Denver is closing some popular downtown roads to vehicle traffic this weekend to give pedestrians more room during their late-night Halloween celebrations.
The temporary closures will last from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights on Market Street between 19th and 20th streets, and on Larimer Street between 20th and 21st streets. This means the roads outside of nearby bars — such as the Larimer Beer Hall, Ginn Mill and Whiskey Row — will be completely clear for costume-clad patrons to stumble out of without the fear of being run over.
The closures are a trial run for city officials to see how they can manage crowd sizes and congestion in lower downtown.
Besides pedestrian safety, the Denver Police Department hopes that keeping cars off the streets will help prevent the chaos and violence that tends to occur after last call, when hundreds of drunken people typically flood out of the bars all at once at 2 a.m.
“Part of it is visibility. If we don’t have a block full of vehicles at a light trying to get through, it will be easier for officers and other witnesses to see if there’s an altercation starting more quickly. And we’ll be able to get to it more quickly, too,” says DPD spokesperson Doug Schepman. “It eliminates a place for someone to store items [like firearms] outside of these establishments, as well.”
Market Street between 19th and 20th streets and Larimer Street between 20th and 21st streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Friday and Saturday nights.
Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure
Ten people were injured in a shooting at 20th and Market streets on June 13 as fans celebrating the Denver Nuggets’ NBA championship win began to clear out. In July 2022, police shot seven people outside of Larimer Beer Hall while confronting a man with a gun who had gotten into an altercation with another man in the street after last call.
Responses to these high-profile shootings included banning food trucks on the bar streets and suggestions of implementing a night mayor. But the upcoming Halloweekend street closures were actually inspired by local complaints regarding crowd management and vehicle volumes as October 31 approached, according to the city’s announcement.
“In response to concerns the city heard from local residents and businesses regarding safety and big crowds this weekend, DOTI and DPD explored ideas to pilot, and this approach was created in partnership,” says Nancy Kuhn, spokesperson for the Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure.
Denver City Council members Chris Hinds, Darrell Watson and Amanda Sandoval praised the move on Thursday in a joint statement: “We hear your concerns and will continue to explore ways to make a positive difference in the downtown experience.”
During the weekend street closures, vehicle traffic will be diverted around the area, parking meters on the affected blocks will be bagged and food trucks will be relocated. Bike lanes will remain open; Uber and Lyft have been instructed to conduct any pickups outside of the closed areas.
Denver's police and transportation departments will evaluate the impact of the road closures and determine whether the strategy will be utilized again for future safety and crowd management. But already, Schepman says he is feeling optimistic.
“I think the whole partnership group is,” Schepman says. “This is the city being responsive to requests and concerns. We certainly feel like it’s a pilot worth trying.”
