A functional city has a transportation network that stitches everyone together. Our sidewalk network has long been treated as a second-class citizen in Denver. This happens despite the fact that everyone is, at the end of the day, a pedestrian of some sort.
Whether you’re walking the dogs, moseying to get coffee, moving in a wheelchair, or being pushed in a stroller, a good sidewalk network is the most basic building block of enabling people of all ages to move around. It’s time to respect our city, and all of our neighbors, by respecting our sidewalks.
The funding mechanism for Denver Deserves Sidewalks incorporates lessons from the Denver Auditor’s assessment of the city’s failed attempt to bring our sidewalks up to standard. A predictable fee is simply better governance than the alternative we’ve already tried.
A predictable fee also allows for cheaper construction through coordination. No change can be perfect, but this is a drastic improvement over our decidedly inequitable status quo.
The bill for our sidewalks will come due eventually, and so the choice is not whether it must be paid, but how it’s paid and how much we have to pay. Ballot Initiative 307 is a cost-effective way to make Denver a more functional city. We encourage you to vote yes.
Read more at Denver Deserves Sidewalks.