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Colorado's beautiful landscapes and world-class ski resorts draw thousands of tourists every week, fueling the state's economy. However, traffic problems produced by the High Country's popularity are causing economic and environmental damage to our state.
A forward thinking solution for the I-70 Mountain Corridor will not only alleviate highway congestion, but can also improve mountain economies, minimize environmental impacts and help manage growth in mountain communities. When considering the long-term health of Colorado's it is clear that a rail transit system in this corridor is the best solution for both sides of the Divide.
The Federal Highway Administration, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation, has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) that calls for business as usual, meaning more lanes of pavement. It analyzes a variety of options for managing travel along I-70. Unfortunately, CDOT's preferred alternatives equate to a 20-year construction project that will simply bring more traffic, more air and noise pollution, and possibly toll fees.
A statewide coalition of non-governmental organizations representing recreation, conservation, business, architecture, transit and community interests has come together under the banner of Mountains to Plains Transportation Solutions (www.I70mountaintransit.org) to support better transportation choices for residents and visitors alike.
This coalition is reaching out to all of the local governments in the corridor and the Denver area to achieve a long-lasting solution that will benefit all of Colorado. The centerpiece of the coalition's vision for the corridor includes Fast Light Rail trains developed in Switzerland. They can operate in Colorado's mountains, work in all weather conditions and be built on elevated structures to minimize environmental and community impacts. These trains were not in existence when alternatives were analyzed for the draft PEIS.
Here are the facts:
• There is a new transportation system that CDOT did not examine, using the Stadler FLIRT 100-mph train introduced in 2004 with the elevated guideway designed for monorail under an FTA-funded study.
• This can be built immediately and there is no need to wait for some feasible future technology, as the CDOT and highway proponents say.
• It can be built within the funding constraints established by CDOT.
• It is cheaper than adding highway lanes if CDOT does "context sensitive design" as per Glenwood Canyon in order to avoid unacceptable environmental impacts and violation of related laws.
• Elevated rail will avoid most of the impacts that added lanes will create.
• It will have a 50-year capacity life rather than the five-year capacity life of the added highway lanes, once fully completed.
• The rail can carry more people than four or more added highway lanes.
• Funding is feasible.
• Rail transit meets sustainability concerns; highways and cars do not (greenhouse gases, peak oil, land use impacts, etc.).
A transit-first strategy for the corridor has many benefits for residents and visitors alike, while a focus on highway widening can have harmful consequences on local mountain communities.
The draft PEIS indicates that out-of-state visitors to the mountain resort area counties account for between 60 and 75 percent of total tourism spending.
Construction activities that discourage out-of-state visits to the corridor resort area counties could have a significant impact on tourism-based businesses and related tax revenues for corridor jurisdictions. The effective result of long-term highway construction could be a large number of people avoiding the mountain corridor during the 15-year highway expansion period, creating significant economic impacts on our mountain communities.
The business as usual approach of adding more lanes to the highway is not the answer for I-70's future. It will have unacceptable and irreversible adverse impacts on the environment, local communities, historic resources, and our state and local economies. FasTracks is on its way in the Denver Metro region, and local transit systems such as the Summit Stage, ECO-Transit and Roaring Fork Transit already exist in the mountains. With a good train system in place, those services could be expanded. The missing piece is rail transit in the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
The final PEIS is scheduled for release by the end of the year. Anyone interested in avoiding a horrific 20-year cone zone between Summit County and Golden should contact your local elected officials and urge them to support a rail transit first position for the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
Gregg Cassarini is the Smart Growth campaign manager and part of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. Albert Melcher, former state highway commissioner,a nd Karn Stiegelmeier, chair of the Blue River Group (Summit County) Sierra Club, also contributed to this column.Gregg Cassarini is the Smart Growth campaign manager and part of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. Albert Melcher, former state highway commissioner,a nd Karn Stiegelmeier, chair of the Blue River Group (Summit County) Sierra Club, also contributed to this column.
A forward thinking solution for the I-70 Mountain Corridor will not only alleviate highway congestion, but can also improve mountain economies, minimize environmental impacts and help manage growth in mountain communities. When considering the long-term health of Colorado's it is clear that a rail transit system in this corridor is the best solution for both sides of the Divide.
The Federal Highway Administration, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation, has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) that calls for business as usual, meaning more lanes of pavement. It analyzes a variety of options for managing travel along I-70. Unfortunately, CDOT's preferred alternatives equate to a 20-year construction project that will simply bring more traffic, more air and noise pollution, and possibly toll fees.
A statewide coalition of non-governmental organizations representing recreation, conservation, business, architecture, transit and community interests has come together under the banner of Mountains to Plains Transportation Solutions (www.I70mountaintransit.org) to support better transportation choices for residents and visitors alike.
This coalition is reaching out to all of the local governments in the corridor and the Denver area to achieve a long-lasting solution that will benefit all of Colorado. The centerpiece of the coalition's vision for the corridor includes Fast Light Rail trains developed in Switzerland. They can operate in Colorado's mountains, work in all weather conditions and be built on elevated structures to minimize environmental and community impacts. These trains were not in existence when alternatives were analyzed for the draft PEIS.
Here are the facts:
• There is a new transportation system that CDOT did not examine, using the Stadler FLIRT 100-mph train introduced in 2004 with the elevated guideway designed for monorail under an FTA-funded study.
• This can be built immediately and there is no need to wait for some feasible future technology, as the CDOT and highway proponents say.
• It can be built within the funding constraints established by CDOT.
• It is cheaper than adding highway lanes if CDOT does "context sensitive design" as per Glenwood Canyon in order to avoid unacceptable environmental impacts and violation of related laws.
• Elevated rail will avoid most of the impacts that added lanes will create.
• It will have a 50-year capacity life rather than the five-year capacity life of the added highway lanes, once fully completed.
• The rail can carry more people than four or more added highway lanes.
• Funding is feasible.
• Rail transit meets sustainability concerns; highways and cars do not (greenhouse gases, peak oil, land use impacts, etc.).
A transit-first strategy for the corridor has many benefits for residents and visitors alike, while a focus on highway widening can have harmful consequences on local mountain communities.
The draft PEIS indicates that out-of-state visitors to the mountain resort area counties account for between 60 and 75 percent of total tourism spending.
Construction activities that discourage out-of-state visits to the corridor resort area counties could have a significant impact on tourism-based businesses and related tax revenues for corridor jurisdictions. The effective result of long-term highway construction could be a large number of people avoiding the mountain corridor during the 15-year highway expansion period, creating significant economic impacts on our mountain communities.
The business as usual approach of adding more lanes to the highway is not the answer for I-70's future. It will have unacceptable and irreversible adverse impacts on the environment, local communities, historic resources, and our state and local economies. FasTracks is on its way in the Denver Metro region, and local transit systems such as the Summit Stage, ECO-Transit and Roaring Fork Transit already exist in the mountains. With a good train system in place, those services could be expanded. The missing piece is rail transit in the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
The final PEIS is scheduled for release by the end of the year. Anyone interested in avoiding a horrific 20-year cone zone between Summit County and Golden should contact your local elected officials and urge them to support a rail transit first position for the I-70 Mountain Corridor.
Gregg Cassarini is the Smart Growth campaign manager and part of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. Albert Melcher, former state highway commissioner,a nd Karn Stiegelmeier, chair of the Blue River Group (Summit County) Sierra Club, also contributed to this column.Gregg Cassarini is the Smart Growth campaign manager and part of the Colorado Environmental Coalition. Albert Melcher, former state highway commissioner,a nd Karn Stiegelmeier, chair of the Blue River Group (Summit County) Sierra Club, also contributed to this column.
