Roads in Denver and Aurora are in rough shape, according to a report we covered last week. They're so rough that metro-area drivers are spending as much as $700 dollars a year in additional auto maintenance and depreciation.
Lauren Gibbs, of Denver, has been rattled while driving on Sheridan Boulevard.
"And it's just like my evil nemesis," she says of the street. "I was actually with my friend and we were driving north on Sheridan, like just past the golf course, and we were driving and it was just so loud that I thought something had fallen off my car and we pulled over and realized that we just hit a really crazy pothole that my car fell down into and it hit the bottom frame of my car."
William Montgomery says his wife has replaced two tires this year from "missing pieces of road." But Minnie Hagelberg's story may take the cake. "Our wheel literally fell off one day while driving," Hagelberg, of Denver, says. Her mechanic told her that "it was from potholes that took their toll on that side of the car."
"Thankfully, we were driving on an on-ramp at low speed, so it didn't cause an accident," she adds.
The same day our story about road conditions aired, Colorado Matters interviewed a couple who gave up their car to save money.
"I'd LOVE not to have a car payment, insurance payment, and to live near work!" Cindie Marren writes. "I can't afford to live in Boulder (where my office is) and my husband has a job which requires driving. But I'm so sick of this 'well you really should bike/bus more' nonsense. The Front Range is so expansive. My commute by car takes me an hour each way. It would take three hours to and from my house if I took the bus and Lord knows how long if I biked there and back. If this state would look into the future of transportation and build more light rail, I -- and many people I know -- would be one them."
Our most recent conversation about Colorado's draft water plan drew a mixed reaction from Ted Zukowski of Boulder. He says he enjoyed our interview with three water managers, but thought we left something out.
"Water managers tend to view rivers and creeks as pipes and delivery systems for water to homes and farms, but Colorado's streams are much more than that," Zukowski says. "They're ecosystems for fish and wildlife, and beautiful places we just like to enjoy in a natural condition. I hope that CPR in future coverage of the state Water Plan will try to include voices from that perspective as well."
Larry Watts of Westminster heard the discussion between a Christian mother and her daughter, who converted to Islam.
"Respect for one another is sorely missed in modern society," he says. "It would go a long way towards solving many of our problems... especially in religious matters."
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