A Jefferson County Commissioner Questionnaire
Regarding The Beltway Toll Road
By CINQ - Citizens Involved in the Northwest Quadrant, a registered Colorado non-profit non partisan corp.
CINQ’s position has always been that transportation policies and tax money should be used to provide transportation benefit, including easing congestion and improving mobility. We believe it is inappropriate public policy to use tax money to support a toll road that benefits developers, and promotes sprawl and inappropriate development on the foothills and mountain backdrop. Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) own Environmental Impact Study’s (EIS) traffic studies confirm that improving existing public roads is the best option, not a private, foreign-owned toll road. We hope you find this information useful.
Rob Medina - President, CINQ
County Commissioner Candidates and Encumbants for 2008
PROPOSED TOLL ROAD PLATFORM
This suggested platform was sent to all candidates; below is each candidate's response to the proposed platform.
Proposed Moderate Toll Road Platform
An authority has been formed to explore the financial viability of a beltway connection built as a toll road. Since the process has already been initiated by incumbent commissioners, I support a reasonable and open effort by this authority to explore the viability of this option.
- HOWEVER, I oppose congestion guarantees (non-compete agreements) which would prohibit improvements to existing public roads, either implied or formal.
- I support honest and truthful toll road traffic projections be provided to investors and the public.
- I support and will advocate for improvements to existing public roads including SH93 and Indiana-McIntyre with close attention given to the bottleneck section through Golden on SH93.
- I oppose using county tax money or forming a special county tax district to subsidize this toll road with tax payer money. If the toll road is viable, it will stand on its own two feet with private funding.
CANDIDATE RESPONSES – DISTRICT 1
Faye Griffin (R) – no web site found, email: fgriffin777@yahoo.com
I agree with your questionnaire. Sorry it has taken so long. I wanted to find more about if the state is or is not going to keep 93 maintained but have not received an answer.
CINQ’S Comments on Faye Griffin
Faye has a long history of service to the people of Jeffco including positions as County Treasurer and County Clerk. Faye seems to be above the politics, and instead seems to care about our future and the common good, regardless of the political consequences. She told CINQ that she may loose votes by not supporting the Arvada toll road, but was more interested in doing the right thing. Faye told CINQ that she is opposed to foreign ownership of our roads, however her response doesn't offer much info.
Sue Windels (D) – www.suewindels.com
I really don't believe this issue has to be as divisive as it's been in the past. I appreciate all the time and information you've shared with me. It really has been helpful in my effort to see the complete picture.
An authority has been formed to explore the financial viability of a beltway connection built as a toll road. I support a reasonable and open effort by this authority to explore the viability of this option.
Windels Response: Agree
I oppose congestion guarantees (non-compete agreements) which would prohibit improvements to existing public roads, either implied or formal.
Windels Response: Agree
I support honest and truthful toll road traffic projections be provided to investors and the public.
Windels Response: Agree
I support and will advocate for improvements to existing public roads including SH93 and Indiana-McIntyre with close attention given to the bottleneck section through Golden on SH93.
Windels Response: I agree but feel priority should be given to the highest public safety need and without a thorough analysis, I cannot say exactly what that might be at this time.
I oppose using county tax money or forming a special county tax district to subsidize this toll road with tax payer money. If the toll road is viable, it will stand on its own two feet with private funding.
Windels Response: I disagree. If people want to go for a vote to create a special county tax district to subsidize a toll road so that the road is owned by taxpayers and the toll can be retired when the debt is paid, that option should be available. There is considerable objection to foreign ownership of our local infrastructure.
CINQ’S Comments on Sue Windels
We met with Sue early in her campaign. Our impression is that Sue is a respected state senator, and she seems to say the right things, but we have concerns over her close ties with the Arvada City Council and her history of being pro-development in Arvada’s sprawl into the Foothills.
CANDIDATE RESPONSES – DISTRICT 2
Scott Zulauf (Green) – www.scottzulauf.com
I strongly oppose using county tax dollars to support this "billion dollar boondoggle" known as the Beltway. The Sierra Club refers to the Northwest Quadrant of Jefferson County as "The Last Quadrant Standing". As good stewards of the Earth, the people of Jefferson County have a responsibility to find an alternative that will benefit the health, safety, and enjoyment of all future generations. With gas prices at record highs, citizens will be even less motivated to pay more for the privilege of commuting to work. The proposed Beltway toll is a poor solution for the citizens of Jefferson County.
As I understand them, non-compete agreements generally prohibit residents from improving freeways within about 5 miles of a toll way - if such improvement would lure drivers from a toll way, and require residents to pay compensation for “lost” tolls if they improve a freeway anyway. The only beneficiaries would seemingly be the private investors themselves - not the residents. During our March meeting, the Adams-Jefferson Green Party officially endorsed the idea of expanding the existing roads of MacIntyre/Indiana and SH93 as the best alternative to the Beltway proposal; an idea that would not only save taxpayers about 50%, but that would also preserve Jeffco's delicate ecosystem.
According to the official Jefferson County website, the most important "Hot Topics" as of late seem to be the upcoming spay and neuter clinics, and how county cooperation was recently celebrated at Matthew/Winters Park. (Indecently, nowhere was it mentioned that 7 large trash bags full of garbage were recently removed from Matthew/Winters by The Jefferson County Green Party on Sat., July 12th during one of our monthly Park Clean-ups.) To my knowledge, there has been no mention of a proposed billion dollar toll way anywhere on the county's "Hot Topics" page. This is a direct insult to the residents of Jefferson County. As county commissioner, I would make it a goal to keep the taxpayers and residents of Jeffco much better informed about the truly important issues facing our county.
Thanks for the opportunity to voice my stance on these important questions.
CINQ’S Comments on Scott Zulauf: Scott seems to grasp the bigger issue of sustainability and the conservation of open land as a valuable resource better than all other candidates. He also shows an understanding of the threat of non-compete agreements. It seems that Scott and the Green Party have the best vision for the long-term sustainability in Jeffco.
Jason Bane (D) – www.votebane.com
Here is my position on The Beltway. I think we can make a much better effort at bringing everyone together by changing the culture and the leadership at the Taj Mahal.
I support a reasonable and open effort by the Beltway authority to explore the viability of private financing for a toll road project. I would prefer that we expanded existing arterial roads, but given our current dearth of transportation funding, that option is not viable in the near future. I would support building a toll road because I am concerned that roads such as Wadsworth Blvd., Ward Rd. and others have become virtual freeways for people trying to get back and forth to I-70, and these roads were not meant to accommodate such high levels of traffic.
In any toll-road discussion, I would highlight these issues:
- Private financing should remain the primary method of funding. One of the main reasons to build a toll road is because we lack the transportation funding in Colorado to make our own improvements. If we’re going to go this route, we need to make sure it is privately funded.
- I oppose the idea of congestion guarantees or non-compete agreements that would contractually limit the county to make future transportation improvements. We must remain flexible in order to be able to accommodate future growth.
- Noise mitigation efforts for Golden and other affected neighborhoods must be part of the final construction plan.
CINQ’S Comments on Jason Bane: Jason is part of the new blood that is needed in Jeffco, however we don’t know much about his positions on Arvada’s sprawling growth into the foothills or land use. Jason’s primary platform is to root out corruption and that we applaud. However, if corruption is his key issue, then he should start with rooting out corruption on the beltway – which is filled with deceit. Jason’s reason to support a toll road is based on the lack of public funding. But it would seem that if Jason is running to serve our county, then it is his responsibility to find funding to improve public roads – and not take the easy way out with a toll road.
Kevin McCasky (R-incumbent) – no web site found, email 1baldeagle@comcast.net
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questionnaire regarding the proposed toll road through northern Jefferson County. Jefferson County enjoys some of the most beautiful natural amenities of any community in metro Denver. However, the people of Jefferson County need safer and more convenient roadways, more jobs close to home and the revenues associated with sustainable development to support our schools and make open space improvements. That is why we should support the timely completion of metro Denver’s beltway.
Buckling the beltway will improve our local and regional transportation system and bring many more jobs to the people of Jefferson County. Each day, half of the workforce of Jefferson County must commute to work outside the county, an inconvenient, expensive and sometimes dangerous drive.
The newly formed Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority (JPPHA), under my chairmanship, is exploring all reasonable and timely options to complete the beltway through an open public process. Currently, the JPPHA is exploring the possibilities for funding construction and maintenance of the roadway. Rest assured, however, that the JPPHA is committed to creating a “multi-modal” corridor through northern Jefferson County that can accommodate future personal and mass transit technologies.
My position and advocacy is expressly clear as I have consistently favored common-sense, safe and convenient transportation solutions for the people of Jefferson County and for the region. In addition to buckling the beltway, we need to improve our local roadways if we are to have a safe and sensible transportation system. I am proud to have a proven record of accomplishments for seeking resources necessary to improve our existing transportation network.
It is an honor to serve Jefferson County as a Commissioner, and I remain committed to improving our quality of life and creating a positive future for Jefferson County.
(In a separate response, Kevin McCasky also submitted this statement)
For the record, I have held the following positions for my entire term as County Commissioner, and have continually articulated these positions. For specificity and clarity, I have always opposed congestion guarantees and demanded truthful and honest toll projections. I have continually advocated for improvements on existing arterials in the NW Quadrant and have a record of such advocacy. I will continue to advocate for improvements to existing arterials. If the toll road is viable, it will stand on its own two feet with private funding and I will not support taxpayer subsidy of the
tollway or its operations. Furthermore, I've led the effort in Jefferson County and the Denver Metropolitan Area to create a "parkway" through Golden - a four-lane divided highway modeled after US Highway 6 that currently exists as a four-lane divided highway through Golden. No tollway or expressway through Golden. The "parkway" through Golden will have 45 mph speed limit to reduce noise, with earthen berms landscaped with evergreen type trees to provide year-round noise attenuation; separate the grade at Washington and Iowa Streets and connect the neighborhoods.
CINQ’S Comments on Kevin McCasky: We have debated and spoken with Kevin McCasky on several occasions and he has consistently supported the beltway toll road. He claims there will be reasonable transportation benefit and better mobility resulting from a toll road, but this claim is false. There is absolutely no data that supports any real mobility benefit, and it is disingenuous to state otherwise. 20 years of data clearly indicates that improving existing public roads is the fiscally conservative approach. As CDOT stopped the beltway’s Environmental Impact Study this year, McCasky shifted his arguments for the beltway to economic development. Curiously, the research to support his economic benefit claim was performed by a business organization with close ties to McCasky, and the data seems to lack credibility. Recently, he supported the expenditure of public funds to support the beltway toll road. He has continually ignored professional data (NW Quadrant Feasibility Study, 2000) that recommends improving existing public roads. McCasky’s support of the toll road indicates his long time, close ties with special interests and developers in Jeffco.
RESPONSE – DISTRICT 3
Kathy Hartman, current County Commissioner, District 3 (her seat not up for election, but she did respond back). email commish3@co.jefferson.co.us
I oppose congestion guarantees (non-compete agreements) which would prohibit improvements to existing public roads, either implied or formal.
Hartman's Response: I concur in principle. This is one of those devil in the details. But Hwy 93 and 72 are state highways, and I do not expect CDOT to be a signer to the agreement, so there is no practical way to create a non-compete agreement on the major road sections. We are upgrading Indiana and McIntyre in the Jeffco section - I cannot speak for Arvada.
I support honest and truthful toll road traffic projections be provided to investors and the public.
Hartman's Response: Absolutely.
I support and will advocate for improvements to existing public roads including SH93 and Indiana-McIntyre with close attention given to the bottleneck section through Golden on SH93.
Hartman's Response: Absolutely.
I oppose using county tax money or forming a special county tax district to subsidize this toll road with tax payer money. If the toll road is viable, it will stand on its own two feet with private funding.
Hartman's Response: I oppose using more than incidental county money. As for a special district, if it comes to that, it will be a decision of the taxpayers.
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