| 5. As an elected official, how would you improve multimodal transportation systems in Denver while addressing climate goals and equity? | |
| MAYORAL CANDIDATES | |
| Matt Brady | Since 1979 I have driven, bicycled, and ridden RTD transit extensively over the entire Denver Metro area. Also have used public transit in many other large cities for decades. I support bicycle lanes but would make sure first responder vehicles could travel quickly with minimum interference. I have seen emergency vehicles slow down in heavy traffic. Have more dedicated bus and responder lanes on well-traveled streets. Work with RTD to expand the use and convenience of Access-a-Ride and Flex Ride to encourage more passenger use as these vehicles are going to be all-electric. Then we should consider maybe two well-placed subway lines to dovetail with surface traffic in the metro area. While not a complete buildout as in other large cities, this subway addition would take a significant amount of cars off the highways. It would be expensive and cost analysis and potential returns should be studied. We need more electric vehicle charging stations. |
| Jim Walsh | Today, Denver is a city that is designed almost strictly for the automobile. Streets have been designed with one goal in mind: move traffic as quickly as possible. Very little regard has been given to people outside of cars, pedestrians, bicycles, wheelchair users, transit users, children, workers, etc. This overreliance on automobiles results in gridlock, air pollution, higher costs for fuel and vehicle maintenance, parking shortages, and mounting traffic deaths. In order to address these problems, we propose massive investments in Public Transportation to increase accessibility, connectivity, reliability, and frequency across the city; and in a high-comfort bicycle network. High-comfort is a specific designation defined by the Dept. of Transportation and Infrastructure which includes trails and paths separated by traffic, protected bicycle lanes with physical barriers, and neighborhood bikeways with design elements to slow traffic and prioritize cyclists, pedestrians, and other forms non-automobile traffic |
| Trinidad Rodriguez | Building an equitable mobility network that gives all Denverites safe, sustainable, efficient and healthful ways to move about the city is my vision for transportation for Denver. As mayor, my priorities will be to accelerate the implementation of our existing citywide and regional plans and infrastructure to create complete mobility networks. My team will accomplish this through innovative infrastructure design and building; lowering, and enhancing enforcement of speed limits to meaningfully reduce and eliminate mobility related injuries and deaths and determine how Denver can be a leader in unlocking promising new technologies that can advance these goals, such as self-driving people movers among others. Creating and harnessing incentives in efficiency, sustainability and health will lead to a more even distribution of mode shares by our citizens. |
| Mike Johnston | We need to ensure that Denver’s streets work for everyone, whether you commute by car, bus, bike, or you walk. That starts with re-imagining the way people move around our city by building both market rate and affordable housing units near Transit Oriented Developments so folks have access to public transit and increase walkability. As Mayor, I will ensure the City works to make bike lanes safer and easier to use, which will help reduce the number of pedestrian and biker injuries and deaths, decrease traffic, and help the City meet our climate goals. |
| Chris Hansen | The Mayor plays a crucial role in making sure that smart growth happens in key places like public transit corridors and making Denver neighborhoods conducive to thriving businesses. As Mayor, I would work closely with partners to draw new businesses into downtown Denver by bringing my vision of a greener Denver to life. My background sets me apart from other candidates because I have a vision of Denver becoming the greenest city in the U.S. and I can make that a reality due to my private and public sector experience. Under my administration, I see Denver becoming a connected, thriving, dynamic city, with strong neighborhoods, a vibrant downtown and a world-class airport. We can dramatically improve air quality and reduce emissions if we focus on adding population density in areas with high-quality public transit that is electrified. We must enable residents to meet all of their needs by using a combination of highly efficient public transit, connected bike lanes, EV charging infrastructure, and making our streets safer for pedestrians. My systems engineering background combined with my extensive legislative experience will enable me to deliver this vision of a connected, green, dynamic city. |
| Lisa Calderón | Denver must move away from being a car-centric city, and prioritize multi-modal transportation that is easy and convenient, as well as cheap or free. As mayor, I will implement my SMART vision for city planning and transportation: Smart growth is key to comprehensive land-use planning for environmentally sustainable, compact, walkable, and multimodal urban centers with mixed-use development offering a range of affordable housing options. This plan includes focusing on mobility by implementing initiatives to shift the culture from being car-dependent to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions. Use data to inform decision-making and measure benchmarks to reach the goal of zero traffic fatalities as envisioned by the Denver Streets Partnership Vision Zero five-year plan. I will increase funding to create equity across neighborhoods where the majority of deaths occur in “high-injury networks” or “communities of concern,” which disproportionately impact people of color and working-class people. I will build infrastructure for alternative forms of transportation to make walking and cycling safer. Paired with this, I will give a particular focus to trees and open space. Multimodal transportation, when developed in line with principles of Smart Growth – will support achieving Denver’s climate goals. Ultimately we must make using lower-emissions transportation, such as public transportation, biking, and walking, as safe, easy and convenient as cars. But this must be implemented through an equity lens that recognizes the transportation needs of all communities, and avoids advancing sustainability goals at the cost of equity. My environmental policies center equity and justice, knowing that true environmental sustainability goes hand in hand with equity, and we do not have to choose between false choices of climate goals or equity. |
| Kelly Brough | Simply put, my transportation priority will be supporting Denverites to move more efficiently, safely, and cleanly. To do so, I will: • Focus on pedestrian and cyclist safety by better enforcing our traffic laws and launching a strategic reset on the Vision Zero initiative, which has the right goal, but is not achieving the results we want or need. • Work neighborhood by neighborhood to prioritize investment in first-mile and last-mile connections to make it easier for people to choose transit. • Engage with and aligned the transportation policy priorities of the City of Denver with RTD, DRCOG, CDOT and other partners to ensure Denver is leading and maximizing regional efforts to strengthen our shared infrastructure. • Maximize federal funding available through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act and direct that funding with an equity lens to ensure our communities that have been historically underserved and overburdened by pollution are benefitting the most from this new funding. • Decarbonize our city fleet and partner with RTD and DPS to do the same. • Build higher-density housing along major transportation corridors and at transit stations to ensure affordable, efficient housing is available and that residents living there have easy access to efficient, quality transit options. |
| Renate Behrens | free public (electric) transportation according to the needs and wants for all (meetings, hearings, surveys.) Empty Parking lots into gardens/parks/orig Colorado vegetation. Encourage home/land owners to get rid of pee and poop lawns, turn into productive gardens |
| Deborah “Debbie” Ortega | With transportation representing nearly 30 percent of carbon emissions in Denver, I would prioritize building out hydrogen and electric vehicle charging infrastructure for city fleet vehicles and commuters, providing more incentives for alternative modes of transportation such as E-Bikes, and setting ambitious goals with the Denver Climate Action Office to surpass our greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets within my first term. As Mayor, I will work directly with Governor Polis’s team on the planning discussions for Front Range high speed rail from Ft. Collins to Pueblo to ensure that trips to Denver interface with our current transit system. I will work with our neighboring jurisdictions to the east and west to connect the Colfax BRT from Golden to Aurora, thus transforming how RTD buses interface with it and reduce the frequency of bus trips into downtown. Additionally, one step I’d take to improve multimodal transit while addressing climate and equity goals is providing a mass transportation connection from Downtown Denver to River Mile, Auraria Campus, and Empower Field to reduce dependency on single occupancy vehicles. |
| PAUL NOEL FIORINO (write-in) | FREE RTD. Seniors and Students. Art Bus linked. Better Bike / Scooter Signage and Pedestrian Safety Water care and conservation action for trails, parks, homes, small business and corporate property; building better. |
| Thomas Wolf | As someone who covers more ground on bike and foot than car in our city, I will lead by example. Yes our city should take a more active role in transit, including ensuring that our sidewalks are available equally and throughout as well as safe transit corridors for all the different two wheel modes of transport like bicycles. Both of these efforts will make our citizens and planet healthier. PS please support my gofundme to reimburse Jill Locantore for her sidewalk contribution. |
| Dr. Abass Yaya Bamba | My administration will communicate on that matter. My administration will encourage those living less than mile from their workplace to walk or bike to work. We will be working with businesses mainly the services sector companies to have more work at home employees which could reduce gas emissions by cars. Those living closer to RTD park and ride stations to use their bike, walk or cars (last option) and ride the trail or the bus. |
| Terrance Roberts | The city having a better relationship with RTD for more democracy in traveling is much needed. RTD needs more energy efficient buses, more routes and pick ups, and the steady schedule for buses and trains. |
| AUDITOR | |
| Timothy M. O’Brien | As Denver Auditor, I can help improve multimodal transportation systems through careful evaluations of ongoing policies and recommendations for improvement. Over the course of my career, I have conducted a great many comprehensive audits of complex programs that address emerging issues, and I am uniquely qualified to evaluate Denver’s transportation needs. A multimodal transportation system efficiently and reliably serves residents is extremely important for a 21st-century city. As our city’s population continues to grow, along with tourism, traffic will increasingly become an issue that affects all of us – not just by directly affecting commute times, but by creating noise, congestion, and pollution. I have been encouraged by policymakers’ attention to this problem. Already, there is robust discussion around improving and enhancing Denver’s public transportation system, making Denver’s streets safer for bicyclists, and expanding key streets to meet traffic needs. At the same time, Denverites (and Coloradans) have been clear about their strong desire to respond to the threat of climate change. It will be extremely important to have an experienced and qualified Denver Auditor, who has the expertise and background necessary to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the programs and policies that City Council, the mayor, and city agencies will propose and implement in the coming four years. |
| Erik Clarke | I have a plan to produce Denver’s very first comprehensive climate change audit that can lead to greater sustainability investment and guide public policy to produce better results on building a green economy, cleaner air and water, transportation, and thoughtful city design. |
