get there? Last time that did,
8:25 I strategic transportation. I
8:26 was in 2008. And started
8:28 making those those updates to
8:30 it 2021. Think as everyone
8:31 knows, Denver has changed a
8:34 lot since 2008. So I'm making
8:38 that update was long overdue.
8:40 So we know that transportation
8:41 impacts all of us every day in
8:45 our in our daily Not only is
8:45 transportation, the second
8:47 highest household costs. What
8:49 we know that it's also one of
8:50 the second highest source
8:52 greenhouse gas emissions in
8:54 our city. It impacts us
8:55 because it defines. How long
8:57 does it take to get to the
9:01 places that we want to go? How
9:01 long is going to take? What
9:02 kind of options do we have for
9:04 getting 2 different places?
9:06 And so it's really important
9:06 that we collectively think
9:07 about our transportation
9:09 system how we can work to
9:14 improve it. We often refer to
9:17 dme the people's plans. We
9:18 when we worked on them when we
9:20 were developing this wasn't
9:22 your planning process because
9:23 he wanted to ensure that we
9:24 were working hearing from as
9:26 many people as possible. We're
9:28 happy to say that we engage
9:30 with all 70 of Denver's
9:32 from hundreds of thousands of
9:32 neighborhoods. I mean, heard
9:34 different voices through
9:35 different. I'm through
9:36 different mechanisms of
9:38 outreach to help. Stuff. I
9:41 understand. What is it that
9:42 I'm Denver residents watched
9:43 as the future their
9:48 transportation system. And in
9:50 that we heard 5 goals and it's
9:52 going to touch a little bit on
9:54 those those 5 gold areas. I
9:55 focus area. So those are the
9:55 like to kind of think of these
9:59 areas of mobility safety
10:00 sustainability, community
10:01 quality in the equity is with
10:02 moving into each of those
10:03 schools. I want to touch a
10:04 little bit on what that
10:07 actually means. So when we
10:08 were when we were hearing from
10:11 Denver residents, what they
10:12 want forward, how they'd like
10:13 to see improve our
10:15 transportation system in the
10:16 future. We heard that that
10:17 Denver residents want the
10:21 system that is convenient. So
10:21 it's affordable reliable that
10:23 there are multiple travel
10:24 options for how you get to
10:27 where you want to go. I'm we
10:28 wanted to a system that is
10:33 safe. So that not only is it
10:34 time the day safe to get from
10:36 point a to point b, but also
10:37 that it's our system is
10:37 comfortable. So regardless of
10:40 what most your shoes that that
10:42 our our system also feels
10:44 comfortable and then also
10:46 ensuring in the face of
10:47 climate change that we're
10:48 having is transportation
10:49 system that's sustainable.
10:52 Were you says air pollution
10:54 and is also helping achieve
10:59 some of our environment goals.
11:00 And we know that time America
11:01 McKee side of things. We know
11:03 that some neighborhoods in
11:04 Denver very well connected,
11:05 but I'm so that it's easy for
11:06 people to meet their daily
11:08 needs by walking or biking or
11:10 taking transit. But in some
11:10 neighborhoods, more
11:12 challenging than others. And
11:14 so ideally, we want to make
11:15 sure that all 70 diversity
11:18 remains easily connected and
11:21 vote connected that we reduced
11:22 in years that people might
11:22 have for connecting to the
11:23 places that they want to go.
11:27 And then finally, and we also
11:29 heard that people want us
11:30 transportation system that's
11:32 well maintained. So that means
11:34 that that, again, we have that
11:36 it's smooth ride regardless of
11:37 whether you're biking transit
11:37 driving or walking. I mean
11:41 system continues to be well
11:41 that again, that that that
11:46 maintained. One of the other
11:49 things that dna helped us to
11:50 versus where we want to in the
11:50 find is where we have today
11:56 future. In that there is a lot
11:57 of different strategies that
11:58 were developed and we have a
11:59 lot of different data behind
12:00 this that helps us to define
12:01 that. But there's a couple of
12:02 key ones I want to touch on.
12:05 So one, for example, under
12:05 mobility is that today taking
12:10 transit in Denver. It takes to
12:10 almost for over 2 and a half
12:12 times longer than it does to
12:14 drive. So in ideal state, we
12:18 want to change that. So that.
12:19 A transit is no longer than
12:23 1.0 5 Walker times drafting.
12:25 And under the safety
12:28 Fortunately 2025 there were 94
12:29 related fatalities and 290
12:31 serious bodily injuries. We
12:35 know that. If you are Vision,
12:38 0 goal that the only
12:39 acceptable goal is to bring
12:40 those down 2 times. Your son
12:42 how he's 0 serious injuries on
12:46 and for roadways. And then
12:47 again, as touched on this
12:49 second ago, transportation is
12:49 the second largest source of
12:53 co 2 emissions so we and
12:54 ideals in an ideal world we
12:55 would be reducing that down to
12:59 0 and also ensuring that that
13:02 our transportation system
13:02 sustainable again resilient in
13:04 the face of climate change.
13:08 And then Well the last few all
13:09 last few that I mention again,
13:13 it's just making sure that
13:13 ensuring that regardless of
13:14 what neighborhood they live
13:16 in, that it's easy for you to
13:17 connect to Convenient for you
13:18 to be able to connect to the
13:21 places that you want to go.
13:21 And that that our