As motorists endure another shutdown of U.S. 36 this week, a local nonprofit organization is offering incentives and ideas to ease congestion as the highway’s reconstruction continues.
is offering drivers cash to start new carpools and vanpools, ride the bus or consider other commute options.
U.S. 36 currently carries 80,000 to 100,000 daily vehicle trips on a corridor in the midst of a massive widening effort that is scheduled to finish in early 2016.
Through its campaign, 36 Commuting Solutions aims to reduce the vehicle miles traveled on the highway by 13,000 miles daily — the equivalent of driving from California to New York five times, said the group’s executive director, Audrey DeBarros.
“We understand the burden of traveling in a crowded corridor and we’re eager to help solo drivers give transit, carpool and vanpool a try,” DeBarros said.
Motorists can fill out a quick application on 36commutingsolutions.org for cash incentives to try a new commute.
Solo drivers who want to take the bus can apply for a Regional Transportation District 10-ride Regional Ticket Book valued at $45. New vanpool riders receive a $75 vanpool subsidy. New carpool registrants receive $75 over two months of signing up with 36 Commuting Solutions and tracking eight round trips over two months on
Businesses located within a quarter mile of McCaslin, Broomfield and Westminster Center park-n-Rides are eligible to participate in Master EcoPass Pilot Program, DeBarros said.
36 Commuting Solutions is offering free EcoPasses to select organizations for distribution to full- and part-time employees in 2015, with 70 percent off of 2016 EcoPass contracts.
The Curb Your Frustration campaign also wants to educate commuters about the new services that will be offered along the corridor, including Bus Rapid Transit, managed Express Lanes and the new U.S. 36 bikeway.
The campaign started as CDOT closed eastbound and westbound U.S. 36 on Monday night overnight for a quarter of a mile on each side of the McCaslin Boulevard bridge to pour the concrete deck for the portion of the bridge that was recently widened.
Eastbound and westbound U.S. 36 will also be closed from 10 p.m. Friday to 5:30 a.m. Saturday between Interlocken Loop and McCaslin Boulevard for extensive drainage and utility work.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/montewhaley
