CO. mags - your favorite traffic problem discussed....

[Below Zero]

Unfucking believable.

Is it all that unbelievable when you really think about it?

It's Sunday, it's a powder day, they have broke record sales for season passes, roads are snowpacked, and the pass was shut down so they had to shut down the tunnel for hazardous material semis.

Get used to it!

[Elkhound Odin]

The tunnel was also closed due to CO buildup, not just hazmat.
But, I don't know what the big deal was yesterday. I left Bethoud Pass at 12:30 and didn't have trouble with I70.

[HikeforTurns]

Is it all that unbelievable when you really think about it?

It's Sunday, it's a powder day, they have broke record sales for season passes, roads are snowpacked, and the pass was shut down so they had to shut down the tunnel for hazardous material semis.

Get used to it!

No I suppose not. I forgot about the Hazmat Instead of getting used to it, I may just stick with Berthoud/WP on the weekends, at least make it a little more bearable.

I thought leaving at 2 would help a little bit though................

[Lurch]

I left BP at 2 and except for a backup from the top of the pass all the way to I70 it was clear sailing all the way to Denver.

[Danno]

When I left WP/MJ at ~4pm, there was bumper to bumper traffic going up the Pass. Thank god I was headed back to WP to enjoy a cold PBR with a soak in a hot tub, some Pub pizza, and an easy drive home (in whiteout conditions on the Pass) at 8pm.

[riderspro]

Yes, the problem on this particular day only pertained to the portion of 1-70 with snow on it. Namely from Vail to Somewhere around Bakerville, then it broke open (5 hours later)

If you want to stick to BP great. I like BP and WinterPark.

I personally would like to be able to go mosh some of the 28 inch powder in the back bowls (I measured) at Vail on a Sunday if I choose.

I think some additional highway patrol getting non-snowworthy vehicles and chainless truckers off the road would make the highway more efficient, in effect paying for itself by not alienating new and old skiers tired of this bs.

It seems that it would cost tens of thousands to employ more cops on snow days vs millions/billions for any of the other plans suggested. Did anyone else suggest anything that would only cost tens of thousands? (other than choosing to leave at a different time, but than is a personal plan, not a state/cdot plan)

It would also reduce vehicle emmisions by getting them off of the road sooner. Also reduce amount of petrol consumed. Actually, I have not thought of a downside yet.

[HikeforTurns]

Actually, I have not thought of a downside yet.

I dont think it would put a dent in the problem. Just think of the slowdowns when cops are on the side of the HWY.

[Danno]

riderspro, the responses were playful, nobody was attacking your plan. But, seriously, increased enforcement would be great, but I doubt it would make much of an impact. When Loveland Pass is closed, there isn't a darn thing the police can do to really mitigate the traffic impact in the tunnel. Furthermore, no matter how many police you have out there, I will always choose having them respond to accidents versus ticketing vehicles. And when conditions are as bad as they were, I am sure the response time to accidents was bad enough as is (ie, even with more cops out there, they will still primarily be responding to accidents). That isn't saying we shouldn't have more out there, it's just saying that that will only be a drop in the bucket.

[riderspro]

Hey dude, no problem, I was not offended and was not being defensive at all.

I'm just brainstorming here, trying to find other ways to improve it, and not just deal with it the way it is, and getting worse.

Internet makes it hard to get the tone of a comment, and I don't bother with smilies much.

So, aside from ticketing, think about it for a minute. This guy towing the cars had no business being there. The hour long backup getting up Vail Pass was ALL because of him. It was the only reason. He had no traction and was towing too much weight. his back tires were spinning and we was weaving all over the road. Semis had to get into the passing lane to get around him, so that just screwed the whole thing.

How is that a drop in the bucket?

Get him off the road, and there would have not been 5/10,000 cars sitting in traffic for an hour?

Not just a ticket, but pull the fucker off the road and make him call for a tow truck (ironic since he was a tow truck) or have somebody bring him chains and charge him bundles for it.

And all of the jackknifed semis with no chains. Would not having a jackknifed semi in front of you speed things up? I think it might.

I know a lot of the CO mags are probably out shredding the leftovers from this storm, so I would guess there might be more response and though about it tonight or tomorrow.

But seriously, feel free to shoot holes in the idea if I am missing something. I have pretty thick skin. Maybe it's from hitting all of those tree limbs over the years.

[Repoman]

Pave Clear Creek County
8 lanes per side.
Blow more holes through Loveland Pass
If that doesn't seem nice, maybe Pay for play during certain hrs./time of yr. say $1000 for the season to have prime access. Keep the dirtbags off the road with POS vehicles with no snow tires. Make penalty for getting caught stiff, like impounding vehicle.

[funkendrenchman]

that was the worst traffic I have ever seen. I left Copper at 2pm (Spaulding Bowl was great) and the jam started at Frisco. It took me 3 1/2 hours to get to Denver. Unfucking believable.

We came back from Aspen at 7:30.... saw a sign saying 1.5 hours from Frisco-Tunnel.... hung out in Breck till 10:15.... heard the pass was still closed and I-70 looked like a Christmas tree....so we went for plan B.

The traffic on 285 was aweful.

[lemon boy]

riders- If you leave that late the simple fact is you are going to sit in traffic.

Now, one thing to note is that the single largest problem that is different in the last say 2 years from prior years is the hazmat closures:

1. I am pretty sure that they used to not allow them and they just had to wait on the pass to open
2. I know that they didn't use to hold the tunnel closed for extended periods (beyond clearing the hazmat) like they do now.

#2 is IMVHO driving about 98% of the screwups b/c they close down for 45+ mins and I can assure you that it doesn't take 45mins to clear 10 hazmats through the tunnel.

CDOT has the notion from somewhere that the closure in some way improves the traffic situation to dtown. My anecdotal evidence indicates otherwise but...I don't have the traffic studies.

Another backup causer I positively identified yesterday is the crosswalk light at the W. side of Empire, for apparently no other reason does traffic back up to the top of the pass

[funkendrenchman]

riders- If you leave that late the simple fact is you are going to sit in traffic.

Surprisingly, even leaving at 8:00 PM hasn't been good enough this year.

[riderspro]

10:15.... 285

Maybe it was open by that time, but at the time I was in Frisco, Cdot was saying Kenosha Pass closed indefinitely

[lemon boy]

funken- it is the tunnel closures. Somebody should call CDOT for comment (Blevins)

[Lurch]

CDOT has the notion from somewhere that the closure in some way improves the traffic situation to dtown. My anecdotal evidence indicates otherwise but...I don't have the traffic studies.

They close the tunnel due to carbon monoxide buildup not to improve traffic flow. Also when LP is closed they have to close it now and then to let hazmat trucks through.

[Danno]

Another backup causer I positively identified yesterday is the crosswalk light at the W. side of Empire, for apparently no other reason does traffic back up to the top of the pass

Is that what did it? Ridiculous. And that crosswalk light is on a timer, it's not puch button driven. How many pedestrians are there in Empire that they need to have a crosswalk light that goes off EVEN WHEN THERE ARE NO FUCKING PEDESTRIANS IN SIGHT?