The same wide open spaces, rugged terrain and abundant freedoms that enticed early pioneers to come West have also led to a culture of automobiles, trucks and sport utility vehicles. As our population grows in the West, this culture increasingly threatens our environment and our quality of life.
Metro Denver, for example, is home to 2.6 million people, with another million expected by 2025. Carbon emissions increase in direct proportion to population growth, and Denver’s most recent greenhouse gas inventory attributes one third of our emissions to the transportation sector.
Against this backdrop it’s clear that one of the greatest conservation opportunities in Denver and the American West is to change our relationship with the automobile. We must build a clean energy transportation infrastructure that will support economic growth and protect the environment while preserving the freedom to enjoy our vast landscape.
In the Denver region, we are fortunate that voters in eight metro counties approved FasTracks, the most ambitious public transit initiative in U.S. history. This regional light-rail and commuter-rail will feature 153 miles of track at buildout, creating an unparalleled opportunity to connect smart growth, expanded housing choices and increased transportation options. A key element of realizing the vision of FasTracks is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) that creates beautiful, vital, bike- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods around transit stations; provides abundant housing, shopping and transportation choices; and offers convenient access to the region’s jobs, government centers, healthcare facilities and cultural and recreational destinations.
Innovation and collaboration have always been the bedrock of success in the West. So, too, will they help us successfully redefine our relationship with the automobile so that we may protect our environment, preserve our quality of life, improve the air we breathe and create sustainable communities.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper was named by Time Magazine as one of the top five “Big City” mayors in America.
Originally posted 5/12/09
