Gates Proposed in Bow Mar Spark Controversy

This week, the small Colorado town of Bow Mar decided to install gates at its entrances, hoping to reduce through traffic. However, this move has ignited tensions with nearby cities, who are now threatening a significant response.

Bow Mar, a community of about 950 residents, took this step after a traffic study revealed that roughly 1,200 vehicles were passing through each day. This statistic alarmed local leaders and raised safety concerns flagged by the residents.

Living in Bow Mar, just 12 miles southeast of downtown Denver, comes with a high price tag; properties average around $1.4 million. Residents have expressed worries about the heavy traffic endangering children playing outside and elderly folks, according to reports.

Attempts to enforce a 20 mph speed limit had not discouraged commuters from using Bow Mar as a shortcut to avoid congestion between Denver and Littleton.

Following discussions over the summer, the decision to install gates at two entrances and close another was unanimously approved at a recent council meeting.

The town aims to have the first gate operational by Thanksgiving, although it likely won’t be active until January of the following year. There’s still some uncertainty regarding how the gate will function.

Bow Mar officials maintain that their actions stem from genuine safety concerns. Interestingly, they assert the goal isn’t to turn their community into a gated enclave.

One resident, Shane Fable, said, “I never wanted to live in a gated community.” His concerns intensified after a truck nearly hit his 12-year-old son while the boy was fixing his bike. The truck ended up crashing into a mailbox, and the driver faced charges for reckless driving and vehicular assault due to being intoxicated.

The local police have already issued over 1,260 traffic citations this year, with roughly half for speeding.

Meanwhile, officials from Littleton and Denver are pushing back against the plan. Denver Councilman Kevin Flynn was particularly vocal, pondering a potential retaliatory measure—installing their own gate, which he labeled as a “nuclear option.”

Flynn expressed, “What they’re proposing is exacerbating our safety concerns by cutting off access to a public right of way to our residents.”

Moreover, Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston jointly urged Bow Mar to reconsider their decision. They pointed out in a letter that Bow Mar must allow reasonable access to roads for residents and that the same expectation applies to Littleton and Denver.

Schlachter lamented, “It’s hurtful when your neighbor says, ‘You’re not welcome in our community.’”