Author: Scott Weiser
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High winds revive memories of Boulder’s historic Chinook storms
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With gusts in Boulder peaking at more than 100 mph Wednesday and Xcel Energy shutting down power lines to at least 50,000 people along the Front Range as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff procedure, it’s worth noting that extremely high winds are not unusual for Boulder and the Front Range. Chinook winds are…
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Xcel Energy prepares for power shutoffs due to high winds
Forecast high winds along the Front Range on Wednesday revive memories of the devastating 2021 Marshall fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes when gusts downed energized power lines. Xcel Energy now weighs proactive power cuts to avoid similar ignitions amid dangerously dry conditions. The Marshall fire erupted under comparable wind events with gusts exceeding…
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Westbound I-70 to close for two nights at Floyd Hill for bridge work
Colorado Department of Transportation crews will shut westbound Interstate 70 overnight Monday and Tuesday to erect temporary supports for a new cast-in-place concrete bridge over the highway. The full closures run from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. between the U.S. Highway 6 interchange at exit 244 near Idaho Springs. Drivers must exit, turn left under…
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RTD restores full L Line service after downtown rail rebuild ends
Light-rail riders regain direct L Line trips Jan. 4 when the Regional Transportation District reinstates the route shut down during the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project that wrapped up Nov. 25. The agency also returns H and D lines to normal downtown routing through 18th/California and 18th/Stout stations instead of terminating at Denver Union Station. E,…
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Tap-n-Ride contactless fare payment on RTD transit now available
Regional Transportation District riders can now tap Visa or Mastercard credit, debit or prepaid cards directly on bus and rail fare validators to pay fares under a contactless system launched Nov. 25. A demonstration video on how to use the system is available on RTD’s website. The Tap-n-Ride option lets passengers ticket themselves in seconds…
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Colorado opens public comment on new disability communication enterprise rules
Chronic delays in Colorado’s Telecommunications Relay Service have left residents with hearing or speech disabilities waiting hours for emergency calls to connect, state lawmakers found when they ordered a complete overhaul of the system as part of new law passed earlier this year. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission opened public comment this week on rules…
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Snowstang adds direct buses for Copper MountainWorld Cup races
Copper Mountain hosts America’s first Alpine World Cup weekend in four years right after Thanksgiving. The Colorado Department of Transportation just rolled out express Snowstang buses so fans can skip the Interstate 70 traffic jam. Service runs Friday through Sunday. One bus leaves Denver on Friday. Two buses run each way Saturday and Sunday. Riders…
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Colorado regulators target oil and gas emissions anew
A Colorado commission is mandating an additional 50% cuts in nitrogen-oxide emissions from oil and gas operations by 2030. The Denver basin has a serious problem with summer ozone, though more than half of that comes from wildfires, pine trees and factories from as away as Asia, according to studies by the state and universities.…
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Colowyo coal mine near Craig lays off 133 workers as mine closes
Neil McCandless sat in a Craig coffee shop, reminiscing on his 94 years in a town that has gone from sheep ranching to coal mining to power production but which is now moving toward an uncertain future. Coal mining is ending in Craig, and the closure of power plants is in sight. And the latest…
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EPA takes joint control of gasoline spill cleanup on Southern Ute land
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has assumed joint oversight of the cleanup from a 97,000-gallon gasoline pipeline rupture on Southern Ute lands, the tribe announced on Friday. The move, nearly a year after the Dec. 5, 2024 leak, comes after the agency issued Enterprise Products LLC a formal notice of non-compliance for improper handling of…