Why Denver Colorado DOES NOT Have a Full Beltway | Will it Ever be Completed?

On this video we take a look at the partially completed 470 Beltway around Denver and whether or not it might be completed one day.
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Denver Beltway (No Commentary):
• CO 470 - The Denver Be...
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Source and Further Reading:
Northwest Parkway Lease:
www.bondbuyer....
Rocky Flats NWR:
cdphe.colorado...
Jefferson Parkway:
www.cbsnews.co...
Northwest Parkway Article (Denver Post):
www.denverpost...

[@CardsNHorns04]

1) Love the Mutumbo addition, RIP Nugget Legend. 2) This patchwork beltway is nice to get started and in place, as it is frustrating to not have any beltway, but unless they can come to some sort of agreement to have some free pass lanes, people will clog up 25, 70, and 270 which affects not only traffic, but quality of life for people around the highways. It would be much easier for people to take 470 all around to the airport, but so many in JeffCo and Douglas take C470, to 25, to 225, to Pena to the Airport. That's a problem for congestion, especially during rush hour.

[@mynameisjoejoe]

Seeing Dikembe pop up made me smile

[@DenverRez]

RIP to a real one

[@jayjem8295]

I could listen to you read the phone book

[@stevetournay6103]

He's got a great voice for ASMR narration...

[@DD-dj4jr]

Agree awesome voice and great content

[@grantorino2325]

Are those things still in print?

[@JerryKosloski]

@@grantorino2325 I couldn't tell you the last time I saw one.

[@porcupinepunch6893]

​@@grantorino2325 Where I live they are

[@geardo3635]

Another shining example of tolling a beltway that keeps traffic on the highways going through the city when beltways are supposed to lower that traffic

[@StyxTBuferd]

A toll road isn't inherently a bad thing. By putting a price on it, it means that people who really need to get form A to B quickly can do so, because the price keeps the marginal travelers off the beltway which prevents traffic; and if traffic elsewhere is still bad enough, it encourages those marginal drivers to not drive at all but carpool or find some alternative. I'd actually argue we should use more toll roads, not less. The real problem with Denver is there aren't enough connectors for how spread out it is. Most people travelling South or East from Downtown during rush hour will take 25, and 25 runs somewhat diagonally so it hits exits in all 4 cardinal directions, and these streets and highways get backed up way too quickly. Aurora is a nightmare with 225 especially, as well as the offstreets south of DTC like Bellevue. Meanwhile you have a similar issue with the Boulder turnpike into NW Denver. It might help in some ways to relieve the traffic by getting rid of the toll on E470, but the SW portion (C470) is toll free and also frequently backs up since there's no main feeder road in SW Denver except for Santa Fe, which ALSO gets backed up. Everything in Denver is just too spread out, people commute from outer suburbs to a few centrally located office hubs like DTC, Downtown, the Aurora Medical Center, or the Broomfield Interlocken Loop (which exists right where the beltway terminates in the North).

[@EthanCowlbeck]

You’re dismissing the benefit that it prevents urban sprawl

[@Naademai]

Seriously, E 470 is so dumb and I don’t know anyone who thinks positively of it. I really wonder how much better the 25 traffic would be if it was free

[@markbarta2369]

​@@Naademaiconsidering how busy E470 becomes during certain points of rush hour.. Not much change. It's almost at capacity in many places on the NE segment, but they're aware of the issue and are adding lanes.

[@Daniel-gs5wv]

for real I'm not paying $10 for a route that saves me ten minutes

[@rebauer2000]

I was born in Denver in 1958 and lived there until 1968, when my family moved to Northern Colorado near Greeley. I then lived in Denver most of the time from 1986 until 2016, when I move to Greeley area again. I drove for Lyft with many 1000s of rides mostly in Denver area off and on from 2014 until 2022. So I know Denver's roads perhaps better than most anyone on this planet. So, of course I been on and know the routes you showed here. But, Mileage Mike, you know more about this history of the 470s better than I do, so great job researching. I would add, Denver and Colorado, like some other areas like Portland and Oregon, had a history of strong anti-growth or slow growth or controlled growth proponents. Governor Lamb, one of a couple three term Democrat Governors when Colorado was a strongly red state, was a part of that. To give you some context, Denver was rewarded the 1976 Winter Olympics but the voters turned it down in 1972 over concerns of too much growth, environmental impact and too many people discovering what a great place Denver and Colorado were then. So the story goes back to that. You did touch on Lamb briefly. Thanks!

[@Mapmaker1559]

Always wondered about the missing segment of the Denver Beltway. Do hope it gets built so the beltway can form a full uninterrupted loop. Great video!

[@rickmoreno7166]

Love that you have been spending time here in the Mile High, Mike! We've got some interesting roads here, and it's been fun on your other channel to see you driving them. One other factor for the toll road's unpopularity. In terms of per-mile cost, it's the most expensive toll road in the United states. If you don't have a toll tag, driving on its full length can get expensive quick! I don't think we will ever see the full loop completed. That said, the toll road is super convenient if you live near it. I used to work near one end, and it was terrific in a snowstorm, since it got so little traffic back then.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Golden NIMBYs EVERYTHING. Golden NIMBYs is the reason why the W line light rail had to be built to the south of Golden rather than into Golden itself and why the G line commuter rail only extends to Wheat Ridge, the G line was supposed to extend into the middle of Golden providing a fast transit link from Golden to the middle of Denver. It's also why RTD bus service is severely limited in Golden on weekdays and non-existent on weekends, even though improved RTD service on weekends would reduce weekend recreational traffic around Golden. Basically the rich NIMBYs of Golden believe any extension of roads or transit into Golden will bring "undesierables" into Golden, even though those transit links in particular would alleviate a lot of the traffic problems Golden currently faces.

[@DenverRez]

There's sadly truth to this. The attitudes that prevented the beltway are double edged and certainly not pure.

[@leightonmoreland]

I love how much people there didn't want to become Boulder that they became Boulder

[@suspiciousafternoon]

I couldn't listen to anyone else talk about infrastructure like you do. Phenomenal voice 🔥

[@smekeldorfed]

Having lived in Arvada for several years before recently moving to Denver, I always thought that completing the beltway seemed pointless. The missing piece runs through largely undeveloped land and would only be useful to get between Broomfield and Golden, a route that doesn't seem to have much demand. The Denver metro already sprawls so much and is growing so rapidly that the last thing it needs is induced demand encouraging people to move even deeper into the northwestern fringes. Any money for transportation would be better spent on improving the metro's public transit infrastructure, which is frustratingly weak for a city of its size. More rail lines would complement the ongoing efforts to densify the city instead of increasing suburban sprawl and would be much more efficient at relieving traffic than a giant highway through empty expanses of nuclear waste. Also, just a tip--the middle syllable of Arvada rhymes with "dad" and "bad."

[@pineapplepizza27]

What Denver really needs is a proper public transit system!!

[@Distress.]

Considering how the city is run by leftist it would be a waste of money.

[@SpaceboyYT]

They should build a line along C470, E470, & NW Pkwy, including the Jefferson Parkway segment.

[@naptime0143]

All these western cities need this instead of sprawling highways

[@Stargate2077]

Denver does have a proper public transit system. They just need TODs to utilize it.

[@mrvwbug4423]

@@Stargate2077 RTD is insufficient for Denver's needs. It is designed as a peak time only transit system to get people in and out of central Denver. It needs to be expanded to a full regional transit system that is intended to provide efficient travel around the entire metro area even outside of peak commute hours.

[@WaxBadger]

If the beltway was going to be completed as originally planned it should have happened back in the 1960s, but at this point it's too late with the existing development and it would also be ecologically disastrous in the long term as it encourages more car use which is the exact opposite of what we need. What we need to do is get back on track with alternate transportation, I take RTD regularly and I have been unhappy with the east-west service south of Denver. You have 59 which runs along Bowles between Littleton and South Jeffco, 66 which runs along Arapahoe Road between Littleton and the southeast corridor, and 402L which serves Highlands Ranch between Mineral Station and Park Meadows, but they all only run on the hour. A 30 minute interval would be more adequate and I would also love to see a bus on Dry Creek again, they used to have the 77 bus but that later on only went between Ken Caryl and Mineral Station before going away when covid hit. I would also like to see the 24 on University run every 30 minutes and maybe a new route from Englewood that runs on University every hour on the opposite 30 minute mark that would better connect my part of town with Centennial, it would be nice.

[@richardthomas5362]

People avoid using RTD because the bus service is erratic and not widespread. If most people used it then it would be widespread and quite regular. Quite the conundrum.

[@mrvwbug4423]

They also need to build out the rail system more. There's a lot of busy bus routes that really should be rail. But they made the mistake of dramatically expanding the light rail in the south of the metro when that should've been built out as heavy commuter rail. Light rail should only be operating in central Denver, using LRT as commuter trains just results in slow and infrequent rail service outside of central Denver. The commuter rail lines, in particular the A-line are much better, faster and more frequent with much higher capacity trains.

[@mynameismaxdowis]

Hello from CDOT! Long fan of your videos and excited to see your coverage of Colorado!

[@bearcubdaycare]

Thanks for the history of the various parts of 470. I hadn't known all of it.

[@mcb187]

I feel it’s worth mentioning, when built this road did not use open road tolling. It was the first in the world to use it when it was implemented in the late 2000’s, but for 20 years this was a conventional toll road, as evidenced by the still standing toll booths.

[@Naademai]

This is the first video of your that I’ve seen and I gotta say good job! I love that you used actual footage of the roads and areas you’re talking about instead of just stock footage, as a born and raised Coloradan it was fun to see how quickly I could identify the specific road or intersection. As for the questions you posed at the end of the video about if the road should or will be built I just don’t see it happening. Golden very much does not want to expand, it’s already doing just fine for itself between Mines, Coors, and being a big spot for hikers and mountain bikers and the citizens very much do not want it growing any more partially because of the great pride they rightfully have in their local businesses(you gotta go to Bob’s Atomic) The proposed route also feels silly to me, with a large chunk running between two tracts of protected lands that should never be developed even if they could be(and people are indeed trying to develop around rocky flats😬) it seems like the benefits are limited especially since I’d be surprised if broomfield decides to help since they have a history of not playing nice with others and wanting to stay a bit insulated from other towns(see them making their own county just because they hated boulder and wanted out of boulder county) Personally I hope it never happens because I commute C4 daily and the traffic is fine outside of Morrison but man I’d hate if it got any worse and there’s already problem areas that need fixed like how no matter where you are north/west of Bowles if there’s traffic it definitely starts in Morrison and how the 470 to 70 exit ramp gets so congested that no joke just today it took me over 20 minutes to get from 470 to 6th via 70 which for those who don’t know is less than a mile. This was still a super interesting video though so thank you and again great job

[@DACOJACKO]

Digging anywhere near the former Rocky Flats complex is not a great idea, especially to the East given the prevailing winds, the history of fires at the former plant, and the arguably shortcut superfund cleanup effort. Perhaps Broomfield recognizes this. In my opinion, calling the former plant site a wildlife refuge does a disservice to Coloradans given the obvious dangers of radioactive materials (once used to build plutonium triggers) simply covered with soil. There is a reason why developments near the site require owners to sign disclosures regarding these dangers.

[@KriptoKenYT]

Randomly seeing Mike on camera actually blew me away wtf? Bro is him!

[@Mistertbones]

The Denver Beltway will more than likely never be completed.

[@BrianJonopulos]

I used to do doordash and spent a lot of time on 3-470 and 93. Both are beautiful drives and I hope those areas stay the way they are.

[@JaredRichey-ly9qr]

Being a lifelong Broomfield resident and delivery driver in Broomfield this video blew me away. I drive those roads everyday and if they became a toll road somehow I think it would be a nightmare.

[@tomchidwick]

Wasn't expecting a DW Matt Walsh drop in the middle of this one! Hah - hilarious!! +1

[@jesscarey7666]

Nice work!

[@kenyonmoon3272]

The biggest holdup, or at least the one that makes the news, is the Rocky Flats issue.

[@realDonaIdTruck]

Great content as usual!

[@Michael_Livingstone]

Interesting! I thought it was just here in Canada where we can’t get anything built.

[@colin8449]

another banger video mike!

[@deanschulze3129]

The original motivation for the Jefferson Parkway was the projected development of commercial property in the Candelas area northwest of 86th Ave and Indiana St. That projected development never happened and probably never will. The commercial property that was hoped for mostly ended up in Broomfield near the Highway 36 corridor. I remember that the original projection was for the area to be the second largest commercial development in the Denver suburbs with only the Denver Tech Center being larger. The dream evaporated and with it the rational for the parkway.

[@johnchedsey1306]

I lived in Denver back between 2000-2006. I'm actually quite amused that pretty much nothing has changed in the years since I moved away. Also, every time I see a photo of Governor Lamm, I just think of his infamous "Duty to die" speech he gave regarding the elderly.

[@DenverRez]

Solid video, as always. I like that you discussed the history and politics of this, but they're pretty nuanced and out of a different era. Virtually no one in Colorado supported this in the 70s, and both liberals and conservatives had reasons against it. Air pollution was smothering the Front Range, both parties were anti-development and anti-sprawl, and why build a highway through a gorgeous landscape, especially if it had to go past a toxic waste site everyone wanted closed down and cleaned up? More recently, I watched this up close between 2008 and 2013, which was the last period the Parkway plausibly could have been built. Broomfield and Arvada pushed the hardest for the parkway, but the politics of the residents and now elected officials has changed. JeffCo was much more conservative then, but I think even then the public was strongly opposed. So a Parkway is very unlikely, and a beltway is impossible. Welcome to Colorado, BTW!

[@JohnARobinsonJr]

Loved the video. I live on Monument Hill (Colorado Springs) and been trying to find out for myself if they are going to complete a beltway. I have jobs in Boulder and there only two options. Go through Denver or go through Golden. Just depends on the time of day, night, or event. Upgrading 93 to C-470 (not a fan of an E-470) would reduce time going through Golden, and a better option to get to Broomfield and Superior area. Also, it would be a good corridor for people trying to quickly get to I-70 from Boulder. Just my opinion though.

[@57ttocs]

I have lived in Colorado for 11 years now and lived in Boulder for 4 years. I think there is zero chance this happens. Golden and Broomfield will oppose the project if interchanges are required, both cities want a signalized parkway. Also the area politics are very anti-highway. Look at the recently completed i70 cut and cover that was proposed as a downgrade from an interstate to a boulevard for instance.

[@mrvwbug4423]

The irony is Golden and Broomfield are also anti-transit, they're basically anti-everything. Even though expanding RTD rail service into both suburbs would alleviate their current traffic problems.

[@interstellar420]

I hope they build it… my office is in wheat ridge off of i70 and ward road and we have clients in boulder that I constantly have to take Colorado 93 to access and man is that traffic painful sometimes… I do enjoy the scenery though so there is something to be said for not putting a interstate in here.

[@lauscho]

Your face reveal finally convinced me to subscribe! Any plans on doing any Canadian routes?

[@JohnARobinsonJr]

Check out the parking lot called I-270... 😂 It's just cool to see places you drive, and I know where you're at. And I understand what you're talking about. Just this time, you're close to home.

[@yayinternets]

Basically it will never make sense to create that last bit of the parkway because of all of the issues with the land around Rocky Flats.. there's a bunch other industrial stuff out there too like a huge concrete plant, a big fluid recycling center; etc. Most of that empty space can't be used out there, it was an EPA Superfund site and I doubt it was even cleaned up correctly. I think even moving much of that dirt around likely exposes radiation dust.

[@Quaza57]

I think that 470 should be a complete loop, let say you are coming from the west of Denver and you want to get to I-76 or even I-25 north, having the western section of the loop would make it faster and easier to get to those highways without going through the heart of the city. Also i do believe toll or free having a complete loop will relieve the traffic in the city because people who are traveling through just to get on the other side (especially heading north) will have an option to avoid the heart of the city, especially truck drivers which I am

[@scooterh7047]

Bro's vibin with the great value quick oats

[@MileageMike485]

Breakfast of champions 😀

[@RKelleyCook]

Truck traffic coming in from I-76 bound for places East would gladly bypass the horrid city traffic if this loop was completed. However, the Denver area's government was taken over by the crunchies two decades ago and their machine has made sure the other party cannot take it back over. There isn't a chance a new freeway gets built despite the fact it is desperately needed.

[@DenverRez]

The roots of this go back decades and were very bipartisan when these decisions were made.

[@porcupinepunch6893]

They should build a rail line there instead

[@stevenpugsley2542]

"Don't Boulder my Golden" is the popular catch phrase. IF they can legislate to keep the land preserve and have strict controls on future development to prevent sprawl, the beltway may become a reality, but one future governor could undo this.

[@MofoMan2000]

I live in Broomfield, and... that parkway would be a terrible idea. And there is tons of development out here. Two major apartment complexes have been built in the last five years, and another one currently going up.

[@iamnotunusual]

Curious of what impact it would have on getting to the mountains on i70 when coming from Northern Colorado. The E470 is already a huge time saver when getting to the airport, so would be interesting to see if it would play out the same way.

[@roadgeek1961]

Reminds me of Richmond, 295 was extended to Petersburg.

[@alexmanne]

I never knew about this. I live in Westminster, very close to the proposed route. Not sure how I feel about it. Road access to the airport or to Golden is not bad nor congested right now so it doesn't really affect me. However, it seems inevitable with time. Lots of land and housing being developed in the area. I never drive NW Parkway nor E470 if I have to drive out to the airport. It's like $20 round trip. I'd rather deal with the inevitable congestion on I-270. Though the airport bus from Boulder goes this route and I take that.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Yeah, it's literally better to just drive to one of the A-line stations east of Union and take the A-line to DIA. Train ticket + parking will be much cheaper than E470 tolls + DIA parking.

[@alexmanne]

@@mrvwbug4423 I agree and I've done that before but it depends on certain things. The issue with that for me is you have to park at one of the lots. There are lots of break ins and thefts. I have an F-150. Lots of F-150 thefts. I would also have to drive there from Westminster and deal with I-270. However, the benefit of the train is the frequency and it runs late. If I'm going to drive anywhere, park and take the train, I'll drive out to the Pena station. Park my car there. It's only one stop. Safer parking lot. I'll park there if my flight gets in late. The last bus time to Boulder is 10:20pm.

[@mrvwbug4423]

@@alexmanne From Westminster you could also take the FF to Union and take the train from there, I know thefts are high in the DIA parking lots as well.

[@alexmanne]

@@mrvwbug4423 I don't want to transfer if I don't need to. I can just take the airport bus straight to the airport without transferring. The Flatirons Station is less than 10 minutes from my house. McCaslin is 15 minutes. The greatest benefit of the train is the frequency.

[@ace20016]

Since I’m not from the Denver area, I won’t comment on whether it should be build or not. But my belief is that it probably won’t happen due to the usual red tape.

[@jarodforbes1207]

Welcome to Colorado!

[@bigj200016]

Could you also explain why Salt Lake doesn’t have a full beltway as well?

[@KYoss68]

I've been in the Denver area all my life. Yes, it would be good for the loop to be completed but Boulder is NW of the proposed area of the final leg and owns a lot of open space there and will never give up that land since it was bought specifically to keep the Metro Area from swallowing up Boulder. Additionally there are a LOT of NIMBYs living in Golden and if Golden is recalcitrant about joining the proposed Parkway then it is very likely that it is dead.

[@rollinwithunclepete824]

I used to live in Denver. The W470 leg has been in same "state of review" for 25+ years. It may get built... in another 25 years... when everyone wishes they had built it 50 years prior.

[@mrath]

The biggest benefactor of the beltway being completed on the western edge of Denver would be those driving to/from Boulder (including CU) and the I-70 corridor of the mountains. Of course, the concern that would make it less effective (similar to E-470 and the NW Parkway) is the toll structure, where not only is the road expensive to drive, but in current state you have to have an Express Toll transponder or get billed via mail (for an additional fee). If there was still a cash option, or these toll roads joined the EZ Pass consortium (allowing existing tagholders from the east to bring their transponder to use) all of these roads would be more popular (especially with airport traffic driving rental cars). I live/work in the Broomfield/Westminster area, and on some recent trips to the airport it would have been most logical to take E-470/Northwest Parkway (even with a group that ultimately went to Boulder), however due to the cost, and more importantly not having an easy way to pay the tolls with rental vehicles, we bared through the traffic on US-36/I-270/I-70/Pena Blvd instead.

[@05Forenza]

Our ExpressToll passes now work in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas. So it's similar to the east coast with EZpass

[@gregsells8549]

@@05Forenza Likewise, PikePass, TxTag, EZTag (Houston), TollTag (Dallas) and K-Tag now work in Colorado.

[@who2u333]

I have been wondering about this since I got to the area a few months ago.

[@CJ3WT]

Drop that workout routine Mileage Mike.

[@MileageMike485]

Might have to soon!

[@exoplanetarydev]

Not only do I live in the Denver metro, but I actually live in western Arvada right by where the beltway is being proposed. Definitely mixed feelings on it locally here, I'm a big public transit guy so I'm not huge on building a lot of highways but we really don't have much coverage in this corner of the city and it takes at least like 20 minutes to get anywhere. Lots of folks don't want it built because it'll run right through their neighborhood, and some people are concerned about building it through Rocky Flats, but I do think we could really use some development out here, it almost feels like the exurbs. I really think the whole thing should be a freeway though. I'm lucky enough that my commute entirely stays on the free portion of the beltway but people in Aurora, Commerce City, etc. are stuck with 225 close into the urban core.

[@allen-michaelsoard9391]

This last week, it’s been telling me that it’s faster to go ten miles to E-470, than to go two miles down to I-225 to get to work. Our traffic gets bad due to over saturation of I-25 and I-225

[@ChadPettingill]

"Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and former nuclear weapons manufacturing plant" sounds like a semi-serious joke from The Simpsons.

[@05Forenza]

Having grown up in Superior in the early 2000's (I saw the opening of the NW Pkwy), I don't think a larger road needs to be built. Highway 93 need to be upgraded to 2 lanes each direction, but thats it. Plus with that area being so close to the foothills, we need to preserve the open space and the natural beauty of Colorado.

[@ddki9094]

I did not know about the proposed I-470 so this video was an educational wake-up for me. Do I think a full beltway around Denver would help alleviate through traffic on 25 or 70? Probably not. It really serves people who just want to use part of the beltway; for example, people who need to get from I-25 south to I-70 East or as you said to get from the southern suburbs to DIA. It seems most people just keep driving I-25 or I-70 through Denver because in spite of traffic, it is still less drive time on most days than to use the loop.

[@jermainec2462]

Suburbs cities always getting in the way 😂😂😂

[@porcupinepunch6893]

Sounds like they should build an electrified light rail there which would eliminate both concerns 🤭

[@mrvwbug4423]

@@porcupinepunch6893 They tried that, cost overruns killed the B-line at Westminster, it was supposed to run to Boulder and Longmont. But the B-line is a commuter line, not LRT, which would be faster, more frequent and cheaper to build than a LRT line. The South metro is plagued by slow and infrequent LRT

[@JasonTaylor-po5xc]

You can't leave the Orlando airport without paying a toll (almost true - there are side roads), but the 528 and 417 have plenty of development around them, plus the Florida Turnpike also cuts through that area, which also has plenty of development. Eventually, people just accept it as the cost of living in that area. I currently live in Colorado Springs now. I use I-225 to access the Denver airport (instead of E-470). It just isn't worth the toll. It's longer and would only save time in heavy traffic. I could totally see using the toll road if I lived in Parker. However, I do frequently use C-470 to access Golden and I-70 westbound (and vice versa when heading home). I would be willing to pay a toll to use it (there are toll lanes - but I don't bother with them), because the alternative is a lot longer and requires going into the heart of Denver to connect with I-70. No thanks. I-470 is a good example of when environmental agencies do more harm than good. If the plan was approved at the start, none of the cities would have any problems with it and the entire beltway would be free and help with congestion in the middle of the city. We see this now with even high speed rail, the largest delay are environmental surveys - when the greater good is building high speed passenger rail to reduce car dependency.

[@Linkbetweenus27]

Do Nashville next!

[@davestewart2067]

Surprised it’s that open west of Denver. Figured it had all infilled by now. The extreme costs of Colorado has led to more than one to leave, their days of growth may be over.

[@ytgytgy]

ayo I left in 2014, aurora/denver :) I visited earlier this year and i was kind of shocked how everything between castle rock to ft collins is almost fully developed, and so many ugly mcmansions just off the freeway. These are the people that priced me out so they could make the whole front range expensive.

[@57ttocs]

@@davestewart2067 alot of that land that is open will never be developed between the nuclear hazard and dedicated open space even if a highway were built there would not be much development. Some of the recent development in the area was only deemed “safe” for humans from nuclear hazard in the past couple decades.

[@Connor_Herman]

There will never be development in Rocky Flats - although they're getting as close as they possibly can with Candelas/Leyden. Another open area you may see is land that is largely reserved to stay open ("Open Space"). Growth has somewhat plateaued with the high price of housing driving people away but densification is still happening, which is what we need in the Denver area. Endless sprawl would have Denver ending up like Houston or Phoenix.

[@RandyJGJ]

Heyo, so I am a Planning Graduate Student currently, and your videos have immersed me into transportation planning and highway infrastructure. I recently completed a light case study on the I-95 Northern VDOT HOT Express Lanes, inspired by your video highlighting on the infrastructure. How do you approach your research for videos? Know where to look for data and graphic is always tough for me.

[@MileageMike485]

DOTs usually have information on current or recently completed projects on their websites. For older projects you have to dig through a lot of articles on Google as the older it is, the more likely it is to be buried further down in the search results. A lot of the news websites often have paywalls too so for some you might have to pay or try to find alternate sources.

[@kiniburk]

Now you need to do the never completed I-225

[@Zizumia]

Traffic is getting so bad on the 70, 25 and 225 that there needs to be a beltway soon. It's unfortunate it's a tollway though. Makes me miss cities that had free alternative freeways to take.

[@rjmcallister1888]

My 1960 map of the area shows only I-25, I-70, I-80S (I-76), I-225 and I-270, all in planning with only I-25/US 85-87 (Valley Highway) partially constructed. If there's to be a completed beltway around Denver, Colorado DOT and the Feds are going to have to get interested again, and Broomfield must remove it's collective head from it's backside. Money and politics always decide these things (the days of Robert Moses are over). There's Broomfield, a shopping mall, an airport, the wildlife refuge and Golden in the way of Mike's route; working around them presents major problems. The first thing is to complete the Northwest Parkway as a freeway/tollway to US 36 to make it viable (an expressway doesn't cut it). It may then have to swing out north and west of the wildlife refuge paralleling CO 128 and 93, then south to Golden and finding a place to put an interchange at I-70. The way US 6, I-70 and CO 470 are situated, it would be damn near impossible to find a clean fit to finish the loop; a short jog along CO 58 to US 6/6th Avenue or have CO 58 serve as the last part of the loop back to I-70. If a route could be designated, it will probably be condemned by NIMBY's, especially in Golden. So no, barring a massive come-to-Jesus between a sizable number of parties, I doubt it. The current CO 470 and E-470 have been built sufficient distances outside current developments to handle new development for awhile, and it looks like the future may be east, south and north along the I-70 and 25 corridors. That entire area from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs appears to be headed for metroplex status soon. And hope the Northwest people aren't forced to buy back their tollway from the foreigners, as happened in Indiana.

[@dennisc6716]

9:00 Do they consider that a bike lane in CO or is that just how some rural roads are lined?

[@deanschulze3129]

That's just a shoulder. You'd have to have a death wish to ride a bike on there especially since there can be strong wind gusts from the west that would blow you into traffic. Indiana St was just repaved this summer. Before that there was no shoulder at all. No living bicyclist rode on Indiana St because it is 55 MPH traffic with no shoulder. Arvada's bicycle trails are a joke. They must have been designed by someone with ADHD because the typical bike lane will go for a mile or so and then stop and then a couple of miles later there will be a bike lane again.

[@VEGGIEGODD]

need me an audiobook narrated by mileage mike

[@jhlando8063]

Could you go to Arkansas next? I know Little Rock has two interstates that loop around it but they are not connected.

[@miangel02]

I live in Denver, and I rarely use the beltway beacuse of the expensive tolls, so I really don't care if they build it or not, because I will not use it.

[@MileageMike485]

Yeah they’re pretty expensive.

[@99RyanFTW]

Facts I use rtd rail to go to the airport

[@emmas4336]

Smooth voice and so handsome. 😍

[@alyssaskier2656]

The proposed Jefferson Parkway would end at SH 93. Golden has no interest whatsoever in making the Golden Bypass (the section of SH 93 to the west of the city center) into a freeway. As it stands today, it effectively handles traffic, while keeping businesses in the area accessible to drivers heading to the mountains from the northwest suburbs. I've had breakfast in Golden many times before a day of skiing or hiking in Summit or Clear Creek or Grand County, and might not have if there were a freeway the whole way, so I understand why Golden doesn't want that to change. Regarding the existing Northwest Parkway, an important aspect of this story is that the agreement to lease the parkway (for 99 years!) to a private toll operator includes a noncompete clause that forbids any road improvements that would adversely affect the parkway's toll revenue. Nevertheless, as it stands, the major arterials in the region handle traffic pretty well, and the Northwest Parkway (with its exhorbitant tolls) remains mostly empty.

[@fgjr96way]

If built in the future , i don't think it will be "Interstate 470" unless CDOT and AASHTO gets involved. So why is i-270 so short??🤔🤔🤔

[@BlacqueJacqueShellacque_]

The problem with this toll road is the cost/mile. The NW Parkway is too expensive and has very light traffic 24/7 due to the high costs. Adding the Jefferson Parkway with similar tolls will not reduce the side road traffic. People don't even use the US36 toll lanes when it only costs a couple of bucks to skip heavy traffic. Tolls should be low enough that the average person will take the road while also being high enough to keep the traffic flowing. If they can do that I'd be in favor of finishing it. Building another road that no one uses is pointless.

[@WizenedVariations1]

Those that live between the stubs of the belt are happy campers. The real estate values are very high. Noise levels are lower.

[@non-wx8qm]

It's crazy to think that we as Americans have to pay to use the highway. Not cool. We pay enough taxes already. Government institutions need to work with what they got.

[@JD-pe7sx]

Seems fine to me. We don't expect the bus, or Amtrak to be free, so the same is fair for highways.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

Looks like it could be built from Arvada to the south through Golden, but a full completed belt looks unlikely

[@GamingBren]

On this topic, the E-470/I-70 interchange desperately needs new direct flyovers between the two roads. Like come on, WHY does traffic have to exit into a diamond interchange unless they’re going from E-470 north to I-70 west? WHY?! I don’t live anywhere near Denver, but I can imagine what it’s like at rush hour. (it used to be worse though, originally E-470 was _forced_ through those four traffic signals and the flyover that’s there now didn’t exist until they redid it in the mid-late 2000s)

[@aisle9]

I don't think the rest of the beltway is needed, or even really wanted at this point. E-470 is either the most expensive or one of the most expensive toll roads per mile in America, which is part of why it tends to be quiet outside of airport traffic, people who live in an area with no other freeway options (me), and a-holes with BMWs, Mercedes and Cybertrucks. Seriously, there are more Cybertrucks per capita on E-470 than any other road in America. But I digress. I think the cost of E-470 and the Northwest Parkway has turned a lot of people in the Denver metro off to tollways. I think there would be a lot of resistance from homeowners within a mile or so of the proposed route, who tend to be wealthy and noisy about such things, and I don't think it's worth the disruption to open spaces and wildlife. If developers start buying up land in that corridor by the square mile, I'll buy that it's a real possibility. Until then, it's just Denver's I-69. Not terribly useful in the places it does exist, and without much support for finishing the rest.

[@BMWE90HQ]

Toll roads are a scam. If I’m already paying taxes I’m not going to pay again to use a road.

[@jamesbrown9721]

Even Johanessburg has a modern beltway freeway around their city, including electronic tolling. But Colorado can't get it together

[@user-ci9ri4fl5pBuckeyeChessie]

I have a collection of old maps, in the 1970s Rand McNelly Road atlas has the southwestern portion proposed as I-470. I do not understand why they lease tool roads to foreign entities, if they want to lease it, which is something is unneeded, then why not a domestic entity. I agree toll will be a deterrent to through traffic, plus not having an Interstate designation, out of town traffic would find it more favourable to stay on Interstate designated routes,

[@willbonner3818]

i-25 is "Clogged" all the time lol E470 is owned by the Suadi Royal Family as well

[@WHATISUTUBE]

If they have so much open space plop a train down. You'd be surprised how many people would be willing to give up a 2 hour drive for sitting and watching TV on a train. Just put a large parking lot near the station. Bam. it becomes a commuter town.

[@mrvwbug4423]

They tried that, the B-line became unaffordable to build beyond Westminster. The G-line got NIMBYd by Golden so only runs to Wheat Ridge, and the south metro has slow and infrequent light rail service

[@MileageMike485]

Usually if suburban towns NIMBY a highway then you can rest assured that a train is also a non-starter. There's often fear of poorer people having easy access to suburbs with transit.

[@rogerlafrance6355]

The issue on the front range is WATER! No water no expansion.

[@Jared40]

Highway 93 is scary to drive. Get the high winds from flatirons it can be dicey. 😮I am a Colorado native I try never to drive it. I never see it complete as a beltway ever.

[@ramonnape]

i think it shouldnt grow but i think a whole new loop should grow around denver area just because its is growing so much outward!

[@bigfoottamer]

As someone who lives in arvada and works a mile from the proposed beltway expansion, I wouldn't be for it, there's already enough traffic on those road and I don't want those open spaces to get developed into more generic souless housing developments. also I don't want them touching the soil in rocky flats, too much plutonium under it for my tastes.

[@ricardoesco8146]

Damn bro 💪😍

[@OGStoneVegas]

hell, how come vegas doesn't have a full beltway? recent development has made it impossible to do so

[@brucetelfeyan]

I think a large metro area like Denver needs a full loop. I doubt it will ever be completed. Just too many opponents to allow it to come to pass. Sad!

[@zekebowl]

Coloradans are notoriously resistant to utilizing toll roads though.

[@ziggym4414]

One of the things I remember about Colorado politics is that city planners are anti-automobile. Business, commercial, and even some residential "access" was designed to hamper and annoy anyone driving a car. (A 3 rights to make a left into Wal-Mart kind of setup sometimes.) Add in the feudalism, which is what you described between JeffCo, Broomfield, and Arvada, and you'll never get a functioning mass-transit system. So they just end up wasting money on plans and studies instead of doing anything. Or maybe that's the point.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Yup you get the issue of anti-car city planners, but they also refuse to also build out the transit system to actually have the Denver metro be a transit-centric region. They need to pick a direction, either keep Denver car centric and build out the highway system to match or make it more transit-centric and expand the transit system so you can actually quickly get around the metro without a car.

[@ziggym4414]

@@mrvwbug4423 Mm-hmm. No government at any level has ever been good at "shit or get off the pot."

[@MileageMike485]

Sounds like a good way to end up like Atlanta.

[@jarodforbes1207]

CO-93 is aweful traffic wise. We need a bigger road in that area. Turing weekday traffic will have you stuck in traffic for hours just going from Boulder to Golden.

[@keving4792]

BTW, it's R-VAAA-DA, not R-VAH-DA. Like Nevada.

[@bv9613]

Rocky Flats - Test site?

[@DenverRez]

It built parts of nuclear warheads. It also caught on fire a lot.

[@bv9613]

@@DenverRez I agree with you. Having worked at Los Alamos, to me a “Test Site” is a place where nukes were set off in Tests not a manufacturing facility like Rock Flats. It doesn’t matter that much.

[@andrewmitchell5807]

Dear God I hope this never gets completed for Golden's sake

[@jackh3242]

I live in Denver. I'd rather see a better public transit system than even more sprawling highways. I took C-470 and I-25 today; both terribly congested.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

As someone who's never been to Denver I don't have an opinion one way or another, except I don't want to see such beautiful countryside further ruined by development. 😢

[@-Katastrophe]

clearly the solution is to reroute tolling elsewhere and force a forfeit on the 99 year lease.

[@MileageMike485]

After making the video I found out that the company that bought the road has now sold it off to yet another company.

[@inkedsharkyt]

540 mentioned. checkmate buddy now you gotta talk about NC 540…

[@UHaulShorts]

Question is: Would thurr B *service plaza(s)* built as long as its a *tollway?*

[@MileageMike485]

Probably electronic tolling