Council members want another overhaul of Denver's transportation department
Potholes, trash pickup, sidewalks and traffic deaths all fall under one agency. Council members say it has grown too big, and the mayor says he's open to talking.
One Denver agency handles potholes, trash and recycling pickup, sidewalks and the city's effort to reduce traffic deaths. Some Council members now say that's too much for one department.
Denverite reported on Oct. 20 that pressure is building for another big change to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, known as DOTI. Some members say the department's duties have sprawled too far. Council Member Flor Alvidrez told Denverite that the agency is struggling with trash and streets. She also said, "We're all getting heat for the cutback to recycling every other week."
That cutback is the change many households have noticed. Denver moved recycling pickup to every other week as it rolled out compost service and its pay-as-you-throw trash system, Westword reported. The city's trash, recycling and compost page lists the current schedule.
How we got here
The push started in the budget. In its letter on the 2027 budget, the Council asked Mayor Mike Johnston to do more to monitor DOTI and to reconsider how the department is structured, Denverite reported on Oct. 12. Those requests were advisory.
Johnston's response left the door open. "To the extent restructuring is required, we invite City Council to partner with the administration in collaboration," he wrote, according to Denverite. The Denver Gazette reported that he agreed to work with the Council on DOTI's performance and structure. He also turned down the Council's request to shift $8.9 million in transportation money toward street safety for now.
What our records add
The money question has been running through committee meetings. Our transcripts show members asking how traffic-safety work should be paid for:
- At the Sept. 24 budget hearing on transportation, a presenter described a dedicated transportation revenue fund for safety and mobility priorities (video).
- At the Health and Safety Committee on Oct. 7, Council Member Shontel Lewis raised paying for safety work from the Transportation and Mobility special revenue fund instead of the General Fund (video).
- On Oct. 14, a Finance Department staffer told the same committee that the fund has specific permissible uses (video).
Recycling came up at budget hearings. On Sept. 22, budget presenters described spending on universal recycling and composting and what recycling programs cost (video, video).
DOTI is on the Council's agenda every week. The Oct. 26 agenda includes several Transportation and Infrastructure Committee items. One is a $1 million-plus pipe and manhole rehabilitation contract, and another is a bill on permanent and temporary occupancy of the public right-of-way (agenda). DOTI construction contracting is also at the center of the best-value contracting bill now in committee.
You can search what was said for "transportation" or "recycling" across Denver's meeting transcripts.
What's next
- No ordinance to restructure DOTI has been filed in the Council's records as of Oct. 23. Any reorganization would come through legislation or the mayor's administration.
- The Council's required public hearing on the 2027 budget is Oct. 26, and members can still propose amendments before the Nov. 9 adoption vote. That's when they could try to move transportation money.
- The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meets Wednesdays. Find upcoming sessions on the meetings page.
Find your Council Member on the district map.