1) Bike Lanes: Newly Painted on Syracuse; Fall Meeting on High Comfort Bike Lanes on CPB

The long-planned bike lane on Syracuse added lots of lines to the street. They designate space that separates cyclists from moving and parked cars, and they narrowed vehicle lanes to slow traffic. From 24th Ave to Montview, two traffic lanes were reduced to one lane.

Community meetings started years ago envisioning protected bike lanes on Syracuse from Martin Luther King Blvd to 8th Ave in Lowry. In mid August, the street striping equipment arrived to bring that vision to reality. To create protective buffers around the bike lanes, the vehicle lanes were narrowed. In some blocks parking is now on one side only. And from 24th to Montview, one lane each way was eliminated.

Another bike lane project, creating “high comfort” bike lanes from E. 33rd to Montview on Central Park Blvd., is in the planning process and a fall community meeting is expected To sign up for updates or for more information visit https://www.denvergov.org/bikeprogram.

2) Remembering Aiden Lawrence

Aiden DeVeigh Lawrence was shot and killed near East 54 Ave. and N. Xenia St. in North Stapleton on August 9. The shooting was one of four that happened in Denver in less than 12 hours, leaving three dead. He was 14 years old. Aiden’s family and friends held a candlelight vigil in his honor on August 13. He is survived by his father, mother, and five younger brothers. As the paper went to the printer, no one had been arrested in connection with his homicide, but a $2,000 reward is being offered to anyone who knows who is responsible for his death. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 720-913-7867.

3) No Electric Scooters on Sidewalks after New Ordinance

Denver Public Works has recommended a change to Denver’s scooter ordinance —that electric scooters be prohibited on sidewalks. The change was expected to be considered by City Council in late August. If approved, people on scooters would follow the same rules as people on bikes and electric bikes and ride in the street and in bike lanes. (Electric scooters would remain prohibited from riding on the 16th Street Mall.) Once approved, police may issue citations to any user riding in violation of the new law.

4) Health Dept. Urges Vaccinations

In Denver, the kindergarten vaccination rate for MMR is 85%, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment—not high enough to protect the community from a measles outbreak. According to health officials, kids need two doses of measles-containing vaccine to be protected. The second dose is required before kindergarten entry in Colorado. Measles can cause serious health complications like pneumonia and brain infection. In the U.S., one in four people diagnosed with measles is hospitalized.

For information call Denver Public Health: 303.602.3520.