Light Rail Moves Ahead in Denver as Mile High City Sets Pace for Public Transport Development in the West

Without question, Denver -- also known as the Mile High City in reference to its altitude of 5,280 feet above sea level -- is known far and wide as a leader in the renewable energy sector. But what is perhaps less well known is the commitment the city and the Denver metropolitan area have made to building out an impressive and expansive light rail system.

I was reminded of this recently when I drove from Denver west to Golden, a city of perhaps 20,000 at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. As one leaves Denver and begins to drive west on U.S. Highway 6 the highway is surrounded on the north and south by houses and retail developments. However, the farther west you drive it becomes apparent that this corridor will soon be served by a 12.1 mile light rail rail running from Golden to the Denver and ultimately to what will be the regional transportation hub in downtown Denver.

The photos attached to this blog show various bridges that are currently under construction as builders focus on completing the West Corridor project before Jan. 1, 2013. For more information on the West Corridor project, please click here. Moreover, there are other planned lines in the process of being developed.

To be sure, building out a light rail system in a metropolitan area that is in many places already developed is a tall order. There are no shortage of controversies related to the cost of the system and the priority of which lines should be built first. But suffice it to say, Denver and the surrounding area are well along in making the city one of the most transit friendly locales in the American west.

One of the reasons to point this out here is that it reflects the vibrant, forward looking attitude shared by many in Colorado. The energy and vitality illustrated in this project captures, in just one way, the culture and investment in the future that students find in Denver and in Colorado. Living and studying in a city and region with high aspirations gives all of us hope that our transport future will look better than the reality of today's transport options. This is vital to protecting and preserving the Colorado and western way of life, portrayed in the final photo taken of the foothills just a few miles north of where the West Corridor is being developed.

Denver as a city and a "state of mind" are on the move and part of the overall excitement here is reflected in the high quality of environmental and natural resources offerings at the Sturm College of Law.

--Don Smith

Denver Recreational Trails "Best in Nation," According to "Parks and Recreation" Magazine

Denver is a great place to live as well as learn. Not that this needed to be confirmed, but recently the city's trail system was recognized as the best in the U.S. by Parks and Recreation Magazine, the official publication of the National Recreation and Park Association.

According to the magazine: "Basically, anything you want to do, you can accomplish with a pair of walking shoes, a bike, or skates. This makes Denver a hiker and biker's dream come true, a fact not wasted on its physically fit residents."

(As a footnote, DU has our own "connection" of sorts with the association (although this had nothing to do with the honor Denver received).  Ashley Futrell, the association's Senior Public Policy Manager, is the daughter of Donna Hughes, a member of DU's faculty support staff.  While I do not know Ashley, I do know her mom and she's one of the most helpful individuals at the law school.  Donna typifies the friendly environment that graduate students find at DU.  And she's promised to have Ashley come visit our program next time she's in Denver.)

Many of our students (to say nothing of our professors, staff, and friends of the program) enjoy the outdoor-oriented life in Denver. Frequently on Monday mornings I hear students tell of bike trips, hikes, as well as skiing and rafting in the mountains just west of Denver. And I have more than a few stories of my own outings in the mountains. Perhaps this is why studying about the relationship between natural resources and the environment is so profoundly important at DU.

To find out more about recreation in Denver, click here.

By the way, the picture in this blog was taken recently from the Cherry Creek bike path that winds its way along Cherry Creek from the southeast part of the Denver metro area to downtown. I bike this path frequently.

Denver "Occupies the High Ground When it Comes to Clean Energy:" Newsweek Magazine

Denver's central role in the new energy economy -- renewables, energy efficiency, biofuels -- is being formally recognized in the U.S. and beyond.

For instance, the July 13 issue of Newsweek includes a piece, "More Than Just Hot Air; Green Jobs Are Sprouting in Denver," that explains the convergence of issues and interests that have established the Denver area as the heart of "green America." Daniel Gross, Newsweek's business columnist, writes, "The Mile High City occupies the high ground when it comes to clean energy -- and clean living."

For what it's worth, the phrase the "new energy economy" was supposedly first uttered by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter. I have not the foggiest idea whether this is true or not, but nevertheless I am quite happy to use the phrase myself!