✅ How, where, when to vote

🇺🇸 Mayor Pledges Shelter for All Denver Veterans

As Mayor Mike Johnston works to bring another 1,000 Denverites experiencing homelessness off the streets and into shelter this year, he’s zeroing in on a new focus: veterans. On Monday, the mayor announced that by the end of 2024, Denver will be “the largest American city to make sure that no veteran who served this country sleeps outside on the streets.” [Denverite]

☣️ Suncor Spills Toxins in Sand Creek

The Commerce City oil refinery notorious for violating air quality regulations spilled excessive amounts of inorganic nitrogen into Sand Creek on Friday and Monday. The spill, which is under investigation, could be toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Sand Creek also feeds into the Platte River, which serves as a drinking source for much of the Front Range. [Denver Post 🔒]

🚍 Farewell ‘Free Fare’ Summer

After two summers of free bus and light rail rides, RTD’s “Free Fare For Better Air” promotion will not return. Though this particular program aimed at lowering pollution won’t continue, the state funding will still be allocated for another no-cost transit plan. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

Hey loyal readers and listeners. We love to hear from you! Got a question about something going on in the city? A spicy take on a trending topic? Commentary on a recent podcast episode or newsletter? We want to hear it 💌 Here’s the latest from the inbox:

🎫 The Live Nation Lawsuit

After we discussed the Live Nation / Ticketmaster lawsuit on the City Cast Denver podcast, Joe T. wrote in to add:

• “There's a show tonight at the Ogden where the ticket is $35 and it has $13 dollars in fees. That's almost 40% of the price! 1,600 cap venue, $13 per ticket — that’s over $20k! What I'd really like to know is where those 'service fee' dollars go. If I knew it went to the bands or the staff, I'd be much more willing to swallow that fee. But if it's going to Ticketmaster, AXS, LiveNation? That's a no for me.”

🚔 Speed Traps

The new speed cameras in Morrison ticketed more than 9,000 in just two weeks. Russel J., for one, applauds them:

• “Wow, do I love the speeding camera. My only gripe about living in Denver is the utterly insane driving that occurs here (i.e., until moving to Denver I had never witnessed a head on collision — in less than two years here, I’ve witnessed two, one of them fatal). So happy Morrison is doing something about it, unapologetically.”

❓ Changes at the Cherry Creek Farmers Market

Sara C. is asking fellow Denverites:

• “Any idea why the Cherry Creek Farmers Market was moved to the other side of the mall, and whether this is temporary or permanent? The experience is far inferior, and it was obvious that the market stalls were getting far less business.”

Goodbye Free Fares, Front Range Rail Dreams Deferred, and Banning Cell Phones

Why isn’t RTD’s “Free Fare For Better Air” program happening this summer? What’s going on with all the construction on light rail tracks downtown? Will Gov. Polis’ dream of a Front Range passenger rail line ever materialize? CPR transit reporter Nathaniel Minor joins the City Cast Denver podcast to dig into the big transit stories of the past few weeks.