Denver panel hears pitch for low-stress bike network pilot

Denver’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard a July 1 pitch for a proposed low-stress bike network called VAMOS, with presenter Avi Stopper urging the city to start with a proof of concept instead of trying to build the full network at once.

Stopper, founder of Bike Streets, told the committee VAMOS would connect Denver’s existing quiet streets, trails and low-cost bikeway treatments into a more complete network for people who want to ride but do not feel comfortable on current streets. He said the next step should be a small-scale pilot and that he wanted the mayor to include a follow-up request in the 2027 budget.

Stopper said the concept could be built for about $5 million over three years using signage, paint, precast concrete and diverters. When asked how he reached that number, he said it was extrapolated from the cost of those low-cost “atomic units.”

The presentation did not produce a formal commitment from city staff or council members. But committee members’ questions suggested interest in how the proposal would fit with Denver’s existing bike planning and whether the city could test it before scaling it up.

Stopper said VAMOS is meant to align with Denver Moves: Bikes, the city’s long-range bike network plan. Denver’s update page says the city launched that refresh in 2023, updating a network last revised in 2015.

He also pointed to Denver’s diverter pilot work and temporary shared streets as precedents. City design guidance says neighborhood bikeways use low-volume, low-speed streets with features that discourage cut-through traffic while encouraging bicycle through-movement.

The public record does not yet show which corridors a proof of concept would include, what measures the city would use to judge it, or whether staff are preparing a formal 2027 budget request.