East Colfax Residents Surprised by Sudden Two-Way Street Conversion

City implemented traffic calming measures without adequate advance notice, creating confusion among residents.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Residents in Denver's East Colfax neighborhood woke up to find that East 14th Avenue had been converted from a one-way to a two-way street, with no prior warning from the city. The sudden change, part of the city's efforts to reduce speeding in the area, left many drivers confused and concerned about safety. While the city says the new configuration is already slowing traffic, the rollout could have been better communicated to the community.

Why it matters

The conversion of East 13th and 14th Avenues to two-way streets is an attempt by the city to address longstanding speeding issues in the East Colfax neighborhood. However, the lack of advance notice and clear communication from the city has raised concerns about public safety and the city's responsiveness to community needs.

The details

The City of Denver had planned to convert East 13th and 14th Avenues from Quebec to Yosemite into two-way streets to reduce speeding in the East Colfax neighborhood. Speed data collected from April to October 2023 found that most drivers on these streets were traveling at greater than 40 miles per hour, exceeding the 30 mph speed limit. While the neighborhood has been wanting this solution, the city's rollout of the changes happened abruptly, with only vague signage about a "new traffic pattern" in the weeks leading up to the conversion.

  • On Wednesday, East 14th Avenue was converted from a one-way to a two-way street in the middle of the day.
  • From April to October 2023, the city collected speed data that showed most drivers were exceeding the 30 mph speed limit on East 13th and 14th Avenues.

The players

Monique Helstrom

President of the East Colfax Neighborhood Association.

Shontel M. Lewis

Denver District 8 Councilwoman.

Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI)

The city agency responsible for implementing the street conversion.

Vince Saaverdra

A city worker installing permanent signage to help clarify the new two-way configuration.

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What they’re saying

“See how everybody's driving slow? It's already working. It's already working.”

— Vince Saaverdra (denver7.com)

What’s next

The city will be installing all-way stops on 13th and 14th Avenues at Uinta and Willow streets as part of the traffic calming efforts, and the speed limit on both streets has been reduced to 25 mph.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of clear and timely communication from the city when implementing significant changes to neighborhood infrastructure. While the goal of reducing speeding is laudable, the abrupt rollout created unsafe conditions and confusion among residents. Going forward, the city must prioritize community engagement and advance notice to ensure a smoother transition for impactful traffic changes.