In Brief: Aspen’s ‘Maintain Main’ resurfacing project completed ahead of schedule; man arrested for alleged hate crime
Traffic and parking resumption effective Saturday
Improvements to road conditions on Main Street in Aspen have concluded ahead of schedule. The original anticipated completion date was Sept. 22, and city officials credit the community’s willingness to cooperate and choose alternative commuting methods as the primary reason for the early completion.
“This wasn’t just an achievement for the city; it was a collective win for the entire Aspen community,” said Trish Aragon, city engineer. “The expedited completion of the ‘Maintain Main’ initiative was truly a result of residents coming together to reduce vehicles on the road. Many chose alternative modes of transportation like walking, biking, and taking public transit — substantially lessening traffic impact and enabling us to finish ahead of schedule.”
The resurfacing project started Sept. 11. The maintenance addressed poor road conditions, including critical potholes, that have caused undue wear and tear on vehicles.
All detours have been lifted, and regular traffic patterns resumed Friday night. Parking restrictions have also been lifted, effective Saturday, and all parking zones will return to their original state.
Suspect in custody after bias-motivated threat incident
Aspen Police have taken into custody a man who threatened two local residents on Friday, according to a Saturday news release.
The man was booked into the Pitkin County Jail and faces charges of menacing, bias-motivated crimes, and harassment. He was safely taken into custody around 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
The incident is being treated as a hate crime based on comments made to the victims. No injuries were reported in the incident.
“Aspen Police acted swiftly and efficiently to bring this situation to a safe resolution,” Aspen Police Chief Kim Ferber said in a statement. “No one was injured, and it remains our mission to ensure Aspen continues to be a safe and welcoming community for everyone.”
This is an ongoing investigation.
Gents roll to their third straight Ruggerfest championship, beat Water Dogs in final
After back-to-back finals that required dramatic rallies to win, the Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Club was able to coast to its three-peat title on Sunday in the finale of the 55th annual Ruggerfest tournament.
