A 29-year-old man was arrested Monday on suspicion of attempted murder after an early morning shooting on Denver’s Auraria Campus, police said.
Aaron Verner was arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder and assault after shooting an Auraria Campus police officer in the arm, according to the Denver Police Department.
The shooting happened about 1:18 a.m. Monday after two Auraria Campus police officers approached someone who was breaking into a car, according to a news release from the campus police department.
Balloon Man Running is shown at RTD’s Central Park Station in 2021.
Paul Wedlake Photography / RTD
Balloon Man Running, a sculpture that depicts a balloon who is a man who is running, has temporarily left its spot at RTD’s Central Park Station.
Crews removed the piece yesterday for repairs. After close to a decade atop its pillar, the 12-foot sculpture had taken some hail hits and other weather damage.
After a “lengthy process,” RTD hired Demiurge LLC to repair the inflatable-looking man, at a cost of $56,000, a spokesperson said.
Demiurge will restore the pedestal over the next couple months, and then resurface and reinstall the sculpture itself in 2025. The Denver subreddit quickly took notice of the removal, and people seemed pretty bummed.
Balloon Man Running made its debut with the A Line, way back in 2016. Realizing that was eight years ago makes me feel old and beat up, too. Maybe I need to be resurfaced.
Regional Transporation District buses will replace part of the light rail’s W Line near Lakewood during weekend repairs, according to RTD officials.
The W Line will be closed down between the Garrison and Sheridan stations from 11:30 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Sunday as crews repair overhead wires damaged by vandalism last month, RTD officials said in a news release.
The last three trips of Friday night’s normal W Line train schedule will be canceled this week, RTD officials said. The last trains will leave Union Station around 11:22 p.m. and the Jefferson County Government Center/Golden Station around 11:24 p.m..
The W Line will be closed all day Saturday between the Sheridan and Garrison stations, RTD officials said. Buses will replace trains between the two stations.
Riders can board the buses at:
Sheridan Station at 10th and Ames streets: Riders can board at eastbound and westbound Route 9 bus stops.
Lamar Station at 13th and Lamar streets: Riders can board at eastbound and westbound Route 9 bus stops.
Lakewood/Wadsworth Station: Riders can board next to the light rail platform.
Garrison Station: Riders can board next to the rail platform.
RTD officials said the first three normally scheduled W Line trips will be canceled on Sunday, with full service returning around 6 a.m.
The W Line runs from Union Station to Golden. The shutdowns will start with a full closure Friday night. The last three trips of the day will be canceled in each direction, starting at about 11:30 p.m., and bus shuttle service won’t be available that night.
On Saturday, the line will not operate between the Sheridan and Garrison stations. RTD will provide bus shuttles between the following stations:
Sheridan Station. Shuttles will board at eastbound and westbound Route 9 bus stops at 10th Avenue and Ames Street. That’s about a quarter-mile walk from the station.
Lamar Station. Shuttles will board at eastbound and westbound Route 9 bus stops at 13th Avenue and Lamar Street, near the rail platform.
Lakewood-Wadsworth Station. Shuttles will board next to the rail platform
Garrison Station. Shuttles will board next to the rail platform
Service will be available on the rest of the line, but expect some minor delays and disruptions west of Garrison this weekend. Trains will operate on a single track on Saturday between the western end of the line and the Garrison station. Trains may arrive in both directions on the track, which may lead to minor delays.
Full service will return to the W Line on Sunday, but the first three trips of the day will be canceled.
It is not clear if Fitzgerald chose to leave his position with RTD’s internal police force or if he was fired.
“As of Sept. 20, Dr. Joel Fitzgerald is no longer employed at the Regional Transportation District,” agency officials said in a statement Friday. “RTD thanks Dr. Fitzgerald for his service to the agency’s employees, customers, and stakeholders over the last two years.”
Fitzgerald was hired in August of 2022 and put in charge of a growing police department tasked with combating issues including increasing violence and drug use in public transit spaces in recent years.
But he was placed on leave for undisclosed reasons earlier this summer, RTD board members confirmed to The Denver Post without offering specifics.
CBS Colorado was the first to report on the situation, highlighting an internal RTD memo that cited an outside investigation into “policy violations” committed by Fitzgerald.
Colorado Public Radio was the first to cover Fitzgerald’s separation from the agency on Friday. That outlet previously reported that Fitzgerald had repeatedly driven an agency SUV at speeds over 100 mph and that he did not frequently visit RTD facilities in person, according to internal agency records.
RTD plans to name an interim leader for its Transit Police and Emergency Management Department in the coming days, according to the agency’s statement Friday.
The Regional Transportation District will not renew its contract with Greyhound, which will effectively end long-distance bus service from RTD’s underground bus terminal at Union Station.
RTD said that Greyhound has “abandoned buses and its customers” on multiple occasions over the last four years and that its sparse services lead to long layovers, crowding and loitering at the downtown Denver hub.
“RTD recognizes that Greyhound has made good faith efforts to address many of the agency’s concerns related to personal safety and security challenges, but it is in RTD’s best interest not to renew the agreement,” RTD spokesperson Tara Broghammer wrote in an email to Denverite.
RTD and Greyhound signed a five-year contract in 2020 and it expires Aug. 31, 2025. Greyhound is “hopeful” RTD will reconsider, a spokesperson wrote in an email.
“Our goal is to fully collaborate with local officials, addressing their concerns to ensure we can continue providing essential intercity bus services to Denver,” the spokesperson wrote. “Access to affordable and equitable transportation is critical, especially for vulnerable populations such as individuals with lower income, retirees, minorities, people with disabilities, and students. We are committed to being a good partner and a valued member of the Denver community.”
Greyhound owned an entire city block in downtown Denver until recently.
The company ran buses out of a massive facility on 19th and Curtis streets starting in the 1970s. But the intercity bus business fell on hard times in the following decades, and Greyhound sold the building in 2020 for $38 million.
Denver Greyhound Bus Station, Feb. 27, 2018. Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Greyhound wanted to include a new station for itself when RTD was refurbishing Union Station in the early 2010s but could not afford to, according to a 2015 study. The study said RTD could accommodate Greyhound, and its diminished business, at its new underground bus depot.
That’s what ended up happening. Greyhound and RTD agreed to a five-year deal in 2020 where the company paid $600,000 a year for access to Union Station. Its lines from Denver stretch to other regional hubs like Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Mo., El Paso, Texas, and smaller cities in between.
“It’s the right thing from a policy perspective to do to get them into our facility,” said RTD’s then-interim General Manager and CEO Paul Ballard. “Now, Denver will have all of that ground transportation focused on one facility.”
But issues cropped up soon afterward at Greyhound’s new home.
In the midst of the pandemic, the underground bus terminal became a de facto shelter for unhoused people. Drug use increased in and around the station. The head of RTD’s driver’s union called it a “lawless hellhole.”
“Ever since Greyhound relocated to Union Station and lockdowns lifted, Union Station has become a total disaster to the point where I am afraid to use the bus into downtown any more and will only use the commuter trains since they drop off above ground,” one RTD user told the agency in 2022.
Ongoing safety and security issues around the Greyhound gates have hurt RTD’s own operations and made it difficult for transit police and security guards to patrol the area, RTD’s Broghammer said.
For some Greyhound riders, the underground terminal is not a great fit either.
The few seats nearby are narrow and made of metal.
“It’s not all that comfortable,” said Melissa Bridgman, who said she was on a five-day journey from Branson, Mo., to Olympia, Wash., with her father Glenn.
Their $220 tickets were a fraction of the $1,000 plane tickets she found, though the trip was supposed to take four days. But the pair missed their connection in Denver when using the restroom, meaning they had to wait another 24 hours for the next bus.
Glenn Bridgman, left and his daughter Melissa Bridgman, of Branson, Missouri were waiting for the Greyhound bus to Olympia, Washington at the Union Station underground terminal on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.Nathaniel Minor/CPR News
The only public bathrooms are a significant walk from the Greyhound waiting area, either at the far end of the bus terminal or upstairs in the much fancier Great Hall.
“It’s gorgeous up there,” she said.
The Great Hall is filled with plush chairs and couches. But it’s not a true public space, managed by a for-profit company on behalf of RTD that limits access to the most comfortable seats to customers of the pricy businesses there.
Melissa and Glenn stretched out on the basement floor next to their bags instead, until a security guard said that wasn’t allowed because it was a fire hazard.
“Can I finish trying to get my phone to work or start charging first?” Melissa asked.
“They don’t work,” the security guard replied.
RTD powered down the outlets a few years ago as part of its effort to curb loitering.
“I’m so sorry about that,” the security guard added, and referred Melissa and Glen to charging stations attached to hard wooden benches at the western edge of the Great Hall.
“It’s like you’ve done something wrong,” Glenn, 73, said with a sigh as he struggled to his feet.
The pair went outside for fresh air, where they said they would spend the night after RTD closed its terminal.
Ramesh Bhattachan was on a cross-country journey from Queens, New York to Boise, Idaho to play in a badminton tournament and was also stuck in Denver for 24 hours.
He said Greyhound’s next station, if it can’t work things out with RTD, needs a few basic amenities: affordable snacks, comfortable seating, and a good restroom close by.
“This is not a proper rest stop,” Bhattachan said.
Colfax Avenue’s intersection with Yosemite Street, the border of Denver and Aurora. Aug. 4, 2022.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Day to day, Colfax Avenue might look the same as it has always looked: fast lanes of traffic, long-time dive bars and motels, a mix of abandoned buildings and trendy new spots.
But over the next few years, the iconic Denver street will undergo a massive transformation. One lane of car traffic in each direction will become a dedicated bus rapid transit lane — a new and improved bus corridor with flashy new stations running from downtown to Aurora.
Funded through a mix of federal and local money, the nearly $300 million construction project finally has a start date: October of this year.
A rendering of a portion of Colfax Avenue after the BRT project is complete from contractor Kraemer, N.A., Inc.Source: Denver City Council
The city was hoping to speed up the timeline and complete the project in 2026, but a new timeline from contractor Kraemer, N.A., Inc. puts the completion date in late 2027. On Tuesday, City Council’s Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure committee heard initial contract plans for the more-than $197 million construction contract with the company.
That means Denverites can expect construction disruptions along segments of Colfax Ave. for years starting this fall. Here’s the current timeline:
Broadway to Williams St. from late 2024 to late 2025
Williams St. to Monroe St. from early 2025 to early 2026
Monroe St. to Niagara St. from late 2025 to late 2026
Yosemite St. to I-225 from late 2025 to late 2026
Niagara St. to Yosemite St. from early 2026 to mid-2027
The proposed construction timeline from Colfax BRT contractor Kraemer, N.A., Inc.Source: Denver City Council
City Councilmembers said they’ve heard from residents worried about diverted traffic onto the nearby 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th Avenues. They’re also worried about how construction will affect small businesses. There are dedicated funds to support impacted businesses, but some worry it’s not enough.
“I am really concerned … $1 million is not enough,” said City Councilmember Amanda Sawyer. “If I have to move a budget amendment to get that done then I will.”
The full City Council will vote on the construction contract in the next few weeks.
DENVER — The Regional Transit District’s (RTD) Chief of Police has been placed on leave, the agency confirmed to Denver7 on Thursday but questions remain as to the reason why.
Joel Fitzgerald, Sr., RTD Chief of Police and Emergency Management joined RTD in August of 2022 and most recently served as Chief of Police in Waterloo, Iowa.
When pressed by Denver7 News early on Thursday as to what was behind Fitzgerald’s leave, a spokesperson didn’t provide any more details.
RTD is not revealing much about the decision other than the issue is a personnel matter.
Denver7 Investigates learned RTD placed Fitzgerald on leave on July 1. At a press conference on Thursday introducing new cameras on buses, Denver7 Chief Investigative Reporter Tony Kovaleski pressed RTD for answers as to why the agency placed Fitzgerald on leave.
On Thursday afternoon Chief Fitzgerald took a phone call from reporter Kovaleski revealing that he couldn’t say anything but said there would be a day that he could talk – adding he is looking forward to returning to his job.
Kovaleski also connected with elected RTD Board members on attempting to gain answers as to why the decision wasn’t made public, but none shared comment.
Before he led the Waterloo police department, Fitzgerald served as the police chief of Fort Worth, Texas before he was fired in what the city said was due to poor judgment, according to NBC DFW. Fitzgerald said he was fired while investigating alleged corruption at Fort Worth City Hall.
Before April, there was a gap in transit coverage from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. and again between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., according to RTD. Starting in May, RTD added transit officer coverage for all hours.
“The introduction of an overnight team has been a priority for RTD-PD, and it was always contingent upon our hiring success,” said RTD Transit Chief of Police and Emergency Management Dr. Joel Fitzgerald, Sr. in an April statement. “We needed enough staff to begin to provide the high-performance service our stakeholders expect. As we continue to grow, you’ll see us even more.”
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In the four cities where he led departments, Fitzgerald was the first African-American person to serve as chief.
In his capacity as RTD Chief of Police, he oversees more than 600 police and security officers.
At the time of his hiring, Fitzgerald addressed the need of RTD to increase security.
“They’re looking to really look at building out a police department and building a facility and doing the things that are necessary to become not only a transit security presence, but an active police agency,” Fitzgerald said in an interview after his introduction. “There’s an overwhelming need for us to step up the safety and security of RTD, not only our physical infrastructure, but the buses, trains and light rail systems,”
When asked in 2022 about his goals for RTD, he said he “set expectations high for interactions with people” and looked forward to building “legitimacy and trust in the community.”
“The one thing that I expect out of every police officer is to demonstrate integrity, even when no one’s looking,” Fitzgerald said of his goals for his officers. “And as the chief of police, you can count on me doing the right thing when no one’s looking.”
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Regional Transportation District officials will add 10 mph speed restrictions on several light rail lines as summer construction progresses, the agency said Monday.
The Regional Transportation District lifted 10 mph light rail speed restrictions for one section of the E and R lines Tuesday, the agency said in a news release.
RTD officials removed the light rail speed restrictions for the E and R lines between the Belleview and Orchard stations, which was implemented June 4.
There are still 10 mph zones for the E and H lines between the Colorado, Yale and Southmoor stations and for the E and R lines between Orchard, Arapahoe at Village Center, Dry Creek and County Line stations, according to RTD.
Travelers headed to the airport on Saturday should expect shuttle service in lieu of the A Line between Peoria and Denver Airport stations from 3:16 a.m. to 6:46 p.m.
RTD will be doing maintenance on the I-70 bridge near Peña Boulevard and on power lines that run RTD’s commuter trains.
The agency said travelers should plan for extra time to transfer between shuttle buses.
The A Line will run as normal between Peoria and Union Station.
The first regular train will leave Union Station at 7 p.m. and leave the airport at 7:57 p.m.
New construction along Welton Street creates what Brother Jeff Fard calls a “concrete canyon.” Oct. 26, 2022.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Parts of the light rail tracks downtown are literally disintegrating.
That’s why the Regional Transportation District (RTD) is shutting down much of downtown light rail service for the summer as part of a multi-year, $152-million project that will fix “condemned” parts of the track.
Thirty years of buses and cars driving over the downtown tracks has worn them down. RTD recognized the conditions in 2022 but didn’t prioritize starting comprehensive repairs until this year.
The first phase of the project begins Sunday and runs through September.
Here’s how it will affect rail service:
D and H lines will reroute to Union Station. They will not go to Colfax at Auraria, Theatre District/Convention Center, Stout Street Station or California Street Station. Trains will go from 10th/Osage Station to Auraria West, Empower Field, Ball Arena/Elitch Gardens and Union Station instead.
E and H lines will have reduced service and slower speeds.
The L line will be suspended.
The N line will add a north and southbound trip in the evening.
Sunday through Thursday D, E, H and R lines will have reduced hours between 5 a.m. to midnight. The W line will have reduced hours between 4:30 a.m. and midnight.
Here’s how it will affect bus service:
The free MetroRide will return, running along 18th and 19th streets to connect Union Station and Central Business District.
Free MallRide service frequency will drop by 10 minutes.
Union Station and Downtown Boulder Station will see minor schedule adjustments.
What’s the timeline?
Phase one will focus on 15th and California, 17th and California, 15th and Stout, 17th and Stout, and Broadway and Welton — so expect construction at those intersections throughout the summer.
Operations will return to normal in September before RTD begins future phases of the project next year.
Denver International Airport is gearing up for a record number of Memorial Day weekend passengers, meaning travelers can expect a busy trip and long waits, airport officials said Tuesday.
Between Thursday and Tuesday, airport officials expect nearly 450,000 passengers to pass through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, according to a news release from DIA. This is a 9% increase from the same holiday travel period last year.
Thursday and Friday alone will each see more than 80,000 travelers moving through TSA screening areas, with additional foot traffic coming in from flight connections inside the airport, DIA officials said.
Airport officials said holiday travelers should arrive inside the airport at least two hours before their scheduled boarding time and should have plans for parking and making it through security checkpoints.
Those committed to parking on-site should avoid the Pike Peaks lot due to construction and park at the Landslide parking lot — 6975 Valley Head Street.
The Pikes Peak and Longs Peak shuttle parking lots will close on Friday at 3 a.m. and re-open by 5 p.m., according to Tuesday’s release. The Landslide lot will be open for overflow parking at 3 a.m. Friday and will remain open until full.
Regular shuttle service will be available from all parking lots to and from the airport terminal.
TSA Security Checkpoints
DIA’s South Security Checkpoint — located on level five at the south end of the terminal — is open from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next morning and is the primary checkpoint for travelers who need standard screening.
South Security has four TSA PreCheck lanes open from 4 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., but PreCheck passengers traveling after 8 p.m. may use South Security and receive a form of expedited screening, officials said Tuesday.
One CLEAR lane is available for standard screening at the South Security Checkpoint, but passengers with both PreCheck and CLEAR must use the dual-service lane at West Security.
The West Security Checkpoint — located on level six at the northwest corner of the terminal — is open from 4 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is the primary checkpoint for TSA PreCheck travelers.
Passengers with standard screening at this checkpoint should enter through West Security 1, and passengers with reservations for DEN RESERVE should enter at West Security 2.
Finally, A-Bridge Security is open for standard screening between 4:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., officials said Tuesday.
The bridge has a limited number of lanes dedicated for travelers requiring standard screening and is not available for TSA PreCheck.
Real-time security wait times and parking availability can be found online at FlyDenver.com.
DENVER — The Regional Transportation District (RTD) Transit Police Department will patrol the overnight hours beginning May 5.
In its announcement Monday, RTD said the shift to a 24/7 staffing model will “enhance the personal safety and security of RTD’s frontline employees and customers.”
“The introduction of an overnight team has been a priority for RTD-PD, and it was always contingent upon our hiring success,” said RTD Transit Chief of Police and Emergency Management Dr. Joel Fitzgerald, Sr. in a statement. “We needed enough staff to begin to provide the high-performance service our stakeholders expect. As we continue to grow, you’ll see us even more.”
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RTD has 61 Colorado Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST)-certified officers within its transit police department, with an additional 19 recruits set to graduate from the police academy in May. The district estimates another 26 recruits to attend the July academy.
RTD said it plans to add a minimum of 119 officers by the end of the year. In comparison, there were only 19 transit officers in August 2022.
According to RTD, the overnight team will focus on “areas in need of greater safety efforts for bus and rail operators, such as when employees begin their morning shifts at Denver Union Station.” As staffing increases, the agency will then prioritize other problem areas.
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In addition, RTD announced it plans to add six mental health clinicians and five homeless coordinators to its community outreach staff by the end of the year.
RTD customers can report illegal, unwanted or suspicious activity by calling RTD police at 303-299-2911. Customers can also text 303-434-9100 or submit a report via the Transit Watch app.
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Multiple Regional Transportation District light rail lines shut down temporarily Wednesday after a train hit a car running a red light in downtown Denver’s Central Business District.
The crash happened around 1 p.m. at the intersection of Stout and 15th streets in Denver, RTD spokesperson Tina Jaquez said. No light rail customers or operators were injured in the crash.
RTD’s D and H lines experienced delays that resolved around 2:30 p.m., once the crash was cleared from the tracks, Jaquez said.
The driver of the car transported to the hospital with minor injuries, said Siena Riley, a spokesperson for the Denver Police Department. The driver ran a red light and was hit by the train.
The Regional Transportation District’s E and H line light rail trains will not operate on their regular routes from Tuesday, April 23 to Thursday, April 25 due to maintenance, according to an RTD news release.
E Line service will run as normal between I-25/Broadway and Union Station and at 30-minute intervals between Colorado Station and RidgeGate Parkway Station while RTD replaces overhead wires at the Louisiana/Pearl Station beginning April 23.
The H Line will run at 30-minute intervals between Colorado and Florida stations and will not run north of Colorado Station. Customers can transfer to the D Line to travel to central downtown.
Temporary bus shuttle service will be offered between I-25/Broadway and Colorado stations. Customers can board the buses at Colorado Station, gate C, University of Denver Station, gate B, Louisiana/Pearl Station, gate A2, and I-25/Broadway Station, gate A2.
Part of the Regional Transportation District’s A Line light rail train will be replaced by shuttle buses on Saturday due to maintenance, according to an RTD news release.
Shuttle buses will run from 2:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. between Central Park and Denver International Airport stations while RTD performs necessary maintenance on the Interstate 70 bridge near Peña Boulevard and installs insulators for overhead lines that power the rail trains.
Travelers can board a shuttle bus at Central Park gate B3, Peoria gate E, 40th Avenue and Airport/Gateway Park gate A, 61st/Peña next to the platform, and Denver Airport station at gate 7 for departures and gate 6 for arrivals.
Direct rail service to the airport will resume Saturday evening after maintenance is complete. The first train with continuous service to Denver Airport station departs Union Station at 6:30 p.m. The first train with continuous service to Union Station departs Denver Airport station at 7:27 p.m., according to RTD.
RTD encourages customers to plan ahead using the Next Ride app and to allow extra time for bus shuttle transfers to and from the airport.
“(The bill) ensures nonbinary and trans people are seen and represented in every part of Colorado law, which is especially important now with the wave of anti-trans rhetoric and legislation across the country,” said Garrett Royer, political director for LGBTQ advocacy organization One Colorado. “It helps the state remain a leader on LGBTQ rights with a very simple legislative fix.” Read more
Colorado legislators set aside $7.2 million to fund longer psychiatric hospital stays
Low-income Coloradans with mental illnesses are poised to receive longer hospital stays after state legislators set aside money to expand a decades-old Medicaid rule.
Federal law requires that Medicaid patients hospitalized in psychiatric facilities be discharged after 15 hospital days in a month or the facility doesn’t get paid. The rule was intended to prevent hospitals from warehousing patients, but advocates and psychiatrists say that it instead pushes hundreds of vulnerable Coloradans out of the facilities prematurely and into a cycle of homelessness, incarceration and emergency room visits. Read more
Parks, bars, protests stripped from bill that would create gun-free zones in Colorado
A proposal to limit where people can carry firearms in Colorado, openly or with concealed carry permits, was narrowed substantially Wednesday as sponsors fought to win a key committee vote in the state Senate.
The bill as introduced would have banned firearms from being carried at a slew of places, including stadiums, protests at public locations, bars, places of worship, public parks, libraries and more. It was amended to only ban firearms at schools, from preschool to college, as well as polling places, the state legislature and local government buildings, though local governments could opt out. It would allow exceptions for security and law enforcement. Read more
Colorado lawmakers’ $40.6 billion budget caps tuition hikes, includes money for auto theft prevention
Colorado lawmakers unveiled a state budget proposal Tuesday that would provide more money for higher education, address long waitlists of jail inmates with competency issues and boost pay for home health care workers.
Those are among the highlights as legislators look to spend about $40.6 billion in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The bipartisan Joint Budget Committee will now usher the bill — one of the few must-pass measures considered by the General Assembly each year — through the legislature and to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk in coming weeks. Read more
“For-cause” eviction protections for renters overcome moderate Democrats’ challenge in Colorado Senate
Democrats in the Colorado Senate fought off a challenge from within their own party Monday and advanced a bill that would increase displacement protections for tenants — clearing that hurdle nearly a year after the legislative death of a similar proposal.
The bill generally would give renters of apartments and other housing a right of first refusal to renew an expiring lease. Landlords would need to have a good reason for not allowing them to renew, such as failure to pay rent or plans for substantial renovations. Read more
How Wyatts Towing allegedly circumvented Colorado’s new towing law — and why legislators are pushing for further reform
HB24-1051, introduced this legislative session, would outlaw property owners from using automated emails to authorize tows. The bill also would mandate that the authorizing party must be a property owner or someone from a rent-collecting third party — banning parking management companies from doing this on the tower’s behalf.
Colorado poised to ban cities’ limits on how many people can live together
Colorado lawmakers are poised to ban occupancy limits in cities and towns across the state, clearing the way for more roommates to live together as part of Democrats’ push to reform local zoning regulations and address the state’s housing crisis.
Roughly two dozen cities and towns in Colorado have the type of occupancy limits that would be prohibited under HB24-1007, which cleared the state Senate on Tuesday. The measure would prohibit local governments from limiting how many unrelated people can live in one home or housing unit, except for health and safety reasons. Read more
Why Colorado’s push for more high-density housing near transit irks cities — even some that allow it
Colorado cities are ready for a legal fight if necessary to stop a state push to overhaul local housing density rules and allow more tightly packed development along train and bus routes.
While many local governments support the goal of concentrating people in apartments around transit hubs so they drive less, mayors have objected to what they see as state leaders intruding on local power. It’s the same local control problem that led to the defeat of a similar state push last year in the Colorado legislature.
Lawmakers revived the transit-focused housing density bill last month and are moving it through the state House. Read more
Next year’s state budget, gun restrictions and Front Range trains under debate in Colorado legislature this week
The budget package, known as the long bill, lays out how the state will spend some $18 billion in general fund dollars in the next year. It also reveals some of the state’s priorities — such as the end of the so-called budget stabilization factor that has shortchanged state education funding — as the proposal works its way through both chambers. Read more
An RTD train stops at Southmoor Station in between I-25 and the Southmoor Park neighborhood. Feb. 19, 2022.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Elevators at three RTD stations will perpetually stay open when not in use as part of a new public safety pilot program.
The program kicks off Sunday at Nine Mile, Colorado and Southmoor stations and runs through mid-June.
The doors will remain open until a rider enters the elevator and chooses a floor. In a press release Friday, RTD said the effort is meant to “limit illegal activities and address long-standing complaints from customers.”
The program is one of multiple recent efforts from RTD to address public safety on Denver’s transit system, something both riders and drivers have complained about in recent years. In April of last year, RTD suspended plans to ban people from riding perpetually, a public safety effort criticized by advocates who said it targeted people experiencing homelessness. In June, RTD’s board approved new passenger rules, which gave police more power to suspend “chronic violators” of the code of conduct.
“Every month, RTD receives hundreds of calls for service and customer complaints related to unwanted and illegal activities taking place inside our elevators,” said Dr. Joel Fitzgerald Sr., Chief of Police and Emergency Management at RTD, in a statement Friday. “These activities not only impede customer access to RTD’s services but also obstruct our efforts to create a welcoming transit environment. Setting elevators to a default open status dissuades usage to anything other than what is intended.”
RTD said in a statement that, in January and February of this year, it received more than 350 reports of “less-than-optimal conditions” at the three stations undergoing the pilot program. The agency plans to monitor complaints and calls for service throughout the pilot program to see if the change in elevator operations leads to a decrease in complaints, along with things like vandalism and elevator damage.
If the pilot program is successful, RTD could expand it and make it permanent. “Results of the assessment will be used to determine if the pilot should continue at the three locations, along with expanding the program to additional elevators across the agency’s system,” RTD wrote in its statement Friday.
Denver police allege the boy shot and killed Richard Sanchez on a bus near South Federal Boulevard and West Mississippi Avenue on the evening of Jan. 27 because Sanchez’s leg was blocking the aisle.
Sanchez was pronounced dead at a local hospital due to multiple gunshot wounds. A second person on the bus was also injured but was not taken to the hospital.
The boy was arrested on Feb. 1 and is facing 14 charges including first-degree murder, Denver District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Maro Casparian said Wednesday.
Prosecutors consider many factors when deciding whether to pursue trying a juvenile as an adult, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office.
Those include the circumstances of the crime, the suspect’s age, what contact they’ve had with the juvenile system, their upbringing and background, provisions of the law and the perspective of the victim or victim’s family.
“We balance the need for punishment with the opportunity to rehabilitate the juvenile. We are now in the process of making the decision in the case of the 13-year-old,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
A preliminary hearing in the case is set for March 8.
