Safe, Clean and Compassionate Committee

Union Station has a long and diverse history in Denver, serving as a central welcoming point for tourists, neighbors, employees, and residents alike. Its historical prominence fosters a positive first impression when visitors depart the train from DIA, the nearby light rail, or the bus station. Since its $500 million renovation in 2014 and subsequent investment by developers to create an inviting mixed-use environment for downtown residents and businesses, Union Station has elevated the entire city and region, far beyond its immediate surroundings. However, we are nearing a critical inflection point in the history of the Union Station area, in other parts of LoDo and Denver, and we need the assistance of the city and other leadership to help change its direction.

Over the past two years, we have observed with growing alarm the slow, unabated degradation of this amazing community, exacerbating fears for what may become of our downtown if we do not take drastic and immediate measures to make it once again a clean, safe, and compassionate area.

Updates June 2022

By David Mazzocchi, Chair

• May 18th: Attendance at the semi-monthly Denver Police District 6 meeting with Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver.
• May 18th: Attendance at the monthly District 9 Safety & Crime Solutions Advisory Committee, which included staff members from District 9 Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca.
• May 24^th: Attendance at the semi-monthly meeting with Armando Saldate,  Denver Director of Public Safety, and Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver.
• June 1st: Attendance at the semi-monthly Denver Police District 6 meeting with Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver.
• June 7th: Attendance at the semi-monthly meeting with Armando Saldate,  Denver Director of Public Safety, and Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver.
• June 15th: Attendance at the semi-monthly Denver Police District 6 meeting with Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver.
• June 15th: Attendance at the monthly District 9 Safety & Crime Solutions Advisory Committee, which included staff members from District 9 Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca.
• June 20^th: Collaborated with Robin Finegan, chair of the Pedestrian Safety Committee, to co-author a narrative regarding the ubiquitous use of electric scooters on sidewalks at high speeds throughout downtown Denver, particularly in LoDo, which has manifested into an untenable and unsafe environment for pedestrians and individuals who require the use of wheelchairs. It was also posted on the BuildingLink website for The Coloradan residents to view. This committee is partnering with Chris Hinds, Denver City Councilman, to lead an initiative curtailing the use of electric scooters on Denver’s sidewalks, which has caused over 1,300 injuries as of mid-May this year at an average rate of 2.5/day from just one hospital (Denver Health Medical Center). Key issues to be addressed include exploration of GPS-based sidewalk detection technology or the “geofencing” technique used successfully in other cities to abate or prevent scooter usage on sidewalks, and punitive measures for frequent violators. The SCC town hall in July will be dedicated to this issue.
• June 21st: Attendance at the semi-monthly meeting with Armando Saldate,  Denver Director of Public Safety, and Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver.
• June 23^rd: Safe, Clean, and Compassionate Town Hall Meeting with Chris Hinds, Denver City Council, and Sabrina Allie, Marketing and Communications Director, Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST).
• July 14th: Scheduled Safe, Clean and Compassionate Town Hall Meeting with Nicholas Williams, DOTI Deputy Manager Internal & External Affairs, and Lily Lizarraga, DOTI City Planner Senior. The purpose is to discuss the city’s proposed solutions to the rampant scooter problem.

Our neighborhood has taken steps as follows:

• Holding WeBot events- Weekends Begin on Thursday 
• Organizing the Safe, Clean and Compassionate Committee of LoDoNA
• Creation of a Dog Walkers group to provide safety for lower downtown residents
• Organizing a Coffee Club meet-up at Kaffe Landskap for local residents to connect with their neighbors
• A twice-weekly clean-up crew to help keep clean Wewatta Pavilion and the surrounding area in addition to the summertime periodic cleanups along Cherry Creek
• Letter writing campaigns to various government leaders