The City of Denver is considering a full redesign of Wynkoop Street in downtown that could lead to far fewer vehicles on it.
The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is commissioning a study of Wynkoop between 14th and 19th streets through the heart of Lower Downtown and near some of its biggest attractions like the Cherry Creek Trail, Union Station and Coors Field.
The city’s request for proposals calls for a feasibility analysis of four alternatives that “both improve the pedestrian experience and balance key transportation needs of Wynkoop Street.”
Those options are:
- Do nothing
- A full or partially curbless shared street that would permanently limit vehicle access
- A “festival street” that would fully close to traffic occasionally for special events
- A TBD fourth option
“We want to take a deep dive to fully understand all the activities that occur on Wynkoop, determine its limitations and what changes and enhancements might be feasible for it to better serve our community,” said Nancy Kuhn, a city spokeswoman, in a statement.
The city is reviewing proposals now, she said.
The city has talked for years about making Wynkoop better for pedestrians
The street has come a long way since it supposedly held Denver’s first house back in 1858.
Over the decades it’s bustled with horse-and-buggies, street cars, automobiles and — especially since the reopening of Union Station as a transit hub in 2014 — a mix of pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles.
Various city plans published in recent years have called for more tree cover and pedestrian improvements, noting that Wynkoop’s sidewalks are “stressed” during Rockies game days.
The current Wynkoop study is part of Denver’s “Shared Streets” program, which started during the early days of the pandemic in 2020 when the city temporarily opened 11 streets to pedestrians and cyclists and limited vehicular traffic.
Those shared streets have long since closed, but city staff have been planning how and where to create permanent replacements.
One Councilman says it’s time to go big
Councilman Chris Hinds, who represents downtown, said he’s excited that Wynkoop is moving closer to some possible big changes. He noted that it’s also part of the long-planned “5280 Trail,” which would be a 5.28-mile-long linear park around downtown.
Plans for the trail envision an extension of the existing Wynkoop Plaza in front of Union Station in a way that would greatly limit car access. Hinds said he supports that vision, with possible exceptions only for pickup and dropoff spots for Ubers and Lyfts, taxis and deliveries.
“Do we need cars on every block between Ball Arena and Coors Field?” Hinds asked himself. “I think the answer is no. I think it makes sense for us as we go from a cow town and a flyover state to an international destination that we lean into making our downtown and specifically LoDo even more pedestrian friendly.”
Some Denver urbanists have long argued that a bigger Wynkoop Plaza could rival some of the great pedestrian plazas of Europe.
Chris Jones, then a master’s student in the University of Colorado Denver’s urban planning program, made a video in 2016 comparing it to Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy. They are both of similar size, both are surrounded by buildings of a similar height, and both are ringed by bars, restaurants and cafes.
The big difference between the two, Jones said, is the steady stream of cars moving down Wynkoop that have kept it from becoming one of the world’s great public squares. He said the city’s new consideration of extending the plaza and limiting cars makes him “really happy.”
“They're on the right path and they're going to get there,” he said.
OK, so the urbanists want to push out cars. What about others?
Denverite spent an hour wandering around Wynkoop to ask pedestrians, drivers and anyone else with a pulse what they thought of a car-lite revamp.
One driver, Calvin Sandoval of Northglenn, didn’t like the idea of having to walk farther to find parking. Some Uber and Lyft drivers also grumbled that limiting vehicle access might make their jobs harder, though the handful that Denverite spoke with wouldn’t give their names before they sped off to their next ride.
Office worker Naomi Krenitsyn said she wants Denver to be more like the very walkable and plaza-filled Barcelona — and that a revamped Wynkoop is a great place to start.
“Make our cities more pedestrian-friendly and less packed with cars,” she said.
One elderly Aurora resident said he wasn’t interested in a European-style plaza.
“I liked it when Denver was a cow town,” said Al Lindemen, who’s in his early 80s.
Lindeman was joined by Bonnie Fleming, who was also skeptical. Then she paused as she heard a little more about the possibilities for the plaza.
“It would cut down on the pollution a little bit in this area,” she said, smiling. “It'd be nice.”
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the planned length of the 5280 Trail.
