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| A Bike Lane is Not a Parking Spot
Located on the 6900 Block of West 14th Avenue, South Side
in Lakewood Colorado, Looking East. This is a Parking Violation & a NON-911 EMERGENCY
Call The Lakewood Colorado Police Non-Emergency Number # 303-987-7111
And Let The Police Handle the Violation.
(The Truck in the Photo Had Texas License Plates,
So You Don't Know What Tex
Might be Packing!)
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THE BACK FENCE NEWSLETTER
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. |
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The "W" Line Opens
in
285 Days
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Hi 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, July 15, 2012. |
Tour de FasTracks -
West Rail Line Bike Event
hosted by RTD
Saturday, September 15, 2012 9am - 1pm
This is a great opportunity for you and your family to take a leisurely ride on the newly constructed bike paths along the West Rail Line. The designated route will kick-off at Oak Sstreet Station and end at Decatur-Federal Station. However, for the more intermediate and advanced cyclists, there will be an option to begin at the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden. Come be a part of the open bike path celebration.
LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! TAKE NOTE!!! This is the first bike event for the West Rail Line and RTD's FasTracks program. This is a perfect opportunity for your business to be sponsored. If you are interested please contact Lindsey Smith at Lindsey.Smith@rtd-denver.com for more information. You could be sponsored on their website.
(Click logo above) |
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West Corridor, Denver & Region
| TheDenverPost.com
Five Points Community Frustrated With RTD's Delay of Rail Link By Ryan Parker, Jul 13, 2012
Massive delays and changes to how neighborhoods will be served by the Regional Transportation District's FasTracks program have frustrated people across the metro area. But the delay of a short spur that would link the Central Rail Line to the tracks headed to Denver International Airport is particularly galling to people in Five Points.
READ MORE..
RadioGolden.net
Radio Golden 0009
- July 13, 2012: the Golden Sustainability Initiative, chaos on Clear Creek, & more
We had a great chat with Whitney Painter and Phillip Saieg, both of Golden's Sustainability Advisory Board, about the city's ambitious Sustainability Initiative |
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National
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TheCityFix.com
NewTool Visualizes American Bus Rapid Transit
Duke University's Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness (CGGC) released a new report, "U.S. Bus Rapid Transit: 10 high-quality features and the value chain of firms that provide them," a collection of best practices and metrics for bus rapid transit (BRT) in the United States.
TheAtlanticCities.com
An Experiment Worth Watching: All-Door Bus Boarding in San Francisco
By Nate Berg, Jul 11, 2012
Traffic jams can happen inside buses, too. They're caused by those clueless riders who, upon entering and paying the fare, stay as close as possible to the front of the bus. Those boarding after cram into this human congestion, which can quickly become intractable as more and more people get on board and stay at the front. An available seat, or at least breathable space, is often within eyesight, mere feet away at the back of the bus.
TheAtlanticCities.com
Too Many Metro Areas Are Still Failing to Connect Workers and Jobs
By Nate Berg, Jul 11, 2012
U.S. metro areas have not been very good at creating connections between jobs and the workers who do them. This should be a concern to cities trying to stay competitive. It should also be a major concern to employers.READ MORE...
Brookings.edu
Where the Jobs Are: Employer Access to Labor by Transit
Paper, July 11, 2012
The suburbanization of jobs obstructs transit's ability to connect workers to opportunity and jobs to local labor pools.DC.StreetsBlog.org
The Awful Truth About the Transpo Bill's Bike/Ped Loophole By Tanya Snyder, Jul 12, 2012
In the immediate, panicked moments after the MAP-21 conference report was released, I missed some of the nuances of just how bad a deal this bill is for bike policy.
Grist.org
Cohousing: The Secret to Sustainable Urban Living? By Claire Thompson, July 11, 2012
Back in the good old days, I'm told, people lived in neighborhoods where they looked out for each other. They had potlucks, kept an eye on each other's kids, loaned out lawnmowers and cups of sugar. Each home was its family's castle, but the instinct to participate in a caring community transcended the temptation to isolate in private houses. READ MORE...
TheAtlanticCities.com
When the Bad Guys Ride Bikes
By Ruth Samuelson, Jul 11, 2012
"The worst thing for a cycling advocate is to see some other cyclist dangerously blow through a red light. It's just the worse PR." Grist.org
Blood on the Bike Path: What a Tragic Accident Teaches us About Safely Sharing the Trails
By Joel Gwadz, Jul 13, 2012
A few weeks ago, just outside of Washington, D.C., a woman was hit and killed by a man on a bicycle while walking on a paved multi-use trail, a.k.a. a "bike path." It was a tragic accident. My heart goes out to any and all that knew and loved her. It also distressed me to read the anti-cyclist reaction in the comment sections of local online news sources and neighborhood forums, when all of this could have been avoided with a few simple precautions.
TheAtlanticCities.com
The Shopping Mall Turns 60 (and Prepares to Retire)
By Emily Badger, Jul 13, 2012
At the mall's peak popularity, in 1990, America opened 19 of them. But we haven't cut the ribbon on a new one since 2006.
READ MORE...
TheLasVegasWeekly
Las Vegas: Vibrant Downtown Depends on Less Parking
By J. Patrick Coolican, July 11, 2012
If the average Las Vegan could rewrite the Bill of Rights, the new First Amendment would blend guns and 24-hour access to booze and video poker. And the new Second Amendment? Ample free parking.
READ MORE...
TheNewYorkTimes.com
A Clean New Life for Grimy Gas Stations
Ronda Kaysen, Jul 10, 2012
The gas station in this Hudson Valley hamlet sat empty for years, leaching petroleum into the soil and well water. But a renovation that will transform the abandoned station into a yoga studio, wellness center and a charging station for electric cars has turned the eyesore into a symbol of this struggling community's revival.
DC.StreetsBlog.org
Peeking Behind the Curtain of Big Oil-Funded Agenda 21 Conspiracy Mongers
By Angie Schmitt, Jul 12, 2012
If you haven't been following the story of the Agenda 21 conspiracy theory, here's a quick overview. Some people believe a two-decade-old, non-binding UN plan to promote sustainable development means the government is going to seize their land and cars and force them to live in tenements. The ultra-conservative John Birch Society says that Agenda 21 "seeks to curtail your freedom to travel as you please, own a gas-powered car, live in suburbs or rural areas, and raise a family.
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International (when available)
| | PublicBroadcastSystem.org
Urban Migration for Young Chinese on the Rise
By Judy Woodruff, Jul 12, 2012
Tens of millions of Chinese villagers have moved to the cities in China, but they find living conditions harsh and establishing meaningful relations difficult. Because of the Household Registration System, they have fewer rights than those born in the cities.
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| Sunday's Film (when available)
 | Bicycle - Sue Denim
Here's a music video to add to your summer riding pleasure!
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Things you need to know along the West Corridor
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>Denver Union Station Historic Summer Tours, July 26, 2012 at 4:30pm - 5:30pm
The Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) will conclude their free guided tours of the Denver Union Station redevelopment for summer, hosting the last one on July 26. 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 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] >Denver, Thursday, July 19th, 2012 9:30am to 11am
Federal Boulevard Workshop Rude Recreation Center, 2855 West Holden Pl. Denver Co. 80204 The City & County of Denver invites residents and considerate guests to a workshop to discuss transportation, walkability, land use, urban design, and economic development as these relate to Federal Blvd from 6th Avenue to 20th Avenue. There will be a walking tour of Federal Blvd between 6th Ave and Colfax Ave. Coffee and donuts will be served >Golden, Thursday, July 19, 2012, 4-7pm CDOT, 425 C Corporate Circle in Golden. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Division of Transit & Rail recently kicked off an Interregional Connectivity Study (ICS), which will examine technology, alignment, finances and funding options for implementing high-speed rail along the Front Range. The project team...will determine the feasibility of an Advanced Guideway System (AGS) from Denver to Eagle through the Interstate 70 mountain corridor. Members of the public are invited to attend a public open house to learn more about this pioneering project and provide input to guide the team's work. Please call Tracey MacDonald at 303-757-9753 for any questions.
[Note: in just 10 short months West Corridor residents will be able bike to a West Rail Line station, jump on board with their bikes, get off at Union Station & cycle just six blocks to Coors Field and LEAVE THE CAR BEHIND. But until then, those of you adventurous souls who can commute to downtown, check out the facilities in place this year.]
2012 schedule of Ride to the
Rockies Games
Aug 05, & Sept 02. All games are Sunday Day games.
Over the course of 20 games this season the Rockies along with media partners ROOT SPORTS, 850 KOA and The Denver Post will once again be enlisting players and fans toward making a positive impact on the environment through the 2012 Games of Green initiative.
NEXT BIKE TO THE GAME!
WHEN: Sunday, August 05, for the game against the SF Giants. 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.
The very popular RTD West Corridor bus tours will be ending soon! Only two remaining!, The tours will be from 9am to 11am on the 3rd Friday of the month (August & September). 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
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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Residential Real Estate Agents
Who Get the "Big Picture" of Transit Oriented Living
| Jim Smith
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Things You Need to Know Around the Region
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THE TRANSIT ALLIANCE
IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE FALL 2012 AND SPRING 2013 ACADEMIES!
Please note that the Academy application process is competitive as they only have 50 slots available and usually have 100 applicants or more. Applications must be submitted by 5 PM on August 24th to be considered for the Fall 2012 Academy.
The Fall Academy (2012-02) will begin September 12 and end on October 24, 2012.
Tour de FasTracks - West Rail Ride Bike Event
Saturday, Sept 15, 2012
Calling all cyclists in Golden, Lakewood, west Denver.
The RTD FasTracks West Rail Line which will serve our West Corridor will host a bike event on Saturday, September 08, 2012 to show off its magnificent bike path that parallels most of the future "W" line.
The Back Fence, in the coming months, always a huge supporter of alternatives to the single occupier automobile, will advocate for the "final mile" and call for more and safer cycle access from the future light rail stations. We also consider the bicycle as not only a recreational vehicle, but a tool of economic empowerment that helps our citizens stay healthy and keeps more expendable cash in their pockets in which to enhance our local businesses; and I won't bore you with lectures on sustainability, oil dependence and air quality.
Although the Tour de FasTracks event is billed as a "leisurely ride" that will start at the future Oak Street Station parking area and end at the Decatur Federal Station, there also will be a stage for the intermediate and advanced cyclists that will start at the Jefferson County Government Center-Golden Station. Details will be forthcoming, but you can. Click Here to View the current RTD Bike Path.
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| The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of William A. Spriggs and no one else. |
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