The idea of a light rail leading into Aspen is not new, but Aspen City Council asked for more information about what such a system would mean for the community at a Monday work session.
City staff presented the council with basic information about the entrance to Aspen, its history and documents such as the final environmental impact statement and the Record of Decision, which led to a series of votes on the current preferred alternative. Staff asked council members if they wanted to make any changes to the preferred alternative.
Between 1975 and 2002, there were 26 votes related to the entrance to Aspen, and in 1996, voters authorized the city to convey a right-of-way across the Marolt and Thomas properties for a two-lane highway and a corridor for a light rail, according to a memo from transportation director John Krueger. When it comes to limiting the number of vehicles in Aspen while still transporting visitors and commuters into town, a light rail seems to be an obvious solution.
“There’s a limited number of buses we can get into town, versus what we can get on a light rail,” Krueger said. “A light rail, in terms of capacity, starts to make sense. It may never make sense in terms of cost.”
In 2016, the Upper Valley Mobility Study estimated the costs of adding bus lanes on Highway 82 and Main Street, as well as an enhanced LRT bus system. Both would cost the city between $159 million and $527 million. Councilmember Ward Hauenstein added that a light rail from the Brush Creek Park & Ride to Rubey Park would cost about $140 million per mile. He suggested looking into a trackless tram — electric, articulated buses with multiple buses linked together — which he said can transport 300 passengers in 20 minutes. It would cost about $100 million per mile, and it is 6.2 miles from Brush Creek to Rubey Park, he said.
“One of the alternatives that was rejected was ‘do nothing,’ and we’ve been doing that for 30 years,” Hauenstein said. “It’s technology that’s well worth investigating, because the cost savings are a tenth of what a light rail is.”
In addition to the transit portion, the preferred alternative outlines highway and intersection improvements and an incremental transportation management program. Quite a bit has already been completed, Krueger said — examples include the Maroon Creek Bridge and roundabout, bus lanes on Main Street and Highway 82, and renovation at Rubey Park. Hauenstein and Mayor Torre sought near-term solutions, such as repairs or replacement of the Castle Creek Bridge.
“There’s no question that we’re gonna have to replace Castle Creek Bridge,” Hauenstein said. “If that fails before we have another Castle Creek Bridge, we’re screwed.”
The Colorado Department of Transportation manages the bridge, and Torre asked where the project is on their agenda and what any costs of repairing it might be. Krueger said he did not know for sure, but any projects are likely not priorities for CDOT since the bridge could last another 20-25 years.
Council asked for more information from staff, CDOT and the Federal Highway Administration about details on the Castle Creek Bridge and potential trackless tram projects. Councilmember Rachel Richards also asked for a better sense of what is driving the local traffic today, whether they are locals or commuters or visitors. She also said the city should look back at historical data to get a sense of the big picture.
City Council will hold a regular meeting tonight at 5 p.m. at City Hall, and the public will be invited to comment on the issues that council discussed last night.
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September 14, 2021 at 04:00PM
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Aspen City Council considers light rail, trackless tram at entrance to Aspen - Aspen Daily News
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