Denver to Step Up Its Transit Game

While suburban areas have been increasingly provided for, the city of Denver's transit situation isn't what it should be. "Redundant bus routes and too many stops, and the lack of dedicated transit lanes, results in frustratingly slow service that's more competitive with walking than driving."

The political will is there to make central Denver more transit-friendly. "With the 2017 General Obligation Bond up for a vote this fall, Mayor Michael Hancock has signalled his willingness to devote $370 million to creating transit-friendly streetscapes. Bringing more resources to expanded city transit will likely require additional funding measures after 2017."

Suggested fixes include street-level improvements to aid pedestrians, as well as reworking routes and frequencies. "The Denver Moves transit plan recently completed a citywide transit needs study. The findings weren't surprising: pedestrian access to transit stations is lacking, bus frequency falls off a cliff outside of peak hours, many routes are indirect and illegible, and merely a quarter of bus stops feature basic shelters."