A better way to get around
Dear Editor:
The hot topic for Mayor Ireland and current City Council members when they ran for office was the Entrance to Aspen. All supported the codified AACP goal of reducing the number of climate re-warming and environmentally polluting cars clogging Aspen’s Entrance and streets. On Monday night the mayor and council’s campaign promises will be tested when the Lift 1A application asks for final approval during the public hearing starting at 2 p.m. in City Hall.
Currently NO transportation plan exists for the estimated (by the applicant) 1,200-plus CAR TRIPS expected on a daily basis up and down Aspen Street and through the S-curves except for rubber-wheeled cars or shuttle vans. That’s right … the proposed solution to mitigate the car traffic is the car or a shuttle van or your feet.
Skiers/boarders accessing the new proposed high speed quad lift pushed approximately 260 feet further up the mountain can use the proposed pladder lift when it is open. A pladder ground lift is used by grabbing unto a moving pladder pole, putting the pole between your legs and hanging on while being pulled up the mountain.
Plans are to shut the pladder lift down at 12:30 p.m. The corridor is too narrow for both uphill and downhill skiers/boarders. There are no plans for snow making in the narrow corridor.
A petition is being circulated asking Aspen City Council to change the mode of transportation from the proposed restrictive use of a pladder ground lift to a totally “green” aerial/gondola lift which everyone can ride.
The other advantage of the “green” aerial lift is the BIG buildings would NOT be pushed into Aspen Street forever blocking the historic views. Petition will be circulated from now until Monday. Call 319-0771 or e-mail
toni.waterbabies@gmail.com to add your name to the petition.
Toni Kronberg
Aspen
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