Washington Park Loop Road

Safety and Circulation Master Plan

Location: Park in Denver, CO

Washington Park is a beloved Denver park that spans multiple blocks and is located in one of Denver’s historic neighborhoods. The park’s 2.2-mile Loop Road is especially popular with park visitors as a place to train and recreate—and is unique in Denver in that it is the only continuous loop available to cyclists and other wheeled recreational modalities within the City. The Loop Road is also heavily utilized by pedestrians and joggers. As Denver continues to urbanize and become a destination, incidence of user conflict on the Loop Road has increased. Stream led a project team to address the City’s and park users’ concerns about safety and develop a comprehensive approach to creating a safer, more enjoyable Loop Road for as many types of users as possible while maintaining the park’s character. 

The safety plan developed by the Stream team addresses safety improvements in a comprehensive manner and includes a wide range of improvements including lane configuration changes, crosswalks and mixing zone improvements, vehicular roadway and parking lot modifications, a signage program, education and awareness programs, and regulation and enforcement policy recommendations. The plan has been acclaimed by Denver Parks, stakeholders, and neighborhood groups as a huge step toward a safer Loop Road.