DRCOG in the News

Biking to work can be a year-round activity, and the city of Aurora is participating in this year’s 7th Annual International Winter Bike to Work Day on Feb. 8. The city joins the Denver Regional Council of Governments and metro-area municipalities to celebrate the money-saving, calorie-torching, stress-busting adventure that is winter bike commuting. Denver Post, Jan. 28

Lafayette is scheduled to approve its side of an intergovernmental agreement — roughly $150,000 for construction costs — next week, capping a joint effort that city officials say has been nearly three years in the making. The issue was first raised in a 2016 joint session between the cities' governing bodies, followed by Louisville staff securing federal funding through the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Denver Regional Council of Governments. Colorado Hometown Weekly, Dec. 29

Parker Parks and Recreation will be seeking a Great Outdoors Colorado funding grant next year of about $2 million. The department has already secured nearly $500,000 from the E-470 authority and $2 million in funding from the Denver Regional Council of Governments' Transportation Improvement Program (DRCOG TIP). Douglas County News Press, Dec. 18

A new study ranks Denver near Washington DC in challenges to affordability of median-priced housing stock. In the metro-Denver suburban corridor, median salaries are around $71,926, according to the Denver Regional Council of Governments. Colorado Patch, Nov. 15

As cities around the world are enveloped in sprawl, its health and sustainability problems are going global. “One study by the Denver Regional Council of Governments found that conventional suburban development would cost local governments $4.3 billion more in infrastructure costs than compact, ‘smart growth’ through 2020, only counting capital construction costs for sewer, water, and road infrastructure. Congess for New Urbanism, Nov. 13

Isolation, depression key issues as seniors go through life changes. About six in 10 older residents say availability of mental health care is “good” or “excellent” in Douglas County, according to the Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults from the Denver Regional Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging. Northglenn/Thornton Sentinel, Oct. 31

A proposed transportation sales tax on Colorado’s ballot this fall would “fund over 100 projects statewide,” as a recent TV ad says in promoting the measure, but that’s just the start. The sales tax’s backers implicitly are asking voters to place significant trust in future government decisions. Those will be spread among the state’s Transportation Commission, more than a dozen transportation planning organizations that review project priorities at a regional level — such as the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) in the metro area — and local elected officials across Colorado. Denver Post, Sept. 30

Lifelong Colorado is a growing collaboration among Colorado's Governor's Office, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), AARP, Colorado Counties Inc., the Colorado Municipal League, and several communities around the state. It will be co-chaired by Colorado's Chief Operating Officer and Lieutenant Governor Donna Lynne and John Suthers, mayor of Colorado Springs. Colorado Patch, Sept. 20

Low gas prices and the metro’s strong economy will likely keep many commuters sequestered in automobiles, said Ron Papsdorf, director of transportation planning and operations at the Denver Regional Council of Governments. That’s even as the number of metro commuters in single-occupancy cars continues to decline. Papsdorf echoed calls for patience and said the R-Line is still a young transit system, but he’s optimistic that ridership will rebound. Aurora Sentinel, Sept. 20

The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Area Agency on Aging is the place to be for help for older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers and their families. We’re dedicated to making sure you get connected to the resources you need to age well and independently. 9News, August 3

Construction is ongoing for a slate of big-ticket projects, and design work is ongoing for another slate of planned projects. Work is expected to start, tentatively, in 2019. The new bridge will cost an estimated $6 million — with 80 percent covered by the Denver Regional Council of Governments — and is expected to be completed some time in 2020. The Bond Buyer, August 3

You thought things were crazy when a few hundred scooters infiltrated Denver back in May? Get ready for a heck of a lot more. Nearly 2,000 of the two-wheeled rides will be landing in Denver over the next two months. Lime is partnering with organizations like BikeDenver, Bicycle Colorado, Walk Denver, and Denver Regional Council of Governments to provide more information to prospective Lime users. 5280, July 31

The Denver Regional Council of Governments uses Bike to Work Day to better understand travel behavior. This is the agency in charge of regional planning, doling out federal dollars to the Denver metro area. They want to know where people bike and who participates. June 26, Streetsblog

Last year’s Bike to Work Day saw over 30,000 people commute to their workplaces on two wheels and with city’s high priority on car-alternative forms of mobility, we could see even more at this year’s event, which happens on Wednesday. June 25, Denverite

Bike to Work Day is celebrated in many communities along the Front Range and in the mountains, but our region's event is the largest in the state. The City of Boulder first celebrated Bike to Work Day in 1977. CDOT then began promoting it statewide, and in 1995 the Denver Regional Council of Governments began helping the area's cities and counties link their individual events together. June 20, 9News

Boulder County Transportation Department held an informational meeting May 14 at Niwot High School to update the public on the status of the Quiet Zone project along Highway 119 between Boulder and Longmont. The project is funded by a grant received from the Denver Regional Council of Governments ($1.4 million) and an additional $300,000 from Boulder County Transportation. May 16, Left Hand Valley Courier

It was just going to be a Facebook page, Justin Lewis insisted about the Roaring Fork Technologists group he founded early last year. Lewis, a software developer from Washington who migrated to Denver, had bought a house in Marble. And while he loved the lifestyle and serenity his new zip code offered, he also felt professionally isolated. Sure he wasn’t the only one, he created Roaring Fork Technologists. April 25, Sopris Sun

Clear Creek County recently received the 2018 Metro Vision Award by the Denver Regional Council of Governments to recognize the county’s efforts to establish the Idaho Springs Clinic and the county’s Prospector bus. May 9, Clear Creek Courant

More than 300 people attended the annual State of the City Address at the Lone Tree Arts Center on May 17, where Mayor Jackie Millet addressed issues of growth, transportation and upcoming projects in the city. Attendees were treated to a video of Millet and city councilmembers taking a ride on the city's award-winning Link shuttle, narrating various highlights of the city. Lone Tree recently received the Metro Vision Award from the Denver Regional Council of Governments for the innovative free shuttle service that links riders from the Lincoln light rail station to major campuses within Lone Tree. May 22, Lone Tree Voice

The entities entering into the agreement, in addition to Centennial, are Arapahoe County, Aurora, Bennett, Bowmar, Cherry Hills Village, Columbine Valley, Deer Trail, Englewood, Foxfield, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Littleton and Sheridan. The role of the city will be to make recommendations to the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) “to ensure adequate transportation infrastructure to meet the needs of Arapahoe County Residents …” Transportation improvements that will be eligible for funding may include such items as traffic signals, intelligent transportation systems and other projects. April 18, South Metro Villager

A study that suggests eliminating an intersection of major roadways by elevating Colo. 119 over Hover Street in southwest Longmont was criticized last week by residents who say it underestimated its count of bicyclists using the area's roads. Longmont Civil Engineer Micah Zogorski said the city may again collect data this summer to gain a clearer picture of bicycle traffic volume in a peak riding month.The city agreed to pay $375,000 to Short Elliott Hendrickson for the study and its design recommendations, with $300,000 coming from the Denver Regional Council of Governments. April 16, Colorado Daily

When it comes to Denver's family neighborhoods, we know two things for sure: where families live now and where they lived before. What's difficult is predicting where they'll be even five years from now. You can take a look at what's being built for clues - those cranes looming over the skyline aren't building a whole lot of family housing in north and central Denver. Xavier Gitiaux, the research economist at DRCOG and lead on the Strategic Regional Analysis, said housing costs can play out differently in different neighborhoods depending on history and size units. Feb. 20, Denverite.com

Over the next 20 years, the Denver metro area's population growth will be like every person in Buffalo, N.Y. packed up their bags and came here. Feb. 14, 9News

A booming population across the Front Range has created traffic snarls on critical corridors like Interstate 25 as commuters drive to work. According to a 2016 report by Denver Regional Council of Governments, commuters spend 40 hours per year sitting in traffic. Feb. 22, Colorado Independent.