Getting Safely To School
$1.2 Million Project Includes Sidewalks, Curbs, Intersection Improvements
By Ken Burdette
For the GPHN
As a longtime educator and Park Hill resident, I know firsthand the importance of safety. During a time where arguing and constant bickering seem to be the norm (look no further than the Park Hill Facebook page), I would like to believe that increased safety is an initiative in which we can all agree.
One ongoing safety concern in Park Hill has been the increase of traffic throughout the neighborhood. We continue to observe cars exceeding the speed limit, disregarding street signs, and simply driving in an unsafe manner. The McAuliffe International Safe Routes to School Project is aimed to address these concerns and ensure that our children have a safe path to school each morning.
The $1.2 million project, being done by the city’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI), is anticipated to begin construction in late fall. It is designed to improve the sidewalks and intersections most frequently trafficked by our students and families on their daily walk to school. This includes areas between 23rd and 26th Avenues, ranging from Holly Street to Monaco Parkway — with a particular focus on the intersection of 23rd and Kearney.
Highlights include:
• Building new sidewalk where none currently exists to fill in sidewalk gaps
• Upgrading pedestrian ramps
• Adding new concrete refuge islands at the intersection of Kearney Street & 23rd Avenue, which will carve out a safe place for pedestrians to stop, if needed, before continuing to cross the street, as well as installing a new street light to enhance the pedestrian experience.
The project will take up to two months to complete, weather pending, and is scheduled for completion at the end of October. Overseeing the project is DOTI, along with Associate City Planner Brenden Paradies, who has been instrumental in moving this forward since 2018. The project will use a combination of CDOT Grant Funds and Elevate Denver GoBond Funds.
Kurt Dennis, Principal at McAuliffe International Middle School, says he is “incredibly excited” about the possibility of a safe crossing at 23rd and Kearney.
“We have several hundred students use this route each day, and it is probably the least safe crossing our kids encounter on their way to and from school,” Dennis says.
Allyson Levine, who lives along the route with her family, says for her, as any parent, safety is a top priority. “Lately these intersections have become quite frustrating and dangerous, especially for our walking and biking students.”
Another Park Hill parent, Becky Taylor, says the Safe Routes initiative will “make our neighborhood safer and more accessible for all of us.”
“I seriously worry when my children need to cross 23rd to go to school, bike to their friends’ houses, or go to the Kearney Street shops because of all the near misses we have witnessed,” she says.
The project will involve the removal of five trees and 19 shrubs. While unavoidable and not ideal, in my humble opinion this is a small sacrifice to ensure the increased safety of our children, our families, and yes, even our pets. City officials have worked hard to minimize the landscaping impact, and concerned residents can request the installation of a free street tree at this website: beasmartash.org/.
Join us for a virtual public meeting on Thursday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. to get more construction details and to have personal property questions addressed. Register at tinyurl.com/SafeRoutesPH or go to the Greater Park Hill Community website at greaterparkhill.org, click on “Join Us” and then “Community Meetings.” More detail will be posted on the city’s website and on the GPHC website.
Thankfully, with the help and efforts of our city planners and passionate community members like GPHC board member and Park Hill parent Blair Taylor, who has worked on this and other safety initiatives for many years, parents will be able to sleep a little easier.
On behalf of all Park Hill families, I am appreciative of the definitive steps being taken to keep our children and families safe.
Ken Burdette is the principal of Park Hill Elementary School and a board member of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.
Upcoming Community Meeting
Who: GPHC and DOTI
What: Safe Routes to School Project
When: April 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Why: Community members can hear more about the Safe Route To School project and ask questions.
How to Join: Register for this Zoom meeting at tinyurl.com/SafeRoutesPH or go to the Greater Park Hill website at greaterparkhill.org
Construction Zone
Details Of The Planned Improvements
• Sidewalk infill gap construction on
– North side of 26th Avenue from Holly to Kearney Street
– West side of Kearney Street from 26th to 25th Avenue
– South side of 25th Avenue from Jasmine to Kearney Street
– North side of 23rd Avenue from Jasmine to Locust Street
– South side of 23rd Avenue from Leyden to Monaco Parkway
– Southeast and northwest corner of 25th Avenue from Jasmine to Kearney Street
• Updated ADA compliant curb ramps
• Pedestrian refuge islands on both the east side and west side of Kearney Street and 23rd Avenue intersection
• New street light pole at 23rd Avenue and Kearney Street intersection