Posts tagged driving
Mountain Community Debris Removal Beginning Nov. 4
Oct 24th
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County is contracting with a removal company to begin roadside pickup of flood debris in the mountain communities. This is a large project that will span several weeks, and will depend on weather conditions and impending snow. We are asking residents to follow the guidelines listed below in order to help this project progress as efficiently as possible in the limited time we have before major snow falls limit our access even further.
What: Removal of household debris, woody debris (vegetation), and mud, silt etc.
When: Beginning the week of Nov. 4
Where: Removal trucks will drive down all accessible, county maintained mountain roads which are west of Hwy 36 and Hwy 93
Guidelines:
- Debris piles should be 3ft from the side of the roadway to allow for any snow removal operations
- Do not block the roadway, waterways or any culverts with debris
- Debris removal vehicles will only be able to access existing, county maintained, accessible roads at this time; unmaintained Jeep roads will not be serviced
- In order to follow state laws, and to allow for composting operations, please separate debris into 4 piles:
- General household debris
- Electronics and appliances
- Woody debris (vegetation)
- Mud, silt, sand and rock
The debris haulers have a potential reach of about 8ft from the edge of the road lane; for that reason, debris piles should be as close to the 3ft boundary along the road as possible so it can be reached and collected.
If time and weather permit debris collection trucks may make multiple trips up and down roads. However, we encourage residents to move debris to the road as soon as possible. There is no harm in leaving a debris pile near the roadway for a week or more before the truck makes it to your area.
If your property is on the other side of the creek from a major roadway, and you have no way of transporting debris to the accessible roadway, please do not push debris piles down into the creek. Any excess debris in the creeks can potentially cause more flooding downstream during normal spring runoff.
Please remember to be cautious when driving while these large debris haulers are on the road. There will be signage and flaggers warning of the presence of the trucks, but slower speeds and heightened awareness will help lessen any problems on the tight mountain curves.
Boulder County will issue a notification when the debris pickup project is coming to a close and ask residents to assemble any final debris piles before service is concluded.
For any questions about debris pickup in the mountain communities, please contact ReSource Conservation at 720-564-2220 or resourceconservation@bouldercounty.org.
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Stranger approaches provoke police warning
Oct 1st
Recently, parents have reported that a male in a white SUV has approached children and at least one adult in a large geographic area in Boulder, which includes the area of the 2200 block of Balsam, the 400 block of Highland and the 2000 block of Alpine Avenue.
No one has been able to provide a concrete description of the SUV or the possible suspect, and the people approached are both males and females from 7-to-20 years old. One of those who reported being contacted by the male says she was offered a ride and ran away. Others say a white SUV approached them but that the person driving it didn’t speak to them. An adult who noticed a white SUV told police that a man was sleeping inside it.
Descriptions of the suspect vary; police were told he was 30-to-60 years old; that he had white hair or salt-and-pepper hair and that he had a full beard or was clean-shaven; that he wore glasses and that he didn’t wear glasses. The SUV descriptions differ as well.
Neighbors shared an informational email in an effort to inform each other about the incidents, and detectives have investigated all the reports.
Police offer some tips for keeping kids safe:
- Tell your kids to walk with others and stay in well-lit areas
- Always supervise younger children, even in groups
- Tell your kids to never, ever get into a car with a stranger
- Let your child know you will never send an unknown adult to pick them up – ever
- If a stranger does approach your child, your child should RUN, YELL and REPORT the stranger to a trusted adult. It’s not appropriate for adults to approach children.
Here are some ploys strangers may use:
- Asks for help finding a lost pet
- Invites the child to a car to see a new puppy
- Offers candy, toys or food
- Asks for directions
- Offers a ride
Police remind people to call 9-1-1 if they are in a situation which they feel is unsafe, or if they notice a situation involving someone else.
The Boulder Police Department will keep the public apprised of any developments or public safety issues which arise.
— CITY–
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County officials want mountain driving restraint
Sep 25th
Clarification:
Mountain residents are asked to minimize trips into and out of damaged areas, and visitors and plains residents are requested to curtail recreation in the mountain area between U.S. 36 and SH 72 this fall (travel is allowed along P2P Highway north to south)
Visitors can access the Town of Estes Park in Larimer County along Peak to Peak Highway (SH 72) – we’re just asking that visitors not try to venture east or west of P2P in Boulder County along roads that are closed to public access
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County officials have made it an immediate priority to repair and reconstruct county roads and bridges damaged in the flood. The county sustained an enormous amount of damage to its roadway infrastructure, and in some places, experienced complete destruction of critical routes in the foothills and mountains. Initial estimates for repairs top $100 million.
Boulder County road maintenance crews have been working on clearing, evaluating structural integrity and public safety, and repairing county roads since the beginning of the historic flooding event. Utility companies have also been active since the start working to restore electric, gas, phone, water and other basic services. Given the current status of the roads, county public safety and transportation officials are urging residents to minimize – and visitors to curtail completely – their use of mountain roads within Boulder County.
(Video: Boulder County “Be a Good Neighbor” Public Safety & Road Infrastructure message)
“We kindly ask that people stay out of the foothills and mountain areas from Foothills Highway to Peak to Peak this fall for recreational purposes while our county, state and federal partners work to restore access to all of our valued mountain communities,” said Boulder County Commissioner Cindy Domenico. “Right now we need our residents and visitors to access our central mountain communities only for essential purposes and to give room to our road crews and law enforcement officials to do their jobs.”
“We want residents and visitors to recognize that Boulder County is hard at work to reestablish our infrastructure and reconnect residents to their communities and their homes,” said Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle. “The county has teamed with cities and towns, the state, other nearby counties and private contractors to help with this massive undertaking. Crews are working as quickly as we can to put in place at least temporary fixes by winter, knowing that cold weather and snow will only compound problems with damaged roads.”
The Sheriff’s Office is requesting that all recreation and unnecessary trips into the foothills and mountains of Boulder County be curtailed until critical roads, including Boulder Canyon and U.S. 36 west of Lyons, can be opened to the general public. (View video)
“The road issues are more than a mere inconvenience,” said Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle. “Everyone working at the county understands that the lack of access and the lengthy process to restore it will change lives, and we are focused on returning a sense of normalcy to lives that have been changed forever in some cases.”
County officials have asked that vehicles, bikes and pedestrians stay out of the damaged areas while road and emergency crews, utilities and local residents work to restore basic infrastructure and access to their homes.
“People who want to recreate in the mountains or go see the destruction will actually hamper access for emergency responders, utility workers, and mountain residents who absolutely need the access,” Pelle said. “For that reason we’re asking people who don’t have to go to the mountains to stay away and to understand that this is a very long term problem.”
“It is incredibly difficult to rebuild roads with people on them, so please avoid the mountain roads unless absolutely necessary, and minimize even residential trips to keep roads clear for heavy equipment and emergency vehicles,” Gerstle added. “It is difficult and takes much longer for the crews to fix a road with traffic on it. The fewer people using the road, the faster we can get the work done.”
Another important recovery aspect for many residents is the status of county open space parks and trails.
“Our staff has been assessing damage and working to repair trails as quickly as possible, but there are many parks and trails that may be closed for a significant duration as these areas have experienced extreme damage and the trails are unsafe,” said Boulder County Parks & Open Space Director Ron Stewart.
In addition, the U.S. Forest Service in Boulder County has closed its lands for all recreational purposes (i.e., camping, hiking, hunting, etc.) by executive order until further notice.
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