June 2022

Durango is a designated Walk Friendly Community

The city of Durango was designated as a Bronze-level Walk Friendly Community on June 21, 2022 by the Walk Friendly Communities program. This was the city’s first application to become a Walk Friendly Community.

Walk Friendly Communities is a nationally recognized program that evaluates communities based on a set of criteria looking at programs and infrastructure and designates them a level based on how well they meet the criteria. There are 5 designation levels, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention. Durango is now 1 of 4 designated Walk Friendly Communities in Colorado.

One of the City Council’s strategic goals is to advance community accessibility and walkability, and this assessment and corresponding designation is a first step in providing the city with a base measurement. The assessment provides a report card on areas the city is doing good and areas where the city could improve to be a more safe and walkable community. A Walk Friendly Community summary of Durango can be found here.

Learn more about the Walk Friendly Communities program and see other Walk Friendly Communities here.

image of the trail section behind Durango High School that is being replaced

Animas River Trail construction begins behind DHS

The Animas River Trail from Rank Park to Demon Bridge behind Durango High School rebuild began on Monday, June 6.

Work is expected to last until mid August. The project will replace the existing 8-foot asphalt path with a 10-foot wide concrete shared-use path. A temporary dirt bypass trail will be available during construction. The project is part of the city’s Capital Improvements Program and is managed by the city’s Parks, Open Space and Trails division. The general contractor is JITA Construction.

The project was originally scheduled for fall 2021 but was put on hold to assess the potential impact on the habitat of the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.

For information contact Owen Tallmadge at (970) 764-9123 or email Owen.Tallmadge@durangogov.org.

Picture of StoneAge group with Business Commuter Challenge trophies at Ska

Clean Commute Week 2022 recap

Another Clean Commute Week is in the books. Thank you to everyone who participated and all of the various sponsors for the event. From our first go at Trivia to the first female winner of the Pedal Vs Metal Challenge, it was a great event.

Pedal Vs Metal Champion - Barb Brazes
Commuter of the Year - Weylin Ryan
Business Commuter Challenge Winner, Small - Local First
Business Commuter Challenge Winner, Medium - Visit Durango
Business Commuter Challenge Winner, Large - StoneAge

If you missed out on Clean Commute Week or the Business Commuter Challenge this year, make sure to look for Winter Bike to Work Day in February.

Did you know?

Is your vehicle registration up to date? Not having valid vehicle registration displayed correctly or being expired over 1 month could result in a $25 fine if you are parked in a city parking lot or on a public street. There are also other mode options that may be available to you that do not require registration including Durango Transit, bicycling, and walking.

City of Durango Code of Ordinances
Sec 24-50(21) Expired registration
On any city right-of-way while the required display of proof of registration on the vehicle license plate indicates that the registration is expired by more than one (1) month.

What we're reading

The National Transportation Safety Board's article WE NEED TO CHANGE THE BIKE SAFETY CONVERSATION discusses a necessary shift from blaming bicyclists for crashes to addressing infrastructure and motor vehicle safety.
There Are Just Four Types of Drivers — And Ending Car Dependency Means Reaching Them All describes the different types of drivers and how to get them out of the car. Which type are you?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's new data shows crashes have increased again in 2021. Read Newly Released Estimates Show Traffic Fatalities Reached a 16-Year High in 2021 for further details on this crisis.