OFFICIAL I70 BITCH THREAD....

[The SnowShow]

I70 closing every time it snows is the new norm. My CDOT app has been buzzing all day with alerts of spun out vehicles and closures on both sides of Summit. Is it that bad up there?

[newbreak]

Methinks it's not heavy volume (based on the app), but lots of driver error in space still occuring

[montanaskier]

Nope, heavy squalls followed by sun....repeat

The wife was finally able to exit but 1 mile past copper 91 is a parking lot for the last hour

[The SnowShow]

Is it that CDOT is doing a crappy job this year clearing snow?

Combine that with ppl not equipping their vehicles and not knowing how to actually drive in winter conditions...is this why we're having these major issues every week?

[smmokan]

It seems like there have been as many highway closures this year as all the last five combined. Loveland Pass closes every time there's more than 3" of snow. It's the new norm apparently. Maybe it's the passive-aggressive way to keep people from coming up to ski?

[SterlingSpikeDancer]

Anyone have any data on whether or not 70 and Loveland were closed this much in 2010-11? Seems like even then it wasn't THIS much of a clusterfuck.

[The SnowShow]

Id like to see that. There's no way '11 was this bad. Like I said earlier, I feel like there's been an influx of total clueless morons in the past year that have no business being on the road in the winter. Also I'd be curious to know whether tourist visits are at an all time high this season..sure seems like it.

[capulin overdrive]

Don't think 11 was as bad for train wrecks, but seems like the storms were during the week that season. Almost always the weekend this season.

[SterlingSpikeDancer]

Don't think 11 was as bad for train wrecks, but seems like the storms were during the week that season. Almost always the weekend this season.

That's a good point. It does seem that way this year, which would certainly help explain the increase of CFs.

[Lindahl]

The biggest difference, as MS alluded too, is the warmth thats accompanying the storms. Theres been a lot more ice because of it. Weekends don't help either though. Fact is, this is a warm March.

[skiingislife]

^There was nothing warm about this last storm. Single digit temps during most of the snowfall that occurred yesterday. The warmth is not accompanying the storms, it's preceding them. That's pretty much how it always works.

The weekend traffic seems pretty normal to me for all the good snow we've gotten. What seems different is the increased number of rich kids without jobs coming up on the weekdays. I don't think the marijuana situation is helping either. Too many spaced out, over-recreated Denverites doing 60 in the left lane.

[Name Redacted]

Skiers don't know how to drive. Back when there were more snowboarders, we never had this problem.

[Lindahl]

^There was nothing warm about this last storm. Single digit temps during most of the snowfall that occurred yesterday. The warmth is not accompanying the storms, it's preceding them. That's pretty much how it always works.

Its the warm weather before thats causing the problems. And yes, March has been a lot warmer than usual.

[fastfred]

it's been nice and warm and dry then a storm rolls in and cools down the roads have been really icy all this year more than normal

snow pack easy to drive fast on and stop on ice and slush don't drive fast on and dont' stop so easy

some great i70 observations..................

coming back from fail the other day I saw a car parked about 6-8 ft up on a snowbank west bound, how do people do this shit??????? I guess I know that under the copper mtn exit bridge there is always alittle ice patch, so did this dip shit hit the ice patch and instead of letting off the gas and relaxing they slam on the brakes and freak out?????? 6 - 8 ft in up on a snow bank, that takes talent for sure

another classic yesterday, heading to trailerthorne on 70, you could see up ahead police cars and stopped traffic, looked like they were making everyone exit, so you slow down and get in line and chill out, instead one moron after another does 65 70 mph into stopped traffic not paying the least bit attention thinking they can left lane past everyone and up the hill, cops with lights on don't mean shit I guess, if it was icy or snowy it woulda been bumper car fun

why do people wait in line at the entrance ramp to get on the highway when it's closed? when the foothills got that 8ft of snow a couple years ago I would goto work everyday and people would be lined up every morning to get on 70 hoping it would open, even though it was closed for a few days guess people really do like sitting in traffic

[adrenalated]

Nope, heavy squalls followed by sun....repeat

The wife was finally able to exit but 1 mile past copper 91 is a parking lot for the last hour

I was at the front of the line trying to come back north of 91. Problem was caused by a pair of dreadlocked dirty hippies in a minivan with Florida plates and summer tires towing a camper, and two semis with no chains on, one of whom managed to jacknife his shit and block the whole road.

We need to start fining the SHIT out of these idiots.

[rmnpsplitter]

I don't think the marijuana situation is helping either. Too many spaced out, over-recreated Denverites doing 60 in the left lane.

Seriously? I see you must've caught that really well done inside edition piece of "journalism"

[newbreak]

We need to start fining the SHIT out of these idiots.

THIS is a great idea. Money goes into education fund.
1. Jackknifed trailers
2. Median skippers
3. Hill sliders
4. Left lane losers
5. Texans

[Below Zero]

But guys, you know it's only volume, right?

[The SnowShow]

And hopefully volume will go way down after this week.

Seriously though, what needs to happen to get laws in place to prevent this BS every good ski season in the future? Contact the representatives in the I70 corridor?

[Foggy_Goggles]

^^^typically politicians only listen to their constituents (i.e people that can vote for them). You could probably start here with the Senate Transportation Committee http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite.../1251568871801

Good luck!

edit: looks the the chair is from Aurora and has no listed training, interest or prior working with infrastructure, planning or transportation. Figures.

Senator Nancy Todd won her race for the Senate District 28 seat in the 2012 election, and took office after completing her fourth term as the Representative for House District 41, which includes parts of Aurora and unincorporated Arapahoe County. Today, she is Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and a member of the Senate Education Committee and Appropriations Committee.

Sen. Todd holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in reading from the University of Northern Colorado. She was a professional educator for 25 years in Cherry Creek School District 5, and has lived in the Eastridge community in Aurora for more than 30 years.

As a legislator, Sen. Todd has focused on education, mental health, election law and veterans and military issues. She has sponsored bills to make college more accessible and affordable, help veterans start new careers as teachers, bring young teachers to underserved areas, and train workers for the New Energy Economy. She has received countless awards for distinguished service, from organizations including the United Veterans Committee, the Aurora Mental Health Center and the Aurora Chamber of Commerce. Her service outside of the General Assembly includes membership on numerous boards and organizations such as the Aurora Rotary Club, American Association of University Women, and the Mile High Lung Association.

She has been married for 42 years to Terry Todd, a retired teacher and retired colonel in the Army Reserves. They have two grown, married sons, four granddaughters and a black Labrador retriever who loves to recycle.

[bamboocoreONLY]

And hopefully volume will go way down after this week.

Seriously though, what needs to happen to get laws in place to prevent this BS every good ski season in the future? Contact the representatives in the I70 corridor?

the whole month of march is spring break up here since most schools have different weeks. It won't until April I bet.

[Danno]

the whole month of march is spring break up here since most schools have different weeks. It won't until April I bet.

eh, Spring Break has a different effect on the mountain communities than it does on traffic to those communities. It makes it much busier during the week, but has less effect on weekend crowds (as they're traveling, not skiing, on the weekend) and has correspondingly less effect on the Saturday morning, Sunday evening traffic jams.

At this point in the season, weekend traffic is likely to be bad only if big powder is in the equation (snowing or just snowed). If it's bluebird, many people will stay in Denver.

[Name Redacted]

Um, no, the weekends are busy as fuck right now, as is the middle of the week. A late Easter, combined with a healthy snowpack and many resorts extending their closing dates means it ain't gonna slow down soon either. Good for the economy, but kind of exhausting. I'm looking forward to things slowing down. It's already been a long, busy winter.

This has definitely been a rough season for the I70 corridor. Hope it'll end up spurring some good changes for the future.

[Foggy_Goggles]

^^^pretty much. The weekends tend to be change over days meaning lots of traffic on the roads around the weekends. Spring break is like Christmas, the tourists are everywhere except where you want to ski. The lodges, parking lots, grocery stores, rec center etc. are packed. The good ski terrain and lifts, not so much. Don't forget that DPS, Jeffco and Cherry Creek all have spring break too.

[hatchgreenchile]

Spent last weekend in PC, UT. I’ve been there several times, but never noticed traffic on I80 through Parleys Canyon. Asked my friend if he ever deals with jams to and from the city, and while driving at 5PM, he mentioned “this is the busiest it gets. Ever”. Three lanes of traffic, lightly populated, all going 75.

Wasatch Front is half the size of the Front Range, and they figured out quick you need lanes and mass transit. Hopefully this becomes a priority soon.