DENVER — Three streets in Denver’s Athmar Park have been deemed dangerous due to “significant” crash patterns the city says need to be fixed, and one city council member will be hosting meetings to gather residents’ input.
Mississippi Avenue and parts of Alameda and Evans avenues are three streets with frequent crashes.
In Athmar park, along Mississippi, several people could be seen illegally crossing the street within minutes of each other Friday.
One man even rode his motorized chair into the middle of traffic.
One risky situation after another is common in the area, said Terryn Ingram, who was hit for a second time by a car last week.
“And this lady – I don’t know if she was coming out of one of the parking lots or coming down Raritan and turned right into me,” she said. And I kept saying ‘No no stop!’ And she hit me.”
Ingram, who uses a motorized wheelchair, said she was legally crossing the street in a crosswalk when the accident happened.
The Problem Solvers also saw a cyclist nearly get hit by a turning car Friday.
Kelso Vasten said he illegally rides his bike to work on sidewalks because the streets in the area are too narrow and dangerous.
“I’m just trying to protect my life and be out of the way of all these people and stay out of the way,” he said.
Denver City Council member Jolon Clark told the Problem Solvers there are serious problems here that need to be fixed.
“We still have a road that is designed to work well for vehicles and not for anything else,” he said. “Everything about this stretch is a huge concern”
While Clark was talking a man even stopped to ask if someone could work on making the sidewalks wider.
For a moment he even walked in the street. Trees blocked some portions of the sidewalk in the area as well.
Gilbert Velazquez, who walks to work, said cars speed way too often.
Clark said he gets very few complaints about problems along this stretch of street, but he will be holding two meeting to address the concerns on Sept. 19.
For more information about the meetings go to Clark’s website.
