Denver is set to end its temporary Shared Streets program this month as the city begins a lengthy process for considering permanent alternatives, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said Thursday.

The program was launched in April 2020 to give residents more space for outdoor recreation while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shared Streets are closed to through traffic and provide space to walk and bike, while still allowing residents and visitors to drive and park on the streets.

“With restrictions around public gatherings lifted, more indoor and outdoor recreational spaces open for use again, and an uptick in travel expected with kids headed back to school … DOTI is ending its temporary shared streets initiative,” the announcement said.

Beginning the week of Aug. 16, the city will remove all Shared Street signage and ask residents to go back to walking on the sidewalk.

Of the seven roadways in the Shared Streets program, five will receive permanent traffic calming measures in the coming weeks to slow vehicles and make travel by bike more comfortable, the announcement said.

The five roadways are Byron Place from Zenobia to Vrain Streets, Bayaud Avenue from Sherman to Downing Streets, 30th Street from Welton to Larimer Streets, Marion Parkway from Virginia Avenue to Downing Street and East 16th Avenue from Pennsylvania Street to City Park Esplanade.

The city will also launch a planning effort later this year to develop guidelines for what a permanent Shared Streets program could look like, the announcement said.

Though no set timeline is available, residents shouldn’t expect to see permanent Shared Streets anytime soon.

The planning process will include aligning the program with existing laws, choosing which streets would be included, developing and standardizing traffic calming treatments and signage and an extensive community engagement process, the announcement said.

The effort to develop a permanent program is in response to the popularity of the Shared Streets.

In the program’s first 11 days, an average of 1,026 people daily traveled down the East 16th Avenue location on foot or by bike, according to Denver Streets Partnership.

A 2020 survey by the partnership found that 85% of respondents had used the Shared Streets and 90% said the Shared Streets program should continue after the pandemic ends.