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The newsletter featuring Livable Community items of interest that readers value and highlights of happenings along the West Corridor on the RTD West Rail Line serving Golden, Lakewood,
& Denver Colorado
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Hello everyone! This is Bill Spriggs and I have found several news articles, links, and blogs that I wanted to share along THE BACK FENCE & beyond in the Sunday, February 26, 2012 Edition. |
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West Corridor, Denver & Region
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West Corridor Progress: Federal Bridge, Hazel Court & Tennyson Street Pedestrian Bridges, and the Knox & Perry Stations
By Ryan Mulligan, Feb 23, 2012
We'll travel a little further west along the corridor to see the new Federal Bridge (which replaced a crumbling bridge), two sorely-needed pedestrian bridges, as well as two "neighborhood" stations serving the West Colfax and Villa Park neighborhoods.
READ MORE...
Denver Union Station Update #94 This update is all about pavers! We have lots of progress on the walkways that lead away from the light rail station and surround the tear drop planters.
READ MORE...
RTD-Fastracks.com BusRapidTransit or Communter Rail Transit for the NW line? As the RTD Board labors with the increased cost estimates for the Northwest Fastracks service area, one of the solutions being tossed around include making BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) a viable option. Click the link below to see the comparison with Commuter Rail. [Also see videos below in The Sunday Video section].
READ MORE... BizJournals.com/Denver
Hickenlooper weighs in on Christo, FasTracks and collaboration By Neil Westergaard, Feb 24, 2012
"People in the northwestern suburbs ought to get used to the idea of not having rail service as part of RTD's FasTrack's project. Bus rapid transit is probably the way to go..."
BoulderDailyCamera.com
Boulder Studies RTD Community Pass By Erica Meltzer, Feb 25, 2012
Boulder officials are looking at the feasibility of expanding the popular Eco Pass program to the entire community. [Editor's Note: I want to keep reminding everyone that Golden is part of the West Corridor. Here is a link below to the new Golden Mayor's Blog Update. Enjoy] UPDATES ON LIFE IN GOLDEN, COLORADO
by Golden Mayor, Majorie Sloan
[including] The Latest News from Golden about the Jefferson Parkway Issue
READ MORE...
BoulderBlueLine.org
Citizens Seek Air Sampling at Jefferson Parkway Site. By Leroy Moore, Feb 23, 2012 On Tuesday, February 21, 2012, local citizens asked elected officials of the cities most affected to request that EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment test airborne dust for its radioactive content in the area at Rocky Flats intended for construction of the Jefferson Parkway.
READ MORE...
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National
| TheNewYorkTimes.com
Transportation Bill Faces a Wall of Opposition From Both Parties By Jennifer Steinhauer, Feb 24, 2012
In contrast to the hundreds of pieces of legislation that cleave Congressional Republicans and Democrats, the one that pays for transportation projects has traditionally drawn a warm embrace from both parties...
UsaToday.com
Gas Tax Falling Short in Paying for Transportation Needs by Larry Copeland, Feb 24, 2012
The USA is at a critical juncture in how it pays for roads, bridges and transit. That's because the federal tax on gasoline, the primary method since 1956, has lost one-third of its buying power since it was last raised in 1993.
RenewableEnergyWorld.com
Obama Proposes Tax Reform, Making Renewables Credits Permanent By James Montgomery, Feb 23, 2012 The US Federal Government is making another pitch for business-tax reform, and within that thrust it is underscoring its support for renewable energy.
Mashable.com
How Mobile Payments Are Revolutionizing Public Transit By Samantha Murphy, Feb 23, 2012
If modern technology is a universal language, the world is getting schooled in innovation, especially in the public transportation sector.
[Editor's Note to below: Since we are on the subject of mobile phone ordering, why not order dinner while waiting for your next light rail train and have it delivered to your front door when you get home? - Food trucks? Mom & Pop stores?]
TheAtlanticCities.com
The Grocery Store of the Future? By Eric Jaffe, Feb 23, 2012
People do any number of things while waiting on the platform for the next subway or commuter train. Some pre-walk to position themselves at the best station exit for their destination. Some just mindlessly pace. The ones who used to look down the track every few moments for the next train now look at the digital arrival times every few moments instead.
ThisBigCity.net
Can Cupcakes Inspire Collaborative Consumption? By Racheal Smith, Feb 21, 2012
'Collaborative consumption' is about sharing, trading and renting rather than owning. Enabled by technology, we can access all manner of assets from houses to technical skills. From global market places to emerging concepts like peer to peer holiday rentals, it has changed what we need, buy and use.
[Below should be required reading for all city planners; almost on the verge of being funny if it weren't so accurate]. TheAtlanticCities.com The 20 Characters You'll Meet on Every Neighborhood Email List By Emily Badger, Feb 24, 2012
It's a uniquely engaged citizen who turns up at a neighborhood meeting scheduled at the same time as the Mad Men season premiere to debate a recent spate of car break-ins on Main Street. Much less engagement is required, naturally, to fire off an angry email on the same subject.
SustainableCitiesCollective.com
How Much Your Car Really Costs You and The Quality of Your Living By Alex Banchero, Feb 21, 2012 There are neighborhoods and then there are great neighborhoods; neighborhoods are the cul-de-sac communities you find out in the suburbs, great neighborhoods are the moderately dense, diverse, unique parts of the city that are so entwined with the way cities operate the neighborhood almost seems natural, like it has been there for thousands of years.
READ MORE...
TheAtlanticCities.com
The Resurrection of the Corner Store
By Kaid Benfield, Feb 23, 2012
Last year, I wrote an article setting out "a beginning agenda for making smart growth legal. I asserted that some of our most beloved historic neighborhoods could not be built today, because zoning and building codes have evolved to prohibit some of their key characteristic
MomentumMag.com
Alliance, League, Bikes Belong, Unifying Into One Organization By Sarah Ripplinger, Feb 23, 2012
The Alliance for Biking & Walking, the League of American Bicyclists and Bikes Belong are joining forces to create a unified organization.
TheAtlanticCities.com
Do Bike Paths Promote Bike Riding? By Eric Jaffe, Feb 24, 2012
The "fundamental law of road congestion" tells us that building roads creates traffic. There's such a latent demand for space on the highway that no sooner does it appear than it's filled. But whether or not a similar law applies to bike paths and bike lanes remains a mystery.
READ MORE... CitiWire.com
Bicycles Belong: A Growing American Way By Edward T. McMahon / Feb 25 2012
Would you prefer to live in a community where you had to drive everywhere for everything, or would you prefer to live in a community where you could walk, ride a bicycle, take public transportation, or drive to get to where you want to go?
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International (when available)
| Switchboard.nrdc.org
Can US Communities Learn From This European Suburban Retrofit?
By Kaid Benfield, Feb 22, 2012 In 2008, the substantially updated town center of Plessis-Robinson, a suburb of Paris, was named "the best urban neighborhood built in the last 25 years" by the European Architecture Foundation.
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Sunday's Films (when available)
| YouTube.com
RTD FasTracks: Hear the Expert Explain BRT [Bus Rapid Transit]
 | | RTD FasTracks: Hear the Expert Explain BRT |
YouTube.com
RTD FasTracks: Hear the Expert Explain CRT [Commuter Rail Transit].
 | | RTD FasTracks: Hear the Expert Explain CRT |
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Things You Need to Know Along The West Corridor
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>Denver, Wednesday, Feb 29, 2012
Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan
2pm to 3:30pm. and 5:30 to 7pm
Fairview Elementary School Gymnasium
2715 West 11th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 The City & County of Denver in partnership with Denver Housing Authority are launching the station area planning process. Food and child care provided. For more information, please call Barbara Frommell at (720) 865-2973 or email barbara.frommell@denvergov.org. >Lakewood, Thursday, March 01, 2012, 6pm to 8pm? RTD will hold a public meeting regarding the Sheridan and Wadsworth Parking Garages At this meeting, Swinterton Builders, the awarded design and build contractors for both garages, will present the design progress of the two parking garages. Construction is scheduled to being in March for the Wadsworth Garage, and will be followed by about six weeks for the Sheridan Garage. RTD West Rail Line office, 10455 West 6th Ave., Lakewood, Co. 80215 (enter on the west entrance) >Lakewood, Thursday, March 01, 2012, 6:30pm to 8:30pm A community Workshop on Sustainability for the 40 West Arts District Community Room of the Lakewood Cultural Center 470 S. Allison Parkway. The workshop will be hosted by the City of Lakewood and Global Green USA.
>Lakewood, Saturday, March 03, 2012
The EVERYTHING Gallery is scheduled to open. 1492-B Ammons Street
Lakewood, Co 80214 The new gallery will offer an array of antique furniture, jewelry, paintings, photography pottery, and jewelry The new gallery will be located just 0.5 miles, or a 4 minute bicycle ride from the future Wadsworth Light Rail Line. >Lakewood, Saturday, March 10, 2012, 7pm RMCAD Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design 1600 Pierce Street, Lakewood Co. 80214 "Life is nothing if you are not obsessed"
RMCAD Presents an Evening with John Waters
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is proud to present An Evening with John Waters. The cult filmmaker will present his one-man vaudeville show based on his spoken word, "This Filthy World" in RMCAD's Mary Harris Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public; however, reservations are required. Reservations will be accepted online only, beginning on Monday, February 13, 2012. This event is a part of RMCAD's Visiting Artist, Scholar, and Designer Program.
Reservations will begin on February 13, 2012 On this page The RMCAD campus is located just 0.9 miles, or a 6 minute bike ride from the future Lamar Street Light Rail Stop (The Brickyard Station). 
The very popular RTD West Corridor bus tours are back!! All tours will be from 9am to 11am on the 3rd Friday of the month (April thru Sept). Each reservation that is made is for one seat only; please sign-up all attendees individually. You will receive e-mail confirmation within one week of your registration.
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Commercial Real Estate Assemblages or Individual Sites Available on the West Corridor
Major construction is done on the RTD West Rail Line and now is the time to begin Phase 2: Creating a new image of the West Corridor by building high-quality, high-density development along RTD's West Rail Line. Let's get the party started.
Please Note: TBF does not
buy or sell real property.
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Things You Need to Know in The Region (when available)
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Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Transit Alliance Citizens' Academy. Hurry! You have until March 02, 2012 to send in your application! Twice a year, the highly acclaimed Transit Alliance Citizens' Academy holds classes for citizens of the Denver Region to learn more about the many facets and huge benefits that transit-oriented living could mean. The application process is highly competitive as there are only 50 slots available and the Academy usually receives twice that amount. The Spring and Fall Citizens' Academies will be held on Wednesday evenings for seven weeks at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Spring 2012 classes will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning April 4th and ending on May 16th. Fall 2012 classes will begin on September 5th and end on October 17th, 2012 Clicking here will send you to the application page. Please read the instructions closely and submit your applications from this page. 
As part of their 15th anniversary celebration they invite you to:
THE ROAD AHEAD 2012
"Connecting Livable Communities"
Featuring" Denver Mayor Michael B Hancock
Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan
Glendale Maory Larry Harte
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kelly J. Brough & other local experts will respond with an interactive panel discussion. Thursday, March 22, 2012
Registration & Breakfast 7:45am
Program 8:00 am to 10:30am
Infinity Park Event Center Ballroom 4400 E. Kentucky Ave, Glendale Click Here to Register
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| The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of William A. Spriggs and no one else. |
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