Sign the Petition: Restore the Original 4-to-3 Lane Design
After 10+ years of community engagement, DOTI abandoned the proven safety design without public process. We need your voice to restore the original plan.
✍️ SIGN THE PETITION NOWThe City Abandoned the Original Safety Design
In 2014, West Washington Park Neighborhood Association began asking the city to address horrible crashes on Alameda, including crashes into homes and students being hit by drivers. After overwhelming community support over 10+ years, DOTI changed the design in November 2025 without any public process.
The Reality: Crashes into Homes, Injuries, and Terror
Multiple students have been hit by drivers. One was walking on the sidewalk. One was crossing Alameda on her way home from school. These crashes terrorize neighbors 24 hours a day.
⚠️ Just Say "NO" to Highways Running Through Our Neighborhood!
Alameda is a High Injury Network street (5% of roads that account for 50% of crashes in Denver) running through Washington Park and West Washington Park. Students walking to school deserve better. Our community deserves better.
✓ A 3-Lane Configuration Is Safer & More Efficient for Traffic Flow
1. Bus drivers can pull out of traffic for pickups and drivers can pass.
2. Drivers who want to make a left turn can wait in the turn lane until they feel it's safe to turn without pressure from traffic behind them.
3. Drivers don't get suddenly stopped behind left turning vehicles, creating more traffic backups.
4. Avoids common crashes on Alameda: side-swipes and rear-ends, caused by drivers turning left across two lanes of oncoming traffic.
5. Pedestrians, including students walking to school, would have a 5-foot buffer between sidewalk and moving cars.
Traffic is proven to flow more efficiently and be much safer (almost by 50%) in a 3-lane configuration. Source: FHWA
✗ The Altered 4-Lane Design Will Cause Congestion and Crashes
• Westbound drivers will now be stuck behind RTD buses because there is no buffer space for the bus to pull out of traffic.
• Westbound drivers who want to make a left turn will have the same sightline problem they have today. Drivers in the far lane are hidden. T-bone crashes will still occur.
• Pedestrians, including our smallest (students) will not have any "refuge" in the form of a median in case they can't make it across the crosswalk before the light turns red.
• With 4 lanes of traffic remaining, pedestrians will have no buffer from fast moving traffic - the same conditions we see on Alameda today.
• Will cost an extra $100k to change during a budget crisis.
The Facts Support the 3-Lane Design
Alameda is a perfect candidate for a 4-to-3 lane conversion. Alameda's vehicles per day (VPD) count of approximately 14,000 vehicles is well below the maximum recommended VPD of 25,000 according to FHWA.
"The main benefit of a 4-to-3 conversion has to do with safety and quality of life. While safety improves for everyone, including drivers, it dramatically improves for the most vulnerable road users, people who live and walk along these main arterials." - Streets.mn
Our Demand
We demand that DOTI and the Mayor restore the original 4-to-3 lane design that the community asked for over 10+ years of engagement. The watered-down 4-lane configuration abandons proven safety improvements and will not adequately protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Sign the petition to tell the city: Restore the original design NOW.
Common Questions
Will a 3-lane design cause more traffic?
Studies consistently show that for roads with less than 20,000 vehicles per day, 4-to-3 lane conversions will not worsen congestion. In fact, operations and safety improve because left turns are shifted into the center turn lane, allowing traffic to flow more freely.
Will more drivers cut through nearby neighborhoods?
The city's traffic study expects up to 490 vehicles to divert from Alameda - that's less than 1 car every 2 minutes. Side streets are built to accommodate any unlikely increase. Slowing cross-town commuters to a steady pace will actually discourage them from cutting through Washington Park.
Will this hurt local businesses?
No. A 4-to-3 lane conversion has the potential to turn Alameda from a place people "drive-through" to one they "drive-to." Most businesses on Alameda don't have enough parking, so customers walk along Alameda from side streets - this design makes that much safer and more pleasant. Research shows walkable streets with slower traffic actually increase business revenue.
Does this affect property values or quality of life?
A safer, more walkable Alameda will likely improve property values. Each point of walkability improvement increases property values by 1% on average, according to a study by Redfin. Additionally, reducing crash frequency and severity can contribute to more affordable auto insurance rates for everyone.
How does this compare to other High Injury Network streets?
Alameda has a much higher rate of crashes compared to other similar High Injury Network streets. For example, Evans Ave. from Lincoln to University has about 1/2 the number of crashes. This proves Alameda needs the original safety design.
Sign the Petition Today
Your signature tells DOTI and the Mayor that our community's safety cannot be compromised.
✍️ SIGN NOWTake Additional Action
After signing, please contact city officials and share this petition with your neighbors.
Take Action
- Sign the petition
- Share with your neighbors
- Contact the Mayor and City Council
- Attend public meetings
- Follow @DenverDOTI for updates
- Spread awareness on social media