Denver, CO

Should Denver pay $15 million to study widening Peña Boulevard? The council will finally decide.

Published

9 months ago

April 1, 2025

Should Denver pay million to study widening Peña Boulevard? The council will finally decide.

A $15 million contract to study and begin designing a potential widening of Peña Boulevard has put a spotlight on a longstanding fissure among Denver City Council members as they grapple with how to address the often-congested artery to Denver International Airport.

Ahead of a vote Tuesday, some on the council say the study is a necessary step in pursuing an intuitive solution — more lanes — for a worsening traffic problem. Others see the proposal as an expensive, dead-end deal that won’t thoroughly consider improving transit options.

“We don’t know what’s going to come of the study,” said Phil Washington, the CEO for the airport. “The study itself will reveal other alternatives that are possibilities. So all we’re saying is: Let’s do the study.”

If approved, the five-year contract with Lakewood-based Peak Consulting would be paid for out of DIA accounts. It would include an environmental review to meet federal requirements and some design work for the project.

DIA, where over 40,000 people work, has said for years that the city needs to find a way to address the ballooning congestion. The average daily traffic on the road has increased 80% between the airport’s opening in 1995 and 2023, from 75,000 vehicles to more than 136,000. That figure could exceed 186,000 vehicles before 2050, the airport has estimated.

Between 2016 and 2023, roughly 45% of 1,250 crashes along the road were read-end collisions, largely due to congestion, DIA data shows.

“I would ask that we push this through because it protects the safety of my community,” said Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore, who represents the communities around Peña Boulevard, during a committee meeting on the proposal. “Otherwise, you’re trapping us.”

DIA and the council are looking primarily at Peña west of E-470. East of the tollway, where it’s largely an airport-access road, DIA has been widening and rebuilding the road on its own in recent years.

Last year, Gilmore and six other council members approved an agreement for a $5 million state grant that, coupled with money from DIA, set aside $18.5 million for environmental studies and design of the widening, plus some other things. Six of the 13 council members, including Councilwoman Sarah Parady, voted against it.

Now the contract for studies and design work is bringing the issue back to the council.

Parady has said she won’t support the proposal unless it explicitly includes research into how to encourage more people to take the A-Line train, which runs from Union Station to DIA’s terminal.

“I feel like I’m in crazyland here, you guys,” Parady said during a March committee meeting. “The train runs along the road. We are dying of climate change. How are we not even going to study that?”

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Is A-Line expansion a possibility?

Parady wants to see the airport examine things like safety concerns, public awareness of the train and possible changes to the A-line’s fares, frequency and infrastructure.

Scott Morrissey, the vice president of sustainability for the airport, responded that there wasn’t evidence that a transit-only solution could alleviate traffic.

The A-Line is one of the Regional Transportation District’s most-used rail lines, but it isn’t at capacity. RTD has suggested that it wouldn’t dedicate funding to making improvements on the line until the train cars are full.

“There is not a possibility to expand the A-Line, nor is there a need right now. Until we can fill it up,” said Councilman Kevin Flynn, who represents southwest Denver and supports the road expansion. “This is not the place to wage a war on cars.”

But opponents of the plan have also pointed to past studies, which show that widening roads can alleviate traffic temporarily — but ultimately attracts more people to drive on them, rather than spurring people to consider alternative options, such as transit.

If the airport does decide to widen the road, Morrissey said, it won’t be to add another general-purpose lane.

Last year, the airport released updated master plans for its transportation demand and Peña Boulevard, with the goal of reducing “drive-alone trips” for employees and passengers. The plan laid out possible improvements for the highway. Those options, which would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars, included possibly adding a bus-only lane or a managed toll lane.

The environmental study would be conducted in line with the current federal National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, process. One snag: the way developers comply with NEPA, which has been criticized as an overly onerous and expensive process, may be changing under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The airport vowed to study impacts prioritized at the local level, “even if they might not be in the official federal NEPA documentation,” Morrissey said.

Outbound traffic along Peña Boulevard at Denver International Airport on Friday, March 28, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Councilwoman: “We need both” options

Under the proposal from Peak Consulting, the process would include public engagement, scoping, analysis of alternatives, environmental effects and possible mitigation.

During the March meeting, council President Amanda Sandoval asked how the airport arrived at the eye-bulging $15 million price tag for the contract. Morrissey responded that officials looked at similar projects to create that estimate, but the project may not take the full five years allotted.

Peak Consulting didn’t respond to a request for comment on the contract Monday.

The contract would include the amount of design work needed to satisfy the NEPA process, typically to the 30% level. It also includes an option for the firm to design the entire project.

If city officials ultimately decide to widen the road, the airport would likely pay for the majority of the cost and about a third would be paid for by other entities, possibly including the Colorado Department of Transportation, Washington said. The Federal Aviation Administration, though, has said it won’t contribute.

The study contract hit bumps earlier this year when council members’ questions about the proposal went so long in a committee meeting that a vote on it had to be postponed.

Council members said they’ve gotten hundreds of emails on the topic.

In an email to her constituents, many of whom take Peña for non-airport travel, Gilmore urged them to show up to a council general public comment session to support the study. In a suggested script, she encouraged them to focus on the impact for neighbors of the road.

“This shouldn’t be a black and white issue. Our only options shouldn’t be widen a road or build out our train system,” according to her email. “We need both.”

The council will consider the resolution during its regular meeting Tuesday, which begins at 3:30 p.m.

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Denver, CO

Where To Get Chinese Food In And around Denver On Christmas Day – 303 Magazine

Published

5 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Where To Get Chinese Food In And around Denver On Christmas Day – 303 Magazine

Chinese food became popular on Christmas Day primarily because Chinese restaurants were among the few businesses open, offering a convenient, affordable, and culturally neutral dining option.

Several excellent Chinese restaurants in the Denver area that will be open on Christmas Day, continuing a holiday tradition. Many of these locations offer both dine-in and takeout options.

We recommend calling ahead to confirm their holiday hours and placing any takeout orders in advance, as availability may change.

We hope this list of our favorite Chinese restaurants is helpful!

Central Denver

Peter’s Chinese Cafe

A local Chinese-American favorite since 1985, famous for its sesame chicken and loyal clientele

Directions: 2609 E 12th Ave

Great Wall Chinese Restaurant

Offering takeout and delivery from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
You can order online at cogreatwalltogo.com.

Directions: 440 E Colfax Ave

Pepper Asian Bistro

This spot has locations in City Park and the Lower Highlands, providing a mix of Chinese and Thai options for dine-in or takeout.

Directions: 2831 E Colfax Ave

Chinatown Bistro

A cozy uptown option located at 1789 Ogden St., serving classic dishes like sesame chicken and Mongolian beef with easy takeout/delivery options.

Directions: 1789 Ogden St

Little Ollie’s

Open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Order online at littleollies.com.

Directions: 2360 E 3rd Ave

South & West Denver/Englewood

Golden Shanghai Restaurant(USHI)

A beloved establishment open from noon to 9 p.m., offering Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese fare.
Order online at goldenshanghai-denver.com.

Directions: 1412 S Parker Rd

Star Kitchen

A large Chinese fixture known for its dim sum and seafood dishes.

Directions: 2917 W Mississippi

Bistro King Asian Restaurant

This family-owned restaurant in Englewood is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Order online via their website bistrokingonline.com.

Directions: 3542 S Fox St

Chopstix Fusion

A highly-praised, small Denver-area restaurant known for authentic Hong Kong-style cuisine, especially clay pots, noodles (like Beef Chow Fun), and incredible house-made Asian desserts.

Directions: 2020 S Parker Rd

Aurora & Nearby Areas

Chef Liu’s Kitchen

Known for its bold Szechuan and Northern Chinese dishes, available for dine-in or takeout.

Directions: 2222 S Havana St

Dillon’s Dumpling House

Open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Christmas Day for takeout, delivery, and dine-in.
Order online at dillonsdumplinghouse.com.

Directions: 3571 S Tower Rd

Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings

The Aurora location is open from noon to 9 p.m. for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
You can order via their website nanasdimsumanddumplings.com.

Directions: 2495 S Havana St

Shanghai Kitchen

Open for takeout, delivery, and dine-in from 11:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Order online at shanghaikitchendenver.com.

Directions: 4940 S Yosemite St

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Denver, CO

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets: Recap and final score

Published

17 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Utah Jazz vs Denver Nuggets: Recap and final score

In a game that was over in the first quarter, the Denver Nuggets destroyed the Utah Jazz 135-112. The score isn’t even indicative of how the game went. To start the game, the Nuggets went on a massive run, leaving the Jazz down by 27 points in the middle of the 1st quarter. For the Jazz, it’s surprising just how different they are on the road versus at home. At home, the Jazz are 7-9 while they are 3-9 on the road. This game was a perfect example. The Jazz looked like they got Monstar’d in the first quarter, and there was no way for them to recover the rest of the game. It’s a sign that this Jazz team, as competitive as they’ve mostly been at home, is not there yet as a competitive team.

There were a few things on this one to build on, but some things to be concerned about. Keyonte George was able to calm down after a shaky start and was able to shoot a respectable 7/14 from the field and 2/4 from three. He also grabbed 8 boards and dished out 7 assists. George looked the most in control of anyone on the Jazz during the loss. It’s one of those signs that George is evolving into a great player who will perform at a high level regardless of whatever situation he’s in.

For things to be a little concerned about? Lauri Markkanen continues not shoot the three well. Tonight he was 2/9 from three and is now shooting 35.2%. Overall, Markkanen shot it well from the field at 10/20, but it would be nice if that three-point shot started falling more consistently. It’s the skillset that sets Markkanen apart but it’s not really showing up again this season. Last season, Markkanen ended the year at 34.6%. Is this the reflection of a season being thrown again, or is this just what Markkanen is as a shooter?

Probably the biggest concern of everything is the defense. Yes, you’re playing against Nikola Jokic, but the Jazz came into this one as the #29 defense in the league. So many times in this one, you have defenders playing off shooters and not able to defend shooters. And we’re not talking drive-and-kick-type plays, these are one-pass-away possessions that are getting open threes. It’s not the best sign for this team, ever being a high-level defense. Maybe they’re not trying as hard with the obvious tank that now appears to be happening, but it would be nice to see some better outcomes with the defense on nights like tonight. That said, the best thing for this team, after a game like tonight, is to add more talent to the roster. Fixing the defense is something they’ll worry about more next season. But it’s definitely something to watch as the season goes on, and pay attention to who is able to make an impact defensively.

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Denver, CO

Denver Broncos Week 18 opponent just lost a huge defensive contributor

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Denver Broncos Week 18 opponent just lost a huge defensive contributor

The Denver Broncos saw their 11-game winning streak end thanks to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a pretty brutal performance all the way around from Denver, but thanks to that 11-game winning streak, the Broncos were actually able to lose a game – they could afford a loss, if that makes sense.

Even with the Bills, Chargers, and Patriots all winning in Week 16, the 12-3 Broncos are still atop the AFC West and atop the AFC. All Denver has to do is win their final two games, and both things will be clinched. With Denver slowly beginning to battle key injuries, getting that first-round bye could be massive for the health of the team.

With the Kansas City Chiefs likely starting a third-string QB in Week 17, you would like to think that Denver can take care of business and get to 13-3, which could set up a massive showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers for the division title. Well, that game just got a bit more interesting, as a key Chargers’ defensive player was just suspended.

Chargers lose starting linebacker Denzel Perryman to a two-game suspension

Here is the update from Tom Pelissero:

Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman has been suspended without pay for two games for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 22, 2025

Denzel Perryman is a starting linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers and was essentially suspended two games for not playing a clean, safe version of football. This obviously means that Perryman is not suiting up for the remainder of the regular season, but will be back in time for the playoffs.

Perryman, 33 years old, is on his second stint with the Chargers and has now played in 10 games this year. In those 1- games, he’s racked up three passes defended, 47 total tackles, and four tackles for loss. Perryman is definitely more of a tone-setter on the defensive side of the ball and not someone who is going to make those hyper-athletic splashy plays that some linebackers can make.

This is huge for the Chargers’ defense, a very good unit thanks to defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, but the personnel on that side of the ball aren’t super talented. The Chargers are one of those teams that honestly benefit more from great coaching than they do having more talent than the opponent.

The Bolts can still win the AFC West, but they would have to win their final two games. Not having Denzel Perryman for a massive Week 18 showdown in Denver is flat-out massive and a huge blow to their defense.

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