Denver, CO
Widening of Peña Boulevard gets green light for study phase as City Council support grows
Denver will spend $15 million to study how Peña Boulevard could be widened in hopes of accommodating more traffic to the airport after the City Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a five-year contract.
The contract, with Lakewood-based Peak Consulting, will consider ways to widen the road west of E-470 as well as potential environmental impacts. The study, a requirement under the federal National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, is a precursor to an eventual construction project on the corridor.
The proposal highlighted differences among council members, some of whom see the widening as an intuitive step to ease congestion while others say widening roads doesn’t improve the problem in the long term.
With a 9-2 vote, support for advancing the project grew from a closer 7-6 vote on funding a year ago. Several council members who had opposed studying the widening supported the concept Tuesday.
“I have been going back and forth on this,” Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez said. “I agree that expanding the highway doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. … I am also concerned about what this means for residents in that area.”
She added that the council will still have a chance to vote on whether to approve any widening project — which would likely cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars — after the study is complete. While Gonzales-Gutierrez voted against a related matter in 2024, she voted in support of the study Tuesday.
Council members Paul Kashmann and Darrell Watson, who also had voted against it in the past, voted in favor, too. Council members Amanda Sandoval, Kevin Flynn, Jamie Torres, Amanda Sawyer, Flor Alvidrez and Stacie Gilmore all supported the 2024 measure and the one approved Tuesday.
Several council members spoke about the importance of improving the highway — not just for employees and travelers headed to Denver International Airport, but also for the residents who live nearby and use it for many reasons.
“For me and my neighbors, it’s our lifeline,” said Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore, who represents neighborhoods around Peña Boulevard.
Councilwomen Sarah Parady and Shontel Lewis have voted against advancing the project both times. On Tuesday, they said they opposed the contract because it wouldn’t include a study of ways to boost transit ridership on the A-Line, a commuter-rail train that runs from Union Station to Denver International Airport.
“These investments, or some combination of them, could allow Denver to escape the seemingly endless cycle of highway expansions that will inevitably fill up with more traffic,” she said.
Flynn, for his part, said he would like to see the A-Line studied separately.
The Peña Boulevard study process will include public engagement, scoping, analysis of alternatives, environmental effects and possible mitigation. Peak Consulting’s team will also perform some design work under the contract. An airport official said earlier that the process was expected to take less than the maximum five years.
Councilwoman Diana Romero Campbell abstained from the vote, citing that a family member works for one of the team’s subcontractors. Councilman Chris Hinds was absent Tuesday.
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Denver, CO
Denver officers cited for separate incidents, 1 fired
DENVER (KDVR) — Two officers, one now formerly of the Denver Police Department, face multiple charges relating to separate incidents in the past two months.
According to a release, now-former Denver Police Officer Gabriel Lucero was issued a citation for third-degree assault, official misconduct and false reporting, while Officer Javon Leach was cited for reckless driving and eluding.
The incident involving Lucero reportedly occurred on May 22 just before 1 a.m. in the 500 block of 16th Street. According to a release, Lucero was involved in an assault at a business, as he allegedly assaulted a person and walked away as others continued to assault the victim.
Security guards and an off-duty officer escorted him and the group out; however, Lucero reportedly identified himself as a Denver police officer and attempted to re-enter by using his police badge.
Lucero reportedly provided a false name without any other information, and further investigation verified Lucero as the person involved. Lucero was hired in 2025 and, due to his current probationary status, was fired as of Wednesday.
The incident involving Leach occurred around 1:41 a.m. on June 21, when Leach was reportedly pulling out of a parking lot on Larimer Street, attempting to drive against traffic.
Leach reportedly refused commands to stop as he left the area. Officials said he was found just seven minutes later, traveling at high speeds northbound on Park Avenue West.
He reportedly fled a traffic stop and continued to drive away, and officials deemed Leach to be the suspect following an investigation. He was placed in an off-line assignment while the case progresses, as they are considered misdemeanors.
“The Denver Police Department’s administrative review of Leach’s incident will begin once the criminal case is adjudicated, and that process includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent Monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said.
Denver, CO
Peyton Watson landing spots: Could Nuggets star actually leave Denver?
Denver Nuggets standout forward Peyton Watson could find himself on another team before you know it.
With the Nuggets reportedly open to a sign-and-trade of Watson, could Denver really lose a core piece to their rotation?
It’s hard to imagine many teams being able to shoulder the financial weight of a Watson contract at this point because of the aprons and such, but he’s absolutely an asset to any contending team.
We’ve gone through and identified a few teams that make sense for Watson in the fall… including the one he’s already on at the moment. Hey, he might stay home, you never know!
The Clippers have been linked to Watson as a possible destination; he could help them immensely.
The Pistons have also been linked to Watson, which would help them a lot to contend for an NBA title.
Look, HYPOTHETICALLY, the Nets could move around some cap space with some player trades and such and get a deal done. They are one of the only teams in the NBA right now not in the negative with cap space.
The Grizzlies are the team with the least amount of negative cap space right now, per Spotrac. If they really wanted to pull off a Watson sign-and-trade… it would be hypothetically possible from a money standpoint.
Denver Nuggts
Look, it’s very possible Watson just stays in Denver on a brand-new deal. Who knows at this point?
Denver, CO
City of Denver says images of piling waste a case of illegal dumping
DENVER (KDVR) – A Denver Park Hill Resident says trash in her alley hasn’t been picked up by city-run waste collection in more than 2 months.
“It’s starting to be frustrating because that pile has been there 2.5 months, and I’m not kidding about that,” Andrea Sanders-Childs said.
A spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) says they did receive a call about the address on Krameria in mid-June and are investigating the case as ‘illegal dumping’ versus ‘missed collection.’
The DOTI spokesperson says more information will be available when the inspector assigned to the area returns on Wednesday.
Sanders-Childs said that the people who live in the home closest to the mess had actually rented a dumpster; however, it was eventually picked up and towed away.
In the meantime, for Denver residents, DOTI provided FOX31 with the following reminders:
- Carts that are overfilled, stuffed or too heavy cannot be emptied
- All trash must be inside the cart, and overflow trash cannot be collected
- To report illegal dumping, call 311
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