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Blog Entry 3 of 3 Our Transportation Future
Transportation is a major element of our daily life. We use our transportation system to get to work, to home to our family, to go shopping, to do recreation and have fun in our life. We drive cars, walk, ride bicycles, ride motorcycles, ride buses, trains/light rail/communter rail, airplanes, even use boats and ships (not much in Colorado). Some of our transportation system is good and some not so good. I will discuss the future of transportation and what is going to impact us, what are the changes, and what we can do to change the future.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~MeanGene

Transportation we need today will be in 20 years
Contributed by: Gene Putman   on 8/19/2007

In recent weeks we have seen in the news a old bridge I-35 crash into the Mississippi killing several people in Minnisota, some not recovered yet.

Here in Adams Co. we have simular problems. We have several bridges that showed up on in internet recently.

I have been speaking out about for the last several years, remember 144th Ave. over I-25, or 128th Ave. over I-25, or mayber 120th Ave. over I-25. Two have been replaced, and 128th Ave. is scheduled to start in October.

The internet article included severalin the Thornton area: 1) SH 7 bridge across the South Platte River, 2) SH 44 (i.e. 104th Ave.) across the South Platte River, 3) 84th Ave. at I-25, and 4) 104th Ave. at I-25. On of the worst bridges in the state is on I-25 near Invesco Field where I-25 crosses over the South Platte River.

Its score was about the same as the one that crashed and is one year older. What would happen traffic if that bridge was to go done? What would happen to traffic congestion then.

Transportation at the Federal and State level is in deep trouble. As I have said before, we are driving more on each gallon of gas, and the gas tax rate has not kept up with inflation and many other factors.

The problem is worse! The Denver Regional Council of Governments is currently drafting the 2035 Transportation Plan and defining what projects that will be build in the time between now and the year 2035. 30% of the projects shown in the 2030 had to be cut to make the 2035, that is with 5 years of additional funding.

I think that all of us would say that the widening of I-25 is needed now, right! The stop and go traffic south bound in the morning from 120th Ave. day in and day out. In the evening we have the merging of I-25 (4lane down to 3), I-270 (1 lane), I-76 (1 lane), I-25 HOV (1 lane),and U.S. 36 (1 lane), all coming together into 3 lanesby 84th Ave. North of SH 7 CDOT is studing to take the existing 6 lanes they just completed up to 8 lanes, but their studies to not show any impovements south to U.S.36. I think that most people would say that it needs to start now. Not a chance.

Well, maybe it will start by 2015, NO!
It has to start by 2020, NO!
Your telling me that It will startuntil after2025, right, sometime between 2025 and 2030. The construction will last into the 2031 to 2032.

Because of declining revenues, higher construction cost, more studies, and the gas tax at both the State and Federal level has not been increased for 15 years. It take time to do all of the studies that are needed normally 2 to 5 and sometime 7 years. Then it is design work that takes 1 to 2 years and then you can start construction. Depending on the work to be doneit can take 2 years and as you saw with T-Rex which took seven years.

The federal government has a commission looking at the federal transportation issues, and Gov. Ritter has set up the Blue Ribbon Commission to look at the State of Colorado's transportation issue. It will take a gas tax increase or some other revenue producing measures to get the job done. We as American's have been riding the cheap gas tax for too many years. Nobody wants to see a increase. We are the best economy in the World and we have the cheapest gas and gas taxes. We will not be the best much longer if our transportation system goes under. We need to pay our own way. We need to pay for the ability to use the system. If we do not, it will not be long before the system is to the point of ruble, and it will take to long to get it back.

I am afraid that the political will by elected official will not want to put a tax measure on the ballot, because who wants to be known as the one who increased your taxes. Term limits has made our elected officials only thinking of the two terms they can have, 8 years. After that it is somebody elses issue.

Transportation we need today will be in 20 to 40 years when we see bridges falling down and congestion 18 hours per day. We get what we pay for, if you do not want to pay, then get a TV for your car because you will need something for your mind to do while you wait.


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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Gerry Benner
posted on 9/8/2007 @ 12:33:35 PM
(Not Rated)
Roads - a topic that's near and dear to all of us. Thanks! About the 128th Ave. bridge - I hope they make it a four-lane road without I-25 on-ramps and off-ramps. This would help keep an efficient flow of east west traffic, and increase MPG. IMHO we need to have a few major bridges to support E-W traffic, and not always supporting south-bound traffic. At a 136th bridge meeting (years ago), I proposed an off-ramp lane that continues all the way to Washington - to efficiently exit traffic off of I-25. If 120th had had such a thing, then we wouldn't have had the back-ups half-way to 104th. My hope is that Traffic Engineers (and their mgmt) will have the foresight that will serve the E-W traffic needs for at least 20 years. Sadly, as soon as we get an efficient road to travel, someone puts up a traffic light, and slows down everyone. :( It's the workable design that counts.
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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Gene Putman

Thornton , CO

Gene Putman has posted 3 blog entries and 0 comments since joining on 6/24/2007. Gene Putman 's average blog rating is 4.6.
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