6/24/2023 0 Comments City car blueprintPeople won’t start riding transit or biking without bold investments from the Hancock administration that make those modes faster, more convenient, and less stressful. Community Planning and Development Director Brad Buchanan kicks off the city’s land use and transportation plan. Now planners can revise the old blueprint with an eye toward concentrating development in areas with good transit service, for example. The original Blueprint document shaped development by prescribing “areas of change” and “areas of stability.” It is responsible for the mixed-use development in Denver’s walkable neighborhoods, but it also left room for plenty of car-oriented neighborhoods. So how will revamping Blueprint Denver, which was first released in 2002, lead to a shift in transportation behavior? Between 20, the share of commutes by foot, bike, or transit increased a dismal 0.1 percent, according to Denveright consultants. In 2015, driving solo still accounted for 70 percent of all trips in Denver, according to census data. “Despite the progress we’ve made, we still haven’t quite got that hierarchy of pedestrians, bikes, and transit at the top of the list in this auto-driven city,” said Tim Baldwin of local firm Rocky Mountain West Transit and Urban Planning. Concerns ranged from the barren sea of parking lots making Arapahoe Square unwalkable to the lack of basic infrastructure like good sidewalks in Westwood. When the task force was asked what challenges the city faces, car dependence and its negative effect on neighborhoods rose to the top. We have mobility challenges, affordable housing challenges… we have all those things to think about.” “And that means that in 20 years, I don’t know what it’s gonna be like, but there’s gonna be a whole lot more of us here. “We are the ‘it’ place right now,” said Community Planning and Development Director Brad Buchanan. Denver is too dependent on cars, and it needs to address its affordable housing shortage. It was the first meeting of the 33-member task force, which is comprised of residents with expertise in transportation, development, business, and neighborhood organizing.Ī few challenges are clearly at the top of the task force’s list. The people charged with revamping Blueprint Denver, the city’s transportation and land use plan, began to answer that question Thursday. How will Denver manage its growth while remaining affordable and without getting overrun by traffic? Citywide, Denver’s car commute rate remains stubbornly high at 70 percent.
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