This week both papers featured a potential “Car Free Day” in Denver. Proposed by city councilwoman Carla Madison, a portion of downtown would be closed to vehicular traffic. Some cities in Europe do this, and most notably Bogota, Colombia has redefined itself as a welcoming place for cyclists and pedestrians by banning cars on certain days.

From the Rocky Mountain News article:

“One of the things we’re trying to promote in Denver is that it’s a walkable city, and this would probably be the ultimate in proving that it’s walkable,” said Madison. A spokeswoman for Mayor John Hickenlooper said the mayor is “absolutely supportive of the idea.” The mayor said he was committed to working with the downtown business community to make sure that restaurants and shops would benefit from the idea.

The proposal is still in the early stages, but it’s already generating concerns that it would slam the brakes on business.

The idea shifted into high gear when Madison read that New York City had closed a section of Park Avenue and connecting streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park to motor vehicles for three Saturdays in August.

I’m a cycling advocate in that I support biking initiatives and am an example myself. I support programs that raise awareness of cycling and walking for daily transportation. I bike every day for work, errands, and meeting up with friends at night. I support mass transit and am watching the (slow) progress of the Fastracks project. You’d think I’d love this idea right? An entire downtown free of cars for walkers and bikers? I don’t.

1. Primarily: There’s no reason for it. Its government creating a solution where there’s no problem. Why close off downtown to cars, when cars aren’t wreaking any havoc in the first place? We don’t have the congestion of New York (the inspiration for Carla Madison’s idea,) and we don’t have the pollution of Mexico City or Bogota. Sunday traffic isn’t bad in the central business district. Sure sporting events and theater traffic near the DCPA cause some localized congestion at certain times, but when I bike I can fly down 15th Street or up 17th Street with minimal traffic around me. I’m more hindered by the buses that spew exhaust on these two streets than I am by cars.

2. Denver already IS a walkable city. I know that because I see people walking in the city and enjoying themselves. Residents and visitors alike love downtown. We have an incredible pedestrian mall that anchors the city. From this WALKABLE pedestrian mall you can access all points in downtown on well maintained wide sidewalks.

3. Its an inconvenience to people, and businesses and economy will suffer. We have excellent transit links to the southwest and southeast parts of the city, but save for Boulder the areas to the far north and east don’t have accessible transit on the weekends. If this idea did come to fruition then RTD should be stepping up the express bus service from Thornton and Longmont.

Tourists en route to or returning from the mountains want to spend a day in Denver. They’re told they have to park two miles away to access the heart of the city? How is a visitor leaving a hotel on Sunday going to get to the airport in his rental car? Are cabs and super shuttles allowed in?

Here’s what a commenter from Brighton wrote:

We are a family of four that lives in Brighton. Sunday is our “Denver Day”, when we go to the library, museums, other cultural events, or go shopping in the downtown area. Spending the day there means we usually end up having lunch and dinner at downtown restaurants. Mass transit from Brighton? That’s a hoot! Expect us to bike 25 miles to get there? Uh….no. And with an autistic child, I’m not about to try to cobble together some park and ride dance.
If Denver doesn’t want to allow parking for people like us, guess we’ll be changing our Sundays to “Boulder Day”, and taking our money there.

While I’d ask them to reconsider their dismissal of transit, the point is well made. To some its easier to pack in the kids, SUV it in from the burbs, and pay the $20 parking tab at one of the many lots. From my home in Congress Park I almost always bike or take the bus downtown, but there are times when I’ve driven. I support incentives for the former, but I want the choice for both.

I’ve never found cars to be a nuisance in downtown Denver. I’m more nuisanced when walking or biking near super-arterial streets in the ‘burbs. That’s where traffic slash social engineering ideas need to be focused. Even with cars, downtown is easily walkable, bikeable, and there’s cabs and pedicabs a plenty. I’m proud to be a liberal democrat, but in this case my libertarian side says this program is unnecessary, intrusive, and will do more harm than good.

“Share the Road” applies to cars too. Hard to believe I wrote that. I hope I don’t become possessed in the voting booth and pull the McCain/Palin lever.