[Colorado-talk] Oppose The Removal of Curbs Along the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver

[Curtis Chong]

Greetings and felicitations:

 

The City of Denver is working on a redesign of the 16th Street Mall. The
redesign plan proposes to remove curbs mid-block along the 16th Street Mall.
This is a bad idea for pedestrians—including pedestrians who are blind.
Curbs are the universally-recognized boundary between sidewalks used by
pedestrians and streets which are likely to have moving vehicles. The curbs
found along the 16th Street Mall today are neither too high nor too low.
They work just fine. It is difficult to imagine what planners and designers
are thinking when they suggest that the curbs should be removed to enhance
the downtown area.

 

Even if you don't live or work in the city of Denver, you are likely to
visit this very popular tourist attraction. The city needs to hear from us
as to the importance, for blind people, of having a distinct curb along the
full length of each block along the mall.

 

Emails opposing the removal of curbs along the 16th Street Mall need to be
sent to the three people whose names and email addresses are listed here. 

 

*	Brian Pinkerton
brian.pinkerton at denvergov.org
*	Susan Wood
susan.wood at rtd-denver.com
*	John Desmond
JDesmond at downtowndenver.com

 

Emails should be short and to the point. Here are some talking points you
might want to use. Feel free to add others as you think of them.

 

1.	Removing the curbs along the 16th Street Mall is a bad idea; the
curbs that are there today have worked well for pedestrians and should be
included in the redesign. They also offer a universally-recognized boundary
between safe sidewalks and potentially unsafe streets where traffic is
moving.
2.	There is nothing wrong with narrowing the 16th Street Mall—that is,
bringing the bus lanes closer together.
3.	The City of Denver did not consult with the blind community while
developing the new design. Had the community been asked, blind people would
have told the city to keep the curbs as they are.
4.	All pedestrians, including the blind, need a tactually-discernible
boundary between safe sidewalks and hazardous streets with moving vehicles.
Architects who are not blind are not in a very good position to judge what
is and is not tactually-discernible. Only blind pedestrians who travel
regularly can do that with any credibility.
5.	The City of Denver should engage in active dialog with
representatives of the blind community before design and/or construction
begin so that planners can clearly understand why curbs are so important to
us.

 


Background Information


 

According to the Downtown Denver Partnership
<https://www.downtowndenver.com/initiative/16th-street-mall-partners-recomme
nd-mall-design-expand-sidewalks-improve-pedestrian-safety/> :

 

"The City and County of Denver and the Regional Transportation District
(RTD) are recommending a design for reconstruction of the 16th Street Mall
that would expand sidewalks for walking, café seating and other activities,
and move transit lanes to the center or offset-center of each block. These
updates are designed to enhance the Mall experience for visitors while
improving pedestrian safety and mobility on the city’s most transit-rich
street."

 

According to Principal project manager Brian Pinkerton,

 

"
mid-block, we're proposing that there won't be curbs, to make that space
more of an inviting pedestrian space and less like a relic of the street."

 

You can read the Westword story at this link:
https://www.westword.com/news/inside-plan-to-update-denvers-16th-street-mall
-remove-median-11320154

 

This requires quick action on your part. Please send your emails as soon as
possible. If, for whatever reason, you need some help doing this, please
feel free to contact me directly via email at chong.curtis at gmail.com. I will
be happy to send out an email on your behalf. All I would need is your
permission, your name, your address, and your email (if you have one).

 

Cordially,

 

Curtis Chong

Email: chong.curtis at gmail.com

Phone: 303-745-0473

 

 

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