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Colorado Toll Road May Require Online Registration

by Will Safer on March 13, 2008 at 03:25 PM

Interestate 70 in Colorado between Denver and the ski resorts to the West.

If you're seeking a Rocky Mountain High, you may soon need to pay the piper -- or at least invite a few friends along for the drive up the mountainside to avoid a proposed toll for Interstate 70 in Colorado.

State Senator Chris Romer, a Denver Democrat, has proposed turning I70 into a toll and HOV highway on Sundays throughout the year and on weekends during the peak ski season. The reason? Folks driving to and from the ski resorts clog the interstate so much that locals actually refer to the weekend traffic as a rush hour. Plus, all those cars are competing with 18-wheelers, making the road crowded, slow and a little dangerous.

To come up with a solution, Romer asked the public to engage in a "Wikipedia"-style, collaborative process to shape the proposed bill, allowing constituents to log on to groups.google.com/group/fixI70now so they could comment on his idea and make suggestions. While Romer didn't take every suggestion the public made, he does say the collaborative online discussion has shaped the proposal he'll put before the legislative body.

In short, his bill, if made law, would create weekend travel restrictions and tolls for a portion of I70 and ski resorts, requiring drivers to either have passengers on board to meet HOV requirements of at least three passengers or pay a toll. Truckers wold have to pay a toll during the restricted times no matter what. The goal is to reduce traffic by 10 to 15 percent.

There's another catch that is rankling a few Coloradoans, too. Before starting a journey up the mountain, drivers would have to register online so the state could measure traffic flow. If you're reading this article, then clearly this wouldn't be a problem for you -- you have access to a computer and an Internet connection. But what about those folks who still haven't completely joined the digital age?

Still, the bill is not in its final stage and he does promise to incorporate more suggestions made through the online discussion group.

From Daily Camera.

Related links:

Tags: bill, breaking+news, colorado, denver, government, I70, legislation, romer, toll road, TollRoad, top, wikipedia

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