5280 Trail: The Pedestrian Walkway That Reimagines Streets as Public Spaces

This content is sponsored by Councilman Chris Hinds.

On Colfax Avenue, a mural by Pat Milbery and Pat McKinney depicting Denverites crossing the street proudly declares, “Streets are for the people.” The 5280 Trail, a 5.280-mile linear park looping around downtown Denver, puts this principle into action.

In a recent op-ed for Westword co-written by City Council Representative Chris Hinds and president of Urban Villages Jon Buerge, the pair announced: “The 5.280-mile trail is a visionary project that reimagines our streets as public spaces designed for people. More than a trail, it’s a bold statement about what Denver values.”

Here's what else you need to know about the project.

Unlike a standard roadway, the trail is not designed for commuting, but rather for connecting Denver’s many unique neighborhoods and their residents. Snaking through the Golden Triangle, La Alma/Lincoln Park, Auraria Campus, LoDo, Ballpark/Five Points, and Capitol Hill neighborhoods, the 5280 Trail will provide a much-needed safe, public space that prioritizes pedestrians and bikers over cars.

In collaboration with the Denver Downtown Partnership, this project will also involve revising connections to and from the Sunken Gardens Park. The first portion of the trail underway is the Acoma Street Segment, a two-block pedestrian-only area between 10th and 12th Avenues.
For years, Hinds says Denver residents have expressed their need for streets that put people first, and the 5280 Trail answers their collective call. Years of grassroots efforts from a variety of neighborhoods led to the conception of the 5280 Trail, which builds on previous planning studies like the Downtown Area Plan, Outdoor Downtown, Northeast Neighborhood Plan, Next Step Study, Golden Triangle Plan, Auraria Master Plan, and the State Capitol Complex Master Plan.

“The trail is the physical manifestation of seven separate inner-city neighborhood plans, each calling for a center of place in their community,” the op-ed says. The proposed plan gained overwhelming support in the Elevate Denver bond election, where $7 million of the voter-approved RISE GO bond was earmarked to fully fund the Acoma Street Segment.

“There’s a lot of interest and action and activity, even if there isn’t anything [like this] that exists right now,” emphasizes Hinds, who represents District 10, an area that will eventually be home to several sections of the trail. “The Ball Arena master plan that City Council just voted on includes the 5280 Trail. Auraria Campus is working on their third iteration of their master plan, and they have included the 5280 Trail. There are funding, studies, and requests for proposals underway that would cover Wynkoop between Coors Field and Ball Arena, including Union Station.”

The 5280 Trail will create a safe passage throughout the city center, connecting neighborhoods, green spaces, arts and culture institutions, and businesses, all while also providing additional public space for community gatherings, art installations, festivals, and other exciting events and programming. With points of interest along the trail like the Denver Art Museum, Sunken Gardens Park (which was also the national center of the 1970s Chicano Rights Movement), Union Station, the Capitol Building, Coors Field, and Ball Arena, the 5280 Trail weaves a literal throughline between Denver’s government, sports, art, transit, culture, and history destinations.

Nestled between these iconic landmarks are some of Denver’s beloved locally-owned coffee shops, ice cream parlors, restaurants, and bars. By linking locations across the city with one convenient circuit, the 5280 Trail empowers the people of Denver to explore new places and get familiar with their neighbors near and far–no driver’s license required.
Advancing urban mobility around central Denver encourages more cross-city interactions and face-to-face human connections, while also offering a more sustainable alternative to navigating the city by car. Hinds believes Denver deserves an accessible, safe, clean, and beautiful urban environment where families can enjoy simple pleasures like teaching their kids how to ride a bike or having a friendly snowball fight.

Hinds is thrilled to be able to share the 5280 Trail plan with his constituents, and is confident that it will benefit the city overall. “It checks a whole bunch of boxes,” he says. “It’s good for our planet. It’s good for increasing [the] urban canopy in our city center. It will be great for communities, creating a place where people can meet anywhere around the center city. It’ll be good for equity by connecting diverse neighborhoods, and good for economic development too.”

Sustainability, an appreciation for nature, the importance of community, and championing diversity are all key values that Denver strives to uphold. The 5280 Trail honors these values and pays tribute to Denver’s lively and eclectic neighborhoods, getting us one step closer towards the shared goal of a better future for Denver and its people.

For more information, a map of the proposed 5280 Trail, relevant meeting dates, and ways you can engage with the project, visit the Denver government’s website.