A small Colorado town has approved plans to install gates at its entrances in an effort to curb cut-through traffic—a decision that has ignited a dispute with neighboring communities, where officials are warning of a possible “nuclear option” in response.
Bow Mar, home to roughly 950 residents, moved forward after a traffic study found that about 1,200 vehicles pass through the town each day. The findings intensified concerns raised by residents about safety in the quiet community.
Located about 12 miles southeast of downtown Denver, Bow Mar has homes valued at an average of $1.4 million. Residents told The New York Times that the traffic surge was putting children playing outside and older people at unnecessary risk.
A 20-mph speed limit and other measures failed to keep outside drivers away. Many motorists use Bow Mar as a shortcut to avoid congestion on the route between Denver and Littleton.
Town officials floated a plan over the summer to install gates at two entrances and shut a third access point. The proposal received unanimous backing during a council meeting on Monday.
The first gate could be installed as early as Thanksgiving, although the system is not expected to become operational until January. Officials have not yet explained how access will be controlled.
Bow Mar leaders say the project is driven by public safety, not an attempt to turn the town into a secluded enclave. Residents supporting the plan have made a similar argument.
“I never wanted to live in a gated community,” Shane Fable, a Bow Mar resident, told The Times. His 12-year-old son was nearly struck by a truck while replacing a bicycle tire. “It’s out of control.”
The truck crashed into a mailbox. Police later arrested the driver on charges of reckless driving and vehicular assault, alleging he had been driving under the influence of alcohol.
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Since the beginning of 2023, police in the town have issued more than 1,260 traffic citations. About half involved speeding.
Officials in Littleton and Denver, however, argue that closing Bow Mar’s roads would create new problems rather than solve existing ones.
Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn has sharply criticized the plan and suggested that neighboring officials could respond by installing a gate of their own. He described that potential move as the “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 joined forces, signing a letter that urges Bow Mar to put the gate project on hold.
“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 conflict was deeply damaging to relations between the neighboring communities. “It’s hurtful when your neighbor says, ‘You’re not welcome in our community,’” he said.