AURORA | Aurora lawmakers agreed Monday to move ahead with a plan to improve and expand sidewalks in two city areas after revising the scope of a federally funded transportation project.
Aurora road and transportation officials said the effort is part of a broader initiative to enhance safety, mobility and access for pedestrians and transit users.
The $4.87 million project is funded primarily through a federal Transportation Improvement Program grant administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Aurora applied for the grant in June 2022 and was selected for funding in September of that year. The total project calls for the city to contribute about 20% of local funds toward the projects.
The original proposal included sidewalk improvements at three locations: along Havana Street between Montview Boulevard and East 13th Avenue, along Havana Street between East Fourth Way and East First Avenue, and along East Yale Avenue between South Peoria Street and South Xanadu Way.
Residents near the Dam East neighborhood and others polled last year told city officials overwhelmingly, they didn’t want the Yale sidewalks built, and that part of the proposal is now canceled, according to city documents spelling out the project.
City staff identified the three locations as areas lacking sidewalk connectivity, with the goal of improving multimodal access and connections to transit facilities.
Public outreach played a key role in shaping the final plan, officials said.
The city held meetings in October and December 2024 and again in May 2025 to present the project and gather feedback.
A survey conducted in June 2025 found significant opposition to the Yale Avenue segment. According to the city, 72% of respondents opposed building the sidewalk between Peoria Street and Xanadu Way.
At about the same time, Denver Regional Council of Government officials notified Aurora and other local governments of anticipated federal funding reductions in the regional grant programs. Agencies were asked to consider scaling back projects, increasing local funding contributions or withdrawing proposals altogether.
In response to both the neighborhood opposition and the funding uncertainty, Aurora officials chose to remove the Yale Avenue segment from the project, according to project documents.
City staff then worked with state and regional partners to revise the project scope and amend the funding agreement.
The updated plan will focus on the remaining Havana Street segments, which officials say will still advance the city’s goals of improving pedestrian safety and connectivity.
The purpose of this project seems like a no-brainer. Safety and access to transit seem like worthy goals. Why were 72% of residents opposed to the Yale Avenue project? Very puzzling and not addressed in the story.