Highway Expansion - Creating Tomorrows Transportation Problems Today

How You Can Help:

Being a Change Agent Mobility management often involves changing current practices, so proponents must be Change Agents, that is, people within an organization who provide leadership for change and anticipate and address objections.   Change Agents must:   ·        Expand the range of solutions that are considered in decision-making.   ·        Question assumptions used for evaluation.   ·        Look at the big picture. Pay attention to context and indirect impacts.   ·        Ask, “Are current trends desirable?” “Will they result in an optimal future?”   ·        Use comprehensive evaluation techniques that consider all benefits and costs.   ·        Make change more attractive than current practices.   ·        Use positive statements. Emphasize the benefits of change.   ·        Focus on appropriate niches. Don’t try to be everything to everybody.   ·        Don’t be afraid to say “no” to bad ideas, but try to offer an alternative which better balances overall objectives.   ·        Listen to and educate stakeholders. Develop communication with stakeholders in order to clearly understand the basis of their concerns and how they can be addressed.   ·        Don’t give up! Most change requires several efforts before success. Be prepared for obstacles and setbacks.   Innovation often faces resistance and criticism from people who fear change.   But if new ideas are fundamentally sound and advocates are persistent, they will often succeed and the same people who previously opposed the change will embrace it and claim it as their own!

People often assume that what is considered normal must be good. For example, efforts to encourage use of alternative transport modes often face resistance from people who are accustomed to automobile travel and so cannot believe that alternatives could be better. “I just want to be able to drive where I want,” they might argue, implying that such behavior is quite reasonable, even if factors such as population growth, land prices and travel demand are increasing the costs of accommodating additional vehicle traffic and making alternatives more cost effective.

Change tends to be difficult because it requires “psychic effort,” that is, it makes people to think about situations that they otherwise can take for granted. For example, a shift from free to Cashed Out parking requires people to think about the value of teach trip and consider use of alternative modes. Similarly, it may seem stressful to try cycling or riding public transit. The first few times people face such a decision it may seem stressful. But over time people become accustomed to new options and conditions, and will often admit that they are better off overall, despite initial opposition.

The psychic effort can be reduced by making changes:

• Convenient
• Desirable
• “Normal”

Consider the first generation of trains, cars and airplanes. To modern eyes they look awkward, and their performance was poor. The first cars were horseless carriages, steered by a tiller rather than a wheel. The first Wright Flyer had various wings, stabilizers, steering panels and reinforcements that seem unnecessarily complex and inefficient; it could only carry one passenger lying on their stomach. But these modest beginnings evolved into modern cars and planes. Similarly, new transportation management programs and policies often seem awkward and inefficient when first introduced, in part because people are unfamiliar with them, and in part because important details may still need to be adjusted to improve performance. Do not let a program be judged too soon, do not be afraid to adjust programs and policies when needed, and continue to maintain a vision of what the program should achieve in the long term.

Organizations often require change management to reform standard practices and resources. For example, a planning agency may need to change its zoning codes, development standards, staff training, funding formulas and decision-making processes to effectively implement TDM. 

Real Versus Token Change Organizations often try to avoid real, fundamental change by implementing token reforms. An important Change Management skill is therefore being able to discern between token and real changes. Here are some indicators of real change.   ·    Although it may start small, it is the beginning rather than the end of organizational change.   ·    Leaders give it real respect and support.   ·    It is integrated into strategic plans and activities.   ·    It can grow to have a significant effect on organizational activities.

Rocky Mountain Rail Authority Establishing Contract (Word)

Contact your Colorado State Representative and Senator to Request  their Support for:

The Rocky Mountain Rail Authority Rail Program

A Rail Transit First Solution for the I-70 Mountain Corridor

http://www.leg.state.co.us/

To Locate your Colorado Legislative District:

http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/lcsstaff/REAP/Default.htm

Contact your Colorado County Board of Commissioners:
County Contact Document (Word)
http://www.ccionline.org/links.htm or http://www.ccionline.org/counties_map.htm

And Request their Support for:

Participation in the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority

A Rail Transit First Solution for the I-70 Mountain Corridor

NEW FEASIBLE ELEVATED RAIL ALTERNATIVE

for the I-70 Mountain Corridor

Fast Light Innovative Regional Train

Overview of Swiss Stadler “FLIRT”

Electric Multiple Unit Train

(new in 2004) 

 Stadler FLIRT

Stadler FLIRT Elevated Rail Alternative Attributes:

Roomy design for even greater passenger comfort

FLIRT is a cost-effective, use-optimised vehicle concept featuring proven, tested system modules. Its great advantage is clear:

The unit can be fully and completely adapted to the customer’s regional or urban transit needs.

On-Board Equipment Storage Room 

 Platform Height Floor for

Roll-on/Roll-off Equipment & Baggage Access 

Toilet Facility 

Passenger Compartment