Your parking meter money was supposed to pay for safer streets. A new bill would lock that in

When the Denver City Council doubled parking meter rates in 2021, the extra money went into a new account meant for pedestrian, bike, transit and traffic safety improvements, according to a presentation at a Council committee this summer. Two Council members say too much of it has gone elsewhere, and they have filed a bill to change the rules.

Council Bill 26-1654, sponsored by Shontel Lewis and Flor Alvidrez, would amend the 2021 ordinance that created the Transportation and Mobility Special Revenue Fund (sponsors). It was filed Oct. 27 and goes to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 4 (agenda).

Why it matters: the fund is money set aside for street safety, paid for mostly by parking meters and enforcement fines. It is also tied to this year's budget fight. The Council asked Mayor Mike Johnston to redirect $8.9 million from the fund to street safety, and he declined until the Council finishes restructuring it, the Denver Gazette reported.

What the bill would change

Comparing the draft bill with the current text, it would:

• State the fund's purpose. The money should "supplement and not replace" other transportation funding and carry out the city's Vision Zero Action Plan, Safe Routes to School Action Plan and Denver Moves plans for bikes, pedestrians, trails and transit.
• List what it can pay for. The current text allows "transportation and mobility programs." The new list names pedestrian improvements, microtransit, transit service through Transportation Management Authorities, protected bike or accessibility lanes, speed cushions and other self-enforcing traffic calming, bus stops, transit speed and reliability work, dedicated bus lanes and road diets.
• Limit signals. Flashing crosswalk beacons and similar signals could be paid for only alongside self-enforcing traffic calming.
• Require capital spending. At least half the money would go to capital projects.
• Keep the money in the fund. Balances would roll over each year, and transfers to the General Fund would be barred except when the fund is closed.
• Add a review step. The transportation department would present its planned uses each year to its advisory board for comment.

What our records add

Where the money goes now. At a July 27 Budget and Policy Committee meeting, a presentation on the proposed changes said the fund took in $16.5 million in 2026: $7.2 million from parking meters, $5.5 million from enforcement fines and $3.8 million carried over from 2025, including speed camera revenue. It said parking enforcement and operations now use about $8.4 million, more than half the fund (video).

Lewis tied it to speed cameras. At an Oct. 7 Health and Safety Committee meeting, Lewis said she had suggested sending revenue from the city's automated speed enforcement into the Transportation and Mobility fund instead of the General Fund, so the money would go to traffic safety (video). The speed camera expansion ordinance was postponed to Nov. 9, as we reported.

A related budget amendment. Separately, Paul Kashmann has filed a 2027 budget amendment, 26-1658, that would move $400,000 from police administration to "restore funding for safety programming" in the transportation department's Office of Business and Community Engagement (text). It is up Monday with the other amendments (agenda).

The fund has come up before. Chris Hinds cited the 2021 ordinance creating the fund during the Council's Oct. 27, 2025, budget debate (video).

What's next

• Nov. 4, 1 p.m.: Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (agenda). The same meeting takes up the "best value" contracting bill, which Alvidrez also sponsors.
• If the committee advances it, the bill goes to the full Council for two readings. Follow it on its matter page.