City Cast Denver

What makes a particular intersection worse than another? Or more dangerous? Or just plain rage-inducing? From the urban streets we treat like speedways to ‘spaghetti monster’ highway interchanges to that one building drivers can’t stop crashing into, our listeners shared tons of suggestions for the worst roadways in the city. So we invited Denver7’s “Traffic Guy” Jayson Luber to help answer some of your voicemails and texts about Denver’s worst intersections, and break down why we love to hate them.

Bree mentioned new data showing Colorado pedestrian and cyclist deaths reached an all-time high in 2023. 

For more from Jayson, check out his podcast Driving You Crazy on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What do you think is the worst intersection in Denver? Or is there one you actually really like? We want to hear from you. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

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• See “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” at the Arvada Center (Feb. 16 - Mar. 31)

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It’s Tuesday, and we’re talking about all the stories that matter in Denver this week. First, Secretary of State Jena Griswold is concerned about deepfakes and other AI-generated material impacting Colorado elections and she’s asking the legislature to take the issue seriously. But how? Then, just as bicycle activists declare victory over NIMBYs on 7th Avenue, a new transit fight is brewing over the soon-to-be-constructed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line on Colfax Ave. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi break down these stories, plus they dare to take on the Denver Post’s divisive question facing all Coloradans: How do you pronounce “Buena Vista”?

The request for proposals for bus stop art along the upcoming Colfax Avenue BRT line is open through February 11. The group opposing BRT, Keep Calm, has a meeting this Thursday at Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church.

Paul talked about this episode of the New York Times’ Hard Fork podcast digging onto AI election concerns. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

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What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

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• See “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” at the Arvada Center (Feb. 16 - Mar. 31)

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One of Denver’s richest men just won another major ruling in a years-long legal battle with his own nieces over the mozzarella empire he built on 38th Avenue. James “Jim” Leprino will maintain sole control of 85% of the global market for pizza cheese through his company Leprino Foods. But how did this reclusive billionaire first corner the market? And why did his own family take him to court? Producer Paul Karolyi spoke with reporter Helen Xu (also known as Helen X) back in December 2022 when all this juicy succession drama was first revealed in the courtroom.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

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What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

• See “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” at the Arvada Center (Feb. 16 - Mar. 31)

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It’s Friday, and we’re talking about all the stories that mattered this week. District 7 city councilmember Flor Alvidrez is in hot water after an ethics investigation revealed she allegedly misused city funds. Then, Republican state representative Mike Lynch stepped down as House minority leader after a video surfaced of his 2022 DUI arrest. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Joshua Emerson, comedian and co-chair of the Denver American Indian Commission, to wade through the controversies. Finally, this week’s Mile Highs and Lows dig into a local preacher’s crypto scam, a former mayoral candidate’s big conservative reveal, a local coffee shop’s good news, and more. 

Learn more about City Cast’s guest diversity initiative and the data about City Cast Denver’s guest diversity in 2023, as well as a piece from Neiman Lab on the state of local news podcasts with our CEO David Plotz. 

Bree talked about the Youtuber wanted by state patrol for going 150 miles per hour on I25; she also mentioned the new Molecule Effect opening on south South Broadway. Joshua discussed the crypto pastor. Paul talked about Conor McCormick-Cavanagh’s report on the Common Sense Institute, this Denverite story about Yupi the Clown, and the Denver Gazette’s coverage of the real top story of the week: Us!

If you happen to be in the Bay Area in February, catch Joshua’s Bad Indian: A Native American Comedy Showcase at SF Sketchfest. 

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

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Dry January is coming to a close, but what if you want to keep the booze-free party going? Beyond Denver’s countless breweries and hyped cocktail bars, where do adults go to let loose and have fun? Host Bree Davies is joined by returning guest Ashley (AKA Colfax Things on Instagram) to lay out a versatile list of fun things to do with a group of friends or on a date in the Mile High City, no alcohol needed.

We want to hear from you, too! We’re compiling a list of all our favorite sober activities for our newsletter Hey Denver next week, and we need your help. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we’ll include all our faves: 720-500-5418‬

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With busloads of migrants still arriving in Denver nearly every day, Mayor Mike Johnston just returned from a second trip to Washington, DC, lobbying the federal government for emergency action. So in our semi-regular sit-down with the mayor, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi ask him why this situation is so dire right now, what happens if Congress won't give him what he wants, and whether or not he’d be willing to risk prison time testing out an innovative new legal theory. Plus, we get the deets on his increasingly iconic corduroy jacket, question his commitment to multi-modal transportation post-¡Viva! Streets’ cancellation, and give him a listener question on the snowplowing problems we all know are coming soon. 

Mayor Johnston mentioned the House Homeland Security Committee’s planned impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the temporary work authorization program that allowed some migrants who arrived in Denver last year to work. 

UPDATE: After the mayor left the studio, one of his aides told us she’d checked with the Downtown Denver Partnership and they told her ¡Viva! Streets cost closer to $1 million in 2023, which is still quite a bit higher than the $650,000 their executive director, Kourtny Garrett, told us a couple weeks ago. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

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What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

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State transportation officials for years have been using humor to spice up their safety messaging (e.g., “camp in the mountains, not in the left lane"), but now the Federal Highway Administration says CDOT is too funny. Or maybe not funny enough? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about the crackdown on humorous safety slogans. Plus, we’re hashing out the new historic preservation fight brewing in Park Hill and responding to your comments and recommendations about our episode on Denver’s best meat-free eats. 

Paul talked about the failed preservation push we covered around the Richard Crowther house in Cherry Creek, mentioned the data on traffic fatalities statewide, and quoted from this Washington Post story on the funny safety signage. Bree talked about the time someone hacked a safety sign in Denver. 

What do you think about the funny safety signs? Should they stay or go? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

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It seems like Mayor Mike Johnston has tried everything to make Denver a welcoming place for the nearly 40,000 South American migrants who have arrived here since December 2022. He’s opened up shelter space and organized a city-wide fundraiser. He called on city departments to cut their budgets to fund additional support. He even flew to Washington, DC, to personally appeal to President Biden for more federal money and fast-tracked work authorizations — twice! But with Congress embroiled in partisan turmoil, is there anything more he could do? César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández is a veteran immigration lawyer and Denver-based law professor with The Ohio State University, and he’s on today with a big, bold, unprecedented idea for the mayor.

César mentioned this recent debate within the University of California system and responded to this critique of the proposal from George Fishman of The Center for Immigration Studies. 

He will be appearing in conversation with State Senator Julie Gonzales at the Tattered Cover on Colfax on February 1 to promote his forthcoming book on immigration law, “Welcome the Wretched: In Defense of the ’Criminal Alien.’”

What do you think about César’s big idea? Should Denver lead in support of the migrants? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

We’ve got a bunch of resources for more ways to help the migrants in our newsletter Hey Denver, which you can subscribe to now at denver.citycast.fm.

Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver

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What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

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A Lakewood woman is suing her apartment’s management company for “junk fees” after it allegedly added hidden charges to her rent. Meanwhile, new data says rents in the metro area are actually trending down — does this all signal a change in the balance of power between Denver renters and landlords? Plus, multiple lists of Denver’s most anticipated restaurant openings came out this week, so we’re talking about where we’re most excited to eat in 2024. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by comedian Miriam Moreno to break down all the news that mattered this week, along with their local epic wins and fails of the week.

Grab tickets to Miriam’s late-night talk show, Good Night Denver, happening January 25. 

Miriam talked about the community groups supporting migrants. Bree mentioned The Cutting Room Floor interview with Yasiin Bey and her anticipation for the reopening of Welton St. Cafe, which we covered when they had to close last year. Paul talked about Toro, a Cap Hill spot that got some TikTok love this week. 

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

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• Tecovas

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Everyone knows the reasons why you might want to eat less meat — it’s good for the Earth, it’s good for your health, et cetera et cetera. But not everyone knows the best spots in town to eat well, veggie-style. So today, producer Paul Karolyi (reducetarian) is joined by two members of the veggie community — friend of the show Brooke Garcia (vegetarian) and the new owner of Glendale’s Native Foods, Michael Olivas (vegan) — to talk about how Denver stacks up when it comes to meat-free eats and share their recs for vegetarian/vegan restaurants, as well as favorite non-vegetarian places that offer a great meat-free meal.

Some links to places we mentioned:

Michael is officially the owner of the Native Foods in Glendale, but he could still use your support to revamp the menu and get the word out about the new-and-improved Native Foods. Check out the GoFundMe if you want to help out!

Michael mentioned the new documentary on Netflix “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.”

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

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What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise