Check back each day for a new post and read the full series of livability case studies as they’re posted. The intro can be found here.

Breckinridge, Colorado

Breckenridge is a resort destination for thousands of vacationers every year, but was unaffordable to the people working in the community until an effort between the EPA and the Colorado Department of Health launched new affordable housing options.

Local residents employed in the resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado were being squeezed. The median cost for a single-family home in Breckenridge was $725,000, out of reach for the resort cooks, teachers and police officers, whom Mayor Sam Mamula described as “both the economic engine and the soul of the town.” Many workers had 45 minute commutes or longer.

Residents in the Wellington Neighborhood of Breckenridge chose to repeal restrictive zoning policies and reclaim a 22-acre brownfield site. With funding from the U.S. EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health, officials approved 122 new market-rate and affordable homes built with a traditional neighborhood aesthetic. Twenty of those acres are dedicated to open space.

According to the EPA, “Wellington has increased the supply of affordable housing, cleaned a contaminated site and created a compact, walkable neighborhood with access to trails and open space.” Eighty percent of the new homes were reserved for people who work in Summit County at a cost that was one-third or lower than the median Breckenridge housing price.

Just as intended, many new homeowners were the very people the effort intended to help: shop owners, teachers, police officers and even the town manager.

“You’ve got to find ways to keep the police officers, the teachers, the managers in the community,” said Mayor Mamula. “There’s nothing else like the Wellington Neighborhood in the county and not much else like it in the whole country.”

Source: Environmental Protection Agency.

Why is a craft beer brewing company hosting a T4 America town hall meeting on transportation?

Because our fine partners at New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado believe strongly in sustainable, people-powered transportation. (Check out their statements regarding sustainability.) New Belgium has a long track record of supporting bicycling, whether it’s their annual Tour De Fat festival (which sends all profits to environmental and bicycle advocacy groups), their employee bike parking (closer to the brewery and more plentiful than car parking), or their commitment to provide a fat-tire cruiser bike to every employee on their one year employment anniversary.

Earlier this year, New Belgium signed onto the Transportation for America campaign as a partner, and on August 18th, they hosted a town hall meeting on the topic of transportation.

New Belgium is bucking the conventional wisdom for a business in some ways. It’s much easier for a business to keep quiet on controversial issues of policy, fearing a hard stance might alienate customers, but New Belgium wears their sustainable, bike-oriented message on their sleeve, making it a part of their identity — and also a cornerstone of their success.

Read on for a summary of the Fort Collins town hall meeting.

–

Stephanie Originally uploaded by Transportation for America

A brewery might not be the first place you’d expect to go to hear a lively, intellectual discussion between elected officials and their constituents about the future of transportation. But when the forum got cranked up, not even the Fat Tire Amber Ale, Mothership Wit Organic Wheat, or other unique brews being offered could divert the attendees’ focus from talking about the future of transportation in Northern Colorado and the rest of the state.

The broad interests represented by the event’s co-hosts — The Sonoran Institute, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Colorado Association of Transit Agencies, CoPIRG, LiveWell Colorado, New Belgium Brewery, and Transportation for America — blended a well-rounded, informative discussion.

Participants imagined what more efficient or high speed regional or national rail would do for Colorado’s economic competitiveness. Clear Creek County Commissioner Harry Dale referenced several feasibility studies to help participants envision connecting Wyoming and New Mexico via high-speed rail within Colorado’s I-25 corridor. State Representative Kefalas urged a more expansive vision to connect Colorado to a larger national system. He shared how his firsthand experience riding Germany’s expansive and efficient rail system helped him see the benefits of a regional — and national — network of rail.

The forum not only explored new transportation possibilities, but plans and legislation that are already underway. Participants were updated on the Mason Corridor, a five mile north-south dedicated byway exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists, and a bus rapid transit system (BRT) that will connect downtown Fort Collins with the thousands of people who attend or work at Colorado State University.

Carla Perez, Governor Bill Ritter’s transportation policy advisor, highlighted a recently-passed piece of legislation known as  FASTER (Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation & Economic Recovery). FASTER is a funding plan that will generate approximately $250 million annually for transportation infrastructure and 10,000 jobs.

Kristin Kirkpatrick, a prevention specialist at the Coalition for Activity and Nutrition to Defeat Obesity, shared the startling statistic that while Colorado is one of the fittest states in the nation, it also has one of the fastest growing rates of obesity. She stressed the importance of making smart transportation investments that will help foster healthy lifestyles, echoed by State Representative Randy Fischer as he emphasized the link between transportation infrastructure and land use.

Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet’s district directors summarized the connections between Colorado’s state and federal policy agenda and gave some federal legislative updates.

At 8pm, when the forum officially ended, it was clear the event was a success. Captured by the discussion, most people, including several elected officials, stayed long after the forum concluded to continue exploring Colorado’s transportation future.

Our thanks to Sophie Glass from our partners at the Sonoran Institute for summarizing the event. Will Handsfield and Taylor Lavender from Transportation for America also contributed to this summary.

• PBS looks at the transportation systems in Portland, Denver, and New York City for its “Blueprint America” series. (New York Times)

• Mayor Bloomberg in New York City issues a “street manual” designed to be a guide for remaking the city’s roads.

• Detroit Free Press columnist Matt Helms talks bad commutes and transportation reform.