Residents of the Mountain View Towers in Denver near Federal Boulevard say crossing the street is a daily risk, especially for seniors and people with disabilities.
“It’s not safe being in a wheelchair, trying to cross Federal nowadays,” said Jill Hanson, a longtime resident.
For years, residents have asked for safer crosswalks along the busy corridor. But it wasn’t until late last year — after a resident was killed while crossing — that their concerns turned into urgent demands.
“When we lose one resident, that one resident is one too many,” said Lisa Smith, a service coordinator at Mountain View Towers. “Then the following month, in December, we lost another resident in a hit-and-run.”
The area still bears the marks of accidents — broken car parts, damaged sidewalks, and barely visible crosswalks. Residents say that’s just a glimpse of the dangers they face.
“It’s scary, especially when people do not pay attention,” said Hanson.
Chressa McFarland, who is visually impaired, says many of the pedestrian signals — or “talk boxes” — don’t work properly.
“The talk boxes don’t work half the time. Without them, crossing is stressful and dangerous,” McFarland said.
Newer residents are echoing long-standing concerns: crossing times are too short, lighting is poor, and traffic rarely slows down.
“We need one of those flashing red lights that stops everybody,” said Alejandro Martinez. “And we need to extend the crossing time to get from east to west on Federal.”
The calls for action come as the Mountain View Towers community continues to mourn the two lives lost last year.
Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez issued a statement to CBS Colorado, saying she believes the solution lies in transferring Federal Boulevard.
“For generations, residents in historically redlined neighborhoods along Federal Boulevard have endured the daily struggle of living next to a road that is designated a state highway and under state jurisdiction. Highways like Federal have historically cut through low-income neighborhoods, bringing faster speed limits, fewer crosswalks, louder traffic, and unsafe conditions for seniors, families, and all of our neighbors.
“The true solution, in my view, is the devolution of Federal Boulevard — making it a city street rather than a state highway. While both the state and city have hesitated to pursue this, I believe it is the only way to prioritize the people who live here truly. Yes, devolution comes with costs and responsibilities, but it also brings the opportunity to reimagine Federal Boulevard as a safe, connected neighborhood street rather than a dividing line. Until then, I will keep pushing for state and city partners to sit at the same table and deliver the changes our residents deserve. This is also an issue I hope our gubernatorial candidates will take seriously, because the future of Federal Boulevard impacts thousands of Coloradans who deserve safe, livable neighborhoods.”
Alvidrez says she’s been in conversations with the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Denver Regional Council of Governments and Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to push for both short- and long-term improvements.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure confirmed the department has received the complaints and is reviewing them.
“We are asking for additional information from the council office now — specific locations — to route them to the appropriate divisions,” the spokesperson said.
DOTI says that many issues, such as potholes, broken streetlights, and worn crosswalks, can be reported by residents via Denver’s 311 system. The agency also plans to evaluate requests for
Longer pedestrian crossing times
• Flashing lights at crosswalks
• A reduced speed zone near a nearby school
“We just want everyone to come home safely,” said Smith.
As the community waits for action, residents say they continue to feel at risk every time they step outside.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
Thanks for reading from Lovin ghana news as a news publishing website from Ghana. You are free to share this story via the various social media platforms and follow us on; Facebook, TikTok, Twitter,
Instagram YouTube etc.
