The University of Denver is footing the bill for the street barriers along High Street.

Neil Krauss, assistant vice-chancellor business and financial affairs, said that the actual barriers have cost the university only $4,000 because the university moved the cement Jersey barriers from the area in front of Sturm Hall that was a parking lot to the streets. He said that the barriers have significantly decreased parking and traffic problems in the northwest neighborhood up to 50 percent. In addition, DU would pay for any landscaping if the barriers become permanent.

In addition, DU would pay for any landscaping if the barriers become permanent.

The primary complaint Krauss and City Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie have received is that the barriers have created an inconvenience for some residents, but that they both have received positive feedback about the decreased traffic problems in the area.

Krauss said that the university will continue to study the traffic in the DU community even if permanent barriers are installed to explore other improvements, especially High Street.

DU began researching the traffic in the neighborhood after the Ritchie Center opened in 1999 and the university began hosting a many large events such as concerts that drew large crowds and clogged the neighborhood streets with cars.

KKrauss said that before the barriers were installed a lot of people attending Ritchie Center events were blocking driveways and residents couldn’t find a parking space in front of their homes but were forced to park blocks away.

He said the “final straw” for the neighborhood was when the university announced plans to build the law school and residents feared it would bring even more traffic to the neighborhood.

MacKenzie agreed with Krauss.

She said, “Because of DU’s extraordinary growth [there were] huge parking and traffic problems.”

Krauss said that in response to the neighbors’ complaints, the university appointed a traffic engineer to conduct traffic studies in the area, formed a neighborhood traffic group to facilitate discussion and paid for the improvements to the roads. In exchange for this and a number of other items in a development agreement with the City of Denver, the university was allowed to build the Chambers Center for the Women’s College and continue with plans to build the law school.

As a result of the studies conducted by Felsburg Holt & Ullevig over the last three years, the city and the university installed three temporary street barriers on the intersections of High Street and Asbury Avenue, High and Jewell Avenue and High and Colorado Avenue.

MacKenzie has been conducting polls and DU and MacKenzie have held three meetings about the street barriers to get community feedback.

She said, “We know people probably wouldn’t like the barriers.” Of the 132 responses she has gotten via e-mail slightly fewer than half want the barriers to be removed and “the remainder want some or all of the barriers to be retained.”

If the city and DU decide to go forward with the barriers, MacKenzie said they will install “attractive landscaped enclosures” that can still be crossed by pedestrians and emergency vehicles.

There have been some accidents at the intersections, but Krauss said the university’s traffic engineer would maintain that there is no proof and no way to prove that it was related to the barriers.

According to Krauss, two university vehicles were involved with accidents and one student and one faculty member were hit by cars on separate occasions.

The faculty member, who wished to remain anonymous, said the vehicle struck her at High and Asbury streets when she was crossing the street on foot. The car made a right hand turn and struck her when she was in the middle of the street. As a result, she was knocked unconscious. Her kneecap was broken and she suffered internal injuries. She is still recovering from her injuries, but is doing well.

Krauss said the accidents involving the university vehicles were minor accidents and that no one was harmed, but was not aware of the status of the student who was struck while riding his or her bicycle.