Projects Not Included in the Vibrant Denver Bond: What’s Missing?

Despite public input emphasizing bike lanes and community-focused infrastructure, several significant projects—including those for the Denver Zoo, election facilities, and social housing—were cut from the final Vibrant Denver Bond proposal.

🚴 What’s Been Omitted: Bike Lanes & Road Safety

  • Several new bike lane projects with widespread community support—like the North Broadway bike lane—were excluded from the bond package (Denverite).

  • Advocates, including June Churchill, noted the lack of bike-specific funding:

    “This bond doesn’t include enough money for bike‑specific projects like bike lanes… Given the low cost of bike infrastructure … there was nothing.” (Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH))

🗳️ Election Facilities Left Out

  • Denver City Clerk Paul López warned that election security is in peril due to the exclusion of a new, modern election facility from the bond (Denverite).

  • This project was seen as essential for ballot machine storage, security upgrades, and preparation for the 2024–2028 elections (Denverite, Denverite).

  • Community members echoed concerns at public hearings about neglecting civic infrastructure vital to democracy (Denverite, Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH)).

🏘️ Social & Affordable Housing Projects Removed

  • The City Council chose not to include new social housing units or community land trust investments, despite earlier proposals (Denverite).

  • Westword reported that the bond initially aimed to support community-controlled housing, such as through Community Land Trusts, to ensure permanent affordability and equity (Westword).

  • Advocates called for capital investment in CLTs and municipally-owned housing, but these proposals were trimmed in the final submission (Westword).

⚖️ Why These Cuts Matter

  1. Election Security: Without facility upgrades, capacity for secure and transparent elections may remain inadequate, raising civic infrastructure concerns (Denverite, Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH)).

  2. Housing Equity: Slashing proposed affordable and social housing investments undermines efforts to combat displacement and maintain long-term community stability (Westword).

  3. Community Input Ignored: A public focus on bike lanes, housing, and civic spaces contrasts sharply with their minimal representation in the final bond—raising questions about responsiveness (Westword, Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH)).

🧭 What’s Next?

  • City Council vote expected by August 4, with the bond likely appearing on the November 4, 2025 ballot (Denvergov).

  • Voters should note the exclusion of core community-requested projects when evaluating the bond.