Quebec Street's Bottleneck: Advocating for Safer Denver Streets

A Walkable Community

Although the Stapleton, Denver community offers miles and miles of great walking, the area that connects Stapleton's northern and southern neighorhoods threatens walkers and bikers alike due to its highly unsafe built environment.

Walk to Doc, Schools, Grocery

Unable to walk from my home to local shopping, schools, and doctors, I want to build a coalition to develop a temporary solution to the Quebec/I70 interchange fiasco that puts walkers and bikers at incredible risk.

But 5 Years Is Too Long to Wait

Rather than wait at least 5 years for a permanent solution that will result from the massive i70 expansioin project, I want to open up safe walking and biking just to the east of Quebec St  along the Sand Creek Greenway. In this area, there is an opportunity to put in a safe trail to temporarily connect walkers and bikers alike to the Quebec Square shops and Denver Rapid Transit A Train.

Walking Movement Leader and Walking College Fellow

You can learn more about me and my involvement in the Walking Movement with Walk2Connect by visiting http://walk2connect.com/chrisenglert/. In addition, I blog about my walks and travels at www.EatWalkLearn.com. I also give special thanks to America Walks for sponsoring me as a Walking College Fellow.

Over the past two years, I have lead free, community walks every Wednesday and Friday throughout Stapleton. From those walks, I have recruited and trained others to also lead walks.Together, we have impacted almost 300 people's health, wellness, and connection. From these connections and networks, I have started a coalition to raise awareness of the Quebec/I70 inadequecies, gathering together local elected officials, transportation advocates, and policy officials. We have started a conversation about a temporary solution, and now that conversation needs data, advocacy, and imagination to bring forward the short-term solution to safer walking and biking in this area.

At the ProWalk/ProBike conference, I will attend sessions that teach me how to gather tools, names, networks, and resources to move forward in implementing this solution. When I return to Denver, I plan to put into action this new information. In particular, I want to put together the financial impact of having walkers integrated into the built envrionment and how businesses will benefit in this area.

Stapleton, Near and Dear to My Heart

The Stapleton community is very near and dear to my heart, and I'm frustrated by the inability to walk to local commerce, schools, and parks due to an antiquated interchange that blocks pedestrians. Daily, people ask me in my walks and while out in the community how they can walk and bike to the areas just south of our homes within a 2-mile radius. I am taking on this project because I understand and see every day the value of walking and engaging in the community by foot. I want others to be able to feel connected and engaged just like I do, and I want to get folks out of their cars and into the community.