Recent survey data shows vast majority of Front Range I-70 travelers make efforts to avoid congestion and that carpooling is on the rise.
The I-70 Coalition sponsored a research program this winter to learn what strategies frequent I-70 travelers utilize to deal with weekend congestion, to gauge attitudes and use of the Mountain Express Lane, and to learn ride sharing habits, among a multitude of other topics. The study was designed to allow comparisons to similar research conducted in 2012 and 2014. While the I-70 Coalition is focused on large-scale, long term solutions for the I-70 mountain corridor, it also implements near term strategies aimed at reducing congestion. The information from this research study will help the organization learn how existing travel resources and programs are being received and utilized by the traveling public and how they might be improved.
Surveys were conducted by RRC & Associates at the T-Rex and Wooly Mammoth lots over three weekends in January and February 2017. These Dinosaur lots are a well-known gathering place for frequent weekend I-70 travelers with a demographic profile very similar to the average Colorado skier/snowboarder.
Based on this year’s counts at the Dinosaur lots, carpooling is on the rise relative to 2014. There are several motivations for carpooling, with the goal to save on gas being the most prevalent. The desire to save on resort parking showed an increase over the 2014 numbers which is not surprising given the increasing prevalence of paid parking at mountain resorts. Only a small percentage of respondents were aware that resorts offer incentives for carpooling, but those that were aware of the programs took advantage of them in a greater number than in 2014.
Later returns to the Dinosaur lots were evident in 2017, indicating efforts to encourage visitors stay in the mountains later to avoid peak traffic might be yielding positive results.
Chris Cares, Managing Director of RRC states, “In the time we’ve been tracking I-70 usage and travel patterns, we’ve observed a number of promising trends. Carpooling has grown and the use of the Morrison lots have increased, with Morrison lot users meeting at the Dinosaur lots for roughly half of all their winter mountain trips. Further, the data shows an increasing reliance on traffic information sources, particularly CoTrip.org, the mobile app, and GoI70.com. In fact, active winter mountain travelers are about twice as likely to use available information sources than those who make just a few winter trips, pointing to the helpfulness of these communication resources in navigating the I-70 corridor.”
The research also incorporates survey results from the Front Range Snowsports Enthusiasts Panel, a broad sample of Front Range winter visitors to mountain resorts. It is encouraging to know that 94% of these visitors say they make an effort to avoid peak travel times, which is up from 2014.
Although survey results showed that the many programs and resources aimed at reducing congestion are having an impact, there was one concerning statistic. Sixty-nine percent of the Front Range Snowsports Panel stated that the frequency of their I-70 trips has been reduced due to congestion. This statistic clearly demonstrates the negative influence I-70 congestion is having on mountain visitation.
CDOT data from the new Mountain Express Lane’s first year shows that the lane has increased the through-put of vehicles, resulted in decreased travel times no matter which lane is used, and provided a more reliable return trip to the Front Range; however, only 1/3 of those surveyed believe the MEXL has improved eastbound I-70 travel. There is clearly a need to better communicate the benefits and success of this recent I-70 capacity improvement.
“This I-70 User Study allows us to take the pulse of frequent I-70 travelers. It gives the I-70 Coalition and other stakeholders a snapshot of the awareness and effectiveness of education campaigns and I-70 congestion management programs. This information will be helpful as we consider future efforts aimed at reducing congestion.” Margaret Bowes, Director of the I-70 Coalition said.
The 47 page I-70 User Study, as well as an executive summary is posted here.
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About I-70 Mountain Corridor Coalition
The I-70 Coalition is a nonprofit organization formed in 2004 with a mission to improve mobility and accessibility on the I-70 Mountain Corridor. Members of the I-70 Coalition include 28 counties, towns and businesses along and adjacent to the I-70 Mountain Corridor. More information is available at www.i70solutions.org.