The future of three busy corridors in Denver could be car-free.
Driving the news: The city's transportation and infrastructure department is overseeing a pilot program to establish full street closures.
The program is an extension of a pandemic-era project started in 2020 blocking car access and allowing more outdoor activities like walking and dining on several streets.
Why it matters: The pilot will determine whether three corridors could, after a 5-year period, be permanently closed to cars.
Details: Principal city planner Jay Decker told Esteban the three are all in or near downtown.
They include Larimer Square, Larimer Street between 29th and 30th streets in the RiNo Art District, and Glenarm Place between 15th and 16th streets.
State of play: The three corridors are currently permitted to close access to vehicles — but that will expire this year.
The new permits will need to be renewed annually.
By the numbers: 78% of nearly 1,000 respondents who participated in a city-sponsored survey conducted last year said they had a "very positive" outlook on the outdoor places program.
Top reasons they enjoyed these places were socializing with friends and spending time outside.
The intrigue: Decker said the RiNo location is working on a mobility study to determine its impact on local transit lines, pedestrians and cyclists.
He noted the location has a bus stop, so the study will help determine whether closing the road is leading to delays.
What they're saying: "The long-term vision is for it to become a community asset, where it is more of a public amenity and could be more like a shared street or a linear park in the future," Sarah Cawrse, urban strategy and design director at the RiNo Art District, tells us.
Cawrse said RiNo is developing an online questionnaire for people to weigh in.
Of note: Larimer Square and Glenarm Place are both likely to be approved under the new program because mobility studies for both have been completed, Decker said.
He said the new program calls for public spaces, so people don't need to buy something from a nearby business to hang out, and other physical improvements.
The bottom line: While making these streets permanently car-free is still a few years away, the program is a major step toward determining whether the public wants these corridors.
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