RAIL TRANSIT WILL RELIEVE I-70 CONGESTION AND BENEFIT MOUNTAIN ECONOMIES

Traffic delay while commuting to work or traveling to a recreation destination is considered a cost in terms of time taken away from other activities.  During the 15 year proposed highway construction period, reductions in the number of lanes, and temporary closures will further exacerbate current traffic problems.  I-70 Resort Counties have the greatest share of the Mountain Corridor tourism industry and therefore would have the greatest vulnerability to commercial disruptions and loss of attractiveness arising from chronic traffic congestion (CDOT, Draft PEIS).  Highway expansion will further deter tourists and workers from visiting and working in Resort Counties, negatively affecting overall trends in income, employment and population.

The scores of vehicles traveling through Colorado on I-70 also produce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, threatening the prosperity of ski economies around the world. Europe is already beginning to take precautionary measures to protect their ski resorts. For example, in Switzerland, 3000 square meters of the Swiss Gurschen glacier will be covered in 1cm PVC plastic sheet to preserve the glacier.  A mountain transit system in Colorado would remove thousands of cars from I-70, reducing the state’s contribution to global surface temperature increases and protecting the state’s most valuable economic assets.

In Colorado there is currently a significant amount of recreational travelers that avoid Mountain Corridor travel during the growing peak periods due to traffic and congestion.  If I-70 lanes are added, this suppressed demand will be liberated and fill the new highway capacity almost immediately, resulting in a similar traffic dilemma after enduring 15 years of construction.  In order to satisfy projected travel demand, we would need to add additional lanes every 2 to 5 years while also adding lanes to US40, SH9, US6, US285, SH91, US24 and other arterials and local roads in order to prevent complete gridlock once motorists exit I-70.  Widening highways to satisfy increased travel demand will only result in the paving of the wonderful mountains and mountain

Colorado’s mountains communities present a combination of breathtaking landscapes and unique recreational opportunities, making them an increasingly attractive place to live or own a second home.  As a result, real estate values have increased in some mountain areas at a far faster rate than the median household income, making it increasingly difficult for local residents to afford housing.  For example, the average sales price of all housing types in Summit County grew at an annual rate of nearly 18 percent from 1990 though 2000 while the County’s median household income only grew at an annual rate of 7 percent.

Due to the increased congestion of I-70, employees are less willing to commute to their jobs in high-traffic regions.  Summit county, for example, had a record number of unfilled jobs in 2000 at 1,200 (Source: Summit County Housing Needs Assessment, 2001). In a survey of employers, the primary reason estimated for employees leaving a job or declining a job offer was due to housing (935 jobs affected), followed by transportation (408 jobs) and day care (288 jobs) issues

Transit Oriented Development or TOD is a strategy that focuses compact growth around transit stops.   TOD benefits to Colorado’s mountain communities:

• Investment from a broad array of sources such as redevelopment boards, transit agencies, housing groups, local and regional governments, and business associations
• Increased real estate values and local business opportunities
• Compact development that reduces public and private infrastructure costs (e.g., sewer, power, water) per housing unit.
• The ability to plan where economic activity will occur to achieve the most economically and socially efficient use of local land.