Westsider Westsider 7-5-13
North Jeffco
North Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 26
POSTAL PATRON
July 5,2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
Wheeling to Work
PRSRT - STd ECRWSS US POSTAgE PAid BROOmfiELd CO PERmiT #101 Eddm
Transit sparks views
Meeting stirs emotions concerning rail line By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com
From left Dean Villegas, Dana TePoel and Steve Dalbec prepare to make the 5.8-mile ride from Stratford Lakes to Lake Arbor Automotive in Westminster as part of Bike to Work day on June 26. TePoel, owner of Lake Arbor Automotive, hosted a Bike to Work event at his business as part of the statewide celebration of biking to work. Those who participated were treated to breakfast at Lake Arbor Automotive. Courtesy photo
Mobile tech company expands Hickenlooper touts business environment By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com Solutions company Trimble continues to expand with the opening of a new campus in Westminster. The 125,000-square-foot building is located on 15 acres in the Westmoor business area and is across the street from the former Trimble building. Employees, elected city and county officials, and Gov. John Hickenlooper celebrated the opening of the new building on June 24. “We welcome Trimble and its 475 employees to their new Westminster Campus,” Hickenlooper said. “Colorado’s business-friendly environment makes our state a natural fit for international technology and services companies. Our location and talented high-tech workforce is building on Colorado’s reputation as an international hub for business.” The design of the new Trimble building is intended to be highly collaborative, with no walls surrounding any individual space. Steven Berglund, Trimble president and CEO, said the project provided the company an opportunity to showcase the office-to-field Connected Site solutions during the planning, construction and operational phases of the new campus. “The Trimble Westminster Campus is an impressive real-world demonstration of how technology can drive efficiency and deliver a quality solution on an ambitious schedule,” he said. “This expansion builds on 13 years of a highly productive presence in Colora-
Steven Berglund, Trimble president and CEO, cuts the ribbon for the new Trimble building with help from Westminster mayor Nancy McNally, center, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, right. Photo by Ashley Reimers do and provides a foundation for future growth.” Berglund said one exciting aspect of the project is the fact that Trimble technology was used during construction of the building, including surveying, site prepping excavating, estimating and 3D design. The building is also LEED Golf certified.
Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in business and government more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping.
Many who attended the recent Regional Transportation District Citizens Advisory Committee meeting in Westminster had one thing in common — dissatisfaction. Community members and elected officials voiced strong opinions during the June 26 meeting at City Hall about the need for a rail system in the Westminster area. They told the 17-member advisory board that a bus rapid-transit system just isn’t enough. “We are the ones having to fight the traffic every day,” said Faith Winter, Westminster mayor pro tem. “It doesn’t matter how pretty the buses are, they are still buses, and they aren’t enough.” Bus rapid transit, BRT, is part of the U.S. 36 Express Lanes project, a $312 million, multimodule project along U.S. 36 between Federal Boulevard and 88th Avenue Street in Louisville/Superior. The project is building an express lane in each direction that will accommodate highoccupancy vehicles; bus rapid transit; and tolled, single-occupancy vehicles. Before residents gave their opinions, project manager Nadine Lee gave a quick presentation on the project, describing the benefits of BRT. She said BRT will provide a high level of transit service with upgraded stations and improved customer interface, as well as queue jumps and transit-signal priority at interchanges for the buses. “We are giving the advantage to the buses; that’s our focus,” Lee said. “We are trying to get the buses ahead of everybody else by giving buses the priority as much as possible.” Although Lee did her best to describe the benefits of BRT on U.S. 36, people in the crowd weren’t convinced. Some residents told the committee they felt BRT is just a bait-and-switch tactic to eventually replace the idea of having a rail system in the Westminster area. Emma Pinter, a resident running for Westminster City Council, said as she knocks on doors in the community, she constantly hears from people about the need for rail in Westminster. “I hear it again and again,” she said. “Our city doesn’t think we have enough adequate transportation. Buses are not enough.” State Rep. Cherylin Peniston also spoke up during the meeting, telling the committee that her constituents in the north are not happy. She said people are not happy about paying taxes to the project but still not receiving rail. “BRT is a nice upgrade, but we feel we are not part of the future up here,” she said. “People are not happy knowing the date to get rail continues to get father into the future. You have to hear that, and we appreciate that you are here to hear that.” For months Westminster Mayor Nancy RTD continues on Page 20
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