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At 3:02 a.m. today, September 27, the Denver Police Department tweeted about a fatal auto-pedestrian hit-and-run near the intersection of Third and Broadway. That kind of alert has been sent out all too frequently, as evidenced by our recent map of more than fifty traffic fatalities in Denver in 2021. So far this year, at least ten pedestrians have died after being struck by vehicles…not counting this morning’s fatality.
Denver Streets Partnership, which advocates for traffic safety, is currently highlighting one major risk factor for pedestrians in the Mile High City: inadequate sidewalks. To showcase the problems, it’s hosting Sidewalk Palooza tours, including an event at 11 a.m. today in Denver City Council District 7 and another in District 6 scheduled for Wednesday, September 29.
But some areas are worse than others. To determine which Denver streets are the most dangerous for pedestrians, we turned to the crash data dashboard created for Vision Zero, launched by the City of Denver in 2017 as a five-year action plan with the goal of “eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by making our roadways safer for everyone.”
Westword looked at data for dozens upon dozens of major Denver streets and found more than fifty with at least two pedestrian deaths or serious injuries between 2013, when the statistics begin, and the present. By our count, at least 21 roadways in Denver have experienced at least five pedestrian deaths or serious injuries. Topping this ignominious roster is Colfax Avenue, which has registered 65 serious pedestrian injuries and seven pedestrian deaths over the past eight-plus years.
Here’s the rundown of the Denver routes with at least five serious pedestrian injuries or deaths, followed by a list of those that chalked up two to four such incidents. We’ve included the strip’s ranking in our report about the most dangerous streets in Denver, which added up traffic fatalities and serious injuries of all types, including those involving pedestrians.
15 (tie): Lowell Boulevard (14th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 1
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 4
Total: 5
15 (tie): Logan Street (13th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 0
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 5
Total: 5
15 (tie): Market Street
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 0
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 5
Total: 5
15 (tie): Grant Street
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 1
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 4
Total: 5
14 (tie): Hampden Avenue (9th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 2
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 4
Total: 6
14 (tie): Pennsylvania Street
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 0
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 6
Total: 6
14 (tie): Louisiana Avenue
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 1
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 5
Total: 6
13. Blake Street
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 3
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 5
Total: 8
12. Downing Street
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 2
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 7
Total: 9
11. Speer Boulevard (8th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 1
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 9
Total: 10
10. University Boulevard (12th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 1
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 10
Total: 11
9. Lincoln Street (11th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 1
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 11
Total: 12
8. Mississippi Avenue
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 2
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 12
Total: 14
7. Sheridan Boulevard (5th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 3
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 18
Total: 21
6. Alameda Avenue (4th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 6
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 16
Total: 22
5. Colorado Boulevard (3rd in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 7
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 20
Total: 27
4. Evans Avenue (7th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 7
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 23
Total: 30
3. Broadway (6th in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 2
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 30
Total: 32
2. Federal Boulevard (1st in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 19
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 48
Total: 67
1. Colfax Avenue (2nd in May 2021)
Pedestrians killed, 2013-2021: 7
Pedestrians seriously injured, 2013-2021: 65
Total: 72
Four pedestrians killed or seriously injured, 2013-2021: Brighton Boulevard (15th in May 2021), Exposition Avenue, Jewell Avenue, Knox Court, Morrison Road (16th in May 2021), Pearl Street, Yale Avenue
Three pedestrians killed or seriously injured, 2013-2021: Champa Street, Clarkson Street, Kalamath Street, Little Raven Street, Ohio Avenue, Santa Fe Drive (10th in May 2021), Washington Street, Zuni Street
Two pedestrians killed or seriously injured, 2013-2021: Acoma Street, Arapahoe Street, Chestnut Place, Delaware Street, Franklin Street, Gilpin Street, Harvard Avenue, Lafayette Street, Ogden Street, Race Street, Sherman Street, Stout Street, Vine Street, Wewatta Street, Wynkoop Street
