Edgewater's Main Street buzzes with activity as neighborhood regulars and tourists frequent the popular area near Sloan's Lake. But getting there safely can be a challenge."Everybody kind of knows each other," said Evie Lent of Sparrow Hair Parlour. "Every time we see a new face, it is exciting."The small city with a big heart draws visitors to its historic downtown corridor, where people can easily access Sloan's Lake on foot or by bike."You can walk here, you can bike, you can skate," said Alondra Escareno, who lives near Sloan's Park. Read more Your Voice | Edgewater stories by Denver7Ana Lara-Roca, an Edgewater resident, enjoys the area's walkability but faces a dangerous obstacle."I really like going to the Edgewater beer garden," Lara-Roca said. "Sometimes [I] go there first and then come to the lake."To do that, Lara-Roca has to cross the busy Sheridan Boulevard."That corridor has been identified as a High Injury Network, and it currently prioritizes vehicles and vehicle traffic rather than pedestrians," said Kit Lammers, community services director for the City of Edgewater.Now, CDOT is working on safety improvements along Sheridan between 17th and 26th avenues to make it safer for everyone.The project includes wider sidewalks, a center median and a new lighted crosswalk between 22nd and 24th Avenue. "This part of Edgewater is really used a lot by the residents," Lammers said. "It actually is a big commercial corridor for the city. It's a really important area."Regular visitors to Sloan's Lake Park say the improvements are much-needed."Sometimes, when it's really full here, I like to walk on the edge," Escareno said. "So I think making that bigger would be helpful for more people as well."But Lent worries about the effect more orange cones will have on local businesses, since 25th Avenue just went through a safety project of its own."Our parking lot was harder to get to," Lent said. "Not having any street parking was difficult... Foot traffic slowed down so much."Lammers said those impacts to businesses are being taken into account."We do anticipate that this project will also be mostly (occuring) during the night hours to try and not impact the businesses and people who travel that corridor regularly," Lammers said.Even through the growing pains, Edgewater locals are ready for the changes."In the long run, I'm sure it's gonna be very beneficial and good for the area," Lent said.The tight-knit community is prepared to welcome even more visitors once the safety improvements are complete."The whole area is about coming here and walking around and checking out all the little places around," said Josiah Sumerlin of Edgewater Inn.Lara-Roca believes the improvements will encourage more people to explore the area on foot."I think, just as a country and as a city, there's few opportunities to walk. We tend to depend so much on the car," Lara-Roca said. "So, I think just generally, people might be more inclined to come."Lent summed up the community's enthusiasm: "I think this area is awesome. I love it over here."In these Denver7 | Your Voice stories, we want to hear from you about what matters most in your community. We hope to hear what makes our communities special, the challenges facing them, and everything in between. Have an idea or want to share your thoughts? Fill out the contact form below. ...read more read less