Golden City Council Candidates respond to superhighway questions
In late September 2005, CINQ sent each candidate for the Golden City Council a list of questions on the issue of the proposed superhighway link through Golden. Eight of the nine candidates submitted responses. Those responses are listed here for you to read and evaluate as you prepare to cast your vote in the November 1 election. All candidates who responded support our basic position that the proposed superhighway should not be built.
CINQ believes that the superhighway should be opposed basically because it is unneeded, it does not help with the traffic problems we have in this part of Jefferson County , and it is wasting our tax dollars that should be spent on real traffic solutions. We are supporting road improvements that will responsibly address our real traffic needs. Recent news articles are beginning to expose the weaknesses and misrepresentations in the proposed superhighway's traffic forecasting and bonding mechanisms. As the truth comes out, our position grows stronger. As we continue our campaign to Go The Betterway, we need councilors who will be steadfast in their support of solutions based on truth and integrity.
Note: In the questions below, "beltway" signifies a high-speed superhighway with more than 4 lanes, either free or tolled.
| |
As a councilor will you oppose a beltway
in any form through the NW Quadrant? Through Golden? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
Yes to both questions |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
Yes. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
Yes and yes. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
I oppose the high speed "beltway"
through Golden. I believe that the City Staff worked hard to
get the Muller study developed and is in my opinion probably
the best solution to improving Highway 6. Yes, I do agree that
93 needs improvements.......however, I hesitate to
have Golden do anything to Highway 93 at this time because CDOT
could take that as a positive sign that Golden is willing to
accept the idea of the "Beltway".
When walking Ward 3 it is perfectly clear that citizens are very concerned about this issue. NO ONE that I have spoken with wants this "beltway". It is important to note that several citizens have expressed their concern that it is a "done deal". They are very discouraged. And are questioning if Golden should continue spending money trying to defeat the project. |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
NW Quadrant. I would oppose a high-speed superhighway with more than 4 lanes, either free or tolled through Golden; but I wouldn't oppose a beltway in any form. I would support a combination of a moderate speed, curved, sound mitigated four-lane parkway through Golden that connected to a higher speed multi-lane highway that ran from up by the landfill through Arvada and on to the Flatirons Mall area. I believe we need fair transportation solutions that will address present and future needs.The future will present us with hundreds of thousand new residents on the Front Range. We need fair solutions to move people to destinations to include light rail, buses and smart designed highways that mitigate noise and air pollution.
Golden: Yes. I would oppose a high-speed superhighway with more than 4
lanes, either free or tolled through Golden; however I would support a
parkway that is speed limited and sound mitigated along the Hwy 6 & 93
corridor - a parkway that would provide safe grade separated routes for
CSM students across the Highway 6 and 19th St intersection and for
walkers and Mitchell Elementary students on 93. Right now we have a
great deal of "cut-across" traffic off 93 to 58 on Washington and even
Ford. We need improvements that will move this traffic off our city
streets. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
I Strongly oppose a beltway through
the Northwest Quadrant.
I vigorously oppose the proposed beltway through Golden. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
Yes and yes. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
As a councilor will you oppose a
beltway in any form through the NW Quadrant? Through Golden?
Yes, I will oppose a beltway through the NW Quadrant and Yes, will oppose a beltway through Golden. The beltway is not needed, it is too expensive and will not solve traffic issues. There are better solutions that CDOT refuses to consider such as the lane extensions for Highway 93 and Indiana and McIntyre. I support these solutions. |
| |
As a councilor will you continue to support the commitment of city resources to oppose a beltway through the northwest quadrant? Through Golden? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
Yes to both questions |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
Yes. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
Yes and yes. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
Absolutely!! |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
NW Quadrant: I don't oppose balanced transportation options like four
lanes with speed and noise control from north of Golden to Flatirons Mall area.
I believe that this is the position of the majority of the council.
Golden: I would strongly support the continued commitment of city resources to oppose a high-speed superhighway with more than 4 lanes, either free or tolled, through Golden. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
I would continue to direct our City Manager, planners and legal team to use their expertise to prevent the beltway through Golden. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
Yes and yes. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
Yes, I will commit resources to opposing the beltway through the northwest quadrant and through Golden. Throughout this whole process with CDOT, Golden is the only city that has had to fight for its way of life. No other city in the northwest quadrant has had to deal with such a burden. |
| |
As a councilor will you support efforts and costs to litigate against a beltway connection through the NW Quadrant? Through Golden? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
Yes to both questions |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
Yes. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
Yes and yes. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
I believe that to continue supporting efforts and costs to litigate against a beltway is in the best interest of Golden and is the desire of Golden citizens. |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
NW Quadrant: I would look at proposals for north of Golden to the Flatirons Mall area on a case by case basis and support a balanced approach that would be fair while protecting our quality of life and the environment.
Golden: I support litigation as an option to prevent any free or tolled high-speed superhighway with more than 4 lanes from going through Golden. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
As a councilor I will be working for the citizens of Golden and their best interests. I would totally support efforts and costs to prevent the beltway cutting through Golden. I do not think a beltway in the NW Quadrant is the solution to traffic problems. If a proposal for a beltway through the NW Quadrant was proposed other than the one cutting through Golden.
I would have to study this and if I found that it adversely affected the residents of Golden I would support cost to litigate against this also. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
Yes and yes. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
Yes, if elected I will support all efforts to litigate against the beltway through the NW Quadrant and through Golden. In addition, I support all citizen campaigns to get other elected officials such as the Jefferson County Commissioners, our state and federal representatives to speak out against this issue. |
| |
As a councilor will you advocate for a rail/ mass transit terminus in Golden? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
Yes, depending on the details. |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
Yes. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
Yes. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
I have always supported mass transit. In my opinion it is
the best way to reduce traffic and pollution. I have lived on
the East coast (Washington D.C. area) and am very familiar with
traffic jams, road rage, and the nightmare of accidents. The
D.C. metro is efficient, safe, clean and heavily used. Adding
more highways is NOT the answer. |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
Yes. We will have one in Golden right across from the Courts and County
Administration Building. I strongly support smart growth in the area of
the terminal using contemporary approaches associated with Transit
Oriented Development. I will support balanced, fair transportation
options for connecting from the terminal to our downtown. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
I support the proposed light rail terminal that will end near the Jeffco Courthouse. At this terminus I would support a bus route to take passengers to other parts of Golden. This light rail terminal will undoubtingly make the land around it very valuable and we must make sure the affordable housing (Mobile Home Parks) around this area are safe. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
I already have and I will continue to do so. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
Yes, I believe that reducing traffic congestion on 6th Avenue can be attained by supporting a mass transit terminus in Golden. |
| |
Do you believe that a beltway connection can represent a needed economic boon to Golden and Jeffco? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
No! |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
No, it will destroy Golden. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
No. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
In my opinion, NO. Certainly Not a Boon for Golden. And all of our studies say that not only is it NOT WANTED....It's not needed.
Jefferson County and surrounding communities certainly believe that the Beltway would support the development of the northwest quadrant. County Commissioners have expressed their desire to develop Jeffco airport. Arvada certainly wants the Beltway as a connection so that it would encourage and support their growth. |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
Golden: I don't see any significant benefits of the connection for us.
I agree with my neighbors and the citizens of Ward 3 -- the
overwhelming vast majority are opposed to a high speed beltway through
our city and don't see benefits from one.
Jeffco: It could benefit Broomfield and Arvada with increased development and associated sales tax revenue. Some might say that Jeffco could benefit from development in the airport corridor by gaining property tax revenue from new and attracted business. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
I do not see the beltway connection as a economic boom for Golden. I see it as an element inducing sprawl and changing our quality of life. I believe sprawl ultimately cost everyone. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
I believe that addressing the full range of transportation challenges in the region in a manner consistent with the feasibility study (e.g., improvements on Highway 93, improvements on the north-south arterials) will benefit Golden, Arvada, JeffCo, and other communities in the region. A high-speed superhighway is clearly not needed to address these transportation needs and will have enormous adverse impacts on Golden, the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, and the open space of northern Jefferson and southern Boulder counties. It will also fail to address the region's critical transportation needs. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
No I do not believe that the beltway will facilitate an economic boon for Golden or Jeffco. Golden's economic boon is the small town character and pristine environment. The population growth and opportunity for economic boon is in the north, in Adams County where land is available and housing more affordable. |
| |
Do you think that the current Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the proposed beltway/470 expansion has been fair and open? Why or why not? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
I am not familiar with specific details of the EIS but, from
some of the second hand comments, I suspect that there is a
pro beltway agenda that drives the EIS. |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
I have yet to study the EIS reports. I have read many others that state the Beltway is a very bad idea and I agree with that statement. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
No. The Northwest Corridor Environmental Impact Statement process has been nothing more than a game of Three Card Monte -- the outcome had been predetermined. In deciding on the final alternatives, the study's manager, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), saw fit to ignore the stated purpose of the project which was ". . . to improve the functionality and capacity of the regional and local transportation systems . . . ." Every study to date has shown that the most efficient and cost-effective solution to alleviate traffic congestion in the northwestern quadrant of the Denver metropolitan area is by improving north-south arterials -- not by building a high-speed, 6- to 8-lane tollroad. CDOT also ignored the stated need for the project, which was to be ". . . a thoughtful, deliberate process . . . to determine a set of transportation improvements that can minimize impacts to the natural setting . . . ." Constructing a multi-lane tollway along the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills is not a minimized impact; it is a perverse impact. CDOT has played a game of Three Card Monte with the losers being not only Golden residents, but also all of us Coloradans who will ultimately foot the bill for this billion-dollar extravagance as toll revenues fall short of projections. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
This is a joke!! It is so obvious that this "Study" already has a decided outcome. Both City Council and City staff have reported their frustrations with the study at Council meetings. No one is willing to even listen to our studies or ideas. |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
I believe it has not been fair and open. Many colleagues that I
respect and have advised me, have told me that it is unfair and not
open. Some of these folks would include: our mayor, my friend and
supporter Dick Sugg who sits on the Technical Committee and John Spear,
professor at CSM, who used the "beltway" EIS as a case study for his
NEPA class this summer. On a personal note, the meetings and gatherings
I have attended always gave me a feeling of lack of clarity and lack of
hard data to support conclusions reached by CDOT contractors. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
From everything I've read it seems to me that CDOT has had a predetermined conclusion to transportation solutions in the Northwest Quadrant, they want a beltway. Every alternative they have presented except the no build one proposes this. The last meeting the one at CSM did not allow for citizen input it just show the proposal for a highspeed beltway through Golden. No, I don't think the EIS for the proposed beltway has been fair or open. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
It has clearly been neither fair nor open for reasons we (the city) have enumerated countless times in our comment letters, I have repeated to reporters, in letters-to-the-editor, and in public hearings, and others (including CINQ) have also identified frequently and persistently. The process was conducted with a specific outcome in mind -- a superhighway through Golden regardless of its appropriateness -- and it produced that outcome. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
I do not believe that the EIS has been fair and open because CDOT's leadership has already declared an outcome. The EIS has become extremely expensive and unnecessary. CDOT is going through the motion of a process to build their case that they had citizen input. What kind of a fair process is it, when CDOT discounts any alternatives. Also, I think it is disgusting that $15 million was spent on a worthless study when existing highways need improvements such as C470. Why isn't Norton focusing his attention there? |
| |
Do you believe that a completed beltway is a prerequisite for Denver to be considered a first class metropolitan area? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
I think that Denver is about as classy as I care for it to
be and "No!!" I don't believe that a beltway
is a prerequisite for any thing desirable. |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
No. Denver is already a beautiful and thriving city. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
No. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
NO!! This "beltway" is out of the way. No trucker would be willing to come all the way west just to take this highway. This will not save time. It will not alleviate north and south traffic and there are already highways supporting east and west directions. Mass transit will be the key to a modern, efficient city.
Once again .....more roads and highways are not a solution. Increased traffic and traffic jams during the rush hour certainly does NOT make a first class metropolitan area. |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
Absolutely not. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
Quite the opposite. Most beltway cities have suffered and Denver should learn from their mistakes. Beltways are not viable traffic solutions. They contribute to sprawl and pollution, brownfields in existing communities consisting of empty big box stores, parking lots and reduces tax bases. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
I believe that a well-designed and effective transportation system -- including appropriate road improvements and a significant investment in mass transit -- is a prerequisite. A high-speed beltway that is neither justified nor appropriate is emphatically not required. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
No and I know that Denver does not stake its reputation on whether there is a loop around the city. Their focus is on mass transit solutions -- that's what makes a city first class. |
| |
Are you aware of alternatives to the proposed superhighway? If so, do you support any of those alternatives? |
| Larry McInroy - Ward 1 |
I am not as familiar as I should be about the alternatives
but I do have my own impression of workable alternatives. This
includes improvements to existing thoroughfares. |
| Mary Weaver - Ward 1 |
No response was received. |
| Brian Bookmyer - Ward 2 |
No response was received. |
| Arthur Chen - Ward 2 |
Yes and yes. |
| Diane Pasquarelli - Ward 3 |
I am aware of numerous alternatives. I have gone to several of the meetings and one sided discussions presented by CDOT.
I support the improvement of roadways (Arterials) that are already in place. There are several good suggestions to improve the flow of traffic. I'm personally not sure which ones are best but would support improvement of Wadsworth, Ward Road, and Kipling...and connector roads. |
| Jim Dale - Ward 3 |
Sure/yes. We could have a parkway with lights and sound mitigation.
Our city financed study provided a fine alternative and the original CH2M Hill study showed the need for improvements on Wadsworth and Kipling and I believe McIntyre to address north - south movement needs. I believe these solutions are fair and make sense because I don't believe any single solution would address the needs of the area while providing a balance of fairness, protection and mobility in the region. |
| Diane Chesbro - Ward 3 |
I would support improvement to roadways we currently have so as to avoid disruption of existing neighborhoods benefiting the most people. One interesting and relatively inexpensive solution I have heard is to have the DOT build two ramps on the west side of I-70 and 6th Ave. near the current Home Depot/Kohls project. Everyone will win. Proponents of the beltway will get their circle and much of the traffic will stay east of Golden.
I think the best solution for the entire Metro Denver area is to encourage mass transit that really works, that conveniently services the people who drive all the time, particularly in their daily commute. I think working efficient mass transit is really a sign of a great metropolitan city. |
| Jacob Smith - Ward 4 |
I support the recommendations of the Muller Plan and the feasibility study, and would support other, similar alternatives that provide efficient, effective, and reasonable solutions to our region's transportation challenges without a high-speed superhighway through Golden. |
| Barbara J. DesMarteau - Ward 4 |
No response was received. |
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