Complete the beltway

Posted by samsmargolis on March 25, 2008 at 7:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Amen. The City of Golden needs to get over themselves and recognize that driving through their hole of a city on Hwys 6 & 93 is a pain. Put the remaining loop through so the vast majority of the traffic moving north / south in that area doesn't have to stop at every ridiculous light along the way for local traffic.

Posted by ilovegambling on March 25, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

samsmargolis...thats brilliant. you must live in highlands ranch. So you're an advocate of transportation solutions that 1. are economic failures, and 2. don't solve transportation problems.

Posted by huffdiver on March 25, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Isn't this the same group of bozos that said they did not want the digital TV tower that would serve the most public good?

The new tower will be 1/2 the size of the existing ones and will replace something like 4 or 5 towers, leaving only one on Lookout Mtn.

But, but, but IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN!!!!!!

Posted by primafacie on March 25, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

A "beltway" is a very inefficient means of highway transit, but as long as we've gone this far, might as well finish it.

We still have no direct route from the northwest suburbs and downtown Denver to the southeast suburbs, other than driving south on Interstate 25, back north on I-225, then south/southeast again on surface streets. A crosstown freeway connecting southeast Aurora/Centennial through downtown with Arvada/Broomfield would be far more useful.

Going between the airport and the southwest surburbs is an equally circuitous route.

Then again, putting the airport in South Dakota wasn't exactly a stroke of genius.

Posted by samsmargolis on March 25, 2008 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

huffdiver - you're correct. Same bozos. You can see the rabid lil' doomsayers donning their aluminum headgear for protection as your forced to drive through their land that time forgot.

Posted by SASQUATCH on March 25, 2008 at 2:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Golden has lost its lustre long ago--the home of a foreign owned brewery and nuclear dust. Bulldoze right through downtown; it will only upgrade property values.

Posted by raysmom on March 25, 2008 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

samsmargolis- to say that you are a doofus is understating the facts. The tower was a different group, first off. I thought they were wrong, and a bipartisan effort by state politicians made the decision for them by placing the tower completion in a bill signed by President Bush.

As for our "hole of a city"- you are welcome to not travel here- PLEASE! If you are from Arvada or Broomfield, which I suspect, then my condolences. Look at those places! Ugly, overgrown "burbs" that coin the phrase- "A thousand shades of beige", huge "Big Box" stores everywhere, the quality of life of a third-world nation! In addition, their local governments have caved in to foreign interests that have bought the rights to this boondoggle beltway, and in exchange for their $$$, Broomfield and Arvada have GIVEN UP THEIR RIGHTS TO IMPROVE ANY ARTERIALS THAT WOULD COMPETE WITH THE BELTWAY! You sell-out! You just want US to alleviate the traffic problems that the Arvada & Broomfield politicians have created with their greed. Tell me you have such an important life that having to stop at a few stoplights in a bedroom community is going to make a big difference in the world! We're fighting for our way of life, here, and trying to make your nasty, self-centered, uninformed opinions look justified is like polishing a turd. Why don't you slow down, stop in town, walk along Clear Creek, shop in our quiet historic district, enjoy the hang-gliders from the Golden Hotel's lunch patio, and bring huffdiver with you...you just might decide that this "hole" beats the he!! out of anywhere else in the Metro area to call home and raise "the children", and we aim to do our best to keep it that way.

Posted by raysmom on March 25, 2008 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh, and Sasquatch- thanks for illuminating the REAL REASON so many of you busy, busy elitists want this beltway- you don't give a d@mn about communities- it's all about the "gloss" and the $$$$, and there are many places you can go to get them, with my blessings.

Posted by samsmargolis on March 25, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"The Lake Cedar proposal has received opposition from some of the neighbors on Lookout Mountain and from the city of Golden." - RMN Letter to Editor Feb 19, 2006

raysmom - tuck in your forehead vein, breathe...and recall that it was the City of Golden - in part - that voiced opposition to the tower. Your mayor even wrote a Speakout column to that effect. Just like Golden opposed Fastracks; just like Golden opposes the beltway completion; just like Golden opposes anything that will pull it into the 21st Century. Heck, you should elect Douglas Bruce for your mayor just so he can bang a gavel and shout "NO!" to everything. Makes about as much sense as your city's previous positions on working with your neighbors.

Posted by temurlan on March 25, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just out of curiosity, where would they put it? Bulldoze homes? Cut through a mountain?

Posted by raysmom on March 25, 2008 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"IN PART", and please don't concern yourself over my health- the vitriol and sneering superiority you display should send you to the cardiolgist soon- I'll visit you in the ER, 'K?

The city council was divided on the issue of the towers, brought up and fought against by the wealthy and not so wealthy residents of Lookout Mountain. We have a new Mayor, by the way, and he is progressive and young, but he knows the FACTS about his beltway, which many don't and he is against it. Our city gov't actually LISTENS to the concerns of it's residents, and I take pride in the fact that they have considered our lifestyle preferences over the pressure from politicans from our loving "neighbors" who want to stick their economic and transportation problems down our throats. And the Fastracks to the Taj Mahal- yeah, that's been a big success story so far, huh? Reduced services, delays, higher budgets, stealing people's land and livlihoods. Hahahaha! If that's the best you can come up with maybe YOU need Doug Bruce, who is an even bigger doofus than you are, to teach YOU some manners and negotiating skills- you two may play a different instrument, but you play the same tune!

Posted by samsmargolis on March 25, 2008 at 3:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

raysmom - you kicked over your spitoon...

Posted by raysmom on March 25, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

samsmargolis, Yes, you are a class act. You make me smile that I can push your buttons so effectively. You will not address the issues- your ignorance and ugly personality rule you. Take your ball and go home, Sweetie. I'm not wasting any more time on you. I am going on a quiet drive into downtown Golden to have a glass of wine on the lovely Rhapsody patio with friends. Join us after you get your nap- you need it! You simply are not getting your way, and you act like a spoiled child. Good night!

Posted by raysmom on March 25, 2008 at 4:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh, and BTW, it's SPITTOON (sp), two t's, dear...yes, you are a genius, a legend in your own mind. LMAO!

Posted by rockyviewer on March 25, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think it's a great idea to complete the beltway through Golden, and I live there.
Safety would increase because the at-grade crossings with side streets would be eliminated, there are so many pedestrians and road bicycles crossing US6 at 19th St., it's amazing more people aren't killed.
It's hair-raising to drive on 93 north of town, especially on really windy days - with all of the signs it looks like there are probably lots of accidents there, too, that could be reduced by widening, adding medians and guardrails, etc.
And traffic on southbound US 6 between SH 58 and Colfax does get pretty hairy at rush hour; I've waited in that line for 20 minutes multiple times.
Road grades are steep and curves are fairly tight for much of the road near Golden, precluding 75-mph speed limits. And people already drive 60-65 along US 6 and Highway 93 west and north of town, so I can't imagine there would be any noticeable noise increase.
North Golden has grown very fast in recent years, and currently it's hard to get from there to anywhere very fast.
I just don't know where the beltway would cross over between 93 and the NW parkway - I believe Rocky Flats is a wildlife preserve now that the clean-up is complete.
And they may still have to close the new highway on the really windy days, at least to truckers.

Posted by samsmargolis on March 25, 2008 at 5:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ah, yes. Nothing quite like boxed wine, aluminum hats and banjo music in downtown Golden to finish off an afternoon of lunatic ranting. By the way, if you're going to play the role of spelling nazi, ensure your own product is without flaw. Run your spell check for "cardiologist," you don't need an apostrophe for "it's" and "livelihood" actually needs an "e" to be correctly spelled. Aren't you just the poster child for the City of Golden, now?

Posted by arby on March 25, 2008 at 7:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I live in Golden and I would like to see the beltway completed on condition they removed the stupid GD traffic circles. They are the real hazard. No one knows what they are supposed to do and the circles just goof up traffic. Lakewood and Westminster tried being European too. They finally gave up. I hope Golden does the same.

Posted by bropous on March 26, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Agreed, time to close the loop and bring the project to completion.

HOWEVER: The idea of a privately-owned and operated toll road is really offensive. We all pay our taxes that are supposed to provide for our transportation, and what do we get? Cognisceti who want to stop every road expansion in the area, mass transit bible-thumpers who want to force everyone out of their cars, and the environazis who use every legal trick in the book to keep concrete from being laid. Oh, and of course, the "for the cheeeeren" types who want to steal highway funds and misappropriate them to send the kids of illegals to all-day preschool statewide.

Golden is a nice place, but it IS part of the Denver Metro area, and we need the completion of the beltway. This area needs more highways, wider streets, and more intelligent decisions made on north-south and east-west routes. Trying to get from one end of town to the other is a nightmare, especially during rush hours. Of course, this is what the anti-car freaks are pushing for, trying to make the driving experience so difficult that people will simply abandon their vehicles and jump on a bus.

We need reasoned approaches to providing for the needs of the people, not for the needs of the smart growth zealots to force their vision of a future devoid of personal vehicles on the rest of us.

For the record, we with cars pay a HECK of a lot more tax dollars than do the car-less, and we should have a greater say in what is done with our tax money.

Posted by DickSugg on March 26, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Supporting the beltway completion, Rocky editors say that it is a “logical link.” Sound logic must consider facts. The end points of the proposed toll highway are at SH-93 and 64th Ave, and SH-128 at Interlocken Loop. The distance along SH-93 and SH-128 between those two points is 14 miles. Because average speeds between traffic lights is well above 60mph, current driving time for that 14 miles is 15-16 minutes, depending on traffic light delays. What driver will pay a toll when such good time may be made on free roads? Widening and intersection improvements made on those state highways, as outlined in the Metro Vision 2030 plan, will make the free drive even easier.

Arvada agrees that the beltway will “take traffic off local streets”; the street they cite is Wadsworth Blvd. The NW Corridor EIS has projected that completing the beltway would reduce Wadsworth 2030 traffic from 65,000 to 60,000 vehicles per day. Drivers from the north are mostly heading for the dense commercial and employment area along Wadsworth north of I-70. Why pay a toll to drive miles to the west and have to double back miles to the east to reach their destinations?

Land owners and developers have great influence on the Arvada City Council. Arvada’s plans are to expand current population from 105,000 to 120,000. This expansion is based on more sprawl towards the western foothills. Residential development west of SH-93 has already started, and commercial development near the mountain backdrop is being planned. They know that a completed beltway will not improve the mobility of people living in northern Jefferson County, and they know that toll revenue will not come close to paying for building, operating and marinating the superhighway. They are betting that Colorado taxpayers will bail out the beltway project from which they expect to profit financially.

Posted by DickSugg on March 26, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For samsmargolis and rockyviewer. The toll highway plan does not extend through the Golden City limits, and will not widen SH-93 or remove and replace several traffic light intersections with grade-separated interchanges. But the Muller Engineering Design paid for by Golden does exactly that. Please go to the Golden City web site to see that plan for widening SH-93 to four lanes, divided for safety, and see where the traffic light intersections will be removed or replaced on US-6 as well as SH-93. The result will be more smooth traffic flow on a parkway with mitigation to protect residences from noise, air and light pollution.

Rush hour commuters who complain about the traffic delays through Golden are joined by Jeffco Commissioner Kevin McCasky who says that improvements are needed most on the SH-93 – US-6 corridor through Golden. However, his “solution” to this problem is merely to complete the toll highway from south of Interlocken to SH-93 at 64th Ave. north of Golden. Of course, Golden does not have the money or authority to build that 7 mile improvement through the city. But neither Jefferson County authorities nor CDOT offer any support for completing the transportation improvement that addresses the traffic delay complaints.

Posted by TonyB on March 26, 2008 at 11:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I've lived in Colorado for almost 40 years now.

So far, I have not paid a penny in Colorado tolls. With all the Republican and Democrat proposals, that'll be getting harder to do. I HAVE paid tolls heading east on I-70 near Witchita, Kansas. That toll road smack dab on a major Interstate, has been there for decades. Thank you Republicans.

I have paid a lot in gas taxes though. Colorado roads seem to be holding up fairly well.

DickSugg, you seem to be very sharp on this subject

Posted by info on March 27, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Here's some additional info. Those who support this toll road may email me with intelligent questions, and I will try to dispel the many myths. Also see www.GoTheBetterWay.org, Rob Medina, CINQ – Citizens Involved in the Northwest Quadrant, 720.261.2058, info@gothebetterway.org

McCasky Makes Overture to Use Public Funds to Keep Beltway Alive

At a recent transportation meeting, Jefferson County Commissioner, Kevin McCasky said about the proposed beltway, “CDOT has taken a step back…hands off. We (the county) will have to do an authority.”

According to Rob Medina with CINQ, “We’ve heard from several sources that CDOT will abandon the beltway. I am very pleased that Governor Ritter has seen the inappropriate nature of this toll road. The bad news is our county commissioners are desperate to keep this boondoggle alive. When McCasky says, ‘Do an authority’, he means create a financing entity and use tax money to subsidize this toll road. Some private bond money might be contributed, but the vast majority of funding would come at tax payer expense.”

Tom Hoffman, CINQ manager said, “I’m not surprised by Commissioner McCasky’s comments. He is doing a great disservice to Jeffco by ignoring the facts. CDOT has taken a step back on the beltway, yet McCasky advocates moving forward. Any tax authority would need to be approved by voters. I don’t see people in Jeffco supporting a tax subsidy for a private toll road. If the toll road was financially viable, a public subsidy wouldn’t be necessary. Economics don’t lie. This proposed toll road is bad business and economically unviable. The Northwest Parkway toll road in Broomfield is a perfect example of an inappropriate toll road.”

Go The Better Way – CINQ supports a moderate and less costly approach to widen existing roads including SH93 and Indiana/McIntyre to four (4) lanes. This plan is estimated to cost 50-percent less than a beltway toll road. (Estimates are $1B for beltway toll road versus $600M for improving existing arterials).

“By improving existing streets, we ‘connect’ the beltway, but in a way that is more feasible. The Northwest Quadrant Feasibility Study in 2000 concluded that this was the best approach to provide better mobility, said Hoffman.

According to Medina, “The real motivation to build this beltway toll road is greed. Developers hope to get rich by developing their land around Jeffco airport, and Arvada wants to build more homes – and elected officials supporting these special interests. Our attention should be focused on fiscal restraint and solving congestion, not building toll roads to support private developers. McCasky’s Superhighway toll road will cost more and create neighborhood congestion as traffic avoids the toll road. I think the Commissioner is irresponsible by pushing this ‘pipe dream’ because the economics don’t work. He’s wasting valuable time and we are stuck with dangerous, congested roads, especially SH93.”