I-70 Mountain Corridor (Denver, Sheridan, Vail: condo, neighborhood, construction)

[Mikieo415]

Originally Posted by tfox

Some things suggested are: congestion pricing/tolling, various bus proposals, incentivizing higher vehicle occupancy, modest highway improvements (climbing lanes, etc), various means of limiting trucking during certain times, etc. These are the things that are being discussed that may actually come to fruition. Which of these, if any, may make some difference?

I say toll the whole road west of Golden up to Utah. This shifts the burden to pay for the fix to those who use the road and add to the congestion. Many other states operate turnpikes successfully, and a toll will bring in revenue to pay for the road fix, even if it takes 20 years to pay it off. Eventually E-470 will be paid for and handed over to CDOT. If we don't have the funds in the budget we have to acquire them from somewhere.


I really don't think restricting trucks from using the highway will get anywhere. If we forbid trucks (even if it is just for certain times) we restrict interstate commerce. That could lead to loosing interstate status and federal highway money.

[Brill]

I have no problem with toll roads, just so they do it right. The constant stopping on 470 is annoying. In Ohio when you get on the turnpike you get a ticket. When you exit, you pay according to the distance you were on, much like in a parking garage.

[tfox]

In terms of modest, incremental solutions, I'd like to see a private/public bus going to the various ski resorts in Summit/Eagle/Grand Counties as well as tourist oriented towns in the mountains. I say public/private because I think that it's reasonable enough for the resorts to get on board in cost-sharing, seeing as they are contributing to the problem; they should contribute to the solution. If we could see 15-minute headways during peak periods from the "dinosaur" lots near Golden to each of the major resorts and tourist towns, that would at least take some cars off the road; and would provide opportunities for those who simply don't care to drive in such traffic. Combine this with some feeder RTD routes from downtown, DIA, etc, and I think it could be part of the solution for a cost that, while not being cheap, would at least be doable.

[Bagz]

tfox,

I think this would be a great interim solution. The only change I would make is to have the busses leave from several lots because there may not be enough capacity at the dinosaur lots. Looking at the success of the bus programs for the gambling towns leads me to believe that this solution is inevitable.

15 minute headways would not have much of an impact (60 cars an hour if each bus holds 60 and each car holds 4)

Here is a really cheap idea that could have immediate impact. Start a website where people could hook up for carpools. Rate the drivers and passengers EBAY style so one bad rating effectively kicks you out of the program. It would be safer than hitchhiking because there is a record of who you are giving a ride to (or from) and background checks could also be required. People with extra capacity could utilize it and save a little on gas, while others could get a ride for less than it would cost to drive.... the whole while relieving congestion.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by tfox

In terms of modest, incremental solutions, I'd like to see a private/public bus going to the various ski resorts in Summit/Eagle/Grand Counties as well as tourist oriented towns in the mountains. I say public/private because I think that it's reasonable enough for the resorts to get on board in cost-sharing, seeing as they are contributing to the problem; they should contribute to the solution. If we could see 15-minute headways during peak periods from the "dinosaur" lots near Golden to each of the major resorts and tourist towns, that would at least take some cars off the road; and would provide opportunities for those who simply don't care to drive in such traffic. Combine this with some feeder RTD routes from downtown, DIA, etc, and I think it could be part of the solution for a cost that, while not being cheap, would at least be doable.

Good Points. Yet, we already have an example of how this will work with the gambling buses that go to Central City and Black. They are run by private companies and have pick up stops all over the area.

All we need to is look at this and see what we need to change for sking rides. Maybe a little incentives here and there--perhaps sponsorships from the "leisure rich" who own these ski resorts. At the very least we should require the operators of Denver Owned properties, Winter Park, to provide bus transportation. In fact go further, any resort that uses any federal or state properties, either land or water, then a requirement can be set for them to provide mass transit---that will take in all the resorts.

Yes, you are right that incremental changes can help much. We only have to get some of the people out of the cars. We can do this little now and when the commuter rail is finished to the west--we can provide additional services from Golden.

I like to suggest that if you arrive by bus or other public transit--you get a discount on skiing, shopping, eating. Just like the gambling buses do--they hand out coupons and vouchers for freebees.

Or even better, if you arrive on foot, by walking from Denver--you get to ski free, eat and sleep free.

Livecontent

[suzco]

Originally Posted by Bagz

tfox,
. . .
Here is a really cheap idea that could have immediate impact. Start a website where people could hook up for carpools. . .

SkiCarpool New User Registration - Any Colorado zip code, to any ski resort, on any day exists,

and Carpool Denver (CO) Rideshare Colorado Lift Share United States Vanpool USA
also has ski areas as destinations.

[jazzlover]

Here's my radical solution about what the state of Colorado should do about I-70--NOTHING! This would be a great opportunity to tell the speculators, resource hogs, and spoiled public that enough is enough. What they've got is what they've got. Then, if people really are bummed about the traffic, then can a)go somewhere else to ski, b)lower themselves to ride a bus (oh, horrors), or c)stay home. As for the ski areas and their real estate toadies who can't seem to live unless they are tearing up more mountain countryside for development, why the hell should we, the taxpayers, be subsidizing the transportation system that enables them to do it? If THEY are that hell-bent on getting more schmos up to the ski areas, then let THEM pay to expand the highway--by THEMSELVES. Quit socializing those costs on the rest of us.

[Bagz]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Here's my radical solution about what the state of Colorado should do about I-70--NOTHING! This would be a great opportunity to tell the speculators, resource hogs, and spoiled public that enough is enough. What they've got is what they've got. Then, if people really are bummed about the traffic, then can a)go somewhere else to ski, b)lower themselves to ride a bus (oh, horrors), or c)stay home. As for the ski areas and their real estate toadies who can't seem to live unless they are tearing up more mountain countryside for development, why the hell should we, the taxpayers, be subsidizing the transportation system that enables them to do it? If THEY are that hell-bent on getting more schmos up to the ski areas, then let THEM pay to expand the highway--by THEMSELVES. Quit socializing those costs on the rest of us.

So I take it from this post that you neither ski nor enjoy our great mountain playground in the summer. HMMMM that might explain why your negative and cynical posts are so prevelant throughout the forum. Are you saying that all infrastructure should be private? Or just infrastructure that serves companies and people. Or infrastrucure that serves busnisses you don't agree with or use? If you are saying all infrastructure should be private, I might agree but you need to come up with a better plan than do nothing. If you are saying only infrastructure that serves industries you don't agree with, I need simply to point to you and your body of posts as resonable grounds to eliminate socialism.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Bagz

So I take it from this post that you neither ski nor enjoy our great mountain playground in the summer. HMMMM that might explain why your negative and cynical posts are so prevelant throughout the forum. Are you saying that all infrastructure should be private? Or just infrastructure that serves companies and people. Or infrastrucure that serves busnisses you don't agree with or use? If you are saying all infrastructure should be private, I might agree but you need to come up with a better plan than do nothing. If you are saying only infrastructure that serves industries you don't agree with, I need simply to point to you and your body of posts as resonable grounds to eliminate socialism.

First, I've probably spent more time "enjoying our great mountain country" than 90% of the posters on this forum (5 decades of having that country nearby will do that)--and most of that without setting foot (tire) on I-70. That mostly because I-70 and all of the development it has spawned has turned most of its length into a recreation ghetto ****hole that I don't wish to have anything to do with.

Second, I do think that subsidization of highways, to the exclusion of all other forms of transportation, is a disgrace in this country for which we will suffer terribly in the future. I would suggest that people read these books--they might just realize how they have been taxed, hoodwinked, misled, and--ultimately--impoverished to feed the highway/automobile monster in this country. They also show that there ARE alternatives. Those books are:

Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take It Back, by Jane Holtz Kay

Getting There: The Epic Struggle between Road and Rail in the American Century, by Stephen B. Goodard

Allies of the Earth: Railroads And the Soul of Preservation , by Alfred Runte

Aside from all of the disagreeable pork-barrel waste--along with the environmentally destructive nature of an I-70 expansion and related development it will spawn, I see no benefit in squandering another big ****load of taxpayer money on a transportation mode and corridor with a dubious future in the far more austere and energy-starved environment that lies ahead. It's like buying $500 a place setting for china when the only food in the house is going to be some moldy Twinkies.

[steveco.]

I didn't know that twinkies molded??