DOT Lights up Coors Field and Larimer Square with 1,000 LED Balloons

STATEWIDE ­– On Tuesday, August 29, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) brought their crosswalk champion Fred Estrian back to life outside of Coors Field and Larimer Square. Fred and his street team interacted face-to-face with Rockies fans and other pedestrians, handing out 1,000 LED-lit balloons to help increase pedestrian visibility as they utilized busy crosswalks and made their way home for the night.

Fred Estrian’s passion is to protect pedestrians, so he once again broke free from the confines of the walk signal box and took to the streets after the sun set to help light the way for pedestrians. CDOT wanted to bring to light the fact that it can be hard to see pedestrians at night, with 72% of pedestrian deaths occurring after dark. Both pedestrians and drivers need to be safe while sharing the roads.

So as a driver, what can you do to help make sure our pedestrians remain safe? “Drivers, please slow down and always yield to pedestrians. Stay off your cellphones, avoid distractions and of course, never drive impaired,” states Sam Cole, Traffic Safety Communications Manager with CDOT. “For pedestrians, they should know that there are some bad drivers out there, and because of that, they also need to pay attention when crossing the street. Always keep your head up and try to make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they see you.”

Pedestrian fatalities and crashes have been a growing concern in Colorado, especially in urban areas. In 2016, there was a 30 percent spike in pedestrian fatalities in the state. Eighty-four pedestrians died in Colorado in 2016, compared to the 64 fatalities in 2015. CDOT’s pedestrian safety campaign aims to promote the importance of crosswalks, urging drivers to be alert when approaching a crosswalk and encouraging pedestrians to only use crosswalks when crossing the street. For more pedestrian and safety tips, visit https://www.codot.gov/programs/bikeped/information-for-pedestrians.