Snowmass history: Hitchhiking

“County would permit hitchhike stops,” headlined The Aspen Times April 27, 1972. “County commissioners said Monday they have no objection to rider pick-up stations along Highway 82 as long as the project doesn’t involve county funds or county land. But commissioner Jay Baxter who seemed to be speaking for other members of the county board, said he personally would not condone or endorse hitchhiking. He said that he wanted to study the matter further and noted that a ‘segment of the community’ feels the best way to make the highway safer is to enforce the state’s anti-hitchhiking law …

The question of rider pick-up stations was broached by Bill Lipsey, an official of the Environmental Task Force organization. He said he was working with district highway engineer Richard Prosence of Grand Junction on the project.

According to Lipsey, Prosence is interested in considering the matter but wanted to make sure that commissioners had no objection before proceeding further. Commissioners also specified that the stations should be located off the highway, so as to not impede other traffic. They stated that the safety considerations of hitchhiking are a significant problem in this county.

As a next step, Lipsey said he hoped to work with the Pitkin County Construction Assn. and other organizations to obtain a plan which will fit into Prosence’s planning. Stations are tentatively being considered on the highway at the Brush Creek road to the Snowmass Resort, airport, Cemetery Lane to Red Butte, and Difficult Campgrounds … Lipsey, who called the stations ‘rider pooling lanes,’ indicated the sate is willing to consider widening the highway at several places for the pooling lanes, but the specific locations for state worked has not been determined.”