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NEWS RELEASE
April 15, 2019
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Plans to Improve the 16th Street Mall Take Next Step
Forward
Opportunity for public to comment on
draft environmental assessment
The City and County of Denver, the
Federal Transit Administration, Regional Transportation District (RTD),
Downtown Denver Partnership, and Downtown Denver Business Improvement District
(BID) are excited to announce the next step toward improving the 16th Street
Mall, one of the city’s most critical economic engines and vital public
spaces.
The project team today released a draft
environment assessment of the proposed project, which describes the need for
the project, the alternatives considered, the environmental impacts of each
alternative and how impacts would be mitigated. The public is encouraged to
review this environmental assessment at www.denvergov.org/themallexperience and submit comments through May 14.
The public is also encouraged to learn
more about the project and the environmental assessment at upcoming public
meetings at the Regional Transportation District, 1660 Blake
Street Denver, CO 80202 on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, from 12-1 pm and
5-6 pm.
The 16th
Street Mall Improvement Project requires an environmental clearance per the
National Environmental Policy Act to
utilize federal funding. Public input is an important component of this
environmental assessment that will help shape the future of the 16th
Street Mall.
Over the past 37
years, the Mall’s infrastructure has deteriorated. A flexible and sustainable
plan is needed to address deteriorating infrastructure, provide equitable and
sufficient space for high-quality public gathering opportunities, improve
pedestrian and vehicle safety, and continue reliable two-way Free MallRide
transit service while honoring the Mall’s use and iconic design.
Previous studies
have helped identify the need for long-term changes to the Mall as the premier pedestrian environment in the Rocky Mountain
Region, and the proposed design in this assessment would improve infrastructure,
mobility, safety and increase public use. The project partners propose to
replace the failing pavement system and better design public space within the
Mall blocks. The project will install a new granite paver system with improved
surface friction and proper drainage. The spatial reconfiguration will
create wider pedestrian areas with trees on both sides of each block and
consolidate the transit lanes in the middle of the blocks.
If
approved, the project will be
funded through a combination of Denver Urban Renewal Authority Tax Increment
Financing, federal grants, and local funds, including the Elevate Denver bond
program.
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