Colorado's Interstate 70 highway has drawn considerable media attention of late, ranging from numerous accident and weather related closures to proposed state legislation designating a portion of I-70 between Floyd Hill and the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels as a toll road.

Lost in all the controversy and speculation is the fact that a group has been hard at work since 2004 studying ways to create a travel corridor through our central and northern mountain communities that is far safer, more efficient, and environmentally sound than the current highway only option.

That group is known as the I-70 Mountain Corridor Coalition. Members of the coalition will be discussing their perspective on the future of mountain travel at an open forum from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, Thursday, April 10th at the Summit County Community & Senior Center near Frisco.

 Participants include:

Harry Dale, Clear Creek County Commissioner, Chair of Rocky Mountain Rail Authority, I-70 Coalition Member, Member of I-70 Mountain Corridor Collaborative Effort Team (MCCET)

State Senator Dan Gibbs (D-Silverthorne), Member of the Transportation Committee of the Colorado Senate

Dr. Flo Raitano, Executive Director I-70 Coalition, Member of Technical Advisory Committee to Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Finance and Implementation, Member CDOT’s SB 1 Ten Percent for Transit Task Force

State Representative Christine Scanlan (D-Dillon)

Karn Stiegelmeier, MCCET Member

Eric Turner, I-70 Coalition Board Member, Chair Travel Demand Management Committee, MCCET Member.

The forum is sponsored by Our Future Summit, a “quality of life” institution dedicated to a better Summit County by providing opportunities each month for informed discussion on topics of interest to the community.

Those wishing to pose questions about the I-70 travel plan in advance of the forum may send them to OurFutureSummit@aol.com