A $ 30 toll? Not as crazy as it sounds

So just how bad does traffic get at times on Interstate 70 between Denver and the high country? This bad: Motorists would save half an hour returning to Denver during peak periods if they could average just 40 to 45 mph on 13 miles between the Empire exit and Central City Parkway near Idaho Springs.

Traffic on weekends and holidays often slows to a crawl over that stretch, which marks the confluence of vehicles returning from two centers of outdoor activity.

Given this gridlock, it’s hard to understand why some people are carping about a potential $ 3 to $ 30 toll to drive on a special lane that would be provided on high- volume days by the Colorado Department of Transportation. Price should be governed by demand for the lane and the need to keep traffic moving at a respectable clip. Otherwise any toll would be a ripoff.

We’ve consistently supported creative ways to attack congestion on I- 70 so long as Colorado lacks funding for a comprehenthe sive traffic solution. This express lane for ski traffic, which is scheduled to open in December, is the latest constructive idea to come from the Hickenlooper administration.

The point is to provide choice to motorists who find the slow pace of traffic unbearable or who have pressing reasons to get down from the mountains fast.

Those who grouse that the toll lane will favor the well- heeled over the average Joe and Jane miss the point: First, everyone will gain when 700 to 950 vehicles per hour move out of the two free lanes. Second, a significant percentage of people who can afford a trip to a resort to ski can also probably afford a toll when they need to minimize the returntrip time.

So why not provide them with that option?

It would be great, of course, if the $ 70 million project could be open more than 72 days a year, but it doesn’t meet specifications for year- round use. Still, even on a limited basis, it could be a very useful pressure valve.