Traffic is nightmare lately. Since affordable housing in the Winter Park area is considered $1,000 (spoiler: not affordable) to work here, I live in Granby and commute, time which I don’t get paid for.

I get the diverse types of traffic we have. Tourists, maybe looking at the pretties, not focusing on driving. So many city drivers here now, it feels like driving Denver. I try to stick to the speed limit, often I am not allowed that choice, because the choices of others. When there is a passing lane, people get weird and won’t let me pass. I don’t understand. But alas…

Since everything here is to draw more tourists, roads have become impacted and frustrating. I first moved here in 2013, I would just drive for fun getting to know the place. Now a drive for pleasure doesn’t exist. But I wish it was different and I long for the days of 2013.

From Granby, there’s one road in or out, which was made very clear when East Troublesome fire evacuated. I took the back road that day because I would rather travel slower on a less impacted road than be in the I-40 we’ve got. That day I took Victory Road and they’d closed it, no signage. Construction workers yelling at me and I’m just casually fleeing from a fire. Signage please!

Recently, over half the passing lane from Granby through Red Dirt was closed, increasing congestion. I get there are people living along that section who appreciated that, but it increased congestion. So I looked for a back road, I scoured the map and found a road that looked like it would get me from Granby to YMCA. But when I tried I found a gate on the road. Another road for rich people. Just like the construction on I-70 by Idaho Springs. Working on that expansion for almost a decade? Using taxpayer money but all we get is a lane for rich people.

The choices being made are very clear who they are for and who they are not, and burden of the working class person gets ever bigger.

— Sierah Daring, Granby