Denver City Council is currently voting on a new proposal that would allow bars and clubs to extend their hours to 4 a.m. While this pushes residents and visitors to stay out longer, the “last call” for drinks would still be at 2 a.m.
The council hopes this new policy will help prevent late-night crowds from forming on the streets, prevent fights outside these businesses and provide a safer environment with fewer drunk driving incidents. This week’s Bucket List on the Street asks five residents, “Do you believe extending bar and club hours till 4 a.m. will have a positive or negative effect on the community?”
Among the many people interviewed, the community seems split on this new policy.
‘There’s Uber and there’s Lyft’
Cole has been a Denver resident his whole life and believes this can only benefit the Denver nightlife scene.
He thinks today’s youth will use that two-hour dry period to call their rides and order Ubers or Lyfts to make it home safely.
“You know there’s Uber and there’s Lyft and there’s all those things for people in case they need them, so you know that isn’t much of an issue anymore,” Cole said.
‘A business perspective’
Jin, a Louisville resident who has previously lived in Denver, raised the perspective we heard from many bartenders throughout Denver. If liquor cannot be served, then how will the business continue to make money?
“I think from a business perspective, it could be harmful because they can’t generate revenue during that time. But for consumers, it might give them a little extra time to hang out.
“Overall, though, I think I would be opposed,” Jin said.
‘People kind of just hang out on the streets’
Tuesday moved back to Denver after graduating from CU Boulder. She is excited about the new policy, believing it can improve safety in the city.
“If a bar closes, people kind of just hang out on the streets and I think that if they’re open later, maybe to prevent people from wandering around the middle of the road later at night and also help them be able to sober up more before they go home,” Tuesday said.
Concerns about community change
Lilyana has grown up in the Denver area and believes that this policy will contribute to a problem she has already seen in the Denver community.Her perspective is that the city has become and will continue to be overpopulated by the younger crowd and this legislation will drive out older neighbors and families.
“It’s going to drive them out if we continue to increase the younger population in Denver. Not that it’s a negative thing, but we just need to make it safe for everyone,” Lilyana said.
Preventing drunk driving
Christopher believes this policy will help with safety, as drunk drivers often act on impulse, and when forced out of a bar right after drinking, their decision-making isn’t good.
“I think it’s actually going to prevent more drunk driving-related incidents because, you know, at 2 a.m., those people who were going to drive home at 4 a.m. were going to drive home anyway,” said Christopher.
To him, this policy will give people time to sober up, find a ride, and get in a better state of mind before being thrown onto the street at the end of the night.
“Overall, it’ll be more recreationally fun for people who go to bars,” Christopher said.
The proposal has sparked plenty of debate, with residents seeing both the risks and benefits. Now it is up to the Denver City Council to decide whether later nights will become the city’s new normal.
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