A small Colorado town has voted to install gates at its entrances to curb cut-through traffic, setting off a dispute with neighboring communities that are threatening a “nuclear option” of their own.
Bow Mar, home to roughly 950 people, approved the plan after a traffic study found that about 1,200 vehicles travel through the town each day. The results intensified long-standing safety concerns raised by residents.
Located 12 miles southeast of downtown Denver, Bow Mar has properties averaging $1.4 million in value. Residents told The New York Times that the volume of passing traffic put children playing outside and older residents at risk.
A 20-mph speed limit and other measures failed to stop commuters from using Bow Mar as a shortcut between Denver and Littleton, particularly when congestion slows the main routes.
The proposal, first promoted over the summer, calls for gates at two entrances and the closure of a third access point. Town council members approved the plan unanimously at a meeting on Monday.
The first gate could be installed as early as Thanksgiving, although officials do not expect it to become operational until January. Details about how the gate will be managed remain unsettled.
Bow Mar officials insist the decision is driven by public safety rather than an effort to isolate the community. Residents backing the plan have made the same argument.
“I never wanted to live in a gated community,” Shane Fable told The Times. His 12-year-old son was nearly struck by a truck while changing a bicycle tire. “It’s out of control.”
The truck crashed into a mailbox, and its driver was arrested on charges of reckless driving and vehicular assault after allegedly driving under the influence.
Since the beginning of 2023, police in Bow Mar have issued more than 1,260 traffic citations. About half involved speeding.
Leaders in Littleton and Denver, however, argue that closing Bow Mar’s access points could create the very safety problems the town is trying to solve.
Kevin Flynn, a Denver City Council member, has reacted angrily to the proposal and suggested that Denver could respond by installing a gate of its own. He described that potential move as a “nuclear option,” according to The Denver Post.
“I think what they’re proposing is exacerbating our safety concerns by cutting off access to a public right of way to our residents,” Flynn told CBS.
“That’s not acceptable for us, for Bow Mar to be creating a significant traffic hazard for us in the course of resolving theirs.”
Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston have signed a joint letter urging Bow Mar to suspend the project.
“Bow Mar undoubtedly expects its residents to have reasonable access to Denver and Littleton roads and rights-of-way,” the letter states.
“Denver and Littleton expect the same in turn.”
Schlachter said the dispute was deeply personal, adding, “It’s hurtful when your neighbor says, ‘You’re not welcome in our community.’”
