Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.   With only one way in and one way out of downtown Nederland, traffic issues are inevitable, especially during ski season, and especially, as we witnessed a month ago, if there is construction on the Highway in town.

The Eldora Mountain Resort visitors all head down the mountain when the lifts close and when they hit the vehicles backed up from the ski road and the highway intersection, they begin to wonder if they’re ever going to get through town. By the time they inch toward downtown Ned and see that the line is barely moving, they decide to take an alternative route through the residential area of Old Town. They streak along Pine Street and then try to cross the highway and push into line, a precarious situation.

During festivals, not only do drivers look for faster ways through town, they also look for parking spaces. They squeeze into any available space, leaving no room for the residents to park and clogging the dirt roads in the neighborhoods.

Nederland Police Department chief Paul Carrill says that with the hiring of a new part-time officer, the department is up to full staff again and he is looking into a solution to the traffic problems.

“Since I have been here traffic issues have been a common concern, especially the impact felt during ski and festival seasons. People try and go around the traffic, take short cuts though Old Town and speed aggressively through the residential area. This causes hazardous situations, road rage, accidents and frustrates the residents.”

Carril suggests that people in a hurry count to 10, have a cup of coffee, relax and be patient. Meanwhile, the situation led to a meeting with Old Town residents last month, looking for answers to the situation. He says that 50 percent of the residents park in the road and during the festivals they get displaced.

Old Town residents, town officials and Eldora Mountain Resort General Manager Brent Tregaskis attended the meeting. Tregaskis has vast experience of traffic management and resort parking and was open to ideas of how to implement them. He agreed to being a partner in finding solutions for the problem.

After hearing the concerns of the residents, Chief Carrill said that since the NPD does not have the resources to patrol every street, he asked the residents if they would be open to limiting access through Old Town to residents only, putting up signage at the side streets off the highway.

“When we know there will be heavy skier influx, we can have our on duty officer or traffic volunteer partially close off the ingress to Old Town, allowing only residents to enter. There won’t be an officer there checking IDs, but if drivers choose not to follow the signs, they will be subject to a ticket which will be enforced similar to a speeding ticket.”

Carril said most people are receptive to the concept, but he has met with only a small representation of the public. He wants the community as a whole to be involved in their policing.

Another piece of the traffic problem solutions is the purchase of a police truck that is dedicated to traffic issues. Designated as Traffic 1, the vehicle will help during festivals, canyon closures, natural emergencies and any critical events where it is needed to keep the public safe. It will be a key factor in managing emergencies in town.

The NPD is looking for a local volunteer for its Operations Support Unit to man the truck and be available to provide eight hours per week of un-paid service to the NPD and additional hours as needed. Contact NPD Marshal if you are interested in the position or have questions about it. His email is paulc@nederlandco.org.