I-70
One Woman’s Story of Being Displaced by Colorado DOT’s I-70 Widening
Denver neighborhoods are changing for lots of reasons, but one of the starkest is Colorado DOT’s I-70 expansion, which will cut a wide gash across north Denver. CDOT and Governor Hickenlooper point to the shiny park and new side streets attached to the project, even though those changes are table scraps in comparison to the 10-lane highway trench. Hickenlooper even said … Continued
April 22, 2016
Hickenlooper on I-70 Boondoggle: “Maybe My Facts Are Out of Date”
Yesterday Governor John Hickenlooper went on Colorado Public Radio for his monthly interview with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner. Hickenlooper answered various questions on various subjects, and it was going smoothly until Warner asked the governor about his transportation department’s plan to widen I-70 through north Denver. Hickenlooper was all over the map. In the end, Hickenlooper tepidly … Continued
April 21, 2016
This Week: Ensuring It’s Affordable to Live Near Transit
As new RTD rail lines open, Denver’s transit options are expanding. One challenge that comes with the expansion of rail is ensuring that long-time residents can continue to afford their homes and benefit from the improvements. Mile High Connects, an organization that advocates for people who depend on RTD, is calling on decision makers and advocates to come … Continued
April 18, 2016
Highway Hick: Illustrating the I-70 Boondoggle’s Fearless Leader
What does a governor who won’t stop a zombie highway boondoggle look like? Brad Evans, who founded the rapidly growing “Ditch the I-70 Ditch” Facebook group, imagines something like this. “I did it because, really, Streetsblog came up with that ‘Highway Hick’ name and I just felt like someone needed to put a picture to it,” Evans said. “It’s designed … Continued
April 12, 2016
Hickenlooper: Widening I-70 Will “Reconnect Communities”
John Hickenlooper didn’t start the I-70 boondoggle, but it’s on track to get built on his watch. And he seems fine with that. In fact, he comes across as proud. Hickenlooper has stayed quiet about the massive highway expansion project slated for north Denver, and his office took its time before responding to Streetsblog’s inquiry about … Continued
March 24, 2016
While Denverites Speak Out Against I-70 Widening, Hickenlooper Stays Silent
With the groundswell of opposition to Colorado DOT’s plan to gouge a super-wide highway trench across north Denver, Governor John Hickenlooper has to know that city residents are angry about the prospect of more traffic ripping through their neighborhoods on a supersized I-70. Hickenlooper is the only person who can tell CDOT to stop the project, so Streetsblog reached out to his … Continued
March 22, 2016
North Denver Neighbors, Sierra Club File Suit to Squash I-70 Boondoggle
North Denver neighborhood organizations and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit in federal court today to stop Colorado DOT’s I-70 boondoggle, which will increase traffic and create more air pollution for generations to come if it’s built. The communities around the highway are exposed to elevated levels of particulate pollution, which leads to higher rates of chronic cardiovascular diseases. Widening … Continued
March 16, 2016
CDOT Can’t Afford to Maintain Its Roads But Wants to Spend Big to Widen I-70
Colorado Public Radio aired a story today about the looming budget crunch facing Colorado DOT. In a nutshell, the agency can’t afford to maintain all the highways it’s built: Roads need upkeep. It often feels as though interstates need more lanes. And there’s constant pressure for more mass transit options, both to help folks get around – … Continued
March 7, 2016
Do It Today: Tell Hickenlooper to Stop the Mega-Highway Thru North Denver
If Colorado DOT builds its I-70 widening project, north Denver will be saddled with more traffic, more pollution, and more disconnected neighborhoods for generations. CDOT would have you believe the widening is a done deal, but it’s not — Governor John Hickenlooper could save the city from this relic of 1950s-era transportation planning if he chooses. One window of opportunity to weigh in on … Continued
March 2, 2016
John Hickenlooper Learned Years Ago That Wider Highways Don’t Fix Traffic
When Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper was Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, he learned that more lanes for cars don’t fix congestion — it just enables more cars to fill up the highway. Hickenlooper got the lesson in “induced demand” from all-star city planner Jeff Speck, the author of Walkable City, in 2004. Speck was in town for the Mayor’s … Continued
February 25, 2016