• Continuing to implement the street design and circulation recommendations of the Lower Downtown Neighborhood Plan (2000), which included the 18th Street conversion.

• Creating an outstanding pedestrian environment and a true multimodal street. The Downtown Denver Business Improvement District is investing $22,000 in street beautification items along 18th Street between Blake and Wynkoop streets this year.

Not the First of Its Kind

Over the past decade, several sections of roadway in Denver have been successfully converted to two-way traffic. In 2011, Larimer Street from Broadway to Downing was converted to two-way with on-street bike lanes, and in 2012, sections of Cherokee and Delaware streets between Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue were converted to two-way.

Another significant step in the process to convert one-way streets back to two-way traffic occurred in 2002 when a four block section of Wazee Street in LoDo was converted.

Until the 1980s, the downtown network was set up primarily for automobile commuters, whose primary objective was to drive to and from the work as directly and quickly as possible; one-way streets facilitated a faster flow of traffic. Today, more than 60% of downtown commuters take transit, share rides, bike and walk to work. There are also many more residents and visitors in LoDo today than 10 years ago, creating a completely different environment in the neighborhood.

The conversion of 18th Street between Wynkoop and Blake will accommodate multiple modes of transportation and fits in better with the more residential character of the neighborhood. It also helps improve the economic strength, structural quality and social vitality of LoDo and support its continued growth, city officials say.

As part of the planning, Denver Public Works conducted a comprehensive study of 18th Street with help from engineering, construction and technical services firm, URS Corp.

URS evaluated the technical feasibility of the 18th Street conversion, including data collection, review of previous planning documents, traffic analysis, traffic forecasts, development and evaluation of the options.

In addition to the URS report, the team held multiple meetings and discussions with area stakeholders in August, October and November. Several business organizations have come out in support of the project, including the Downtown Denver Partnership and LoDo District Inc.