DOTTI outlines 2026 work plan: maintenance, sidewalks, fleet renewal and Vision Zero enforcement
May 20, 2026 | Denver (Consolidated County and City), Colorado
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The Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTTI) presented its 2026 work plan to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 20, emphasizing maintenance-first capital spending, improved project delivery, fleet renewal, sidewalk expansion and traffic-safety initiatives tied to Vision Zero.
Director Ford (DOTTI) described an organizational structure that splits infrastructure and delivery, operations, policy and regulatory functions and said the department is focusing on clear, measurable deliverables for 2026. Cindy Patton, DOTTI's chief operating officer, said DOTTI will invest more than $200 million in preservation and modernization work, with approximately $126 million directed to transportation and mobility and a $33 million allocation to a new sidewalk fund aimed at filling gaps and improving access.
DOTTI stressed asset-management approaches. Patton said more than half the city-owned fleet is at or beyond its useful life; the department is testing electric vehicles (including a stake-bed EV for solid-waste work) and removing underused vehicles to improve fleet availability. DOTTI staff said pavement-condition indices drive paving investments and that preventive maintenance is prioritized to avoid costly reconstructions.
On multimodal projects, Chief Transportation Officer Tykes Holloway highlighted hundreds of active projects across planning, design and construction. He said Colfax BRT is on schedule and under budget with anticipated ridership growth of roughly 10,000 trips (from about 20,000 to 30,000 weekly trips) when fully implemented; the committee heard DOTTI has exceeded DBE participation goals for that project and used construction adjustments to reduce business disruption.
DOTTI outlined operational programs as well: the sidewalk initiative will use mapping and community input to prioritize gaps and accessibility problems; the department described an ongoing right-of-way enforcement expansion (12 new agents hired) and a consolidated permitting team inside the Denver Permitting Office to speed permit processing. Matt Breiner (Right of Way) said a late-summer launch is planned for an online citation-dispute portal.
Solid-waste staff reported route completion of about 99% and a 2025 diversion rate of 28%; DOTTI plans nine new electric vehicles for the program and expects to retain many staff after the Denver Public Schools hauling contract ends in June. Nick Williams described the Denver Connector microtransit pilot as meeting grant conditions and passenger-experience targets while working with RTD and other partners.
On safety, DOTTI said it is doubling down on Vision Zero infrastructure and analyses. The department plans to return with an ordinance in July to permit automated speed cameras on initial corridors (Colorado, Federal and Alameda) and later expand to a broader city network in phases.
Councilmembers asked for more detail on the equity/host project map, transportation demand management (TDM) oversight and accountability for promises made by developers, and they raised concerns about responsiveness to constituent requests on traffic studies and street changes. DOTTI acknowledged some gaps in closing the loop on constituent requests and pledged follow-up briefings and faster responses on specific outstanding items.
What happens next: DOTTI will provide follow-ups on specific requests (project lists, sidewalk advisory committee membership, TDM implementation status), pursue the online permit-appeal portal, and bring the proposed automated speed-camera ordinance and additional safety recommendations to committee in coming months.
Attribution note: Reporting in this article relies on on-the-record remarks by Director Ford and DOTTI staff (Cindy Patton, Tykes Holloway, Matt Breiner, Nick Williams) and committee members recorded in the meeting transcript.
Director Ford (DOTTI) described an organizational structure that splits infrastructure and delivery, operations, policy and regulatory functions and said the department is focusing on clear, measurable deliverables for 2026. Cindy Patton, DOTTI's chief operating officer, said DOTTI will invest more than $200 million in preservation and modernization work, with approximately $126 million directed to transportation and mobility and a $33 million allocation to a new sidewalk fund aimed at filling gaps and improving access.
DOTTI stressed asset-management approaches. Patton said more than half the city-owned fleet is at or beyond its useful life; the department is testing electric vehicles (including a stake-bed EV for solid-waste work) and removing underused vehicles to improve fleet availability. DOTTI staff said pavement-condition indices drive paving investments and that preventive maintenance is prioritized to avoid costly reconstructions.
On multimodal projects, Chief Transportation Officer Tykes Holloway highlighted hundreds of active projects across planning, design and construction. He said Colfax BRT is on schedule and under budget with anticipated ridership growth of roughly 10,000 trips (from about 20,000 to 30,000 weekly trips) when fully implemented; the committee heard DOTTI has exceeded DBE participation goals for that project and used construction adjustments to reduce business disruption.
DOTTI outlined operational programs as well: the sidewalk initiative will use mapping and community input to prioritize gaps and accessibility problems; the department described an ongoing right-of-way enforcement expansion (12 new agents hired) and a consolidated permitting team inside the Denver Permitting Office to speed permit processing. Matt Breiner (Right of Way) said a late-summer launch is planned for an online citation-dispute portal.
Solid-waste staff reported route completion of about 99% and a 2025 diversion rate of 28%; DOTTI plans nine new electric vehicles for the program and expects to retain many staff after the Denver Public Schools hauling contract ends in June. Nick Williams described the Denver Connector microtransit pilot as meeting grant conditions and passenger-experience targets while working with RTD and other partners.
On safety, DOTTI said it is doubling down on Vision Zero infrastructure and analyses. The department plans to return with an ordinance in July to permit automated speed cameras on initial corridors (Colorado, Federal and Alameda) and later expand to a broader city network in phases.
Councilmembers asked for more detail on the equity/host project map, transportation demand management (TDM) oversight and accountability for promises made by developers, and they raised concerns about responsiveness to constituent requests on traffic studies and street changes. DOTTI acknowledged some gaps in closing the loop on constituent requests and pledged follow-up briefings and faster responses on specific outstanding items.
What happens next: DOTTI will provide follow-ups on specific requests (project lists, sidewalk advisory committee membership, TDM implementation status), pursue the online permit-appeal portal, and bring the proposed automated speed-camera ordinance and additional safety recommendations to committee in coming months.
Attribution note: Reporting in this article relies on on-the-record remarks by Director Ford and DOTTI staff (Cindy Patton, Tykes Holloway, Matt Breiner, Nick Williams) and committee members recorded in the meeting transcript.
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