Broadway is not known as Denver's most pedestrian- or cyclist-friendly street. But on Sunday, the typical sound of traffic was gone.
For a few hours, pedestrians meandered down the street and cyclists took over one of Denver's biggest roads without the constant fear of cars. Just one block over, a large SUV drove over a post marking a protected bike lane. But on Broadway, people ran into friends and found shops they would not have encountered otherwise if moving in a car.
It was all part of ¡Viva!, the first of four Sundays throughout the spring and summer closing three miles of streets to cars and opening them up to pedestrians and cyclists. The route ran north on Broadway from Alameda Avenue to Welton, and continued on Welton to Downing Street.
"We have music and we have people laughing and talking and you can hear birds singing on Broadway," said Jill Locantore, executive director of Denver Streets Partnership, which partnered with the city and Denver Downtown Partnership to make the event happen. "Can you imagine a parent feeling safe, allowing their kid to be on a street like Broadway? But they can today, and it just demonstrates what's possible."
¡Viva! was modeled off of an event first started in Bogota, Colombia in the 1970s called "ciclovía," or bikeway.
While Denver closed a range of streets to through-traffic during the pandemic, it was the first time the city tried closing down such a large swath of major throughways.
It was a big lift; RTD ran detours on 13 bus routes and canceled the L line until 2 p.m. And organizers had to coordinate with police and volunteers to direct traffic at a number of crossing spots for cars.
Locantore said she was worried about turnout given the week of rainy weather, but that she was pleased with the event and expects the future iterations to draw even more people throughout the summer.
"It's going to be amazing to see the street full," she said.
Organizers said they chose the route down Broadway and Welton because the streets showcase Denver history and culture, and host small businesses to support the event.
Jesse Taenzer, who owns a clothing store on Welton St., said he usually does not open on Sundays but decided to for ¡Viva! He said the event helped business.
"We're seeing a lot of people out," he said. "We pass out stickers, they're our calling card, have a lot of information on them, and we've already given away like 150, so that's definitely a good day for us."
Amanda Boyd found the event after a mother's day brunch. Her family lives in Central Park, and Boyd said she was skeptical about downtown. For her, the success of ¡Viva! would depend on how the activities were for kids.
"The downtown is a big question mark to me," she said.
Jason Foss lives nearby, and biked along the route with his family. He said he found a coffee shop he had never noticed before.
"It's funny, you see everybody kind of doing the same thing as they're walking around or biking around," he said. "They're like, 'Oh, what's that? I've never noticed that.'"
The city is hosting three more ¡Viva! Events, on June 4, July 9 and Aug. 6. Foss' wife, Lorena Jimenez, said they plan to be there.
"I think it's great," she said. "I hope they do it more."
