Family in Commons Park on the 4th

What makes a neighborhood a great neighborhood to raise a family? Which criteria matter the most? Would you say it was the school system, the public parks and playgrounds, or simple safety. What about the value of a dollar towards your real estate, because let’s face it people usually make the transition from [Read more →]

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Today Oil prices jumped over $10 a barrel, although I really don’t know how big that is but according to the New York Times it is the BIGGEST JUMP EVER. Just Frakking Great.

How did I know something was up, I noticed the stock market was taking a nose dive. So now everyone’s savings, 401K, [Read more →]

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Don’t answer too fast… and read the links below.

It isn’t often that I get behind the wheel to drive on the roads, but every time I do I ask myself the same question…. “is it time for a new car”.

I don’t really have much in the way of driving. I cruise around Denver by foot, cruiser bike, by my ages old mountain bike, by bus, by light rail, by cab, and by scooter. I rarely drive my automobile (make that, my giant SUV). What drives me to get behind the wheel (get it) is usually a trip to the mountains which may or not have some bad snow conditions or carrying alot of stuff. [Read more →]

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Since I walk to work I usually miss out on all the drama of traffic, weather, and general human foolishness…. but my friend’s story I had to share.

Now I know we got some snow last night. Let’s face it, last night rocked. After taking my very happy Alaskan Malamute for a snow romp we went to grab dinner at the Avenue Grill and watch the snow fall through the big glass windows. Cab’s both ways saved us from driving, but the wait to get the return cab was a bit long.

But nevermind that, I’m off topic from my friend’s trip into the office today.

First let me set the stage for you. She works downtown and lives in Highlands Ranch. That’s a long enough hike on a normal day but with the weather today… ouch. Her husband sets out for his day much earlier and gave her a warning call just before she left “I’m still not to the office yet” he let her know. This means close to two hours on the road.

So she quickly changed her plans and decided to take the light rail. Her usual 7 minute trip to the light rail station took her 30 minutes. No telling what a trip all the way downtown would have been. She missed her first train because apparently it was High School trip day and the machines were clogged with fun loving teens experimenting with their freedom and trying to learn how to use the system for the first time (this I actually find funny) and she catches the next train with no major issues. She thought about jumping on the train that was just sitting there and that she eventually missed waiting for the high school students to wrap up their purchases but didn’t want to risk getting ticketed.

Then on the way across Colfax WHAMMO a car collided with her light rail train. I guess the hit was pretty hard (and loud) with passengers on the train screaming and jolted from their peaceful trip. And what does the idiot who hit the train do… they run away. Can you imagine someone thinking they can get away with a hit and run on the light rail. Apparently no less than 50 people got their license plate numbers. I am just fascinated with how people think, or don’t think, sometimes. I can’t even imagine what will happen to that fool. My guess is the person wasn’t on the way to their job as a rocket scientist or molecular genetic engineer, but I’ve been wrong before.

The train announcer was a bit confused. Ordinarily the train needs to sit and wait to swap information with the other car but since the driver did a hit and run there was no one to swap info with. Good news for those train passengers as the train went back on its path. After finally arriving to downtown she decided to make a pit stop at the bank at Lawrence with the intention of taking the 16th street shuttle the rest of the way. That, of course with Murphy’s law, turned out to be a big mistake as the shuttles were only running one way… for her the wrong way. And of course this means the last leg of her trip was on foot slipping and sliding every step of the way.

If anyone has a better trip into work story for today… bring it.

I didn’t really think our snow was that bad last night but it sure seems to have the ability to grind our streets to a halt. Good thing we all have a sense of humor (or at least most of us).

Photo credit from CBS website.

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I had a wonderful little surprise in my mailbox the other day. A new program that is being promoted by the Downtown Denver Partnership called “Drive Less Denver” is promoting, simply put, an effort to drive less in Denver.

As they phrase it, “Creative Ways to Maneuver Downtown Without a Car” the site promotes the bus system, light rail bike paths, and walking paths throughout downtown. The site also has its own Drive Less Denver Blog that documents various people’s efforts to embrace the automobile free lifestyle. In my opinion the blog is the best part of the site giving a story and a personality to this “drive less” challenge.

The site also offers info and maps for all the routes around town and the Mayor’s challenge itself. Plus some other informational features about RTD and more. Check it out and enjoy. Every little bit helps.

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If you have not read the Denver Post today let me tell you that it has been an exciting day of news for our growing up little city.

First there is an article about the new Union Station Neighborhood and the decisions going on currently about the trains. Two questions are on the table currently. First, should the commuter trains (not light rail) be buried and covered with commercial buildings or should the trains be trenched and open air. Apparently there are some security questions about terrorist risks and also the complication of ventilation. I would prefer to see them covered, both for the benefit of hiding them and for the additional businesses that could be supported. Plus I tend to say we should not change our neighborhoods or life to greatly due to things like terrorist risks. Otherwise, don’t they in a sense win. The other big decision is whether to use bio diesel trains or to go with electric. This is a big decision and one that brings in our goals of sustainable transportation, of which I am a fan of. That decision looks to be done tonight and we should know tomorrow. The photo above is just a generic example of a trench.

Second is an article about the trifecta of not just the W but three awesome hotels opening up in Denver. Their quick summary is…

The planned arrival of a W Hotel completes a trifecta of high-end hotels landing in downtown Denver.

The announcement that a W is planned for the 16th Street Mall comes on the heels of the development of a Ritz-Carlton and a Four Seasons hotel in the area. All three are being built with condominium residences.

The diversification of downtown and the millions of dollars spent in public improvements over the past 10 to 15 years deserve the credit for attracting the three hotels, said Bob Benton, a hotel analyst.

Restaurants, the ballfield and the convention center have turned downtown Denver into a thriving residential and retail haven, he said.

And lastly an article about the possible, or more accurately probable, approval of a Theater district in Denver. Just another sign of the growth and energy that is happing in our wonderful city. Wow, what a cool item.

So check these articles out and [Read more →]

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Here is a story that will make you laugh.

Yesterday we were going to a friend’s house for a dinner party. Now you have to understand that we have a great policy of always taking a cab when we expect to be having a glass or two of wine. Usually that means less than ten dollars and a trip across town. Sometimes it’s more if we are going to the burbs for dinner and we can’t take the light rail. Either way, taking a cab is the right thing to do.

However this dinner party was in Evergreen. But we stayed with the same plan. The farther away it is, the worse it would be to drive. And since I lived in Vail for all those years and we took cabs across town all the time, I didn’t think there would be a problem.

I was wrong. [Read more →]

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And I don’t mean smoking. An article in the New York Times this past Sunday talked about the increase in pollution and smog that is being generated by an increase in cars. Starting with a focus on Dublin, which has seen an increase to double the number of cars from 15 years ago, the article focuses on a growing problem there and one that we have in the United States as well.

With a chicken and the egg question, planners look at urban sprawl and automobiles as partners with this problem. No one can answer which causes which. Urban sprawl creates the need for more cars. Cars allow urban sprawl to expand. Let’s look at this chicken and the egg.
On the chicken side, when we build urban sprawl and when we build farther and farther from our cities and transportation system we create the need for cars. As people move to or live in these sprawl locations they become dependent upon cars, usually one car for every person in the household at or over the age of 16. No trains, public buses, or other services go to these remote suburbs, so everyone needs a car to go shopping, to get to work, to enjoy entertainment, or to get children to school.
On the egg side, cars create the ability to develop urban sprawl, allowing projected new development projects to be located far from cities or other transportation. Who cares if you are 40 minutes from the city, the light rail station, or public transportation. All you need to do is give everyone in your home a car and you’ll be fine.

Whether it is the chicken or the egg that is the cause, both are creating a problem. [Read more →]

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It’s snowing.

I have been back in Denver for less than 24 hours and the snow is falling again. Reports started at 8 to 12 inches and now I have heard quotes of one to three feet. I only have one thing to say about that.

Awesome!

I am a true snow lover. I love the pure white, the falling flakes, the blanket across the city. I love it so much that I think I may be a snow beacon. A snow beacon is someone who calls to the snow, when they are there the snow will fall. When I still lived up in the mountains last October, November, and December we got some major, and I mean major, snow dumps that allowed me to enjoy one of the most spectacular ski months of my life. I had just wrapped up one chapter of my life and had time in December to do nothing but ski, and so I called to it. And the snow came.

Then… I move to Denver and the winter comes and I miss the snow. So I call to it and we get a terrific snow storm just before I leave town. Then I get back and miss the snow and I must miss me too because it has returned. I have been told that this snow is unusual for Denver, not since many many years past has it been like this. And hence, I think I am a snow beacon. And I am loving it, so don’t mess with my fantasy.

That is not the real purpose of this post. This post is all about people, not snow. It is merely snow that draws people out and makes them a bit more real, pure, and approachable. The best description I heard was someone commenting on all the good will that existed in the streets, the cafes, and the gathering places around our city. I saw people helping others shovel their cars out, helping others push their car our of stranded trenches, and helping others by holding open doors and welcoming them to their table for a cup of tea. And the observation someone made, which stayed with me, was how wonderful everyone seems to be with each other when we are all in contact with each other, by foot, by sharing a table, sharing a seat on the light rail, by passing on the street compared with the attitudes and distance that exist when we travel inside our steel automobiles. Can we learn something from this blizzard?

During Blizzard #1 my lady and I got a chance to play in the snow. We cross country skied to breakfast at Gallop Cafe, using the streets as our trails and getting a few chuckles from folks we passed. We relaxed in their cozy environment with open faced sandwiches and what has to be the best bloody mary I have had in Denver. No kidding, it was huge with a literal vegetable garden inside (pickes, peppers, veggies, yum) and it was also served with a small beer chaser. Talk about cozy, I was in heaven. And everyone was so nice… everywhere. People were on the streets, walking to get coffee, or food, or perhaps stocking up on spirits for an evening by the fire. Whatever they were up to they were right there and they was a real connection with them as we traveled the city by foot. And that mattered.

For dinner we hiked back across the new Highland Pedestrian Bridge and hit Z Cuisine for some cozy dinner, a glass of wine, and some delicious food with our friend Pat. Pat had hiked her butt down from farther up the Highlands after being stranded in DIA for over 24 hours and had similar stories of meeting total strangers and bonding, sharing a meal and a glass of wine. I think she even got a date out of it.

So, my point is to welcome this second snow storm and wish with all your might that we get three feet or more. And if that does happen, go out and xx ski, snowshoe, or hike across your cubby in the city. Explore the local restaurants, meet your neighbors. Remember that two types of restaurants seemed to be open in the first round. One was the hotel restaurant, which is a fail safe that takes care of its lodgers. The other and even more special spot is your true local bistro. The staff and owner usually live within a few blocks, and they tend to be there for their neighborhood. As the folks at Z cuisine said, this is their neighborhood and it was important for them to be open. You wont find that with the big chains (except Starbucks, they are ALWAYS open and do get some kudos for that).

So go enjoy a Gallop Bloody, go have a french dessert with a congnac, go laugh with friends and walk home in knee high snow.

And when the snow has all melted and the roads are open again, try and remember what was so special and keep repeating it.

Happy skiing folks, and lets hope it really dumps.

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Train yourself to find another way to work
With the launch of light rail, RTD drops some bus lines, reroutes others and starts a call-n-Ride service
By Jeffrey Leib
Denver Post Staff Write

Commuters fill the early-morning 90X bus from Aurora to downtown Denver on Thursday, the route s second-to-last day. Commuters will now be able to take light rail downtown. Today after 11 a.m., rides on the new southeast line will be free. On Saturday, the entire light-rail system will offer free rides. (Post / RJ Sangosti )

VIPs celebrate completion of T-REX
Karen Jackson waited Thursday in a long line of fellow commuters to catch the 6:30 a.m. 90X express bus from RTD’s Nine Mile park-n-Ride to Civic Center station.
After today, the 90X and many other express routes will be eliminated and replaced by the Regional Transportation District’s new southeast light-rail line, feeder bus service to rail stations and a new, taxi like call-n-Ride service.

Not everyone is pleased with the changes, but for Jackson and some other commuters, the switch from express bus to rail is advantageous.

She works near 13th and Lawrence streets in downtown Denver, just a few blocks from a light-rail station. She’ll have an easy walk from the train to work. Using the bus, she’d often take the 16th Street Mall shuttle to get to Lawrence.
“I’m excited about it,” she said. “It will be better in bad weather, when the buses are never on time.”

But other commuters say the replacement of express and regional buses with light-rail service will add time and hassles to their trips.

Joann Goss, another RTD bus rider, typically has taken the 90X from East Hampden Avenue and South Chambers Road to Civic Center, only two blocks from her job. It’s about a 33-minute trip.

With the elimination of the 90X, Goss expects to catch a feeder bus to Nine Mile from Chambers and East Yale Avenue, take light rail to 16th and California streets, and then get on the mall shuttle to work.

“It’s not quite as convenient,” Goss said. She said she’ll have to start her commute at 5:45 a.m., about 15 minutes earlier than the current routine.

Some riders at Nine Mile have counted the stairs at the station, calculating whether they can descend 52 stairs from the train platform and walk 50 yards or so in a tunnel under Interstate 225 and through the Nine Mile garage in time to catch the local bus.

Bus rider Dee Charlifue said she’s worried about stairs to the Nine Mile rail platform that are open to the weather and likely to be slippery in winter. There are elevators for those who need them.

Agency spokesman Scott Reed said that with the start of new train service, “the vast majority of people will have an improved commute, either from the thousands of additional service hours in the southeast area or the actual time saved.”

And, he added, “light rail doesn’t get bogged down in traffic.”

RTD is counting on expanded call-n-Ride service in the southeast area to help funnel many commuters to light-rail stops. Call-n-Ride vehicles will pick travelers up at home who call to arrange a trip, RTD said.
Commuter Lesa Robinson, who also rode the 90X Thursday,

Early-morning commuters take the 90X bus Thursday. Starting Monday, 90X riders will take light rail instead.

Robinson needs to be at work near 17th Street and Broadway at 6:30 a.m. and has been taking the 5:50 express bus that gets her to Civic Center at 6:15.

The 5:48 train from Nine Mile will get her to 16th and California at 6:21, Robinson said, and then she’ll have to jump on the mall shuttle. “That’s cutting it close.”

Metropolitan State College of Denver freshman Austin Schult didn’t have to do any math to know that his commute will get easier Monday.

Schult missed the 7:39 express bus downtown Thursday morning from Nine Mile and waited quite a while for the next bus, the 8:14. Had the train been running, he said, “I wouldn’t have missed my first class.”

Bus routes change
Starting Sunday, many express and regional bus routes will be replaced by local routes that connect to the new light-rail stations. There are some new local routes, and others have been modified to better mesh with light rail. For details, visit southeastlightrail.com/ schedules-commute.cfm or call RTD at 303-299-6000

DISCONTINUED BUS ROUTES
Express: 11X, 17X, 23X, 24X, 25X, 26X, 35X, 39X, 78X, 85X, 89X, 90X, 91X Regional: P, T, W
Local: 46L, 169, 426, 473, Link, B Line

ROUTES ALTERED IN SOME WAY
Express: 6X, 63X
Regional: U
Local: 11, 12, 15L, 21, 24, 27, 35, 40, 52, 56, 65, 66, 73, 77, 79L, 83L, 105, 121, 169L, 401, 402L, 403, 470L
Source: RTD

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