Did you Know that Transit Did That? Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity Mile High Connects released their Regional Equity Atlas on April 10. The Atlas paints the picture of where people currently live and where the opportunities and challenges are to improving their quality of life. The maps also provide vision of what the region might look like as new transit lines open and communities become better connected within the region.  |
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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 this Wednesday Edition, April 18, 2012. |
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West Corridor, Denver & Region
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>Denver Union Station Tour This Saturday, April 21 2012
Head on down to the LoDo side of the historic station at 17th & Wynkoop at about 9:50 AM. Whoever shows up, that will be the tour group. The tour starts promptly at 10:00 AM and concludes around 11:00 AM at the new light rail station by the Millennium Bridge. The suggested donation for the tour is $10 per person and all proceeds go to the non-profit Student Chapter of the American Planning Association at the University of Colorado Denver, but you're welcome to attend regardless of what you can donate.
The tour is conducted Ken Schroeppel. Ken is the founder and administrator of DenverInfill/blog and its companion blog, DenverUrbanism. Ken is an Instructor of Planning and Design in the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Denver, where he lectures within the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program on topics relating to planning methodologies, urban form and spatial assessments, and professional applications in planning
BoulderDailyCamera.com
Superior Declares War on
Beltway Bill
By John Aguilar, Apr 17, 2012 Town trustees voted at an emergency session Tuesday night to oppose a beltway completion bill being considered at the state Legislature...Superior has long fought the Jefferson Parkway, a proposed high-speed toll road that would run from Colo. 128 in Broomfield to Colo. 93 north of Golden and essentially complete the beltway around Denver. It would pass just south of Superior.
TheAtlanticCities.com
Greening an Entire Block Instead of Just One Building
By Emily Badger, Apr 16, 2012
"Those larger single-owner entities are pretty much a slam dunk," says Chad Riley, the director of finance and strategy for a Denver-based nonprofit called Living City Block. "You can figure that out relatively quickly and easily."
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National
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Transportationnation.org
Obama Says He'll Veto Transpo Extender Tied to Keystone XL
By Kate Hinds, Apr 17, 2012
The House will vote tomorrow on whether to extend transportation funding another three months - but President Obama has already threatened to veto it over language mandating approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
READ MORE...
LA.StreetsBlog.org
House Tries to Horse-Trade Senate Bill For Keystone Pipeline
By Tanya Snyder, Apr 13, 2012 In another desperate attempt to push forward their fossil fuel agenda, House Republicans have indicated that even though they've been incapable of passing a transportation bill, they're willing to go to conference committee and pass the Senate bill. All the Senate Democrats have to do in return is approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
READ MORE...
Transportation.NationalJournal.com
The Driving Tax By Niraj Chokshi & Fawn Johnson 4/16/12 Many policy analysts agree that a "vehicle-miles traveled" fee, a literal tax for actual road use, is an effective replacement for the current gas tax to pay for our roads and bridges. A penny-per-mile tax would raise enough to match the existing 18.4 cent-per-gallon fuel tax, while two cents-per-mile would raise enough to maintain infrastructure investment in the long run,
READ MORE...
CharlotteObserver.com
Freeways no Longer? Highway Tolls Weighed By Curtis Tate, Apr 17, 2012 The federal interstate highway system is showing its age, and, faced with the cost of repairing all those bumps and cracks, some states want to ask motorists to pay tolls on roads that used to be free.
Grist.org
The 'War on Suburbia' is a Hoax
By Greg Hanscom, Apr 13, 2012 "California Declares War on Suburbia," blared the headline from The Wall Street Journal this week. Quick, kids! To the bunker!
TreeHugger.com
Guess What? More Bike Lanes = More Cyclists (and the Weather Doesn't Matter)
By A. K. Streeter, Apr 14, 2012
Conclusion: cities with a greater supply of bike lanes have more bike commuters. And according to the researchers, that correlation exists even when controlling for things like land use, climate, socioeconomics, gas prices, public transport supply, and cycling safety.
READ MORE...
TheAtlanticCities.com
Just a Fraction More White Roofs Could Have a Huge Global Impact
By Nate Berg, Apr 16, 2012 If you combined all of the world's urban areas into one dense nugget of urbanity, it would cover about 2 million square kilometers, or 1.3 percent of the land area of the planet. About 60 percent of that - roughly the size of California and Texas combined - is made up of pavement and rooftops.
READ MORE...
SwitchBoard.nrdc.org
Want to Build Development That the Community Will Welcome? By Ken Benfield, Apr 16, 2012 If you're in the business of trying to make communities better, and supporting great, green revitalization that will strengthen central cities, you know only too well how change can frighten current residents. Not entirely without reason, people fear development, especially when someone new shows up with an idea.
READ MORE...
TheAtlanticCities.com
Supporting Local Business with the Muscle of a 'Cash Mob'
By Sarah Goodyear, Apr
Saturday was a typical one in Brooklyn: the sidewalk crowded with fashionably dressed people chatting in the spring sunshine, discovering friends in common and business connections...But these people weren't waiting for brunch at the latest hot local eatery. They had shown up to participate in a "cash mob," an event to support local businesses...
READ MORE...Grist.org
The New Revolutionaries: Landscape Architects Reinvent Urban Parks
By Rebecca Messner, Apr 16, 2012
Name one landscape architect. Any one will do. No, I'm not talking about the guy who does your landscaping - I'm looking for genuine, bona fide landscape architects, the ones who analyze, plan, design, manage, and nurture natural and built environments.
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International (when available)
| ThisBigCity.net
Walkenomics, Apr 13, 2012
How Your Postcode is as Important as Your Genetic Code for Childhood Obesity. The western world is getting fatter. It's hard to ignore the spiraling rates of obesity in developed countries such as the UK and US, where more than one in four of us is now clinically obese. But perhaps even more alarming is the speed at which our children are becoming dangerously fat.
READ MORE...
ThisBigCity.net
A Cycling City is a Sustainable City. So What's Stopping Us? By Joe Peach, Apr 16, 2012
Here at This Big City, we think the bicycle is a key component in creating sustainable cities. In fact, encouraging bicycle use seems like a total no-brainer to many of those whose work, studies, or just general interest points them in the direction of sustainable urbanism. But something is stopping the bicycle from becoming a mainstream mode of transport in many cities, and we want to know why.
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Wednesday's Film (when available)
| StreetFilms.org
Active Living For All Ages: Creating Neighborhoods Around Transit By Robin Urban Smith, Apr 17, 2012
Streetfilms teamed up with the Public Policy Institute at AARP to bring you a look at how Arlington, Virginia plans for its senior population using transit-oriented development (TOD). Arlington has been practicing TOD since the late 1970s, when Washington's Metrorail first began service there, and it's proved very effective in accommodating the population growth of this inner suburb.
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Things you need to know along the West Corridor
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>Important Transit News Along the West Corridor:
RTD is planning to change bus service when the West Rail Line opens in May of 2013 and will hold public hearings to present the draft plans and hear feedback from the public. The two meetings for the West Corridor:
April 18, 2012, Clements Community Center, 1580 Yarrow St. Lakewood Co. 80215. Full list of meetings
>Lakewood, Saturday, April 21, 2012 9am to 1030am, 7215 West Colfax Ave - West Colfax Buiness Improvement District Office. Lakewood City Council members, Karen Kellen and Ramey Johnson, Ward 1, will meet with residents and considerate guests for their monthly outreach meeting. The future West Corridor light rail will traverse the northern section of their Ward.
>Denver Union Station Basement, Friday, April 27, 2012, 7 to 9pm Final Open House for the Model Railroad extraordinary display before construction closes same. Soon the terrific model railroad display put on by the Platte Valley & Western Model Railroad club in the basement of the Denver Union Station will have to close because of the redevelopment of the Station (let's hope they put in better ventilation and more areas to sit for old and struggling families) The open house will run from 7pm to 9pm in the Basement. Press Release pdf >Denver, Wednesday, May 02, 2012, 6pm to 9pm? History Colorado, 1200 Broadway. DRCOG will award Lakewood Mayor, Bob Murphy with the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contribution to the region as chairman of the Metro Mayors Caucus FasTracks Task force. Mayor Murphy will also accept the 2012 Local Government Awards Program category, Planning With Vision, from DRCOG for the 40 West Arts District in Lakewood. Click Here to Register[Editor's note to below: TBF received no promotional fee for this posting. This is part of our overall effort to get more cyclists on our city streets. It is a well established fact that if females feel "safe" on our roads, then more will follow and that means fewer automobiles]. Source: Scientific American
>Lakewood, Thursday, May 10, 2012, 7 - 9pm Ladies Night at Campus Cycles, 7310 West Colfax Ave, Co. 80214 One of the West Corridor's newest neighbors is Campus Cycles who will be hosting an informal "after hours" catered event designed to present information about bikes, accessories and riding apparel for the lady cyclist. Liv/Giant will be present as well as a few local event directors. The evening will include a raffle, entertainment, gift bags, fashion show and many in-store discounts. RSVP via e-mail at eventRSVP@campuscycles.com, or call 303 237-1115.  >Lakewood, starting Friday, June 08, 2012, 5-9pm
Lakewood's celebration of the Arts week starts with a Ribbon-cutting, Arts Exhibit & Community Art Project June 8-9-10. Mark your calendars for the INSPIRE week programs at 40 West Arts! Lakewood's celebration of its arts with a ribbion-cutting and preview of the new 40 West Studios at 7175 West 16th Avenue, Lakewood, Colorado 80214 starts June 08, 2012. The new art studio is located just 0.6 miles - an 11 minute walk, or a 6 minute bike ride from the future Wadsworth Light Rail Station. >Lakewood, Wednesday, June 13, 4-6pm. Grand Opening party of A+E Fine Woodworking, woodworking studio, 7175 W. 16th Ave. A&E Woodworking will become a future art collaborative where artists will share a common location to create their artwork. The location is located 0.6 miles - 3 minutes via bicycle - from the future light rail stop at Wadsworth 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. Click here to register
MAY 19 - 20TH, 2012 
JUNE 9-15th, 2012 
AUGUST 20-26th, 2012
SEPTEMBER 21-23RD, 2012
Denver Union Station
Construction Cam
Golden Jeffco Station
Construction Cam
Wish You Could Find an Apartment/Condo near a Light Rail Station? As part of TBF's continuing efforts to bring TOD's to the West Corridor & elsewhere, this link from Walk Score.com will now be a permanent feature. Thanks. |
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Commercial Real Estate Assemblages, Land or Buildings Available on The West Corridor
Please note: TBF does not
own or sell any real property.
Prices displayed may not be correct.
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>4917 West 11th Ave Assemblage
>10th Avenue Light Rail Assemblage
>1010 Sheridan Blvd TOD Site
>13th Avenue & Newland St., Light Rail Vacant Land
>5830 West Colfax Ave
>1025 Ammons Complex
>6990 West Colfax Ave Pad Site
THE BACK FENCE supports a corridor wide, regional vision, with individual nodes of unique "places" within that corridor. We hope that the listing of commercial properties available will help to speed this vision to fruition sooner. Learn more about this vision below from the Center for Transit-Oriented Development.
Editor's note: Due to the greatness of Democracy and right of it's citizen's to express concerns freely, RTD has issued a follow-up statement addressing those issues raised surrounding the Future Sheridan Street Parking Structure raised on March 01, 2012. Subjects include 1) Sun/snow on the north side of the structure. 2) Safer lighting between station and parking structure. 3) Ped/bicycle interaction from structure to station. 4) more.
Sheridan Parking Structure
Here's a PowerPoint Presentation of the RTD Elected Officials Briefing held Feb 10, 2012. Part One deals with grade crossing safety (boring) and Part Two has (awesome) photos of the latest civil construction of the West Rail Line. Well worth a peek.
RTD West Rail Line video flyover (entire line from Union Station to the Golden Jeffco Station.
West Corridor Vision
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Things You Need to Know Around the Region
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>What is the Better Block?
The "Better Block" project is a community revitalization effort that temporarily demonstrates how to improve a street with pedestrian and public infrastructure mixed with art, culture, pop-up businesses and street life. For one day, the project will fill vacant storefronts, create pedestrian seating areas, provide landscaping and street furniture, redraw the street, provide live music, and more. Better Block aims to create quick, inexpensive, high-impact changes that lead to permanent solutions for areas in Denver.
>Friday, April 27, 2012
Come Celebrate the Campaign Kick-off for Tom Tobiassen for RTD Board of Directors, District F, 5-30pm to 7:30pm at Jazzercise Aurora on Havana (near Bicycle Village) 2740 South St. Unit J. Aurora Co 80014 (p.s. Tom and his wife are avid bicyclists) RSVP Here... >Monday, April 30, 2012 Come Celebrate the Campaign Kick-off of Claudia Folska for RTD Board of Directors! District E. Monday, April 30, 2012, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Garciaʹs Mexican Restaurant, 5050 S. Syracuse St., Denver, CO 80237
Suggested Contribution - Supporter $250 ▪ Contributor $100 ▪ Guest $25 RSVP to rsvp@crlassociates.com or by calling 303-592-5463. Make checks payable to: Committee to Elect Claudia Folska
c/o CRL Associates, 1625 Broadway #700, Denver, CO 80202 http://www.claudia4rtd.com/ |
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