An Introduction…
THE ENTRANCE TO ASPEN PROJECT
. . . a combination of highway improvements and light rail transit between Brush Creek Road and Rubey Park linked with a valley-wide transit system on to Glenwood Springs.
Aspen, Snowmass Village, and Pitkin County have been working with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) since 1994 on the most recent initiative to resolve the traffic congestion problems that have increasingly affected the quality of life of valley residents. The intent of the project is: "To provide a balanced, integrated transportation system for residents, visitors, and commuters that reduces congestion and pollution by reducing and/or managing the number of vehicles on the road system. The system should reflect the character and scale of the Aspen community. . . The alternative chosen should be consistent with the Aspen/Snowmass/Pitkin County goal of limiting vehicles in 2015 to levels at or below those of 1994."

In addition to this project intent, the following ten objectives were developed and utilized in the EIS alternatives screening process:

· Community Based Planning
· Transportation Capacity
· Safety
· Environmentally Sound Alternative
· Community Acceptability
· Financial Limitations
· Clean Air Act Requirements
· Emergency Access
· Livable Communities
· Project Phasing

The project developed in response to these objectives is a combination of highway improvements and light rail transit between Brush Creek Road and Rubey Park to be linked with a valley-wide transit system on to Glenwood Springs. With the completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), CDOT and the upper valley communities are preparing for design and construction of the project. Light rail could be operational in the valley as early as 2002.