A sign at the Lawson exit of Interstate 70 warns holiday travelers of the delay ahead leading into Denver on July 6, 2003. (Post / John Leyba)
perspective
Tackling
I-70 congestion
Sustainable
solution to traffic still elusive
|
|
Who isn't familiar with the horrible weekend traffic on Interstate 70 as it winds through the mountains of Jefferson, Clear Creek and Summit counties? This congestion stems from our love of the mountains and the recreation opportunities they offer, but how do we ensure a love that lasts?
Over the past decade, tomes of traffic studies have been written on the I-70 traffic problem, but none have delivered a sustainable solution to this complex problem.
And now, the Federal Highway Administration, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation, has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement that guarantees the future will be no different. The planning document analyzes a variety of options for managing travel along I-70. Unfortunately, CDOT's preferred traffic management alternatives translate to a 20-year project that will simply bring more traffic, more air and noise pollution, and possibly even tolls.
Interstate 70's traffic woes will be further exacerbated as the population of the Denver metro area is expected to reach 4 million in the next 20 years, an influx of 1.2 million more people. This highlights the importance of finding a solution that can take cars off the heavily used I-70 corridor, and help reduce traffic, pollution and health impacts.
According to the impact statement, approximately 60 percent of the skier visitation to I-70 resorts and ski areas comes from the Denver metro area. During 2005, almost two-thirds of all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays saw traffic volume at the Eisenhower Tunnel reach more than 20,000 cars per day. This high volume almost always results in stop-and-go traffic during some point in a trip. What's more, the traffic on I-70 is expected to grow by half over the next 25 years, so even if we increase lane capacity, we would soon return to today's congested traffic conditions and would have endured the frustration of 20 years of highway construction in the meantime.
This phenomenon is well-illustrated by C-470 in the southwest Denver metro area. Construction of this portion of highway was completed in 1990. Within a decade, the road was already plagued by traffic jams, prompting CDOT to initiate a study in 2003 to address the
|
|
||
|
A sign at the Lawson exit of Interstate 70 warns holiday travelers of the delay ahead leading into Denver on July 6, 2003. (Post / John Leyba) |
||
problem.
In contrast, imagine using FasTracks and a rapid mountain train to get to your favorite ski area. In the summer, picture putting your bike on the train car's bike rack and hopping off in Frisco for some scenic mountain touring. Or envision leaving the car at home and taking a trip to historic Idaho Springs for a stroll around town and a visit to the hot springs. Far from being idle daydreams, these scenarios are quite possible. FasTracks is on its way, and local transit systems such as the Summit Stage, ECO Transit and Roaring Fork Transit already exist in the mountains. The missing piece is rail transit in the I-70 mountain corridor.
|
Transit
opportunities present an affordable alternative to draining your bank
account at the gas pump with $3-a-gallon prices. And gas is only one of
the many costs of driving a car. When factoring in all of the expenses
of operating a vehicle (insurance, depreciation, wear and tear, etc.),
the American Automobile Association estimates that it costs $53 to drive
100 miles in a medium-sized sedan and $65 in an SUV - hardly pocket
change. The costs to the environment |
||
|
A coalition of two dozen non-governmental organizations representing recreation, conservation, business, architecture, transit and community interests has come together to work for a sustainable future for the I-70 mountain corridor that includes better transportation choices for residents and visitors alike. These groups have been involved in seeking a solution to the corridor's traffic issues for years. 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 rail transit similar to systems currently in operation in mountainous areas of Europe. Recently developed fast light-rail trains from Switzerland are an example of a transit system that 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 impact statement, and provide a promising new opportunity to bring rail to the I-70 corridor. Travelers using this important corridor need to have transportation choices. Transit is a key component to relieving congestion on I-70, now and into the future. In addition, rail transit could provide new economic opportunities within the corridor for communities and businesses. Consequently, our diverse coalition is working to obtain a feasibility study that takes a credible and comprehensive look at the Swiss transit technology and others that might be feasible for I-70. The business-as-usual approach of only adding more lanes to the highway is not the answer for I-70's future. An all-auto alternative for the corridor will have unacceptable and irreversible adverse impacts on the environment, local communities, historic resources, and our state and local economies. A transit alternative is economically feasible and superior to an all-auto future. We can and must do better than embark upon a 20-year highway widening project that just puts us back at square one after two decades in terms of travel times, congestion and level of service. Coloradoans who hate sitting in traffic on I- 70 need to let the Federal Highway Administration, CDOT and their elected officials know of their support for pursuing rail in the mountain corridor as a better choice for our state. Our glorious high country is depending on us. Jo Ann Sorenson is a former Clear Creek County commissioner. Albert Melcher is a former state highway commissioner.
|