OFFICIAL I70 BITCH THREAD....

[WTF is dat]

Quality of life. The Idaho Springs express train will be two stops away from Union Station. 30 minutes. One of the most walkable communities in the metro area. Easy access to one of the nation's secondary tech hubs. Sometimes this phrase is used as hyperbole, but in this case you literally have no idea what you're missing.

Are you proposing building another line through Denver metro? Because the west line from golden into downtown Denver already takes 40 minutes with 10 stops.


We can't even afford the 20 billion to expand I70 so instead we should spend 100 billion on a train no one will use. #stfulogic

[stfu&gbtw]

blah, blah, blah

Have you ever even visited a city with functioning commuter rail? Or do you look at trains and think "what the fuck is that?"

[WTF is dat]

Have you ever even visited a city with functioning commuter rail? Or do you look at trains and think "what the fuck is that?"

So I assume you are advocating in favor of an express route. Meaning a third rail would be needed. The west line is single tracked for the last few miles meaning that for that section you would need to construct 2 new tracks. The costs just keep ballooning.

Never mind the fact that LRT (the type of trains we have here in Denver) have a maximum speed of 55 mph. So you are either advocating in favor of building an entirely new rail line all the way to downtown, or a 55 mph ride max to Idaho springs.

It is also worth noting that the central Denver tracks are already very congested, with no room to build express tracks. That part of the trip is going to be slow no matter what.

You should also consider that Union Station is about to be fully built out within the next year. It would be impossible to get a new train line into Union Station now that the whole area is built out. So your option of an entirely new line into Union Station is off the table.

[DasBlunt]

union station is really coming along nicely. great place to take a walk.

STFU, I don't even think there is room for what you are suggesting along the I70 corridor. Some of these mountains are bigger than you might imagine....

The only solution is to throttle the people that CAN and WILL pay to have other perks for traveling more during the week, like shipping companies, large scheduled oversize vehicles.

If we eliminate those kind of vehicles during peak times on weekends and holidays, quality of life goes up.

CDOT really needs to do its job and give the taxpayers back our time. Imposing state taxes for shipping routes would be easy and better for the people....

[zartagen]

Sorry to derail the train talk, but crested butte has an awesome billboard in Idaho Springs. It has an I-70 sign with a slash through it and says "take 285" along with "enjoy a toll-free drive" or something like that.

[stfu&gbtw]

So I assume you are advocating in favor of an express route. Meaning a third rail would be needed. The west line is single tracked for the last few miles meaning that for that section you would need to construct 2 new tracks. The costs just keep ballooning.

Never mind the fact that LRT (the type of trains we have here in Denver) have a maximum speed of 55 mph. So you are either advocating in favor of building an entirely new rail line all the way to downtown, or a 55 mph ride max to Idaho springs.

It is also worth noting that the central Denver tracks are already very congested, with no room to build express tracks. That part of the trip is going to be slow no matter what.

You should also consider that Union Station is about to be fully built out within the next year. It would be impossible to get a new train line into Union Station now that the whole area is built out. So your option of an entirely new line into Union Station is off the table.

You're sort of amazing. It's almost like you think if you just list enough of the many, many aspects of mass transportation that CO has gotten wrong, eventually it will illustrate that you have any idea what you're talking about... are you thinking I need convincing that you guys have fucked this up? Yes, it will be harder to fix it than it would have been to do it correctly in the first place. The fact remains that these problems can and will be fixed. If you want to be a part of the problem, you don't have a future here. C-ya.

[stfu&gbtw]

union station is really coming along nicely. great place to take a walk.

STFU, I don't even think there is room for what you are suggesting along the I70 corridor. Some of these mountains are bigger than you might imagine....

The only solution is to throttle the people that CAN and WILL pay to have other perks for traveling more during the week, like shipping companies, large scheduled oversize vehicles.

If we eliminate those kind of vehicles during peak times on weekends and holidays, quality of life goes up.

CDOT really needs to do its job and give the taxpayers back our time. Imposing state taxes for shipping routes would be easy and better for the people....

There's plenty of room. You've been around. People jam trains into far smaller spaces than the I70 corridor. 4 tracks requires less than 60'. Plenty of potential station sites exist throughout the route.

[Woodrow Woodpecker]

What the hell does "stfu&gbtw" stand for anyways?

Stranded too far uptown & got benched to West?

Strained the friends underware & got blueballs to wipe?

...?

[WTF is dat]

You're sort of amazing. It's almost like you think if you just list enough of the many, many aspects of mass transportation that CO has gotten wrong, eventually it will illustrate that you have any idea what you're talking about... are you thinking I need convincing that you guys have fucked this up? Yes, it will be harder to fix it than it would have been to do it correctly in the first place. The fact remains that these problems can and will be fixed. If you want to be a part of the problem, you don't have a future here. C-ya.

Please explain to me the solution and how it will be funded?

[WTF is dat]

What the hell does "stfu&gbtw" stand for anyways?

Stranded too far uptown & got benched to West?

Strained the friends underware & got blueballs to wipe?

...?

It stands for Shitty Transvestite Faggot Underneath a Gay Black Transvestite Whore

[BrokeSomeRibs]

It stands for Shitty Transvestite Faggot Underneath a Gay Black Transvestite Whore

Classy

[stfu&gbtw]

It stands for Shitty Transvestite Faggot Underneath a Gay Black Transvestite Whore

And you were asking me have a serious discussion with you?

Enjoy your trannies. I'm sure they'll be moving to southern Wyoming with you. Don't worry... you'll love it there.

[fastfred]

What deal was worked out with Breck?

Cliff notes verson
Breck went for vail's throat and was going to tax the shit out of them, they wanted to tax lift tickets, summer park tickets, and season passes. vail does not give out season pass info at all, if breck was to tax season passes, they would have to discolose pass numbers

vail waged a really bad ad war and smear campagin against the town because taxes are bad, pretty much used the same tactic that the anti legal weed people used, if you tax the company and people no on will come to breck and ski anymore because they can't afford the tax

the town pussed out pretty good and vail got there way with a small bs lift ticket tax, no season pass tax

now the state should start taxing season passes with the money going directly to highway improvements

people have brought up good ideas, but no one wants to pay taxes, people don't businesses don't, without tax money nothing happens

why? cause look at california or ny or any other east coast state that is over taxed, the return on the money back to the people doesn't exist, it's swallowed up by politicians and bs projects, it eaten up by lazy goverment employees who do nothing but justify their job everyday, tell all those lazy fucks in the office to grab a shovel and get to work

[simple]

Hey STFU tell your investors to get ready to buy in Idaho Springs soon. The largest employer in Clear Creek county is starting massive layoffs in January. Maybe you can rehire those folks to start digging your train tunnel with shovels. Then you'll have your utopia by 2125.

[cmsummit]

What deal was worked out with Breck?

The Town will get 3.5 million annually from VR to use for parking & transportation improvements. These funds will come from a new lift ticket tax imposed by VR. I guess the Town figured that VR is responsible for much of the parking and transportation issues in Breck, so why not hold them accountable? Afterall, VR already has an agreement in place with the town of Vail for the same purpose. The lift tax agreement was worked out between the two entities, but still had to go to a town vote. It passed, easily.

[hatchgreenchile]

There's 1,600 people in Idaho Springs. You already have to tear down a third of the buildings for the rail line... might as well tear down the other 2/3 and build new high rise condo/retail for you dream bedroom-exurb? Don't forget the old-timey facade on the buildings... and budget for the sound insulation to block out the trains 1-2 blocks away from everything. I'm sure if you have enough money to buy the politicians to get the eminent domain seizures of the entire town, you can finance the rest.

You don't think your stuff all the way through.

Only thing missing from Yuppietopia is an art gallery or two!

[hatchgreenchile]

PSA

Tomorrow — Saturday, December 12 — the lane will finally be available for drivers to use during what the Colorado Department of Transportation has designated as a testing period. While signs will show toll rates, no charges will be assessed while CDOT works out the kinks of the new system. Once the testing period is over, however — and CDOT hasn't put a date certain on when it will end — drivers will be charged for using the lanes, with fees determined by the amount of traffic on the highway.

http://www.westword.com/news/i-70-ex...-to-40-7418920

[smitchell333]

Edit : so does the Toll lane extend through the tunnels or just to Idaho Springs?

I queried CDOT about the tunnel lane specifically and it sounds like the third lane from IS through the tunnel and up to Floyd Hill will at lest be open at most times, with or without the toll lane in operation.

I received your questions pertaining to how the I-70 Mountain Express Lane is going to operate in relation to the eastbound Veterans Memorial Tunnel.

On the peak travel days that the Express Lane is open, the far left lane through the tunnel will be tolled. On all other days, the far left lane through the tunnel will be open as a general purpose lane and free for all to travel in.

I hope that helps address your concerns.

Regards,

[skiracer88_00]

Wow, this thread is full of whiny bitches. It sucks that so many people in Colorado refuse to entertain the idea that we should pay a bit more in taxes to improve our infrastructure (not to mention our schools). Denver is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country and we NEED to upgrade our infrustructure to keep up. Yes, this likely includes an impending rail line along with an expansion of the I70 corridor. Imagine if you kooks were around when Eisenhower proposed construction of the interstate system. We would still be driving to the mountains on a two lane highway with stop lights every few miles.

Our taxes are ridiculously low compared to just about any area on the east or west coast, yet our standard of living is incredible FOR NOW. Our state government is doing some great things with the pittance they have to work with, but due to laws like TABOR, our standard of living will begin to drop like a rock as more people move into the area, while the government doesn't have the resources to adapt to the growth. Get your heads out of your asses.

[dino]

Seems your logic on a penalty to play on the weekends, just seems really out of touch with reality, how does that benefit anyone but you guys at CDOT who can't schedule properly to begin with?......what a disaster..

Lots of words and you missed the biggest 2x a week issue, the number of Semi-trucks fucking up the flow....even just the number of them makes a huge difference, besides the fucked up way some of them drive.
Our culture's insistence on transported goods will not change, but how we throttle those goods getting through Colorado can change.

I want my time back, and will wait longer for goods and services based on those goods....trucks should not have rights, they are the ones needing to be throttled.....

Well...I'm not sure how I gave the impression that I worked for CDOT, but whatevs...

A massive weekend toll would be non-discriminatory: it would automatically solve the truck problem because they wouldn't pay and it would add an economic incentive for them to use off-peak times. Makes a lot of sense to me that the truck toll would be even higher. I would also support better mandatory chain laws, stopping trucks in storms, etc. Some of that is already happening... And like I said, the tolls could pay for cheap or free bus service. Everyone wins because it eliminates all the congestion.

Who does it benefit? Everyone, because it maximizes the use of the existing infrastructure for the lowest overall cost and eliminates the congestion overnight without enduring 10-years of massive construction that fuck the road for everyone. It amazes me how folks are happy to pay hundreds for a season pass + thousands for gear + 50k for the Audi/Silverado + gas + parking + lodging + food + the gopro, but somehow the road should be free and a toll would make skiing too expensive. $50 toll for a family of four is probably 20% of the cost of the day skiing.

And it's easy to say you oppose tolls, but how would you propose paying for a massive weekend warrior subsidy? Any general tax dollars will complete with projects that have more (everyday) benefits. And, remember, *any* solution that adds cheap capacity will just be instantly full the day it is complete. Sure banning trucks on weekends might help a little; hardly a comprehensive solution, tho.

As far as the "I want my time back" comment: I-70 was built with federal tax dollars in the 60-70s. We collectively have decided to "starve the beast" by refusing to index the gas tax to inflation and to account for a more efficient fleet. If you "want your time back" start supporting a rise in the gas tax and/or miles/driven tax and/or tolls to pay your fair share for the capacity you use. Right now we're all getting a free ride on the backs of the taxpayers in the 50s and 60s. To bitch and complain about your time being stolen just seems entitled and ignorant to me.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Wait, so is a "toll lane test period" just a three lane highway? Revolutionary!!!

By the way, what are you front rangers doing on the computer? LEAVE NOW, DUMPING, POWDER WEEKEND!!!

Oh, I'm looking for investors for my new venture. I've got the Elks Lodge in Georgetown rented out for Friday nights. We open at 9pm. $29.99 get you unlimited Coors Light Drafts, ski movies on the big screen and a place to throw down your therma rest. Lights out is 1am. In the morning you get a coffee and a breakfast burrito to go.

[stfu&gbtw]

Hey STFU tell your investors to get ready to buy in Idaho Springs soon. The largest employer in Clear Creek county is starting massive layoffs in January. Maybe you can rehire those folks to start digging your train tunnel with shovels. Then you'll have your utopia by 2125.

Best thing that could have happened. The area would have never broken away from the idea that money only comes out of the ground if it hadn't. But it's not time to buy here yet... Not until the workforce housing issues are resolved. Right now the market is incredibly skewed for lack of capacity.

What do you folks not like about progress? It can't stay the way it is, and it's not going backwards... CO has incredible opportunity. Nearly as incredible as how much its native residents seem to not want it. The whole world is full of places with shit pizza and no hope of positive development. Why not move there? I phrase that as a question, but of course, at some point, that'll just be a statement.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Shut it the fuck down. #nomorecitybitchesinthemountains

Ya'll go on and on about what the government should do for you. What we gots is a rich white people from the city want to go get their mountain on Saturday and Sunday problem.

Once we've solved all our real problems, we'll get to you. In the mean time, wake up a little earlier, go have dinner in the mountains Sunday night and try to gain a little perspective.

[Kinnikinnick]

The whole world is full of places with shit pizza and no hope of positive development. Why not move there? .

For the New York transplant a-holes its always on about the pizza. Like the New York pizza is really all that anyways.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Wait, your saying Colorado has good pizza? I'm confused.

I can't wait for the mountainmegaopolis(tm)! No more Brown Town! Substitute Chatfield for Lake Geneva and Keystone for the Grand Montets! I'll be living in beautiful down town Auroroa taking the train up Vail for some freshies jamming out some work on the laptop!