WHAT: RMGA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – Colorado Scenic Byways
WHEN: November 11, 2019, 6:00pm– 6:30 Networking, 6:30pm – 6:45 Short Business Meeting and Nominating Committee – ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 7:00pm – 8:00pm Program.
WHERE: Englewood Library 1000 Englewood Parkway, 1st Floor, Englewood Civic Center, Englewood, CO 80110
PROGRAM: Lenore C. Bates, Colorado Byways Program Manager, will present Colorado Scenic Byways. The evening presentation will cover a wide range of topics. The first 15 minutes will be an overview that will include Colorado Byways history, Colorado transportation history, National Scenic Byways, and the concept of how scenic byways revitalize small communities through recognition, protection and promotion. The remaining time will highlight many Colorado Byways unique stories followed by participants' questions. The Colorado Byway Guides, maps, and the book, "100 Years of Colorado State Transportation" will be available for those attending the presentation in person.
Colorado Scenic Byways
RMGA Membership Meeting Review
Scenic Byways
November 11, 2019 RMGA Membership Meeting
We met in the lobby of Englewood Library – they neglected to update Larry Foos that they were closed on Veterans’ Day. So, we gathered in the lobby – as soon as we had a quorum of members, we held the election for 2020 officers and Board. The candidates were named, Larry asked for additional candidates. Larry moved that the nominations be closed. Lily Ewing seconded, motion carried. All were unanimously elected.
Then the group moved to Panera at Riverfront for our program. Panera was very gracious in allowing us to take over most of their dining room.
Larry Foos introduced Lenore Bates with CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) who talked about all the Scenic Byways in the state. She has been with CDOT for 10 years and has driven all of the scenic byways in the state many times.
Scenic Byways have been in existence in Colorado for 30 years – Colorado started their program in 1989 though nationally the program was started in 1992.
The Byways are overseen by the BLM, Main Street, Government Department of Local Affairs, have East and West representation nationally and offices in Grand Junction. Colorado Preservation Inc.’s representative is the Chairman right now.
Lenore noted that the Byways were started in Colorado in 1908 with 31 signs for the Santa Fe Trail (these signs cost $2,000 then, if purchased now would cost $50,000.)
Lenore gave the dates of the opening of several of the highways:
1914 – Lariat Scenic Drive
1918 – Peak to Peak Highway
1919 – There were 3 million visitors and they spent $10 million in Colorado
1921 – Fall River Road in RMNP
Fall River Road and Lariat Loop were both created as scenic drives
1928 – There were 38 million visitors
1952 – 1962 there was a study done of our nature and outdoor recreation. Driving for pleasure was one of our most popular activities
1958 – Outdoor Resources Recreation Commission.
Lenore suggested we visit the Federal Highway website and read “The Rambler”.
Chapter 6 – “America’s outdoors”
Created parkways and byways in the 1960s
1980s – The program actually got started – BLM and Federal highways
Lots of byways are on park, grasslands, county roads though all are still under Federal control
The concept included both land and people:
The Land – scenic – natural geologic formations
i.e., the Dinosaur Diagonal – which is ¼ in Colorado and the rest is in Utah.
The People – historic, archeological (i.e., Gold Belt tours, Gold rush, Santa Fe Trail)
Conservation - - Trinidad – brick roads, trees, scenic views. They do visual surveys. These surveys are meant to give an assessment of the impact of the byway on both the land and the people.
RED – Rural Environmental District – LEAVE NO TRACE
Promotion – local and statewide – CDOT sends out about 40,000 maps/year
Send out about 30,000 byways guides
Send out 30,000 rack cards
Colorado Road Trips – from Colorado Tourism office
Seven out of 10 visitors to Colorado arrive in their own car
They follow up with those people who request and receive maps
In 2013 they did a follow-up analysis – these byways created $4.8 billion in income throughout the state.
Lenore then gave us an overview of all the Scenic Byways in the state. There are 26. She prepared a PowerPoint presentation that she will forward to Larry Foos that will go up on the website and be available to all the membership. You can also go on the Internet to coloradobyway.org for more information. In 2020 there should be a link to History Colorado as well.
CDOT expects renewed funding from the National Scenic Byway Foundation sometime in the near future.
“Roadside Geology of Colorado” is a resource for what’s on each byway. Details such as location and number of road signs, color of road signs, are important. CDOT doesn’t want to overdo the signage – that would detract from the beauty and is intrusive.
Lenore donated several brochures as well as a softback book about the byways. The titles are as follows:
Are You Colo-ready??- Brochure outlining dos and don’ts of hiking in Colorado – what to be sure and carry with you, lingo, clothing for a day hiking – whether winter or summer.
Colorado – the Official Guide to the Scenic and Historic By-ways – has a map and an overview of each byway.
Colorado’s Scenic and Historic Byways –rack card with a very brief overview of each byway to go with the Official Guide.
Discover Colorado – a Bicycle and Scenic Byways map of the state.
100 Years of Colorado State Transportation History – a history of all the roads in Colorado – Glenwood Canyon, one of the most awarded roads in the world and lots of information about how roads were built.
Written by Nancy Brueggeman