Traffic changes at 14th Ave. and Quebec St. Photo courtesy: Monique Helstrom

A change in traffic patterns in the East Colfax neighborhood has neighbors upset and asking for better communication about infrastructure changes in the future.

The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is converting a 16-block stretch of East 13th and 14th avenues from one way to two way between Quebec and Yosemite streets. The 14th Ave. change happened at midday on Feb. 18 to the surprise of drivers and residents.

The work was part of a 2022 bond, but Monique Helstrom, president of the East Colfax Neighborhood Association (ECNA), said, “We were never notified that it was coming yesterday.  When a long-anticipated infrastructure shift is finally implemented, coordinated communication is, and should be, the standard protocol.”

Helstrom said the ECNA has been in contact with DOTI about sidewalk infrastructure changes in the area, but the traffic change was not mentioned.

She added neighbors aren’t opposed to infrastructure change and support “thoughtful improvements. What we cannot support is an overnight implementation of a 50-year traffic reversal without coordinated communication to the public and public safety agencies.”

Safety is Helstrom’s biggest concern.

“There is very low light here. We do also have an elderly population on this side. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s very hard to see what’s happening. I just want everyone to be careful and safe, and especially for those houses that border 13th and 14th.”

Neighbors said the traffic signs were not enough. Photo courtesy: Monique Helstrom

Nancy Kuhn with DOTI said via email that the city has received the feedback. “We apologize for any inconvenience and will work to do better.”

DOTI said message boards and other signage will alert drivers of the changes. All-way stops will be installed on 13th and 14th avenues at Uinta and Willow streets.

The hope is the new traffic plan will help slow traffic, which Helstrom supports. “As a resident of this side of town, that street (14th  Ave.) has been an issue for a long time. People are driving 60-70 miles an hour, driving into houses.”

If the traffic changes help, she said she’s “all for it. There just should have been some sort of a plan or rollout.”

Her hope is that the lack of communication doesn’t happen to another neighborhood, and she now wants to make sure the broader public is aware that both 13th and 14th are transitioning to two-way corridors.

DOTI also identified a future project included in the Vibrant Denver Bond, stating in a new release that there will be an analysis of the East 13th and 14th corridors from Quebec St. to Colorado Blvd. to implement safety improvements to “address speeding, serious crashes, intersection safety, and multimodal connectivity on that stretch. That bond project has not yet begun, and the public will be notified of ways to participate in that work at a later date.”