The Denver Police Department and Mayor Mike Johnston look to lower crime in the Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood and Ballpark District through the implementation of designated rideshare drop-off and pickup locations on weekend nights.

Beginning Friday, the Denver Police Department is partnering with rideshare companies Uber and Lyft to create specific spots where a driver must pick up or drop off passengers on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Between the boundaries of 18th and 21st Streets and Blake and Larimer Streets, rideshare drivers will not be allowed to pick up or drop off riders between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., according to a news release from DPD. Instead, there will be a variety of designated pickup locations where officers will be present to ensure traffic flow, including a police presence and added security for those awaiting rides, the department said.

Specific signs will be present in the area, letting riders know where they can be picked up by their rideshare.

The new designation comes as part of Mayor Johnston’s “comprehensive plan to curb violence and increase overall safety in Denver’s vibrant LoDo and Ballpark District areas,” the department said, piggybacking off of Johnston’s aforementioned plan to lower gun violence by 20% by the end of 2024 throughout the city.

Johnston’s plan to lower gun violence — initially announced in April — set to focus police and community attention on five specific “hot spots.”

Though the LoDo area did not fall as one of the five designated areas, it was mentioned by both Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas and Johnston as locations of high crime due to increased foot traffic on weekends. That’s especially true after bars and restaurants close.

For a few examples:

• 17-year-old Keanna Rosenburgh shot five people outside of Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row at 1946 Market St. on Sept. 16.
• Ten people were shot in the area of 20th and Market Street, including a suspect, just after midnight on June 13, 2023 after the Denver Nuggets secured the NBA Championship.
• On July 17, 2022, near 20th and Market Street, a Denver patrol officer shot and injured seven people, including six bystanders who were directly behind a suspect as the bars were letting out.

Along with the overall added police presence, Johnston and DPD’s new rideshare locations look to:

• Reduce the amount of vehicular traffic congestion during peak bar hours to improve pedestrian safety.
• Reduce the amount of vehicular traffic congestion during peak bar hours to improve pedestrian safety.
• Disperse crowds more effectively during bar out-crowd hours to reduce conflicts that can escalate to violence
• Provide improved and streamlined access for rideshare drivers during peak bar hours.
• Reduce impaired driving and DUI-related crashes during peak bar hours.