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Gov. Ritter commends I-70 collaborative effort

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Contributed by: Stacy Stegman on 6/27/2008

DENVER - Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Executive Director Russell George and the Federal Highways Administration Division Administrator K arla Petty joined together today to formally recognize the Interstate 70 Collaborative Effort team for their work in recommending and identifying a long-term solution for the Interstate 70 West Corridor.

"This team is to be commended for their commitment and dedication to this endeavor - it was unprecedented," said Gov. Ritter. "The future of I-70 West is critical to the future of Colorado so it was vital that these various stakeholder representatives were able to come together and reach a consensus. This monumental step has opened the doors for progress."

The Collaborative Effort (CE) began in November 2007, with the goal of recommending an alternative to address the corridor's long-term transportation needs. Twenty-seven members were part of the CE, representing different interests along the 144-mile segment between C-470 and Glenwood Springs. It included local governments, highway users, transit, environmental, business and recreational interests, as well as state and federal agencies.* The CE is part of the decision-making process for the I-70 Mountain Corridor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.

Working with facilitators from the Keystone Center, the team met regularly at various corridor locations, focusing on identifying future modes of travel and transportation improvement strategies. In May, the CE team drafted an agreement on the improvements to be implemented along the I-70 Mountain Corridor. It recommended high-speed mass transit and highway improvements that will:

Enhance safety and mobility for all users
Be responsive and adaptive to broader global trends
Preserve, restore and enhance community & cultural resources
Preserve, restore or enhance ecosystems
Be economically viable over the long-term
An Advanced Guideway System (AGS) is an essential part of the CE's recommendation, with a commitment to evaluate and implement an AGS within the corridor. Specific highway improvements also are a component, which includes:

Six lanes from Floyd Hill through the Twin Tunnels including a bike trail and frontage roads from Idaho Springs East to Hidden Valley and Hidden Valley to US 6
Empire Junction (U.S. 40/I-70) improvements
Eastbound auxiliary lane from the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel (EJMT) to Herman Gulch
Westbound auxiliary lane from Bakerville to the EJMT
(see attached document)

"This is a significant milestone, not just for the people who live along this corridor but for the citizens of Colorado as well," said CDOT's Russell George. "Their participation, hard work and dedication to the process was crucial. The CE is a great example of what can be accomplished when we all come together to improve our transportation system."

I-70 Corridor Collaborative Effort Team
Weldon Allen - CDOT Region 3 Transportation Director
Art Ballah - Colorado Motor Carriers Association
TJ Brown - Colorado Environmental Coalition
Tim Carey - US Army Corps of Engineers
Sara Cassidy - Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Shaun Cutting - Federal Highway Administration
Harry Dale - Rocky Mountain Rail Authority
Jon Esty - Colorado Rail Passenger Association
Gary Frey - Colorado Trout Unlimited
Beth Ganz - Vail Resorts
Tresi Houpt - Garfield County Commissioner
Thad Noll - Summit Stage
Carol Kruse - US Forest Service
Jeff Kullman - CDOT Region 1 Transportation Director
Mary Jane Loevlie - City of Idaho Springs
Bert Melcher - Sierra Club, Rocky Mountain Chapter
Melanie Mills - Colorado Ski Country USA
Amy Mueller - City of Denver
Cynthia Neely - Town of Georgetown
Kevin O'Malley - Clear Creek County Commissioner
Michael Penny - Town of Frisco
Ann Rajewski - CASTA
Terry Rosapep - Federal Transit Administration Regional Administrator
Peter Runyon - Eagle County Commissioner
Karn Stiegelmeier - Sierra Club
Eric Turner - Summit County Chamber
Stan Zemler - Town of Vail

Stacy Stegman, CDOT

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