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THE BACK FENCE
The "CLOUDS" at Lakewood-Wadsworth Station are in place!!!

Looking SW over dirt removed for parking structure, 04/24/2012
 
The Newsletter Featuring Livable Community Items That Readers Value and Highlights of Happenings Along the West Corridor on the RTD West Rail Line Serving Golden, Lakewood & Denver. 

Bill2012

Did you know that transit does that?

 

Gets You Walking

 

According to Tom Vanderbilt's four-part "The Crisis in American Walking: How we Got Off the Pedestrain Path"people who take train transit, for example, have been shown in pedometer studies to walk much more than those who drive."

Source

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 Sunday  Edition, April 29, 2012.   

West Corridor, Denver & Region

There's Nothing Better Than Spring Weather, Baseball and Bicycles!  

In just 13 short months we folks out here on the West Corridor will have the fantastic privilege to be able to ride our bikes to a light rail station, get on board, get off at Denver Union Station, ride or walk the six blocks to Coor's Field and LEAVE THE CAR BEHIND. But in the meantime, why don't you plan on checking out the system the Rockies have set up for you and your family TODAY with:

  

bike to game
THE FIRST BIKE TO THE GAME OF 2012
WHEN: Sunday, April 29 for the 1:10 p.m. game vs. Mets. Bike lot opens at 11:30 a.m. and closes 10 minutes after the game ends. 
WHERE: Coors Field, the special Bike to the Game secure parking lot at 21st and Blake St., across from Gate C.  
WHAT: Check in at the "Bike to the Game Tent" at the entrance to the bike lot at 21st and Blake to enter a drawing for great prizes, like a Rockies Batting Practice experience, Rockies tickets, autographed items and more!
Get Details & Tickets Here!
 
LongmontTimesCall.com 
RTD Officials Remain Committed to Completing FasTracks' Northwest Corridor
By John Fryar, Apr 28, 2012
The Regional Transportation District's board of directors remains committed to eventually providing the passenger-rail commuter service promised to Boulder County residents when RTD voters approved the agency's FasTracks package of transit improvements in 2004, two of those directors insisted on Saturday.

 

TheDenverPost.com 

Reactions to Lack of RTD FasTracks Election Range From Anger to Relief
By Monte Whaley, Apr 26, 2012
Everyone on Wednesday agreed that a tax increase to fund a commuter rail line in the northwest corridor would have flamed out at the ballot box in November

BoulderDailyCamera.com 

Northwest Rail Advocates Look for 'Fresh Start' on RTD Commuter Train
By John Aguilar, Arp 25, 2012
Public officials between Denver and Longmont say RTD made the right decision by not seeking a tax increase from voters this year to fund a controversial northwest corridor transit plan.
[below: Denver Union Station area is the heart of the Fastracks System - the hub. The West Corridor is one of its spokes -- arteries]. 

 

DenverInfill.com 

New Union Station District Project: Alta City House
By Ken Schroeppel, Apr 26, 2012
Colorado-based East West Parnters is teaming up with Georgia-based Wood Partners to develop the 280-unit Alta City House apartment project in Downtown Denver's hot Union Station district.
[Also See Ken's update about DUS: 20th & Chestnut] 

 


National  

DC.StreetsBlog.org
House Transpo Conferees Set, First Committee Meeting Scheduled for May 8 
By Ben Goldman, Apr 26, 2012
Last night, the names of the House delegates to the transportation bill conference committee were released. The 33 members - 20 Republicans, 13 Democrats - will join the 14 Senators already named to the panel, and will be tasked with hammering out a compromise before transportation policy expires on June 30.
 
Bloomberg.com
If HUD Must Close, Let's Keep Its Best Programs 
By Edward Glaeser, Apr 23, 2012
Mitt Romney suggested last week that the Department of Housing and Urban Development "might not be around later." Predictably, this set off a minor firestorm.

DC.StreetsBlog.org
Study: Low-Income Neighborhoods Much More Likely to Have Dangerous Roads 
By Angie Schmitt, Apr 24, 2012
Who suffers most from bad road design? Not surprisingly, the answer is poor people, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

StreetsBlog.org Brookings: Suburban-Style Zoning Linked to Educational Inequality
by Angie Schmitt, Apr 27, 2012
What do laws that mandate large yards and prevent walkable development have to do with educational opportunity? Turns out, there's an important connection.
READ MORE...

Blog.WalkScore.com
New Rankings of Transit Oriented Cities (Denver is 13th) 
Today we're announcing our first ranking of U.S. city transit systems based on residents' access to public transportation.

LivingCities.org
Three Way to Put Equity into TODs 
By Carmen Rojas, Apr 24, 2012
Urban leaders across the country are lifting up Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) as a land-use and transportation solution to connect people to their places of employment, key services, and the communities they care about.

ThisBigCity.net
Five Apps For a Healthy and Sustainable Urban Lifestyle 
By Forum for the Future, Apr 20, 2012
Our health is closely linked to the wellbeing of the natural resources we draw on day-to-day: the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat... It's no big surprise, then, that lifestyle choices that are good for the environment are often good for our health, too.
READ MORE...

StamfordAdvocate.com
Walkability Seen as Key Development Focus 
Densely developed urban centers as well as spread out suburbs will falter if urban planners neglect a better balance between automobile traffic, transit, and pedestrians...Connecticut municipalities continue to lose 25- to 34-year-old professionals to...cities... where neighborhoods have made greater strides to incorporate bicycle lanes and more pedestrian amenities a reality.

HuffingtonPost.com
7 Reasons Not to Own a Car 
By Taras Grescoe, Apr 26, 2012
Margaret Thatcher earned the undying enmity of the world's transit users when she said (in her sexist and condescending way), that any "man who, beyond the age of twenty-six, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure."

TheAtlanticCities.com
In Defense of the Electric Bicycle, from the Bottom of a Steep Hill in San Francisco 
By Allison Arieff, Apr 27, 2012
Make no mistake, San Francisco loves bicycles. There's been a 71 percent increase in cycling (yes, 71 percent!) in the last five years in this city. Add in the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's "Connecting the City" project, which will provide miles of new bike lanes in the near future, a five-fold increase in bike rentals, and a long awaited bike-sharing program launching this summer and you've got a city made for cycling, except for one thing.

StreetsBlog.net
By Angie Schmitt, Apr 27, 2012
It's been interesting to watch the scrutiny building around how police handle collisions between cyclists and drivers in New York City. It's become something of a scandal the way devastating or fatal crashes involving cyclists are rarely prosecuted or even investigated.

International (when available) 

ThisBigCity.net
The Carnival of Critical Mass: Urban Cycling Advocacy or Adversary

By This Big City Team, Arp 23, 2012
The past two decades have witnessed the growth of an odd phenomenon in cities around the world. Every month a hoard of cyclists congregate at a known location before setting off en masse on an unplanned, leaderless, carnivalesque bike ride without a destination.

Sunday's Film (when available) 

 StreetFilms.org
San Francisco: Reclaiming Streets With Innovative Solutions

By Clarence Eckerson, Jr., Apr 24, 2012  Tom Radulovich, the executive director of the local non-profit Livable City, describes the recent livable streets achievements in San Francisco as "tactical urbanism" -- using low-cost materials like paint and bollards to reclaim street space
READ MORE... 

Things you need to know along the West Corridor


>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


>Lakewood, Tuesday, May 08, 2012, 6:30am to 8pm Two Creeks Park: Public Planning Workshop, Clements Community Center, 1580 Yarrow St. Lakewood, Co. 80214  The City of Lakewood is hosting a workshop for residents to share their ideas on the future vision for the park space just east of Wadsworth Blvd between 10th and 12th Avenues.

 

>Golden, Tuesday, May 08, 2012 , 6:30pm to 8:30pm Hunter Lovins, expert in sustainable practices for companies and communities will speak in Golden at a free public event sponsored by The Jefferson County League of Women Voters. American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St. Golden, 80401 Time Magazine named Lovins "Hero for the Planet" in 2000 and Newsweek named her "Green Business Icon" in 2009. She has authored and co-authored numerous books and has done consulting work for governments and the private sector. For more information call Ellen at 303-526-7446, visit www.lwvjeffco.org or email jeffcolwv@netzero.net.

 

 

>Denver Union Station Historic Summer Tours Starting Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 4:30pm - 5:30pm 

The Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) will be conducting free guided tours of the Denver Union Station redevelopment site this summer. This guided tour will emphasis the early station history and famous travelers who visited Denver by Train. The tour will also tell visitors about all the exciting new features that will soon be part of, and surround, the historic station. The tours will be held at 4:30 p.m., starting on Thursday, May 10, 2012, and continuing on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month through July. The one-hour tour will start inside the Great Train Hall at the historic station, 1701 Wynkoop Street. Participation is limited to 35 people per tour. To reserve your spot, visit. RSVP here  [Scroll down on left]

[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 
 
LadiesNight

 

 

> 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 will be hosing an "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.

Inspirre  

 

 

>Lakewood, starting Friday, June 08, 2012, 5-9pm 

Lakewood's celebration of the Arts week - Inspire -- 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 (May 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


2012 Colfax Marathon 

 MAY 19 - 20TH, 2012    

RideTheRockies  

 JUNE 9-15th, 2012

ProCyclingLogo 

                            AUGUST 20-26th, 2012

PedalThePlains  

 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.   

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. 

>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 

       

RTD West Rail Line video flyover (entire line from Union Station to the Golden Jeffco Station.

 

West Corridor Vision 

  

Things You Need to Know Around the Region     

BetterBlock

>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.
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  The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of William A. Spriggs and no one else.