In order for this to make sense, start here. Then, here. Ok, here today is part three. They have finally agreed on a solution. Apparently, there was a fourth consideration I wasn’t aware of. In order to ease congestion on the i-70, they are going to charge a toll to use it. It will be $5 a pop to use the freeway to get into the mountains. Why? Lot’s of reasons. One is that by charging such a toll, less people will use it. Indeed, congestion is an issue, so their is limited virtue in that thought process.
The other reason is to raise money for the widening. Yes, apparently we are widening and tolling. Basically, everyone loses. See, we have no money for the freeway fixins. I mean, on it’s face it makes sense. Except:
What the heck are my tax dollars paying for? Is this not now a law to keep poor people from camping? Is this not an elitist and short term solution? What about people who commute every day? Is this designed just to punish tourists? I thought that is what hotel and rental car taxes were for. This solution is stupid, and angers me. I don’t want to pay a toll to use my mountains and roads. Also, I don’t want my mountains paved over with roads. Nobody does, that is why we call them the Rocky Mountains… not the Rocky Mountain Roads. Maybe Coors should get rid of their current logo and just have a stretch of pavement as their icon.
Let’s say you widen the road from two lanes each way to three lanes each way. That is 33% more traffic. You see that, I guess. I see 33% more pollution, plus an absolute dreaded ten year construction cycle marring the mountains. Oh, and a bonus $5 per way levee to sit in construction for the next ten years. Right now, we need an obstructionist! John Caldera, where are you?
1 Comment
July 15, 2009 at 3:35 pm
To follow up, I don’t travel the i-70 anymore. It is too big a pain in the ass on weekends. We do all our camping out the 285. It’s a much more pleasureable drive.
In addition, this discussion has been going on for 12 years (at least) and nothing has happened. No solutions, the moutain roads still suck ass, all we get are studies.
Me? I favor the monorail idea. It is a smaller footprint, lowers pollution, and works in all weather. Boo ya!