Denver will try to sort cyclists, cars and pedestrians on Wash Park’s loop road

The Wash Park loop road is a 2.2-mile confusing mess that results in a lot of unsafe behavior. The city is going to try to fix that.
2 min. read
A draft plan for the restriping of the Wash Park Loop Road. (City of Denver)

Wheeling along the Wash Park Loop Road. (City of Denver)

The city of Denver this month will begin revamping the loop road that bicyclists, rollerbladers and pedestrians use to circle Washington Park.

The loop road is a 2.2 mile stretch of pavement. It looks just like a normal road, including the double yellow stripes, but only parts of it are open to vehicles.

It's a fairly confusing mess, the city acknowledges, that "results in a significant number of visitors using the incorrect lanes, traveling in the wrong direction, crossing the Loop Road without looking for oncoming traffic and other behaviors that either create safety hazards or diminish the quality of the park experience for other users."

So, the city will start around June 19 on a four-week plan to install better signs and visuals, among other changes. The park and its parking lots will remain open during the work.

One major change is that the road will be separated, creating a pedestrian lane that is separated from two lanes for bikes and other wheels.

A draft plan for the restriping of the Wash Park Loop Road. (City of Denver)

The city also will install crosswalks, buffers, bollards and markings to improve safety in the areas that automobiles use.

Parallel parking will be eliminated along the road. Draft plans also call for replacing the yellow stripes with a red-and-white stripe that tells you this isn't an ordinary road.

Recent Stories