Olympia, originally uploaded by kevindooley.

Yes, after walking away from an awarded an offer to host the 1976 Olympics due to worries about financial and environmental impacts Denver is not looking at a possible opportunity to host the Olympics in 2018.

Cool, but guess what they are saying a big worry would be… transportation up and down I-70. I just won’t stop hoping and working to see if the mountain train/monorail project will finally happen.

Here is the article… http://www.examiner.com/x-758-Denver-Skiing-Examiner

Based upon the grass roots initiatives that did so well this past election to spread the word there is also a Facebook group set up to, at a minimum, build a list to show that there are people out there ready to take a seat on the trains once they arrive.  Let’s help the economic portion of their feasibility study by showing them that there is a demand for this service.  And cheers to all of you.  Here is the announcement…

The Rocky Mountain Rail Authority is conducting a one-year study of the technical, financial and economic feasibility of implementing high-speed intercity passenger rail service within Colorado and into neighboring states that could provide seamless travel throughout the state’s most populated corridors.

The study will evaluate the provision of high speed passenger train service connecting the cities and counties along the Front Range, the I-70 Corridor and other locations within the state.

That’s on my wish list anyway.

I’ll do a quick summary for those of you who are thinking about it. First of all, groups are the best. We had a group of 107 folks so we pretty much ruled a car and a half. At first I think everyone worried about seats and being right next to each other but the reality is that with train travel everyone is walking, talking, leaning, moving pretty much all the time. It’s a social scene on wheels.

The views are amazing, although again this became second place quickly to everyone being social. Yet far more scenic than a flood of taillights on I-70.

If you live downtown the Ski Train has a special appeal. We walked over the bridge in Riverfront Park right at 7:00 for our 7:15 departure. I personally set my alarm for 5:30 to take the pup for a long walk and to give me quite a bit of time cushion just in case, so it is not a good night to plan a big Friday out on the town.

Then on the train everyone greets each other, has fun, and kicks back and RELAXES all the way up. No white knuckle driving, no fighting traffic, and there is always a place to buy coffee or breakfast only a short walk away. Some slept, some read the paper, most chatted. Nice.

On the way back this gets magnified into a huge social gathering. Beverages flow throughout the car, there is laughter everywhere and no one is driving. What a great solution for downtown residents… instead of trying to balance doing apres with the drive home and fighting crowds on that sometimes painful return the ski train becomes the apres location. No risk, no worries. One person said it was just like staying in the mountains with no worries about the commute. Considering I carried my skis there and back in less than ten minutes I’d have to agree.

Some bits of advice for you…

Avoid car 2. It’s behind the engine so the front is sealed. Don’t worry, you don’t get any fumes but the lack of ventilation gets TOASTY. We had folks stripping down to the minimum so maybe chair two will be the naked car. Your choice.

There isn’t much you can do about this worry, but if you get behind a slower train your trip could take a bit longer. This happened on our way up but not on our way back. Not too bad, some folks slept longer and the train is comfy. But keep this in mind if you are making strict plans involving timing and make sure you have a puppy sitter on reserve in case your return is late.

Get your food or drink quick if you want it. They sold out of burritos pretty fast on the way up and while they had beer all the way through the trip back, the Stella was the first to go. Don’t forget they close the catering car when they think they are 30 minutes away from the station. This might be longer so if you want stock up before they close.

There is a great lounge car with scrabble and other games. Consider grabbing a spot there for awhile if you have a small group but be quick if you want a seat.

We will be doing the Ski Train again. Give it a shot for yourself. I forgot to mention that the train stopped on a cross track exactly where another train was heading at us. The folks in our car started getting a little bit nervous as it got closer.. and closer… and closer. Then we quickly moved, picture is one of others below.

This past weekend and today I took a small step forward in reducing my carbon footprint. As of this morning I am an officially licensed motorcycle licensed scooter driver.

How does this reduce my carbon footprint? Well so far whenever I had to get somewhere quick or without the time or the convenience of jumping on my bike I would pull out my keys and jump into that gigantic SUV I bought back in 2000 to travel across town. I keep the beast because (1) it is paid for and (2) I have a 125 lb pup along with tons of gear that I need to carry between Denver and Vail whenever I get a chance to enjoy the mountains.

But except for those periodic mountain adventures I would prefer to travel as light and environmentally friendly as possible. So with the addition of a scooter to replace an auto for the 99% of my life spent here in Denver I just went from a measly 13 mpg to a wonderful 60 or more mpg. I may rarely, if ever, drive. But now at least I feel better about it.

Now let me tell you a little bit more about the process to get yourself zipping around on a scooter, just in case you are thinking about it.

PART I – Bike and Class

First of all, you need to decide if you want a smaller engine such as a 50cc engine or something larger like a 150 cc. There is a big distinction between the two. With a 50 cc engine you can just buy and go, parking wherever you want on curbs and other spots. It is looked at more like a bicycle as far as rules and licensing are concerned. No special license required or endorsement on your license. But it has a little less pep, so if you need or want to be able to accelerate when you need to (this can be a bonus for safety to get out of someone’s way or in traffic) this might not be the best choice.

Now with the bigger engine you will have the zip to power on Speer if some loser doesn’t see you and starts to weave into your lane, but it also means the process to get you legally zipping around takes a few more steps.

But that is the cool part, there is no difference between you and a motorcycle as far as the law is concerned. You need to go pass both a written and driving test on your scooter before the great state of Colorado will give you permission to zip around. Now to be clear, you need a license to legally drive a larger engine scooter but you don’t need one to buy one.

Guess what that means… alot of people buy a larger scooter and drive around without their endorsement or at least until they get around to taking the test. Or you have another alternative. You can do what I did and sign up for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation two day class which runs you through all the safety, training, and other knowledge you need to be safe on the road information and prepares you to pass the test at the end of the two days.

Did I mention it will also shorten your wait at the DMV? More about that later. Plus your MSF safety card usually, with most carriers, gets you some preferred insurance rates.

Anyway, back to the class and the story I have about that.

The class costs about $240 and states that it goes from 7 am to 5 pm for two days straight. I signed up for the this past weekend and followed all the rules which are to (1) make sure to pick up your homework book at one of the local scooter spots and get it done before class (easy), (2) Wear long pants, over ankle boots or shoes, long sleeve shirt, and gloves, and (3) don’t be late.

The being late part is really important. If they start class without you then you cannot jump in. Say good by to your class cost and if it is for day two you just lost that one day you spent already. It has something to do with the insurance of joining the class if you miss even a little bit of the instruction. So don’t be late. Even if you stay up late at a birthday party the night before.
The class was held at the Denver Coliseum. You know this spot, a beat up old parking lot located off of I-70 filled with leftover carnival cars and junked up trailers with the trains running by and the overpass hanging overhead. Very pretty and cheerful, but perfect for having a safe wide open spot to practice.

Our road instructor was a great seasoned ex police motorcycle officer. He had a great sense of humor, dry and quick, and could do about anything on his bike. He was fondly referred to by his younger cohort and fellow instructor as yoda, the wise teacher. Yoda, it turns out, could ride tight circles on his hog while balancing with his knees on the seat, which we witnessed as they tested out a bike during an out of class break.

In a class of 12, I was the only scooter among a pack of motorcycles. They had road bikes, dual bikes, Yamahas, Kawasakis, and more. I, however was on the “cute bike”. That’s okay, the younger instructor confessed he had never ridden a scooter until the class and loved them. They were, as he described it, “just fun”. No need to shift or worry about maneuvers… you just zip and go.

The first day we spent half the day on the course testing one drill to the next. Part of it was a bit dull for me when the drills called for learning to shift (Scooters like mine don’t shift). But that just meant I zipped the loop having fun. The weather was humid, like walking around with the dense weight of the water pressing on you. But it was overcast and the sun stayed hidden so we got spared a bit.

You spend your first day first learning how to power walk your bike, then progress to drills taking you back and forth, shifting, doing turns. It’s fun and fairly easy. Just getting a feel for your bike (or scooter). By about 1 pm you get a quick break for lunch and then are asked to meet at Sun Honda for the written part of the class. For those of you who hate tests, this is one you shouldn’t stress about.

We get there and get a two part video watching and discussion section that covers the basics of bike safety and common sense. I mean, really, you will not have to stress about the test. The instructor said they gave it to a group of nuns who never took or read any classwork about motorcycle safety and they all passed.

He also said he stopped telling that story after he told it and someone didn’t pass. And of course he told our class, so anyone who didn’t pass must really have felt great about hearing that comment. I do think we may have had one person who did not pass. But some people just hate tests (or really should not be out there on the road).

I forgot to mention. The price tag for us to have the class at Sun appears to be in the form of advertising. We all first went on a 25 minute tour of the building, the showrooms, the bikes, the accessories and the service department. Our guide cut to the chase and let us know he was available if we want to buy anything and would give a discount to the class.

I can’t really complain. They provide a space to do the class and I am sure a number of those newly trained motorcycle consumers loved seeing the big classic Harleys. Some of them might even buy something. They also have a cool room upstairs with vintage bikes that was fun to see. And the crowds checking out the bikes were almost as interesting as the bikes themselves.

After a few hours of watching, listening, and quite a bit of yawning its a quick written test, immediate feedback on your score, and out the door. By now it is after 6 pm. Plan to run over the first day with the goal of getting out early the next.

Intermission: I want out for a friends birthday party that night and we had both Saki and beer. I will pay for this later

Sunday morning we all arrive at 7 am. I am feeling less than perfect from the birthday party before and guess what the weather decides to do to help me out. It decides to be 100% sunshine, humidity, and scorching heat. The black asphalt acts as an amplifier to the heat sending it up through our boots and the bikes are radiating more heat as they chug through the day. Ouch.

There is a series of 7 drills on day two that include….

• Quick stops demonstrating the ability to, well, stop quick
• Tight U turns to demonstrate your ability to maneuver in close places
• Corner turns to demonstrate going on an on or off ramp
• Wider turns to demonstrate curves of a road
• Swerving to dodge obstacles
• Riding over something in the road (a 2X4 in this case)
• Doing lane changes
• Stopping in a curve

The drills were fun, and the only time that we got a break from the heat with some nice wind. That and hiding out under the overpass. They also prepared us for the test which included the U turn first, the quick stop second, and finally the curves.

The good news is that these tests are items that we already did many many times. When you did it wrong you did it again. If you thought you did it right but missed something, they tell you. It really does mean that you learn something for road safety that is needed. It also prepares you for the test.

I couldn’t imagine, if you never rode a scooter or a bike, that these tests wouldn’t be a little tricky. But with the two days sweating on that parking lot you get it dialed in perfectly. And hopefully you don’t get to nervous and forget it when the actual test arrives. Two people did have a bit of a freak out during the test and after completing the u turn (the test that gave everyone the most trouble) and then forgot to cruised right through the easy stop. Ouch again.

So that was it. Test is passed, class is wrapped up, and it’s only 2:30 pm. We take our wonderful Motorcycle Safety Cards (which are not your license) and our stinky, sweaty selves and cruise out of there as fast as we can for cool showers at home.

PART II – The DMV

This deserves it’s own heading because if you do this wrong you will sit in line for a long, long, long, long time.

Your card means you don’t have to wait in the super long line at the DMV, or take the test there. For those who don’t know, the DMV can be the single longest line in the city of Denver. That and the Social Security Department. So just trust me on this advice on how to handle it. Go to te office before they open at 8 am. Some say to go at 7, I went at 20 till. There was already a long line in front of me waiting to get in the door but most of these folks will need to do the long process of the test. You, with your handy motorcycle endorsement card, will be going to the expedited line. After the first 30 people ahead of me walked in and got numbers I just told them what I needed and was sent, instead, to the head of the line for quick stuff (or something like that). A quick show of the card, a punch of my old license, and my $2 fee and I was all set. Done. The time was 8:15 am. I was there for 35 minutes. Behind me in the “short line” by the time I was done were about 40 people. The difference of showing up 20 minutes before they opened and arriving after may have saved me 2 hours. Think about it.
I almost forgot my last experience before I got to go scooting around Denver testing out my new scooter and my new license… it was the moment of getting my new photo taken at the DMV.

Without giving me a heads up the DMV representative snapped a photo and said I was all wrapped up.

“How did the photo turn out then? Does it look okay?” I asked

He paused for a second, looked down at his screen and replied “Well, it looks like you”

I don’t think I want to see this license.

Why is this person so happy. Because while it is dumping rain outside and other poor souls are driving with white knuckles fighting traffic, the elements, and sleep she is cozy in her train cabin sipping a drink, reading a book, and watching the beautiful outdoors go by.

This is what we need from Denver to Vail (With a stop in Summit of course). I just drove down from another mountain excursion this morning and while I was blown away as always by the view, I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to have been sitting and reading my paper while making the journey.

And this was a beautiful uncrowded day. But when I went up on Sunday I-70 was PACKED with cars heading down. Nothing compared to the ski season but certainly another reason to get on a train.

Just picture this. You head over to Union Station and grab a nice warm cup of coffee, a newspaper or book, and some of your best buds. You load all of your stuff onto your train car and grab a wonderful cabin with benches and curl up. The snow outside is dumping and the weather is freezing. The roads are going to be icy, if open at all. But you will make the trip to Vail in bliss surrounded by laughter, warmth and friends.

When you are hungry or thirsty you eat and drink. When you have to use the bathroom you do (but leave your cabin for this). When you are tired you sleep. You are safe.

The train might even have a dining or bar car where you can grab a bite or a drink. The folks going to and from the mountains might be the perfect audience to make this work. Or who knows what other luxury is possible. Perhaps a massage after hours of pow pow skiing or rock hopping biking.

Or maybe the train simply has seats that look out the mountains and allow all of these comforts with gorgeous views. Either way, it is a better experience than driving in a car.

And would you like to know what makes it even better? If it is planned out right we can

1: Promote alternative transportation

2: Reduce many many carbon footprints (my biggest violation is that drive to and from the mountains)

3: Make it a fun, fun journey for many people.

So why am I bringing this up again? Because I want to get started with planning, designing, and more before we go and add another lane of traffic to I-70. Or at the bare minimum we can try and send a message that we support this direction and promote the idea that it might happen (hopefully sooner rather than later).

And yes, I know there are challenges. But those challenges become greater every day that we continue doing short term solutions such as expanding lanes. Let’s support a long term solution with environmental responsibility.

Plus it will be more fun. And just to see if there is an interest out there please show your support at this ipetition here. Maybe it will even show enough support to encourage a private investment firm to get involved as discussed in the Denver Post. It doesn’t matter who does the train, what matters is folks get out of their cars.
Pass it on!!

Here is the scoop from when it was voted down from High Speed Monorail

Colorado I-70: state says highway, not monorail (1/13/05)
Denver, Colorado. Colorado transportation officials are sticking to their belief that a high-speed monorail is not the way to solve highway congestion from Denver to Vail. Their vision is for more pavement, by widening Interstate 70 through the busy mountain corridor. Last month the state released a draft environmental review that favors widening I-70, while rejecting both a high-speed monorail or a conventional rail line as too costly. In the first of ten public hearings on the I-70 mountain corridor study, almost 200 people showed up Wednesday to voice their opinion. Most of them favored monorail and said CDOT’s idea to widen the highway will be outdated when completed by 2025 as proposed. A plan for a Colorado High-Speed Monorail using inverted-T rail technology lost steam when Colorado voters turned down money for a test track in 2002. That proposal was described derogatorily as a “Disneyland ride” by Governor Bill Owens, which helped sway voters against the ballot measure.

The vote below is for the blog…. the real vote is available

clicking here!.

Okay, here is my newest favorite to share. Especially since I keep heading to the mountains to get some break from the heat.

So you are heading to the mountains and don’t have time to grab grub in Denver and arriving at your destination too late for dinner… here is my favorite pit stop. And even if I am getting to the mountains in time for dinner this is still a must do.

Kermits

Yep, that little motorcycle hangout off of I-70 has a secret treat that you have to get. Kermits offers awesome Green Chili. Try it alone loaded with cheese, onions, and sour cream or get it in poured over their beef enchilada and you are in heaven. Dip your flour tortillas, order some ice cold beers, and kick back on the outdoor patio. Or hang out inside and take in the hundreds of signed dollars pinned to the walls and ceiling for with some classic comments left by others.  And I can’t forget to mention the old school juke box that is always throwing out some off the wall classics.  During my last pit stop Jack Black was bellowing out some of his famous tunes from The Pick of Destiny.  Where else are you gonna get this authentic kind of spot.
Either way… this little spot is worth the trip and you can get pints to go to share with others.

Staring at I-70 with tunnel vision
Leader of Vail HOA goes underground in effort to cut noise
Ken Papaleo © News

Jim Lamont, executive director of the Vail Village Homeowners Association, dreams big – $6 billion big. To eliminate traffic noise from Interstate 70 in the resort community, he envisions a privately financed tunnel under Vail Mountain and burying the interstate where it passes through town.By Deborah Frazier, Rocky Mountain News
December 2, 2006
VAIL – Jim Lamont has a $6 billion dream to eliminate the noise created by Interstate 70′s path through this internationally renowned resort town.
Lamont, a former Vail town planner and now head of the Vail Village Homeowners Association, is promoting a privately financed $3 billion tunnel under Vail Mountain that would bypass the town.

And, he’s proposing a $3 billion second phase that would bury I-70 through town and then develop the newly created 550 acres.

“It would benefit everyone in Vail because the tunnel bypasses Vail and eliminates the noise and pollution,” Lamont said. “It’s either-or, or both.”

Investors would pay for the $3 billion tunnel, where tolls would be collected to repay them, he said.

Burying I-70, which would require its own mountain of state and federal approvals, would create new residential, retail and commercial opportunities that would also help pay investors, he said.

The multibillion-dollar, privately financed construction would be a joke elsewhere in Colorado, but not in Vail, Lamont said.

“People in Vail speak in billions,” he said. “Property ownership in Vail goes to the heart of the capitalistic system in America.”

Lamont wouldn’t reveal the names of investors that he said are interested in the project.

Old idea, seasoned critics

Similar proposals to bury the heavily traveled interstate that bisects Vail or to tunnel around the town date back to the early 1970s and Colorado’s potential bid for the Winter Olympics.

The idea of covering I-70 arose again in the 1980s, as noise levels rose. In 1993, private developers approached the town of Vail, but officials declined to fund the studies.

“There’s nothing this community would enjoy more than having I-70 disappear from our sight and our ears. And ears are the big thing,” said Kaye Ferry, executive director of the Vail Chamber & Business Association.

“You can’t sit on your deck in the summer because of the noise,” she said. “I play golf, which should be peaceful, but the noise is outrageous.”

Ferry said trucks downshifting interrupt audiences at the town’s summer music festivals.

“It’s really a summer problem because no one has air conditioning and everyone wants to open their windows,” she said.

Lamont’s proposals would be privately funded because the noise that annoys Vail residents isn’t a priority for federal and state highway funds, she said.

“It would be nice to wave a magic wand and get rid of it without any cost, but I don’t see it,” Ferry said. “The kids who work up here say it’s just rich people whining.”

Lamont said he’s also gotten a chilly reception from town officials, which would have to endorse the project before it could win state and federal approval.

“It’s important to have people like Jim Lamont, who is a futurist of sorts, who think outside the box,” said Stan Zemler, Vail’s town manager.

“There is a lot of concern about noise. It always comes up on resident surveys,” he said. “But we’re not going to make it go away. It’s a reality of I-70.”

Zemler said potential investors have privately calculated the costs of burying part of I-70 to see if development on the top would pay the costs, but there’s been nothing proposed.

“Jim’s trying to get momentum going, but it would take a lot to get the town of Vail on board,” Zemler said. “It’s already been studied.

“There could be some possibilities there, but with private money.”

Lamont agreed.

“Vail people are savvy enough to seek a solution without using tax dollars because using tax dollars would send the wrong message,” he said.

European models

Two years ago, Lamont and Vail’s Public Works Director Greg Hall toured Europe to look at the multitude of highway tunnels.

For instance, the longest tunnel in the world is the 10.2-mile St. Gotthard Tunnel between Switzerland and Italy, which opened in 1980 and was publicly financed.

“In Europe, they finance most tunnels with a higher gas tax,” Hall said. “Here, the question is, how much development does it take to pay for something?”

Hall said he saw examples of covered highways throughout Europe, including several built in avalanche and rock-fall zones.

In the United States, the “air rights” over a federal highway would have to be acquired and a series of environmental permits issued before it could be buried, Hall said.

The proposed tunnel would burrow under U.S. Forest Service land and require other permits, he said.

“There would be a lot of hoops,” Hall said. “The question is, would the opportunity be worth the cost and who would pay for it?”

Neil Gray, director of governmental affairs for the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, said privately funded tunnels and bridges are rare in the States.

Federal and state money built Boston’s controversial “Big Dig,” a $14.6 billion project that included bridges, tunnels and covering highways to let traffic bypass the city, he said. A few sections have tolls.

“It was way overbudget and heavily politicized, but it’s a good transportation system,” Gray said.

The Big Dig, planned in the late 1980s as a $4 billion project, was the last of the great interstate projects, Gray said.

Last year, a section of ceiling in a Big Dig tunnel fell and killed a passenger in a car, resulting in an investigation of the contractor, he said.

He said Florida, Texas, Arkansas and other states had smaller and far-less-expensive projects that involved tolls, but federal funds paid most of the costs.

Gray said he couldn’t estimate what how large a toll would be required for a privately financed tunnel under Vail Mountain.

“It’s like asking me how many peanuts and jelly beans would fit in my refrigerator, and you don’t know the size of the refrigerator,” he said.

In Colorado, toll roads have had mixed success.

While the E-470 toll road around the eastern metro area has met expenses and has expanded, revenue from the 11-mile Northwest Parkway that extends E-470 has fallen short of projections.

“The Vail project would involve major amounts of money, but the financing could be for 50 years or longer,” Lamont said.

CDOT’s dreams differ

Lamont said he’d welcome local, state and federal partners on the project, but says it’s unlikely.

He’s right.

“I-70 through Vail isn’t a high-priority area for us,” said Ed Fink of the Colorado Department of Transportation.

“We would not put any money into covering I-70 through Vail. As for the tunnel, we would not work directly with a private developer. The proposal would have to come from the town.”

The town commissioned a geological feasibility study in 2005, but it has never reviewed the findings, Lamont and Zemler said.

The report wasn’t released until last month, in part, because Vail is part of the I-70 Mountain Corridor Coalition, a group of local governments looking at alternatives to improve traffic along the route from Golden to Grand Junction.

CDOT may spend up to $4 billion in federal funds on several projects along the corridor, Fink said.

The route through Vail isn’t on the list of potential projects, he said. And, Fink said, a privately funded project was a long shot.

“I doubt they could get the tunnel done for $3 billion. It’s the length of five Eisenhower tunnels,” he said. The electric bill for the 1.7-mile Eisenhower Tunnel is $1 million a year, he said.

“It’s not impossible, but it’s akin to climbing Mount Everest,” Fink said.

Traffic to double

Fink said he noticed a renewed local interest in the tunnel through Vail Mountain and burying I-70 after a sinkhole closed the interstate for about a week in 2003.

“They found out just how quiet it was when the road was closed, and that’s when we started getting calls about the noise,” Fink said.

Traffic on I-70 through Vail averages 23,400 vehicles per day. Fink said the average daily traffic could more than double by 2025.

Vail City Councilman Greg Moffet said he’d like to see the council look seriously at Lamont’s proposal because financial and political circumstances could change.

“All sorts of things get funding in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “At the bottom of it all, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

Lamont is well aware of the opposition and the barriers to his proposals, but he said Vail’s property values are based on its environment.

“In development and real-estate circles here, people know that Vail has nothing else to sell but its environment, and they’ll take steps to protect that environment,” Lamont said.

frazierd@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5308