The Denver Broncos Pay for the Stadium, but We Pay for the Roads to Get There?

On November 19, hundreds of residents of the La Alma Lincoln Park neighborhood attended an open house on the proposed Denver Broncos Stadium in Burnham Yard, where they could share concerns with Mayor Mike Johnston and other city officials. While most said they would welcome the project, worries persist about increased home values, crime, litter, and traffic and parking on game days.

“It’s going to be too crowded. It’s going to be too busy,” said Elva Chavez, a La Alma Lincoln Park resident for forty years. “I’m a Broncos fan, but look at where it’s at. The parking, can you imagine? And if they lose? Oh, I can only imagine. They’ll be throwing cans.”

In their comments on the Westword Facebook page post of the story, readers share other thoughts about the stadium plans. Says Joe:

So, the Denver Broncos pay for the stadium, but we pay for the roads to get there?

Adds Jessica:

Nooo waaaayyy! That traffic gets impacted at the already worst bottlenecks in town.

Offers Mike:

There will be thirty spots for parking; all will cost $500.

Suggests Erin:

If only there were some kind of existing mass transit near the proposed location, enabling people to avoid the traffic, stiff parking costs and DUIs…

Answers Marek:

Make the damn Penner family pay for expanding light rail to the southeast suburbs, up to Firestone/Dacono, and the Boulder/Longmont line, along with a donation that would help fund the construction of the Front Range Runner commuter rail from Cheyenne to Pueblo, so that fans can ride the trains instead of driving to the stadium.

That would solve an awful lot of the traffic concerns, and they can use it as a massive tax write-off. God knows they don’t actually need that, but if the deal woos them into building the public transit system that Denver and the Front Range desperately needs to reduce the insane traffic we deal with on a constant basis, then I am all freaking for it. They can name the lines after various members of the Penner family, as long as it gets funded and gets built out by the time the new stadium is ready for showtime.

If they are going to insist on this expenditure, then the entire metro area and state deserve to get something back out of it that actually benefits everyone, and not just well-heeled Broncos fans…

Replies Kevin:

Or just make the company we already gave hundreds of millions of dollars do it.

Responds Mike:

Rail will be down every Sunday.

Offers Carlos:

I worry about outpricing the fans.

Concludes Bryan:

That’s already happened.

What do you think about the proposed location for a new Broncos stadium? The financing? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.