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Letter: We can have a car-free town

Once a year I am extremely happy to live in a town without cars, and it is when the USA Pro Challenge visits Aspen. How pleasant was the downtown core Wednesday when people could walk and bike without the fear of being run down by cars? Folks could actually hear one another while they ate in all our wonderful outdoor restaurants. People could enjoy the sounds of nature without hearing vehicles nonstop. Not to mention what a great opportunity to bike up the pass without the fear of being run off the road. It was idyllic and made me realize that a car-free downtown is a possibility.

On Tuesday, I saw the lines of idling cars trying to get out of town, about 95 percent of which contained just one person. On Wednesday, miraculously, there were fewer cars! Some people might say that businesses had to close down. I did not notice any closed businesses in the downtown core, but I did see a lot of people enjoying the outdoor dining and walking and biking down the middle of empty streets. What a joy! Everyone seemed happy and much more at ease. If Paris can shut down for two days for the Tour de France, then certainly Aspen can (sort of) shut down for a day and a half. After all, Paris is a bit larger and has a few more businesses and tourists than our little mountain town.

Thank you to Mayor Steve Skadron, the City Council, the numerous volunteers and everyone responsible for bringing the race to Aspen for one more year.



Catalina Cruz

Aspen