Third Time’s A Go
After Two Years Of Delays, McAuliffe Safe Route To Schools Finally Built; Final Project Cost Nearly Doubles
Story and photo by Cara DeGette
GPHN Editor
Denver’s sidewalk and safety improvement project for Park Hill students walking to and from school is finally underway after being delayed twice in as many years.
The McAuliffe International Safe Routes To School project kicked off in April. Officials with the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) hope to have the project completed by the start of the school year on Aug. 21, though there is a chance additional work will still need to be done.
The final cost of the improvements is $2.3 million — nearly twice the amount Denver officials initially identified when they announced the project in 2021. Last month DOTI spokeswoman Tiffany McCree said the project was initially “scoped” at $1.2 million based on information they had at the time. “As we finalized the scope of the contract, taking in account updated costs for materials and project needs, the amount was adjusted to $2.3 million,” she said.
Project managers last year also cited problems securing bids to complete the project. McCree said that cost overruns will be paid from a $500,000 Colorado Department of Transportation grant, as well as a mix of DOTI and Elevate Bond funds.
The project came about after neighborhood parents and community leaders voiced increasing concerns over safety for students amid a sharp increase in neighborhood traffic.
When it was unveiled in early 2021, Safe Routes To School was promoted as making improvements to the sidewalks and curbs at intersections that are most frequently used by students walking to McAuliffe International School, at 26th Avenue and Holly Street. Some of the streets along the route did not have sidewalks at all; others were narrow and not well connected. The scope of the project did not include the additions of any traffic signals or bike lanes.
The new sidewalks are being installed between 23rd and 26th Avenues, from Holly Street to Monaco Parkway — with a particular focus on the intersection of 23rd and Kearney.
Other highlights include:
• Building new sidewalks where none currently exist to fill in gaps.
• Upgrading pedestrian ramps.
• Adding new concrete refuge islands at the intersection of Kearney Street & 23rd Avenue.
After it was delayed the first time, the project ended up being bundled with another project to improve safety routes to Cole Elementary School at 32nd Avenue and Humboldt Street. At the time, DOTI spokeswoman Dana Hoffman said the agency planned to have a contractor selected by end of 2021, with work expected to begin in the summer of 2022.
That date came and passed, and in August, 2022, the city announced the project had been delayed for the second time. Project Manager Brenden Paradies said the city had not received any qualified bidders to do the work.
This March, Paradies announced that the project was finally a go. “Thank you for your patience,” he said during a community meeting. “We had challenges getting things going, but we’re happy to see it come to life.”
The project website is bit.ly/McAuliffeSRTS. People can connect with the Safe Routes to School Team at DOTI by email at SRTS@Denver-gov.org.