The parts you need for the road ahead

“It’s too soon” to estimate how long eastbound U.S. 36 will be closed, CDOT director Shoshana Lew said–Denver Post

By BRUCE FINLEY | bfinley@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

The highway from Boulder to Denver is collapsing at a bridge approach 45 feet above ground, concrete slumping away off a widening chasm as fast as an inch per hour with a 5-foot drop over the weekend.

This destruction related to environmental conditions — weakening of saturated clay under a 5-year-old stretch of U.S. 36 adjacent to a former reservoir near Broomfield — forced the closure of eastbound lanes and triggered a Colorado Department of Transportation blitz Sunday to re-route 14,000 commuters on free buses. The collapse between the Church Ranch Boulevard and Wadsworth Boulevard exits left a 200-foot gash resembling the fault line of an earthquake.

Colorado Front Range vehicle traffic already has been choked this summer as CDOT contractors work to widen Interstate 25 to make room for more vehicles. And CDOT officials on Sunday were bracing for major metro Denver disruptions. They said they’ll pay the Regional Transportation District about $70,000 a day for the free bus transit through Tuesday as alternative routes for cars and trucks are set up.

“We’ve seen the separation at up to an inch an hour. You just cannot have people going through here,” CDOT director Shoshana Lew said Sunday evening, standing with engineers on the highway as crews cut through concrete and tried to assess stability.

“If working from home is a viable option, the next few days might be a good time to think of it,” Lew said.

“Be patient, especially during the early part of this week. It is an unusual situation. We know many people will be frustrated. Focus on safety.”

The highway was closed at the Wadsworth and Church Ranch exits, and officials said they’re hoping to route traffic both ways into the three westbound lanes by the end of the week.

RTD officials issued a bulletin warning that buses will face the same traffic detours as other vehicles and that riders are likely to face standing-room conditions and delayed travel.

State officials recommended that drivers use Colorado 93 to West Sixth Avenue, Wadsworth to Interstate 70, and Highway 7 (Baseline Road) to Interstate 25.

By Amanda Albright

A YouTube star’s death on an electric scooter may renew safety concerns as scooter companies aggressively seek to expand their presence as “alternative transportation.”

Emily Hartridge, a television presenter who made videos about fitness and mental health, died after her scooter was hit by a truck in London, apparently making her the first such fatality in Britain, The Guardian reported. The death comes amid scores of complaints about safety as scooter use rises by the millions in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Some officials in the U.S. have been reluctant to allow e-scooters, citing safety to both the rider and the public, as well as clutter from riders leaving scooters on sidewalks.

Nashville Mayor David Briley said in June that he would recommend banning them after a 26-year-old resident diedafter a scooter accident. The Nashville Fire Department had responded to 74 scooter-related injuries between January and April 2019, according to figures from the city.

“If these devices return in the future, it will be after a public process, on our terms, with strict oversight for numbers, safety, and accessibility,” Briley tweeted.

Scooter-rental companies Lime and Bird Rides Inc. have been rapidly expanding and lobbying local officials in places like New York City to legalize the vehicles. But the safety concerns could prompt more bans or regulation that could be a hurdle to increasing ridership. Last week, Chattanooga, Tennessee, enacted a six-month ban on dockless electric scooters and bikes.

”Cities are saying, ‘Hold on a second — we can’t go through with you what we went through with Uber and Lyft five years ago,’” said David King, an urban planning professor at Arizona State University.

Consumer Reports reported in February that there have been about 1,500 incidents of people seeking treatment for e-scooter-related injuries in the U.S. since late 2017.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the public health impact from the scooters is “generally unknown.” The CDC completed a study of medical records of people who used emergency services from September to November in Austin, Texas, found that almost half the injuries were “severe.”

Boston Consulting Group said in a report this year that public safety remains a key issue for cities. It estimates the global market for shared e-scooter rides could reach up to $50 billion by 2025, but noted that “mass adoption” isn’t certain.

–Bloomberg

–from the NMA

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is featuring Hall of Fame Highlights of this year’s outstanding new group of inductees. Here is a glimpse at what they had to say. For the full story join us at the 2019 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (tickets available below).  Congratulations and welcome Freedom Fighter Vince Consiglio.

*Please note: Hall of Fame Highlights will be published as we receive them from the Inductees. We look forward to sharing information about all of our Inductees in the weeks and months to come.