I 70 sucks

[Mike King]

Yeah, my buddies were stuck behind it, finally got to a turnaround, and then went to 285 for a 5+ hour trip to Silverthorne...

 

[martyg]

I was up in the I70 corridor twice so far this year for clinics. Even in the "off-season", it felt too crowded.

Digging SW CO. Durango is not much of a ski town, but is a superb bike town with a few ski areas.

 

[jseeski]

When I lived in the foothills west of Fort Collins, I often drove to Winter Park up Poudre Canyon and took a shortcut through North Park on some ranch roads once I got west of Cameron Pass. The traffic you see is basically none, but you don't want anything to go wrong on any of those back roads. You might not see anybody for a very long time.

I found a couple of snowboarders back in there one time in their 2WD (!!!) pickup truck. They had spun off the road, but they didn't roll the truck, fortunately. The old 4WD 3/4-ton Suburban was heavy enough to pull the full-size pickup back onto the road, but then I had to show him how to put on his tire chains. He had some, but had never used them.

Some people should probably just stay on I-70.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Some people should probably just stay on I-70.

Or stay home.

 

[Jerez]

We came up yesterday afternoon by getting off at Evergreen and going south past Echo mnt to 130 back to Dumont. Pretty drive and some stop and go through Dumont but otherwise not too bad. 3 hours from mid Denver to Fraser.

 

[Core2]

people get high on marijuana needles then try to drive I-70, that is the problem. they need dope checkpoints.

 

[TexasStout]

people get high on marijuana needles then try to drive I-70, that is the problem. they need dope checkpoints.

marijuana needles?

 

[Ken_R]

Yep....this happened

A tiny Colorado town opened its arms to over 700 stranded travelers this weekend

When the emergency shelter in Fairplay ran out of blankets Saturday night, volunteers went door-to-door collecting extras from locals.

www.denverpost.com

 

[tball]

Well, MLK weekend was yet another cluster in spite of the new traction law.

Did anybody else notice the white rental Camero abandoned Friday night during the storm westbound approaching the tunnel? It was still there Saturday driving up 20 hours later than we planned. Better than spending 8 of those hours in the car like a guy I rode the lift with yesterday.

That white rental Camaro was a perfect example of the worthlessness of the traction law. I'm sure it had perfectly legal M+S tires, totally inadequate for the conditions.

We need a real traction law for conditions like Friday night. 4x4/AWD with 3PMS or 2WD with chains or studs would be my suggestion. Everyone else can wait safely in Golden for the storm to pass, rather than on I-70 in a blizzard.

 

[Tricia]

@Bob Barnes was out here in Tahoe skiing Squaw this weekend. A second storm was coming in yesterday as he and his client were about to leave for San Francisco and I said, "I hope you don't get caught in chain control going over Donner Pass."
Bob was pretty sure they were okay in the 4WD they had rented, but the concern (for me) was whether or not the tires had the snow rating on them.

Out here, they check, and it creates a bit of a bottleneck at the check points but they actually enforce the traction laws. Granted, California is a bit extreme on enforcing anything, but this makes me wonder why Colorado has a traction law if they don't do anything to enforce it or set up check points.
This is a stock image from CalTrans, a familiar sight for any of us traveling in the Sierra during the winter.

 

[givethepigeye]

@Bob Barnes was out here in Tahoe skiing Squaw this weekend. A second storm was coming in yesterday as he and his client were about to leave for San Francisco and I said, "I hope you don't get caught in chain control going over Donner Pass."
Bob was pretty sure they were okay in the 4WD they had rented, but the concern (for me) was whether or not the tires had the snow rating on them.

Out here, they check, and it creates a bit of a bottleneck at the check points but they actually enforce the traction laws. Granted, California is a bit extreme on enforcing anything, but this makes me wonder why Colorado has a traction law if they don't do anything to enforce it or set up check points.
This is a stock image from CalTrans, a familiar sight for any of us traveling in the Sierra during the winter.
View attachment 90867

^yup. Have always wondered "why" this doesn't happen in CO like on 80 or in UT on 210. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that the resorts have too much of a vested interest in NOT enforcing it. Ok, ill take off my tin foil hat.

 

[Monique]

^yup. Have always wondered "why" this doesn't happen in CO like on 80 or in UT on 210. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that the resorts have too much of a vested interest in NOT enforcing it. Ok, ill take off my tin foil hat.

Tourism dollars are always a consideration when businesses are so dependent on tourists. Locals aren't the ones keeping any of these resorts (except Loveland and maybe A Basin) operating. These places are ghost towns in shoulder season. Even without explicit pressure, I would have to think that law makers are well aware of this.

If it's really important to you, there's always this: https://leg.colorado.gov/content/how-file-initiatives

 

[givethepigeye]

Tourism dollars are always a consideration when businesses are so dependent on tourists. Locals aren't the ones keeping any of these resorts (except Loveland and maybe A Basin) operating. These places are ghost towns in shoulder season. Even without explicit pressure, I would have to think that law makers are well aware of this.

If it's really important to you, there's always this: https://leg.colorado.gov/content/how-file-initiatives

its not. just an observation. I don't drive it enough anymore - now we try to fly to EGE or ASE if going to CO.

 

[fatbob]

OK I hear your pain. Nobody likes getting stuck in traffic. But to offer a counter point maybe those that know just aren't doing enough to change their behaviours. And maybe the Camaro guy isn't really the problem - it might be the whole tourist infrastructure in Denver that's giving the him the Camaro as the last full size rental they have and assuring him the tires are legal for I70 from a rental clerk who has never been west of Wheatridge. It isn't a tourist's fault that the rental car industry price gouges on SUVs (which themselves often have dubious rubber and in smaller variants may still be faux x fours) and discourages chain use. It's not impossible - Euro rentals have to have seasonally legal rubber and usually make chains available to rent but it would mean they can't just flip TX or AZ vehicles through the pool.

The red flags are there, - holiday weekend, storm. So drive at midnight or 5am

 

[tball]

As for the lack of enforcement of the passenger vehicle traction law on I-70, I've read several reasons in various articles over the years:

• There's no budget for CDOT or CSP to do the enforcement, and reading between the lines each agency wants the other to staff the checkpoints if they ever happen.
• There are no great places to put the traction control checkpoints like there are in CA. Too many places to sneak around them.
• Enforcement resources are better directed toward commercial vehicles since they cause the majority of the problems.

I've never seen it mentioned outside Pugski, but what's the point of enforcing a traction law that allows vehicles through like the Camaro? At least the enforcement of commercial vehicles helps.

I think they were supposed to study enforcement options with the passage of the new law. I hope they will notice the inadequacy of the passenger vehicle traction requirements. 2WD with all-season M+S tires doesn't cut it.

 

[Monique]

There are shuttle services available to tourists that are much cheaper than car rentals, but then you have to rely on public transportation once you get where you're going. (But also, I am still angry at one of them for backing into my car in the Downieville parking lot in 2004. The driver didn't even have a license with him, and seemed completely nonchalant about the whole thing. I'm sure that my experience with one driver in 2004 isn't representative of the entire fleet in 2020, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.)

 

[Ken_R]

Most laws are useless until after the fact.

The i70 problem doesnt have a clear solution.

Make a strict traction law and enforce it during storms and there will be a huge backup at any checkpoint.

There are shuttle services available to tourists that are much cheaper than car rentals, but then you have to rely on public transportation once you get where you're going. (But also, I am still angry at one of them for backing into my car in the Downieville parking lot in 2004. The driver didn't even have a license with him, and seemed completely nonchalant about the whole thing. I'm sure that my experience with one driver in 2004 isn't representative of the entire fleet in 2020, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.)

The Shuttle services are pretty darn expensive...

 

[Andy Mink]

While I long to ski in Colorado, a 24 page thread on how bad the main road to so many areas is is kind of scary.

 

[Dave Marshak]

While I long to ski in Colorado, a 24 page thread on how bad the main road to so many areas is is kind of scary.

For vacation weeks it’s usually manageable, but it’s awful for Front Range locals.

dm

 

[tball]

The red flags are there, - holiday weekend, storm. So drive at midnight or 5am

Yeah, I hear what you are saying about rentals and the infrastructure, and agree it's not Camaro guy's fault.

I think flipping it around and making Camero guy drive at midnight or 5 am outside the storm hours makes more sense. I'm sure he would have been far happier enjoying the evening in Denver than abandoning his rental on an interstate in a blizzard. I doubt he's coming back to Colorado after that terrible experience.

The Shuttle services are pretty darn expensive...

Are the shuttles expensive compared to renting an AWD? Guessing it depends on the number of people.

Make a strict traction law and enforce it during storms and there will be a huge backup at any checkpoint.

Maybe try a strict law without checkpoints, just dire warnings. If you stop traffic and don't have the right equipment, you get $1000 fine, no questions asked. Seems that's the strategy with commercial vehicles. Do that for passenger vehicles too.

I also say ban commercial vehicles during big storms. Or, require the drivers to take a day-long course on mountain driving in a snowstorm. They could do that if their employers need them to get through in the worst conditions, otherwise sit it out.