Does anyone miss Stapleton airport? (Denver, Center: rental car, rental, hotels)

[DougStark]

During DIA's first years, I remember locals longing for their beloved Stapleton. Have these fond memories of Stapleton been long forgotten for the most part?

People tend to forget the worst about things in their past; I think the same goes for Stapleton ( (in this case, big air traffic delays during snow storms, etc.) While it was a familiar, close-in airport, Stapleton definitely outgrew its city, and expansion potential was limited.

Opinions?

[SkyDog77]

I have fond memories, but had just finished high school when it closed so wasn't a heavy traveler.

I now travel almost every week. DIA is a world class airport. It's far from my house which is a bummer, but I suppose I could move to Stapleton if it really bothered me. It doesn't.

Stapleton was a different airport for a different time. There is no way we could be the travel hub that we are with that airport. I like DIA. I love Blucifer. I'm happy we are finally getting the rail service. I think it will help attract more business here even though Uber is a much more practical option for me personally.

Go progress!

[davebarnes]

I miss the closeness of Stapleton.

But, most of all, I miss the non-TSA days.
I almost always flew first class out of Stapleton.
Now, I refuse to travel by air more than once a year.
I am old and I am grumpy.

I voted against DIA, but it was, in hindsight, the correct move to make.

[livecontent]

What you should remember about that time and I remember well:

The naysayers who said we did not need another airport. Where are those critical and many time nasty folks with no ideas and myopic visions? Do anyone now believe that we should not have built another airport.

Yet I can remember it was noted, and some were still alive to remember. that when Stapelton was planned, that it was not necessary and thought to be too far out from the population center and it there was opposition at that time. Many of you will not remember that Stapelton eventually become so jammed into the metro area that the runway ran across I-70.

Some argue, then and now, that we should not have DIA so far out into the plains. In many decades hence, some of us will see the evolution of our DIA become a space center with rocket ships traveling at immense speeds to other cities and beyond our earth. Those of the future will thank us for our vision to have placed the airport with room for future technologies.

The same naysayers appeared when we built the new library, expanded the Conventions Center, built new theaters, opera, ballet center at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, planned the 16th Street Mall and all of the ideas from the visions and creativity of the few and the hard work of many.

We now see these naysayers critical of our outstanding expansion of public transit and the soon to opened rail line to DIA.

I ask those who will survive this current time to remember--remember well and tell the story of our accomplishments to the future.

I give thanks to those who came before and I am very proud of who we are and what we will become.

Livecontent

[alloo66]

Like I alway say I loving living in a growing city as opposed to a dying one. Public infrastructure is always a good investment when initially introduced. When delays happen it ends up coasting more. Keep improving infrastructure in Denver and we will keep attracting investment and become a more diverse city. I wish the rest of the country would have great plans like Denver!

[JD401]

I wasn't here to miss Stapleton, but also as a frequent flyer, DIA is one of the best. I do hate when my gate is in the B90 zone though. That becomes a bit of a hike, and having to go outside to board the plane.

On a side note, I just flew from Kansas City. Wow. Terrible. After I got through security, the entire terminal had one restroom with only two facilities. I know the size pales in comparison, but cmon.

[emm74]

I didn't live in Denver when Stapleton was operating but I visited pretty often, and it was certainly convenient to have the airport so close. But I can't say I miss it because my house would be in the middle of a runway! lol!

I think the reality is that it was outdated and too small and would have displaced far too many people if they tried to expand in place. It was time for a new facility designed to handle the air traffic Denver gets. And yes, it's a bit far out now, but that will change in time and things will expand out that direction, for anyone who feels a strong need to live closer to an airport.

[DenverBrian]

After 20 years, I think many arguments against DIA are still valid.

1) Rocky Mountain Arsenal land could have been used to add north/south runways to Stapleton.

2) There are obvious advantages to a close-in airport. See DCA, SAN, even LAS.

3) Politics, including who owned the land at the time, played a huge part in DIA's eventual location.

4) Unlike DFW, where hotels, businesses and support infrastructure were built out in 20 years, it will likely take 100 years or more for the DIA area to ever have a destination feel.

5) CDOT, the cities, and other interests have dropped the ball time after time on transportation to/from the airport. 20 years to get a train station there? 20 years to get a hotel onsite? Building Pena Boulevard with only two lanes in each direction from the start - and the road under construction virtually every year since? No entrance from Tower Road to eastbound Pena Boulevard...after 20 years? The woefully under-planned parking (many people don't realize that the existing parking structures were supposed to incorporate rental car pickup and dropoff)? The comical parking ticket "grand entry" that lasted all of 4 years and was then summarily ripped out?

6) And, of course, the grand baggage system that wasted $1B.

Grand debacles all around. Pena's political friends certainly profited; others will too. But 20 years afterward, I still believe there were better options at the time.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by emm74

I didn't live in Denver when Stapleton was operating but I visited pretty often, and it was certainly convenient to have the airport so close. But I can't say I miss it because my house would be in the middle of a runway! lol!

I think the reality is that it was outdated and too small and would have displaced far too many people if they tried to expand in place. It was time for a new facility designed to handle the air traffic Denver gets. And yes, it's a bit far out now, but that will change in time and things will expand out that direction, for anyone who feels a strong need to live closer to an airport.

This airport was designed with the idea that never will residential development get built close to the airport and never can there be problem with airplane noise. That is the reason for the expansive buffer zones around the airport and the room to allow the airport to expand without any problems with housing.

One can live closer to the airport but still will be miles away from the terminal and runways. We will never have the problems like Stapleton with residential just across the street. The lessons from the past have been learned.

Keep in mind I am talking about residential development. Commercial development that have the need to be closer to the airport will be built. Adams County and Denver have negotiated a pact to further develop on Denver owned land of DIA.

Beyond the city limits which includes DIA there will be more development in Adams County, including residential, but that will still be miles away from the airport terminals and runways.

Livecontent

[jamesdenver]

I like DIA. It's clean, modern, and aesthetically pleasing. And the remote location and giant space is WHY it makes it function well. The extra 20 minutes you spend driving to the airport is time you aren't spending delayed on ramps and taxiways. Airline operations aside, at DIA you depart from the gate, head to your runway, and leave. Same upon arrival: Land and zoom to your gate. Anyone who's waited for planes to leave the "alleys" at LAX or similarly designed airports knows the difference. (I've spent many hours total being driven in circles around O'Hare in airplane seats). Because of the enormous space DIA functions efficiently. And, unless I'm waiting for shuttles, I've made it from gate to home downtown, or work in the tech center, in about an hour (non-rush hour.) That's not too bad.

No entrance from Tower Road to eastbound Pena Boulevard...after 20 years?

Yes- this annoys me. Why is it so challenging to build a simple on ramp in the middle of nowhere?