I 70 sucks

[SBrown]

Some of you touched on it up there, but Colorado has always used "sun" as a large part of its official snow removal protocol. When we get long storm cycles like the one last week, no, there are never enough plows (and now there aren't enough drivers for the inadequate number of plows, either).

 

[Fuller]

Was heading west into Dillon this afternoon, the eastbound lanes were backed up from Silverthorn to about 4 miles past the tunnel. Roads were dry and the sun was out... I was very glad to be going against the flow today.

 

[mikel]

I heard the drive from Copper to the front range this past Sat late afternoon / evening was probably the worst of the season so far. When it takes 45-50 minutes just to make it to Silverthorne from Copper you know it's a shit show.

 

[mikel]

Anyone ever figured out whether there is a rationale basis behind the decisions as to when to open, and close, the toll lanes on I70 btw Floyd Hill and G-Town. I sure can't figure it out; seems unrelated to weather or traffic conditions and more related to the whims of a bureaucrat in a cubicle in Aurora.

Has anyone seen the west bound side open since ski season started? I know it was open and free in the fall for quite awhile but we have friends that bring their kids to ski school and others that work at Copper. They cannot remember seeing it open.

 

[Jim Kenney]

From what I can tell Saturday, Jan 8 was hellacious busy at most ski areas across the entire US. Blame it on the return of the "blacked-out" people!?!

 

[tball]

Has anyone seen the west bound side open since ski season started? I know it was open and free in the fall for quite awhile but we have friends that bring their kids to ski school and others that work at Copper. They cannot remember seeing it open.

Yeah, I drove the WB express lane in the fall when it was free, but I haven't seen it open since.

The express lanes are limited to 100 days per year. IIRC, there is a federal exemption that allows for the non-spec interstate (not wide enough for safety!), but only for 100 days per year. That generally means busy season weekends (summer and Christmas through March) and holidays to maximize the flow of traffic and revenue.

 

[S.H.]

WB express lane has been open (and toll free) for me on several occasions in the last couple months, I've probably taken it 10-12 times. I'm not going to use it when there's a toll, but when it's free ...

Used it yesterday, in fact.

 

[doc]

The express lanes are limited to 100 days per year. IIRC, there is a federal exemption that allows for the non-spec interstate (not wide enough for safety!), but only for 100 days per year.

That's just bizarre. Its either safe, or its not. Feds effectively saying they'll compromise safety for traffic and revenue reasons?
From my own selfish standpoint, I don't think the toll lanes are appreciably less safe than the other two lanes (in a world where the toll lane is closed), and would just as soon see them open all the time, but only tolled during high demand periods.
I'm still frosted after a sunny, warm and snowless Friday afternoon return to the front range from Summit County last spring dealing for hours with 4 mph bumper to bumper traffic on EB I70 starting west of the tunnel, thinking I'd find relief once I got to the toll lane start point, only to find the toll lane closed and no one from ExpressToll or CDOT could provide me with a plausible explanation for the closure over the phone. An empty toll lane is nothing but a waste of time and money with the attendant benefit of slightly crimping the two free lanes.

 

[jmeb]

That's just bizarre. Its either safe, or its not.

Anyone who works professionally with risk mitigation knows that safety is never a yes/no binary. It's a continuum of both risks and consequences.

Taking away a shoulder lane is pretty obviously the removal of a safety feature. The Feds have decided that said the traffic reduction outweighs the safety loss part only part of the time.

I for one appreciate the toll lane being closed when traffic is flowing smoothly without it as people regularly drift across lanes requiring evasive maneuvers. Especially in winter.

 

[TexasStout]

WB express lane has been open (and toll free) for me on several occasions in the last couple months, I've probably taken it 10-12 times. I'm not going to use it when there's a toll, but when it's free ...

Used it yesterday, in fact.

The WB toll lane was open and free a few times back in mid-December when I was in CO for skiing. The traffic wasn't bad on those days anyway, so not sure why it was open.

 

[jmeb]

The WB toll lane was open and free a few times back in mid-December when I was in CO for skiing. The traffic wasn't bad on those days anyway, so not sure why it was open.

It's not based on real-time traffic. It's opening/closings are planned. Based on historic volume data.

 

[TexasStout]

It's not based on real-time traffic. It's opening/closings are planned. Based on historic volume data.

If it planned based on dates and not day of the week, that is gonna be inaccurate, obviously, from one year to the next.

 

[Cols714]

I-70 being built for many fewer cars/hour is the main problem. But we (mostly the feds) spent $$$$$ building it and refuse to spend $$$$$ on solutions.

 

[Noodler]

The major problem so far this season is the dramatic rise in heavy truck traffic. When trucks cannot manage a reasonable speed on the highway, it basically turns it into a one lane road. Even in the 3 lane sections today, we had trucks passing other trucks very slowly; so still down to 1 lane for all the cars. It's just plain ridiculous at times...

 

[nay]

The major problem so far this season is the dramatic rise in heavy truck traffic. When trucks cannot manage a reasonable speed on the highway, it basically turns it into a one lane road. Even in the 3 lane sections today, we had trucks passing other trucks very slowly; so still down to 1 lane for all the cars. It's just plain ridiculous at times...

Yea, that’s what’s I’ve been saying. It’s such a heavy CMV route and the failure to employ basic rules on minimum speeds capability and no CMV passing is obliterating the function of that interstate. Any time we look at the impact of heavy CMV, from pollution to safety to efficiency, the congressional answer is always that any fix is too expensive. So we pay for it at the point of use instead where it is the absolutely most expensive (accidents and delays on the roads, in the medical system for pollution, etc.).

Our country was designed to be dumb, and a system will produce what it is designed to produce.

 

[Jack skis]

Nay I'm not starting an argument, but could you explain this statement? "Our country was designed to be dumb, ...."
Is that original with you, or is it from some other source?

 

[doc]

Took 3:37 hrs from downtown Denver to Evergreen (<30 miles) last night. Just sayin'

 

[nay]

Nay I'm not starting an argument, but could you explain this statement? "Our country was designed to be dumb, ...."
Is that original with you, or is it from some other source?

That was mine….I just mean that we aren’t designed to implement best solutions, only what those with the most influence want.

If a CMV can’t pull grade, it shouldn’t be allowed on the road, much less in the so called passing lane. That simple fix would go a very long way on Colorado I-70.

 

[Jack skis]

That was mine….I just mean that we aren’t designed to implement best solutions, only what those with the most influence want.

If a CMV can’t pull grade, it shouldn’t be allowed on the road, much less in the so called passing lane. That simple fix would go a very long way on Colorado I-70.

Thanks, makes it easy for me to understand, and to find an accurate statement.

 

[nhskier69]

I am flying into Denver in a couple of weeks. I am coming in on a Sunday and Plan on driving up to Copper. I'm driving back to Denver the following Saturday. I planned my trip this way because of traffic I hear about on other days. Question, will I still hit bad traffic coming in on a Sunday and leaving on a Saturday?