The study bodes well for the continued health of the CBD's office market, says David Morrison, of Brookfield Properties, one of the largest office owners in downtown Denver. The 19-question survey had been randomly distributed to downtown employees, with 1,032 of the 4,000 surveys coming back for tabulation. An Xcel Energy grant has funded the study, which had been conducted by the Denver-based firm, Dirt Inc.

The survey reports that 68% of the respondents would continue to work downtown if given the choice of working there or in the suburbs. The survey also has found that the average one-way commute to downtown is 31 minutes, with 55% driving alone, 35% using bus or light rail and 10% walking, biking or car pooling. This represents a 10% jump in the number of people using bus or light rail during the past several years. In a 1966 partnership commuter survey, only 25% used bus or light rail while 61% drove alone.

The report also has found that 54% of the downtown Denver's workforce holds a college degree or better, compared to 29% of the metro Denver population. Only 6% of the workers live downtown, but some 30% say they would be willing to live in the CBD, although many worry about being able to afford it. Anne Warhover, partnership president, says her group needs to do a better job of telling people about less expensive apartment and for sale units downtown.