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Thread: I-70 is F@&KED

  1. #276
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank View Post
    Stay the night on Sunday. We have great deals on food and lodging and go home early on Monday for work.


    I'm not trying to be a dick it just comes to me easy, I know traffic sucks. As long as a large amount of people come in cars that can not handle a high alpine environment at the same time to do the same think this problem will not go away.
    with cotrip.org there really is no excuse for sitting in traffic; there's no need to even stay the night. I had a great day skiing, and chilled and ate dinner while checking cdot's site. Left around 7pm and breezed home.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
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  2. #277
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    with cotrip.org there really is no excuse for sitting in traffic; there's no need to even stay the night. I had a great day skiing, and chilled and ate dinner while checking cdot's site. Left around 7pm and breezed home.
    that is the answer to the so called "problem" right there

    I watched the people staying next door come home from skiing, pack up the car and leave at 3pm to head back to denver. I know they were not seasoned denver/mtn ski people but it was the shear stupidity of it all, I wanted to say "hey you don't mind sitting in a little traffic huh?"

    they didn't have to be out of the house at a certain time etc..... they could have just chilled till 6 or so had dinner relaxed around town and then headed home but some sort of lemming mentality said they had to finish skiing pack up and leave town to get home in the middle of the afternoon.

    cdot has been running signs all week long weeks on end now on the elec. signs saying "heavy traffic on sat and sun" some people just don't read or their cars are so comfortable with tv's and heated seats that sitting in them for 2-4 hrs isn't a big deal.

  3. #278
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    Sunday's traffic was a little weird and not sure why. We usually leave Denver around 6, get to Loveland, have breakfast, stretch, etc., and then grab first chair. Ski hard till noon and then head back. There was zero traffic on the way as usual, and we even ended up getting there a little earlier then we normally do, but traffic was already slammed on the way home, which is pretty unusual in our experience. Seemed a ton of people left Winterpark early.

    If they could get 3 lanes, both directions, between 40 and I-70, it would really help I think. Have the exits and entrances on 40 just go right into that third lane. The Eisenhower and Johnson tunnels are what they are, and you are not going to get three lanes through Georgetown. This would help with summer traffic as well, which as stated a couple pages ago, is more spread out. If you had three lanes all the way to 40, more people would spread to places like Steamboat, go the back way to Kremmling for floating the Colorado, more people to Grand County and RMNP, etc.

    Last weekend was also ridiculous. We were coming from Glenwood Springs after a day on Fork, and left Carbondale around 5pm. Took us 4 hours to get home, which I guess isn't that bad, but the reason it took longer was. There was a storm and some snow on Vail pass, and no joke, not a single 18-wheeler had chains. There was one stuck spinning its tires every 1/4 mile going up the pass. WTF...put on your damn chains. Then of course, there was the traffic at the tubes, and people getting stuck. They need to do what they do in California. During snow storms, no chains, and no four wheel drive? Sorry, you can't go and if you get stuck and are caught...boom, big fine.

    I also like the idea of opening the lifts a little earlier on the weekends. Could also make I-70 a toll road on Saturdays and Sundays, with rates escalated during the peak windows, which should get more people to car pool, drive at different times, maybe stay more nights, lower the 18-wheeler traffic at peak times, and particularly in the summer, funnel more Denverites to the southern part of the state down 285, which needs to be made 4 lanes all the way to Salida, or less people will go all together due to the higher cost.


    If they do these things, which are cheaper workable solutions, we would be in a much better spot, with more options for those people that don't want to sit in traffic.
    "We had nice 3 days in your autonomous mountain realm last weekend." - Tom from Austria (the Rax ski guy)

  4. #279
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    Honestly...I don't mind the fact that it takes an extra half hour to get up to skiing on Saturday mornings or to get home on Sunday evenings (Saturday evening and Sunday morning traffic has been almost non-existent, by the way) Skiing is really fun, and if it means i have to sit in a little traffic...who cares? I still get to ski for 7 1/2 hours each day. I love the fact that I live in a state where people enjoy outdoor recreation so much. Sure beats living in NYC or LA, where you get to sit in hellacious traffic to do mundane things.

    I left Loveland at 4:15 yesterday and was home by 6:00. It takes 1:15 with no traffic. extra half hour...no biggie.

  5. #280
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    Quote Originally Posted by skiracer88_00 View Post
    Honestly...I don't mind the fact that it takes an extra half hour to get up to skiing on Saturday mornings or to get home on Sunday evenings (Saturday evening and Sunday morning traffic has been almost non-existent, by the way) Skiing is really fun, and if it means i have to sit in a little traffic...who cares? I still get to ski for 7 1/2 hours each day. I love the fact that I live in a state where people enjoy outdoor recreation so much. Sure beats living in NYC or LA, where you get to sit in hellacious traffic to do mundane things.

    I left Loveland at 4:15 yesterday and was home by 6:00. It takes 1:15 with no traffic. extra half hour...no biggie.
    That is all fine and dandy most days, but a buddy went to A-Basin a couple weeks ago when the pass was closed, and it took him 3 hours to get to Keystone and 7.5 hours to get home...so there are times that it is more than a "no biggie half hour"
    "We had nice 3 days in your autonomous mountain realm last weekend." - Tom from Austria (the Rax ski guy)

  6. #281
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    with cotrip.org there really is no excuse for sitting in traffic; there's no need to even stay the night. I had a great day skiing, and chilled and ate dinner while checking cdot's site. Left around 7pm and breezed home.
    On the real bad Sunday last week the CDOT mobile app said one hour Silverthorne to Denver. It took 3.5 to get to the tunnel. I have checked the app a few times since and the times on the app are not even close. The sign in Silverthorne is not correct either. I don't know if the main website is much better but the mobile app is a joke.

  7. #282
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    I know I'm repeating myself but until there are chain laws or 4wd laws in place, shit like that bad Sunday is going to keep happening during heavy snows. 7" piled up quickly at the tunnel, with dozens of cars and trucks spun out, including a fucking Fiat. Who the hell drives a Fiat in the middle of a blizzard?

    And if the staties aren't going to bother to enforce chains on trucks, we're doubly fucked. I've seen too many asshole truckers spinning their wheels in the right lane while there's an hour of traffic building up behind him. Seems pretty easy to at least help the problem by enforcing chain laws for trucks and creating them for all over vehicles like they have in UT, CA and WA.

  8. #283
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    Totally agree, but 4WD doesnt solve the problem. In just a quick trip over Vail Pass that day, I saw at least 10 cars spinning out, 3 of them were 4WD. I also saw plenty of FWD vehicles having no problems at all. The reality of the situation was bald tires (and trucks w/o chains).

  9. #284
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    Quote Originally Posted by JONG Q Public View Post
    On the real bad Sunday last week the CDOT mobile app said one hour Silverthorne to Denver. It took 3.5 to get to the tunnel. I have checked the app a few times since and the times on the app are not even close. The sign in Silverthorne is not correct either. I don't know if the main website is much better but the mobile app is a joke.
    the app blows goats, I never use it. And the website isn't always perfect, last night its times for US-40 were weird. Still, it generally provides a useful reference point, and I have not found it to be terribly suspect. It is set up for mobile use and is fairly easy to use; toss the app.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  10. #285
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    ^^Couldn't agree more. That app is fucking beyond worthless

  11. #286
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lindahl View Post
    Totally agree, but 4WD doesnt solve the problem. In just a quick trip over Vail Pass that day, I saw at least 10 cars spinning out, 3 of them were 4WD. I also saw plenty of FWD vehicles having no problems at all. The reality of the situation was bald tires (and trucks w/o chains).
    I'd rather see a requirement for snow tires and/or chains... maybe that AND 4wd

    There was some discussion of traction pad stations... that's a good idea.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  12. #287
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    What is the reason they haven't put laws like these other states in place? They have spent money talking crazy about high speed trains, paying cops to escort people...doesn't cost that much to put some laws on the books and some signs on the highway...relatively.
    "We had nice 3 days in your autonomous mountain realm last weekend." - Tom from Austria (the Rax ski guy)

  13. #288
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    The real problem is...

    Quote Originally Posted by fastfred View Post
    that is the answer to the so called "problem" right there

    I watched the people staying next door come home from skiing, pack up the car and leave at 3pm to head back to denver. I know they were not seasoned denver/mtn ski people but it was the shear stupidity of it all, I wanted to say "hey you don't mind sitting in a little traffic huh?"

    they didn't have to be out of the house at a certain time etc..... they could have just chilled till 6 or so had dinner relaxed around town and then headed home but some sort of lemming mentality said they had to finish skiing pack up and leave town to get home in the middle of the afternoon.

    cdot has been running signs all week long weeks on end now on the elec. signs saying "heavy traffic on sat and sun" some people just don't read or their cars are so comfortable with tv's and heated seats that sitting in them for 2-4 hrs isn't a big deal.
    They didn't slow down enough when driving up to read the whole message...moving their lips while they read mean braking to 40 mph and cluster fucking the highway in order to get the entire message...

    Fucking morons having to slow down to read a message sign...

  14. #289
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Dude View Post
    Here you have it, CDOT reports it is not financially feasible to build out high speed rail along the I-70 & I-25 corridor

    http://www.coloradodot.info/news/201...-speed-transit

    CDOT Finds Benefits and Financial Challenges to High Speed Transit
    February 19, 2014 - Statewide Transportation Plan - DENVER – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) issued two draft reports today summarizing the feasibility of high-speed transit systems in both the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor and I-25 Front Range Corridor.

    Both studies – conducted by CDOT’s Division of Transit and Rail (DTR) and a team of outside experts – confirmed high speed transit is technically feasible in both corridors, but not financially feasible in either corridor at this time.

    “It is clear that we currently lack the financial capacity to build either of these projects,” said DTR Director Mark Imhoff. “However, the studies show that a statewide system could provide many benefits to the businesses, individuals and tourists that depend on our interstates and provide a roadmap for capitalizing on improvements in the local, state and federal financial climates when they happen.”

    The studies envision a statewide system with up to 340 miles of high speed transit between Fort Collins and Pueblo and between Denver International Airport (DIA) and Eagle County (see attached graphic). With travel speeds of 90 to 180 mph, the system could save about one-fourth to two-thirds from the time it takes to drive the same trips in optimal travel conditions today. The system is forecast to serve 18 to 19 million passengers a year in 2035 (4 to 6 million in the I-70 Mountain Corridor; 12 to 14 million along the Front Range).

    Significant travel time savings are also expected. For example, a trip from C-470/I-70 in Golden to Breckenridge would take just over a half hour and travel to Vail would take 50 minutes. Along the Front Range, traveling from Fort Collins to DIA would take less than 40 minutes, and Colorado Springs to DIA would take less than an hour.

    However, the system is expensive. Preliminary capital cost estimates range from $75 million per mile on the Front Range to $105 million per mile in the Mountain Corridor, with an estimated $30 billion price tag for the whole system ($16.5 billion from DIA to Eagle; $13.6 billion from Fort Collins to Pueblo).

    Dividing the system into smaller, less-expensive segments that could be implemented in phases also has significant financing challenges. Input from the financial community leads CDOT to believe that a maximum of $1 to $3 billion could be obtained in private financing, leaving a capital-cost gap of billions of dollars. New local, state and federal funds would be needed to cover this shortfall.

    A Competitive Colorado
    Population along the Front Range is anticipated to increase from four million today to six million by 2040. During the same time period, population in the I-70 Mountain Corridor is expected to double to 400,000.

    In many parts of the world, high speed transit offers a solution to congested highways and congested airports for countless travelers. Many U.S. regions also are upgrading existing commuter rail tracks to high-speed standards or building new high-speed transit systems.

    CDOT will not make any commitments at this time, but will weigh the pros and cons with local, regional, and federal partners. The Draft Advanced Guideway System Feasibility Study for the I-70 Mountain Corridor is available at http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/AGSstudy. The Draft Interregional Connectivity Study for the I-25 Front Range corridor is available at http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/ICS.

    How soon before we having flying cars and don't have to worry about sitting in traffic?
    Who the fuck is going to hump all their gear from a car to a train to a bus to a ski area...and then where do you dump your shit when you get there? And then the time and horseshit getting home. And a cost of $50+ per person...if it ever gets past the discussion stage each and every politician and business participating should be slapped until they can't stand again.

    Fucking morons thinking even a few people would pay and deal with that hassle. And then in the summer...the train/bus going to drop you at a trailhead and pick you up after hiking or camping?

    Fucking morons.

  15. #290
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    Quote Originally Posted by goldengatestinx View Post
    Who the fuck is going to hump all their gear from a car to a train to a bus to a ski area...and then where do you dump your shit when you get there? And then the time and horseshit getting home. And a cost of $50+ per person...if it ever gets past the discussion stage each and every politician and business participating should be slapped until they can't stand again.

    Fucking morons thinking even a few people would pay and deal with that hassle. And then in the summer...the train/bus going to drop you at a trailhead and pick you up after hiking or camping?

    Fucking morons.
    Take a breath, smoke a bowl, calm down...

    You ever heard of ski lockers? There are plenty of people that ski one resort often enough to leave their ski stuff there, or better yet a ski locker at the train stop, and ride the train with a backpack. The idea isn't to completely replace I-70 with a train, the idea is to take like 75% of people off the road in the winter (and a lesser percentage in the summer).

    Of course you can still drive your sweet Xterra plastered with stickers from all your favorite outdoor companies and loaded with two rocket boxes to the trailhead of your choice, you asshat.

    Have you ever been to Europe or Japan? They have virtually perfected the use of trains to get to and from skiing.

  16. #291
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kenny Satch View Post
    I watched a traffic documentary about how curves, declines, inclines create a natural reaction or impulse to pump the brakes even when not necessary. this can cause a chain reaction going back for miles. it can effect traffic 20 minutes to an hour later and in storms obviously much more.

    IMO
    people will never learn spacing and using a lower gear to control their speed in heavy traffic and rely less on their brakes. I 'd rather be travelling at a constant 15/20 mph rather than stop and go and stop and wait then go then stop 2 seconds later gain half a mile the start the stupidity all over again..

    the big problem with proper spacing is that most people don't want someone else to move into the gap ahead of them so they follow too close.

    such is life
    Unfortunate but true. Fucking morons can't pay attention for the drive and need to do other things while fucking traffic. If people had proper equipment, knew how to use it and actually paid attention traffic wouldn't be an issue. But they insist on not using signals, driving in the left lane while not passing, picking their noses and asses, jerking off, texting, talking on the phone, etc and always slow traffic.

    Post messages on the electronic boards that cops will ticket and/or arrest you for being a moron and things might improve. Then actually get the cops to do something productive versus tagging someone going a little too fast on clear pavement and we'd be golden. Unfortunately the world is being set up so fucking morons of the lowest common denominator are handheld dragging the rest of us down with them.

  17. #292
    Hugh Conway Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Lindahl View Post
    Totally agree, but 4WD doesnt solve the problem. In just a quick trip over Vail Pass that day, I saw at least 10 cars spinning out, 3 of them were 4WD. I also saw plenty of FWD vehicles having no problems at all. The reality of the situation was bald tires (and trucks w/o chains).
    chain/4wd controls don't stop the bald tires problem (assholes in 4wd with bald tires get through just fine) or the drive like assholes problem (they crash just the same), it just shifts the traffic delays to before the checkpoint and makes a little cottage industry for chain installers/vendors.

    nobody actually wants to ride public transportation to go skiing.

  18. #293
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lindahl View Post
    Totally agree, but 4WD doesnt solve the problem. In just a quick trip over Vail Pass that day, I saw at least 10 cars spinning out, 3 of them were 4WD. I also saw plenty of FWD vehicles having no problems at all. The reality of the situation was bald tires (and trucks w/o chains).
    Yep. I've been in FWD car with snows and had to stop. When it comes time to restart a FWD car with snows > than a 4wd with crap tires. My parents Corolla with snows has been in this scenario over and over. British Columbia requires snow tires for highway going vehicles. Colorado could require it on I-70 especially when it snows. Chains otherwise. AWD or 4wd with bald tires should be turned back as well. Enforcement is key. When people are sitting still and not going anywhere anyway I could see the tire police having zero problem turning people around if they were empowered to do so.

    Quote Originally Posted by Summit View Post
    I'd rather see a requirement for snow tires and/or chains... maybe that AND 4wd

    There was some discussion of traction pad stations... that's a good idea.
    That is a good idea.

    Quote Originally Posted by goldengatestinx View Post
    Who the fuck is going to hump all their gear from a car to a train to a bus to a ski area...and then where do you dump your shit when you get there? And then the time and horseshit getting home. And a cost of $50+ per person...if it ever gets past the discussion stage each and every politician and business participating should be slapped until they can't stand again.

    Fucking morons thinking even a few people would pay and deal with that hassle. And then in the summer...the train/bus going to drop you at a trailhead and pick you up after hiking or camping?

    Fucking morons.
    Count me among the fucking idiot morons. Tourists fly in to DEN for weekend and grab a train to ski area of choice. No car to rent. No hassle. Newsflash: when I fly in for the weekend I carry everything on and walk out of the airport with all my gear. Not a big deal. These weekenders don't have much luggage and they are exactly the people you want to get off the highway at 8 am on Saturday morning. Front ranger gets on train and sleeps for an hour wakes up at resort. If the train doesn't drop you right at the resort the infrastructure would be created almost instantly to get people on a quick bus and building lockers is one hell of a lot cheaper than roads.

    I-70 is a junkshow all the way to Vail. Look at all the stress it is causing you guys even when you are not on the thing. A friend of mine up on Floyd complains they can't go anywhere without worrying about being stuck on that thing. If I ski on Sunday with a flight home Sunday night I stress all damned day about getting back to DEN on that road and I leave hours earlier than I would if it wasn't so clustered. To me a train seems inevitable. Expensive as hell to build now but even more so in the future. And every gaper from Iowa on the train is one less person on that godforsaken road. I remember when I-70 was a little two lane through the canyon to Glenwood. We'd listen to John Denver and really feel like we were deep inside the mountains on a skinny shit road...and there was no traffic. That utopia isn't coming back.

  19. #294
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    Everybody who is saying that a train will happen seems to forget about the 30 billion dollar price tag. A train will never happen for that reason alone, but it also won't happen because it would require 3 transfers to get from DIA to keystone. (Transfer from DIA airport line to West Line, Transfer from West Line to Mountain Train, Transfer from mountain train onto bus to keystone)

    No one is going to want to take that train. I am sure that if a train was ever built, tickets would be prohibitively expensive as well.

    For 30 billion dollars we could build a massive brand new ski resort somewhere other than I-70 with the most amazing snowmaking infrastructure on earth and connect it by a 25 mile gondola and still have 15 billion left over.

  20. #295
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    Maybe they should just build tunnels or roofs over I-70 from Denver to Vail, or at least at the passes. Never have to plow or worry about icy roads!

  21. #296
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    Quote Originally Posted by WTF is dat View Post
    No one is going to want to take that train. I am sure that if a train was ever built, tickets would be prohibitively expensive as well.
    I agree. For all of those people saying "sure, I'd take that train all the time"... how many times did you ride the Winter Park Ski Train? There's just too much inconvenience and too little flexibility with it. The only people who would truly benefit are the tourists, who could avoid the CME junkshow and hop on the train at DIA instead.

    I still think the short term answer is a combination of improving 285 to make it a viable option for the south metro folks, and financially encouraging carpooling. Not just free coffee bullshit, but 50% off lift tickets and other things that actually change behaviors for all those people driving solo. Make it easier to have 3-4 people riding together.

  22. #297
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    I like the roof idea, but haven't put much though into the caveats. Wouldn't do shit for summer, but I don't think much can be done about that.

  23. #298
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    I like the idea of having I-70 from US.6 go up to about 12,000 feet by the morrison exit. Then you'd have a straight away at 12,000 feet all the way across till vail, with 50 degree exits that would be sweet to ski on powder days.

  24. #299
    Hugh Conway Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by smmokan View Post
    The only people who would truly benefit are the tourists, who could avoid the CME junkshow and hop on the train at DIA instead.
    Is this a hypothetical or have you asked them?

  25. #300
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    Totally agree. Also, I like the idea of creating more destination resorts off the I70 corridor, within 2 hours of Denver. Spread the people out.

    Quote Originally Posted by smmokan View Post
    I agree. For all of those people saying "sure, I'd take that train all the time"... how many times did you ride the Winter Park Ski Train? There's just too much inconvenience and too little flexibility with it. The only people who would truly benefit are the tourists, who could avoid the CME junkshow and hop on the train at DIA instead.

    I still think the short term answer is a combination of improving 285 to make it a viable option for the south metro folks, and financially encouraging carpooling. Not just free coffee bullshit, but 50% off lift tickets and other things that actually change behaviors for all those people driving solo. Make it easier to have 3-4 people riding together.

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