Transcript Golden
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 146, Issue 48
November 1, 2012
50 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourgoldennews.com
Retooled Ford smooth so far Early feedback positive for three-lane design By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
Mitt Romney and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan wave to supporters Oct. 23 concluding a rally at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Campaign supporters New Mexico governor Susana Martinez and country music artist Rodney Atkins applaud. Photos by Andy Carpenean
Romney, Ryan rally support Republican candidates gather at Red Rocks By Sara Van Cleve
svancleve@ourcoloradonews.com More than 10,000 people packed Red Rocks Amphitheatre Oct. 23 to welcome presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney back to Jefferson County the day after the third and final presidential debate. Romney visited the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden on Aug. 3. “I’m not happy with what’s happened in the last four years, and I think Romney can make a difference in the next eight,” said Art Foss of Westminster, a member of the Reagan Club of Colorado and a Romney supporter. The former Massachusetts governor brought an entourage of supporters including his vice presidential running mate U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Colorado Rockies infielder Todd Helton, singers Rodney Atkins and Kid Rock, former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez, Jefferson County Commissioner John Odom, U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner of Colorado and several other state leaders. Several speakers expressed support for Romney and reminded the crowd that Colorado could be the deciding factor this election. When Ryan took the stage thousands cheered. He referred to the final presidential debate and said Romney showed the country for a third time that he is ready to be a great president. “What we witnessed is a man with a vision, a man with bold ideas, a man with solutions. What we also witnessed is a president who is out of ideas,” Ryan said. “We witnessed a president who really has no record to run on, what we witnessed is a president who is simply
London Tucker of Littleton yells while clapping bangers together during a rally Oct. 23 for presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan at Red Rocks Amphitheater. offering more of the same, and you know what, Colorado, we can’t afford four more years like these last four years.” He noted that Colorado is one of several swing states considered key to the results of the election due to the Electoral College. “This election we’re not just picking the next president for the next four years, we’re picking the direction and the course of our country for a generation. This is that kind of an election,” he said. As several registered Democrats held signs on stage that said “Democrats for Romney,” Romney called for the crowd to reach out to voters of all parties to participate in the election. “We need you to reach across the neighborhood to Democrats, and Independents as well, to make sure they know and they understand that this is the year to vote for real change if you want real recovery,” Romney said. “The
Here’s the skinny on the skinnier Ford Street: The three-lane format seems to work. The stretch of the street between 10th and 14th street had previously been two lanes in both directions. Starting in midSeptember the city began a scheduled $90,000 resurfacing project. When the city restriped the street, they painted one lane both ways, with a central turn lane. The extra space was used to create wider turning radius space, and dedicated bicycle lanes. Golden Public Works Director Dan Hartman said so far the reality of narrowing Ford Street has matched what the traffic model software had calculated, that decreasing lanes would not increase congestion. “It will get better, but it’s very encouraging that we’re not seeing a big problem out there today,” Hartman said, explaining that the stop lights along Ford had not yet been reprogrammed to reflect the lane changes. When the street narrowing was announced, members of the Downtown Business Association of Golden were skeptical of the benefits and concerned that traffic backups would result. “In general it seems to be OK,” association chairman Roger Tapia said last week. “It just takes some time, but people will get used to it, because that’s just the way it is.” Tapia said he takes his son to Golden High School most mornings, and his only major gripe with the lane changes is the lack of warning signs about only one lane of Ford continuing north, past the 14th intersection. “There’s no warning and people are trying to get over at the last second,”
A vehicle drives by a bike lane sign at the intersection of 14th and Ford streets in Golden Tuesday. Photo by Andy Carpenean
Tapia said. There had been concerns that traffic and tour buses from the Coors Tour parking lot, between 13th and 14th might have an issue with the new lane configuration. A spokesperson for MillerCoors declined to comment, saying the company was still evaluating the change. John Boyle, owner of the Golden Mill Country Store at 1012 Ford, was also concerned about the reduction of lanes. “But personally, it did me a favor by giving us a (left) turn lane. That’s helped immensely with customers and our delivery trucks,” Boyle said. Traffic does back up along the street on occasion, according to Boyle, and he still wants to see what happens on Ford when Washington Avenue is closed for a special event, but that so far he could not complain. Hartman said the city would conduct a traffic study once the traffic signals are recalibrated. The results of the traffic study and public input will then be presented to the City Council in a few months, to determine whether to keep the new lane configuration.
CAREFUL STRETCH
Romney continues on Page 20
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Liesl Hetzel takes a big step down from the Denver Rio Grande caboose during the Colorado Railroad Museum’s Halloween event Sunday. Photo by Andy Carpenean