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A car found in Bowles Lake Wednesday morning is renewing concerns about traffic safety in Bow Mar, where residents are pushing for a gate to limit access to the town. But neighboring cities Denver and Littleton say any gate could push traffic concerns onto their public roads.
CBS 
The car was discovered in the lake around 7 a.m. South Metro Fire Rescue crews, including the South Metro Dive Team, confirmed no one was inside the vehicle, and no one was hurt. First responder scanner traffic indicated the car’s license plates came back as stolen. Columbine Valley Police Department covers Bow Mar and did not provide any details beyond South Metro Fire’s update that officials were looking for the suspect.
For Liz Manning, a Bow Mar resident and the town trustee, the incident highlights what she believes is a pattern of unsafe driving in Bow Mar.
“The concerns I have is that, at some point, this is going to involve a pedestrian and not just the lake,” Manning said.
The town has proposed installing a gate near Sheridan Boulevard as part of its efforts to address traffic concerns. However, leaders in Denver and Littleton have pushed back against the proposal, arguing that restricting access to public streets could shift traffic problems into neighboring communities.
After opposition from residents and leaders in Denver and Littleton, Bow Mar has refined their plans and now intends to start with one gate instead of the originally proposed three.
Manning said the town has already tried several measures to slow traffic, as the town’s traffic studies show more drivers coming through Bow Mar, with a majority of drivers believed to not be residents.
“We have slowed our speed limit to 20 miles an hour,” Manning said. “We have installed a multitude of speed bumps. We’ve narrowed our roads. We’ve increased enforcement, and we’re still having these issues, and so the next phase of our traffic mitigation efforts are a gate at Sheridan.”
Columbine Valley Police Department did not respond to CBS Colorado’s request for data on Wednesday but Bow Mar’s traffic reports that cite police data show the town saw close to 300 traffic violations last year, slightly less than in 2024. The town’s 2025 traffic study also shows the average vehicle speeding near Sheridan was going close to 30 miles per hour where the speed limit is 20 mile per hour.
Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn argues Bow Mar should work with neighboring communities rather than restrict access to its streets altogether. Flynn shared concerns that a gate near Sheridan could back traffic up into a busy intersection at Quincy.
“(Bow Mar officials) want to solve their traffic hazards on the backs of my residents by giving them the traffic hazards,” Flynn said.
Columbine Valley Police did not clarify whether Bow Mar residents or non-residents are responsible for specific traffic violations.
“You know what (Bow Mar officials) haven’t tried? They haven’t tried cooperating with Denver and Littleton. That’s what they haven’t tried,” Flynn said, “How many of those crashes are Bow Mar residents? How do we know that the guy who crashed into the lake isn’t a Bow Mar resident?”
Flynn warned that installing a gate could prompt Denver to consider a similar measure on the city’s side of the road, effectively blocking Bow Mar’s access to its own gate.
Manning said Bow Mar residents are demanding action, as the town continues to see crashes and more cars driving through town.
“I appreciate (Denver and Littleton’s) position within their respective towns. I think we’re at a point where our residents are demanding action,” Manning said, “We’re trying to avoid a fatality.”
Manning said, if the single gate is installed, the town plans to monitor its impact on traffic.
Littleton’s mayor also opposes Bow Mar’s proposed gate, but says Littleton’s existing gate operates differently. Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter says his city’s gate has limited closure periods during rush hour, when access is limited to emergency vehicles. It does not restrict access exclusively to Littleton residents.
Bow Mar is expected to discuss its gate proposal at the town’s next meeting on Monday, Oct. 19.
