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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a 6 or 8-lane Superhighway a bad idea for Denver?
- Based on CDOT's own 30 year traffic projections, a $1 billion expenditure cannot be substantiated. There simply won't be enough projected traffic to justify the expense because traffic wants to travel north and south. Traffic flow does not want to travel west, then travel north and south (see map below). The biggest losers will be Arvada citizens, who will likely experience unbearable traffic into the future on all their major north-south arterials including Indiana-McIntyre, Kipling and Wadsworth.
- A superhighway is unnecessary and a waste of tax money because it will not solve traffic problems in the region, but creates more problems.
- A Superhighway will likely take money from other improvement projects that are badly needed.
A 4 lane parkway down SH 93, and a 4-lane parkway down Indiana-McIntyre are the best solutions because they may cost less, and will improve traffic flow by relieving congestion over a wider area.
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Why is government trying to push the Superhighway?
- CDOT's mission for this Superhighway is not to improve traffic, but is politically motivated to promote private development.
- Jefferson County Commissioners want to promote private development at Jefferson County Airport. Solving traffic problems is not their primary concern.
- The City of Arvada is also trying to develop their boundaries west, with more homes and development. Their city council has not realized that a Superhighway will create worse traffic for Arvada by overcrowding their north-south arterials, and will take money from their own badly needed improvements.
- · Some government officials claim that a Superhighway will promote economic development, but no one has produced any credible evidence to support this claim. And, why wouldn't Parkways provide the same economic benefits?
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If a Superhighway is a bad idea, why has the planning process gone this far?
- The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), under Executive Director, Tom Norton, has managed this project inappropriately to advance a superhighway. Norton has said publicly that he didn't care what the quadrant study recommended, he wants to complete the beltway, although the quadrant study recommendations would give better traffic relief throughout the quadrant at a likely lower cost. The governor and CDOT are ignoring the real transportation needs of the region to promote private development.
- CDOT has wasted over $10 million in taxpayer money to conduct an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) with pre-determined results and flawed data.
- CDOT is acting inappropriately by manipulating the EIS process. CDOT has illegally ignored repeated requests for their data, and has finally agreed to provide the data for $22,000.
- CDOT's mission, apparently, is not to improve traffic, but is politically motivated to promote private development.
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Why is a superhighway a bad idea for the western region of Denver?
- A superhighway will not solve traffic congestion because it will only have a minor effect on congestion in Arvada and the region. For example, according to CDOT's own data, a superhighway will only relieve traffic on Wadsworth by 5%.
- A superhighway will actually cause more congestion in the region by taking money from other badly needed improvements in Arvada , Wheat Ridge and Lakewood .
- Boulder , Louisville and Superior have acknowledged serious flaws in the EIS and are against the proposed superhighway-toll road. (see Letter for more)
- There is no proof that a Superhighway will have any economic benefit to Jefferson County
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What are the negative effects on Golden and western Arvada?
- A Superhighway threatens Golden and western Arvada by bringing higher levels of traffic, noise and pollution, and damaging air and water quality. A toll road will also force more traffic onto local streets as drivers seek alterative roads that are free.
- It threatens the health and safety of kids, especially at Mitchell Elementary. The playground will only be 84 feet from the highway.
- A Superhighway threatens home values, and will damage the beautiful mountain views.
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If the state doesn't have money to build the superhighway, aren't toll roads a solution?
- Toll roads are a bad idea because they are owned by private authorities, which are not accountable to the public's interest.
- Toll roads are double taxation because we will have to pay additionally to drive on roads that should be covered by our normal taxes.
- Based on CDOT's own traffic projections, the proposed toll road would likely not be able to support itself.
- The Northwest Parkway toll road is losing money and has not realized the traffic counts as originally projected by CDOT. (see Press for more)
- Toll road authorities may have non-compete agreements with local governments , whereby government will purposely slow traffic on competing public roads to force traffic onto toll roads. One example is that Commerce City has a non-compete agreement with E-470 to lower the speed limit, add traffic signals and make no improvements for five years on Tower Road so that the northeast segment of E-470 will more likely be profitable for investors.
- When toll roads are built, the planning and construction has much less public involvement and oversight than a public project would, yet toll roads still have authority to condemn private property, disrupt neighborhoods, etc.
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Do we have hope to defeat the Superhighway?
Some people say that fighting the superhighway is a waste of time – we are just citizens, too small to make a difference. We can’t opposing the governor, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Jeffco Commissioners – it’s David v. Goliath, we don’t have a chance.
Before one takes a defeatist attitude, consider this. The state of Texas is currently embroiled in a huge transportation controversy involving the Trans-Texas Corridor, a 4,000-mile highway costing some $175 billion. The highway is proposed to be a toll road. (Sound familiar?)
Citizens throughout Texas have turned out in droves to oppose this boondoggle, and government officials are taking notice. Opposition has become so great that there is now support for legislation to place a two-year moratorium on the development of the highway, and bar the Texas Department of Transportation from imposing a new toll on any portion of a state highway for the next two years. 32 counties have officially come out opposing the Trans-Texas Corridor. One Texas state legislator said, "Grassroots support like this means something…the best way to put this on the radar screen is to be heard.”
The controversy in Texas is far from over, but it appears that grass roots citizens groups are successful at creating broad support to turn back a bad transportation idea. (See more at www.corridorwatch.org).
As a local example of successful activism, consider that Golden citizens (and city council) were able to defeat the super tower proposed to be built on Lookout Mountain, fighting against large communications companies, lobby groups and the Jeffco Commissioners.
Nay-sayers might take a lesson from these examples. As Americans and tax payers, we can never give in to bad government policies. We can make a difference, if we take time to care. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.
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If I make a monetary donation to CINQ, is it tax deductible?
No. CINQ wants to reserve the right to endorse political candidates. In order to retain this right, CINQ must give up the ability to make it's donations tax deductible.
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