Passenger Transport August 2017 Vol 75 No 15 - 2

PASSENGER

Transport

Commentary

ISSN 0364-345X
The Source for Public Transportation News and Analysis

VOLUME 75, NUMBER 15
ESTABLISHED 1943

Denver's Mobility Action Plan
Mile High City Goes the Extra Mile in Long-Range Mobility Planning
Transit

BY MAYOR MICHAEL B. HANCOCK

n Buoyed by the success of FasTracks,

ransportation has played a vital role in
advancing Denver, from the transcontinental railroad to Denver International
Airport to FasTracks. These bold transportation
investments have provided a pathway for Denver's
economic prosperity and are testaments to our
region's spirit of collaboration.
In recent years, Denver has experienced change. Rapid population growth,
development and traffic congestion are
the most visible signs of that change.
With more than 1,000 people moving
to Denver each
month, we must
transform the way
people, goods and
services move in
our city to ensure
that we remain
connected to one
another, to the
region and to the
world.
I, and many
others who live
here, relish the
days when it took 15 minutes to drive
anywhere in Denver. But 15 minutes
now takes 30, or longer. Improving the
city's mobility system will not only
further strengthen Denver's economy,
but also reduce the time and money
travelers lose each year sitting in traffic.
Our goal is for all residents-regardless of age, ability, income or neighborhood-to have more and better transportation choices.

ment in our city infrastructure this
November through a General Obligation
Bond. It will be a significant amount of
short-term investment in repairing and
enhancing our sidewalks, streets and
bike lines.
Today, 73 percent of Denver
commuters drive to
and from work in
cars by themselves.
By 2030, our goal
is 50 percent,
with 30 percent
of our commuters
biking, walking
or taking transit.
My plan focuses
on several specific tactics to achieve this goal, with
two areas directly addressing public
transportation:

We will strengthen
our partnership with
RTD to increase
frequency and build
ridership along key
transit corridors.

Denver's Plan
My Mobility Action Plan will serve as
a clarion call for a future that offers
mobility freedom for all-including
people with disabilities, seniors, young
people and other vulnerable travelers-
by supporting the choices we know our
residents want to make. It will accelerate the policies and projects necessary
between now and 2030 to move more
people, more efficiently and more safely.
Denver also needs a funding commitment that matches our resolve to ease
congestion. The city currently spends
about $75 million each year on transportation and mobility. But to address
our people's needs, we must prepare to
invest a minimum of $2 billion over
the next 12 years on our transportation
network. That investment starts when
I submit my 2018 budget proposal to
City Council. It will be followed by
asking voters to make a major investFollow APTA on

Transportation Demand
Management
n We will strengthen existing part-

nerships with the Denver Regional
Council of Governments, local
transportation management associations (TMAs) and the Regional
Transportation District (RTD) to
identify and implement more
robust transportation demand
management and trip reduction
strategies;
n We will develop and deploy policy
and regulatory innovations to
encourage employers, business centers and building owners to incentivize employees and tenants to use
transit and alternative transportation modes;
n We will integrate programs for
transportation demand management, trip reduction and active
parking management and optimization into new and existing developments; and
n We will promote and strengthen
the role of car-sharing and
bike-sharing as convenient and
cost-effective alternatives to car
ownership and as solutions for
first-mile/last-mile issues.

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2 | Passenger Transport

we will strengthen our partnership
with RTD to increase frequency and
build ridership along key transit
corridors and enhance intra-city
services by analyzing a possible
"buy up" of transit service; supporting efforts to enhance service
and reduce fares for low-income
users and vulnerable community
members; enhancing service and
convenience while reducing cost
for Denver students; and creating a
transit pass program that makes the
use of transit more simple, intuitive
and cost-effective for more people
and more easily engaged by employers, major employment centers and
large residential building owners.
n We will implement BRT with RTD
on major corridors and partner
with RTD to identify at least five
additional high-frequency corridors
for operational enhancements like
managed lanes and transit signal
prioritization, which make transit
faster and more convenient.
n We will reassess the downtown
street network to prioritize transit
and facilitate the movement of
more people in, out and around
the central business district.
n We will enter new partnerships
with business alliances, TMAs and
transportation service providers
to test and pilot mobility innovations such as dynamic-routing and
micro-transit services to better connect neighborhoods with transit
options; services that close firstmile/last-mile gaps for those not
directly adjacent to high-frequency
transit; and driverless fixed-route
shuttles to improve small-area
connectivity.
n And we will facilitate on-demand
mobility services that increase ridesharing, improve congestion and
reduce the need for car ownership.
This plan will build on our recent
accomplishments and will move Denver
closer to achieving mobility freedom for
all our people. As a city of people who
have always worked hard to define our
own destiny, we will make Denver even
better-for everyone.
This "Commentary" is excerpted and
reprinted with permission from the Office of
the Mayor, Denver. See www.denvergov.org/
mayor for details.
"Commentary" features points of view from
various sources to enhance readers' broad
awareness of themes that affect public
transportation.

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APTA Officers

Doran J. Barnes, Chair
Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Vice Chair
Kim R. Green, Secretary-Treasurer
Valarie J. McCall, Immediate Past Chair

Executive Committee Members-at-Large
Dorval R. Carter Jr., Chicago Transit Authority
Nuria I. Fernandez, Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority
Freddie C. Fuller II, CH2M
Donna P. McNamee, Laketran
Jennifer Mitchell, Virginia Department of Rail and
Public Transportation
Jeffrey A. Nelson, Rock Island County Metropolitan
Mass Transit District
Greg Percy, Metrolinx
Michael A. Sanders, Connecticut DOT
Patrick J. Scully, Motor Coach Industries
Carl G. Sedoryk, Monterey-Salinas Transit
Beverly S. Silas, Capital Metropolitan Transportation
Authority
David M. Stackrow Sr., Capital District Transportation
Authority
Jeffrey Wharton, IMPulse NC LLC
Charles R. Wochele, TransitConsult LLC

Acting President & CEO
Richard A. White

Pamela L. Boswell, Vice President, Workforce
Development and Educational Services
Mary Childress, Chief Financial Officer and
Vice President-Administration
Randy Clarke, Vice President, Operations and
Member Services
Linda C. Ford, Chief Counsel
Arthur Guzzetti, Vice President, Policy
Robert Healy, Vice President, Government Affairs
Petra Mollet, Vice President, Strategic and
International Programs
Rosemary Sheridan, Vice President, Communications
and Marketing

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Passenger Transport August 2017 Vol 75 No 15