Traffic jams: bad for basically everything, including your health
Pollution levels inside cars can get up to 40 percent higher while in traffic jams.
Colorado Boulevard shimmers under the heat on a Saturday afternoon. Not packed, still vexing. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Pollution levels inside cars can get up to 40 percent higher while in traffic jams, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Add it to the well-documented case that traffic is bad for your health.
How bad is Denver relatively? Well, the combined Denver/Aurora/Boulder “urbanized area” ranked about 19th worst among U.S. metro areas for congestion in 2014, according to the most recent report from the Denver Regional Council of Governments.
That means 16 percent of all the car trips we took in 2014 were made in congested conditions. That’s expected to increase to 28 percent by 2040.
The report from the University of Surrey has some Panic Room-style tips to minimize your exposure to pollutants in traffic: Keep windows shut, turn off the fan and try to keep some distance between you and the car in front of you.
But I prefer the don’t-drive method.
Trinidad “Trini” Rodriguez has entered Denver’s mayoral race
He defines himself as a "city builder" with deep personal experience with the biggest issues the city faces.
Since last Thanksgiving, Denver has created 933 income-restricted housing units
That's a fraction of what the city needs to meet demand.
Local muralist Bimmer Torres is leaving bits of culture and community across Denver buildings
His most recent mural on the side Ardent Mills Flour Refinery is a massive 85 foot piece titled “Mitotli."
The Butcher Block Cafe is hanging on as a relic of a long-gone Brighton Boulevard
The old diner has become so much more than a business for Mickey Michel.
Artist Gina Trujillo is bringing smiles to neighbors one window at a time
"I do what I do because I enjoy it and I’m glad people enjoy it with me.”
Man arrested in connection with East Colfax shooting that left one dead, five wounded
The accused is currently being held on investigation of murder in the first degree and five counts of investigation of attempted murder in the first degree.
Council passes moratorium to halt development of mobile home park properties
The moratorium will prevent any development plans from being proposed or enacted on mobile home park sites from the beginning of 2023 to April 2024.
Are Shared Streets the key to a fully connected bike network?
After crowd-sourcing a community bike map, Avi Stopper wants Denver to promote biking on quieter neighborhood streets.
Arguably the most powerful elected job in Colorado is open. Everybody wants it.
This one's going to get interesting.
Denver auditor says DIA isn’t doing what it should to make money off of concessions
This is kind of a long-running thing.
Denver’s new East Colfax rapid bus plans aim for an early opening in 2026
The project will convert two vehicle lanes from Broadway to Yosemite to bus-only lanes and make other improvements between downtown Denver and Aurora.
Denverites gathered in solidarity with Club Q and Colorado Springs
Hundreds filled ReelWorks and Tracks for a vigil mourning the loss of 5 people in a mass shooting at Club Q over the weekend.
Denver’s Kelly Loving among Club Q shooting victims
A friend of Loving's said she would "give you the shirt off her back."
Denver Rescue Mission says it’ll remove anti-LGBTQ language from employee handbook
The nonprofit has an $8.7 million contract with the City of Denver.
These are the Denver-area vigils planned for Club Q shooting victims
The first vigil will be on Monday night at Reelworks Denver, with two more planned for later in the week.
State Representative Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez is running for an at-large City Council seat
She currently represents House District 4, and is the third generation of her family to be involved in politics and community organizing in Denver.
This Sloan Lake post-war home is surrounded by new housing. It’s on the market for $1 million, leaving its renters wondering where to move
Most everybody Maria Solis grew up with has been priced out of the city. Old friends marvel that her family is still on the block.
It’s “unlikely” that some of the 10 Denver public schools that avoided permanent closure this week will stay open in the future
The Denver Public School board voted no on recommendations to close schools. But Superintendent Alex Marrero says change will likely still come for schools with low enrollment.
The Denver Rescue Mission bans employees from “acting on same sex attraction” and rejecting one’s “biological sex”
The nonprofit receives millions of dollars through contracts from the City of Denver.
Denver Fair Elections Fund side effect: Regular voters can be as powerful as developers
It was meant to give regular candidates a chance to win – it's also made their regular supporters much more important.