Traffic without representation

The city of Aspen has shared a survey to gather public input to help guide their search for Aspen’s next head of community development. Perhaps the most important question in the survey is multiple choice: “What are the three most pressing issues facing Aspen?”

The suggested choices include: “availability of workforce housing, access to locally grown food, water conservation, energy efficiency, and more multi-modal transportation options (pedestrian, bike, etc.)”

Conspicuously absent from the suggested answers is “the ability to spend more time with my family instead of sitting in my truck, stuck in traffic.” Based on this survey, Aspen’s idea of community appears to exclude the interests of workers who get stuck in their trucks in traffic every day. This must change. These workers power Aspen’s economy and way of life. Their needs must fall within Aspen’s idea of community, even though these workers don’t live and vote in Aspen.

We need to build a second bridge over Castle Creek.

John Hornblower

Snowmass Village