Baker is safe today. Let's keep it that way. The city is finalizing a plan that could route stadium traffic straight past our school and through our streets — and your answers shape what gets built.
The survey is open now. Public input closes soon — every Baker voice that fills it out makes it harder for the city to ignore us.
Why this matters
This plan affects Baker for decades.
The Burnham Yard Small Area Plan will shape how traffic, bikes, and pedestrians move through our neighborhood for generations. The Denver Broncos stadium redevelopment alone covers 150 acres — and early renderings show event-day traffic funneling into Baker's residential streets.
The city is collecting public input right now, before decisions are finalized. We've done the homework. Our guide tells you exactly what to say.
150
Acres of stadium redevelopment directly west of Baker
2
Schools near the proposed traffic routes — including Baker's elementary school entrance
10
Minutes to complete the survey and make your voice count
0
Chances to change the plan after it's finalized — this is the moment
How to do this
Three simple steps.
We've prepared the answers. All you have to do is get through the survey.
When asked which topics you want to give feedback on, select Land Use, Quality of Life, and Mobility. All three matter for Baker.
3
Follow our answer guide below
Scroll down for our recommended answers to every question. For a few key questions, we've written comment text you can copy and paste directly into the survey.
The answer guide
Baker's unified response.
These are the answers Baker neighbors are coordinating on. The Mobility section is the most critical — prioritize it if you're short on time. Filled chips are our recommendations; questions marked "answer freely" have no single unified response.
Land Use, Housing & Economy Questions 1–5
Questions 1–5
Land use zones, business types, housing, and anti-displacement strategies
Answer based on your own values — no unified response
Things to consider: affordable housing, anti-displacement protections, neighborhood-serving retail (grocery, pharmacy), preserving legacy small businesses, and Emily Griffith Technical College partnerships.
Quality-of-Life Infrastructure Questions 6–13
Question 6
Top 3 pedestrian/bike connections to prioritize?
8th Avenue – Connects West Baker to the plan area
3rd Avenue – Connects Valverde to Baker
Bayaud Avenue – Connects Valverde to Baker
Denver should dramatically improve 8th Ave, currently the only east-west bike/ped crossing for over 20 blocks. Do NOT select the Osage/Rio Grande option — it enables a token bike lane on a dangerous industrial road instead of placing it on 3rd.
Question 7
How important is activating the South Platte River east bank?
Very Important
Restoring the river's natural landscape helps mitigate the effects of the next major flood — the 1965 South Platte flood was one of Colorado's worst natural disasters.
Question 9
Preferred 5280 Trail alignment?
B – Safe bikeway alongside the stadium & entertainment district
A comfortable bikeway through the entertainment district encourages more people to access the site by bike rather than by car or rideshare.
Questions 8, 10, 11, 12, 13
Open-ended ranking and cultural identity questions
Answer freely — no unified response
Share what matters to you about Baker's history, culture, food access, and open spaces.
Mobility Questions 14–22 — Most Critical
Question 14 — East–West Street Priorities
Select up to 3 streets in each column (A = Walking/Rolling • B = Bike Infrastructure • C = Safer Crossings)
A: Enhanced Walking & Rolling
8th Avenue
3rd Avenue
Bayaud Avenue
B: Dedicated Bike Infrastructure
8th Avenue
3rd Avenue
Bayaud Avenue
C: Safer Crossings
8th Avenue
Bayaud Avenue
3rd Ave — intentionally left blank to reserve for bikes/peds
Question 14 — North–South Street Priorities
A: Enhanced Walking & Rolling
Osage St North
Kalamath St
Santa Fe Drive
B: Dedicated Bike Infrastructure
Osage St North
Kalamath St
Santa Fe Drive
C: Safer Crossings
Osage St North
Kalamath St
Santa Fe Drive
Copy & paste into the Q14 comment box
Early renderings show tens of thousands of cars traveling through the narrow residential streets of Baker neighborhood, directly past the only entrance to our elementary school, past the only entrance of a Montessori preschool, and within close proximity of our largest park, Dailey. This will create dangerous congestion and unhealthy noise and air pollution. We demand instead that traffic coming south on Osage be restricted from turning east onto 3rd Ave or Bayaud, and instead be routed down Rio Grande and Kalamath to the nearest major road. Along 3rd between Osage and Santa Fe, we propose a two-way protected bike lane wide enough to accommodate passing bike taxis. This would be used to safely and comfortably shuttle visitors and residents between the complex, businesses on South Santa Fe, businesses on South Broadway and through the Baker neighborhood.
See what we're talking about
Traffic Mitigation Diagram
This rendering shows how event traffic would flow through Baker's residential streets — and what we're proposing instead.
A pedestrian crossing at Ellsworth shortens the distance between Baker and businesses in The Yard (Smokin' Yards, Moonrise Coffee, Rocky Mountain Flex Fitness). The existing elevated RTD rail structure at that intersection makes it a more feasible solution.
Question 16
Top 3 physical barriers to improve? (Select + fill in location)
I-25 at: 3rd Ave bike/ped crossing
Freight Rail at: 3rd Ave bike/ped crossing
Platte River at: 3rd Ave bike/ped crossing
A bike/ped river crossing at 3rd Ave will both support the case for a dedicated bike lane leading to it, and split the distance between new safe crossings at Alameda, 6th and 8th.
Question 17
Top 2 walking/rolling/biking priorities?
Safer & more frequent crossings
Trees & green infrastructure for shade
Shade creates pedestrian presence, which creates sensible traffic rules and calmer streets.
Question 18
Top transportation safety concern?
Other, please specify
Copy & paste into the Q18 comment box
Restricting stadium and entertainment district traffic from Baker's quiet residential streets
Using "Other" lets us raise a concern not listed as an option — the unified write-in makes it officially quantifiable.
Question 19
Top priority improvement on 6th Avenue?
Enhancing safety & reducing speeds
Calms heavy traffic before it reaches Baker's streets.
Question 20
Most important goals for 8th Avenue? (Top 3)
Easier access across major barriers & better connections to the plan area
Increased space for biking & walking along 8th
Street trees & green infrastructure
8th & Kalamath is currently very dangerous for pedestrians. With the existing bike lane on 8th, it's likely the avenue will be rebuilt with improved infrastructure — widening bike/ped access will encourage car-free access to the site.
Question 21
Top 3 transportation improvements for surrounding neighborhoods?
Addressing overflow parking
Reducing cut-through traffic
Other, please specify
Copy & paste into the Q21 comment box
stopping stadium traffic from driving through Baker neighborhood streets, especially 3rd & Bayaud
Question 22
Greatest barriers to traveling through the plan area? (Top 3)
Lack of safe crossings
Too many physical barriers (highways, rivers, railroads)
Other, please specify
Copy & paste into the Q22 comment box
Busy and unsafe cut-through traffic driving through quiet Baker neighborhood streets
Ten minutes now. Decades of safer streets.
Don't wait for the problem to arrive. Fill out the survey today and make sure Baker's voice is in the official record.
Early renderings show tens of thousands of cars traveling through the narrow residential streets of Baker neighborhood, directly past the only entrance to our elementary school, past the only entrance of a Montessori preschool, and within close proximity of our largest park, Dailey. This will create dangerous congestion and unhealthy noise and air pollution. We demand instead that traffic coming south on Osage be restricted from turning east onto 3rd Ave or Bayaud, and instead be routed down Rio Grande and Kalamath to the nearest major road. Along 3rd between Osage and Santa Fe, we propose a two-way protected bike lane wide enough to accommodate passing bike taxis. This would be used to safely and comfortably shuttle visitors and residents between the complex, businesses on South Santa Fe, businesses on South Broadway and through the Baker neighborhood.