Watch: Denver drivers fed up with dirt bikes and ATVs disrupting traffic

DENVER (KDVR) — Drivers and Denver residents are fed up with people disrupting traffic with dirt bikes and ATVs.

Nancy, a city resident, shared the sights and sounds on East Colfax from Saturday around 6 p.m. Footage shows people on motorized bikes and ATVs ignoring red lights where East Colfax meets York Street.

“There were about 30-plus motorcycles,” Nancy said. “They were dirt bikes, ATVs, regular motorcycles. They were popping wheelies. They brought the traffic to a standstill.”

Nancy, who wants to protect her identity for safety reasons, also filmed a police car pulling up.

“They took off going eastbound, he (the patrol car) turned westbound and left,” Nancy said. “They continued to stop traffic. So they brought us to a standstill. They took over the streets.”

While stopped in traffic because of the commotion, Nancy tried to see who was on these bikes and ATVs.

“All different ages,” she said. “There were adults with younger people. All the bikes had their plates taken. They were removed. They were off the bikes. There was no way to identify who the owners were of these vehicles. So very disheartening.”

Nancy also said she called 911 to report what she witnessed, but the bikes were gone before she could speak to an operator on the line.

“You know, it's going to take law enforcement to get involved,” Nancy said. “It's going to take people to speak up and say that we don't condone this because it's not safe.”

Denver police say ATVs, off-road motorcycles a known issue

FOX31 sent this footage to Denver police and asked for more information on how police are trying to respond to such situations. The agency said what's seen in the video is "clearly dangerous and are violations of traffic laws." The agency also said that it couldn't 100% verify that the vehicle Nancy saw was a Denver Police Department vehicle because it was unmarked, but said it was likely with the department because of where it was seen.

"We also don’t know if the officer was assigned to a higher priority call or operation which resulted in them not attempting a traffic stop," the agency explained.

The Denver Police Department also said it encourages riders of ATVs and off-road motorcycles to "make the responsible decision" to drive the vehicles where it's legal and safe and encourages anyone who sees the vehicles on Denver roadways to call police.

"Often, reports involve large groups of off-road motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) being illegally ridden on our roads," a department public information officer told FOX31. "When safe and possible, officers can and do contact riders and issue citations. There have been instances in which riders have crashed and injured themselves, which resulted in officer contact and citations. Recently, a DPD street racing enforcement team focused on this issue, dispersed groups when they were observed, and attempted to stop a rider who then eluded officers."

The agency also noted that the penalty for breaking these laws is low, carrying a fine of $59. Additionally, many riders wear hoods or helmets and remove identifying marks from their vehicle, such as license plates, which compounds the difficulty of catching riders and enforcing laws.

However, the agency noted that riders could have their vehicles impounded if they're found to have been engaging in speed contests or exhibitions in Denver.