CDOT Launches Educational Tools to Help Use New Express Lanes
DENVER – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) today launched a new website and educational video in anticipation of the opening of the first phase of the US 36 Express Lanes Project this summer. The new website, expresslanes.codot.gov, was created to convey information in a clear, concise and easy manner so that motorists can get where they need to go safely and effectively. Similarly, the “How to Use Express Lanes Video” is an additional tool to help motorists understand what they need to know to use the four new Express Lanes opening in the next year.
New features of the website include an easy-to-use landing page, updated Express Lanes information, easy access for setting up an ExpressToll account and an upgraded search function. The site will also size correctly on any device that it is loaded on, such as an iPhone, Android or tablet, providing access to all the necessary information at any time.
“The Express Lanes are all about choice, and we have incorporated a lot of great tools on the website, including the new video, to enable people to make choices in how they travel,” said Amy Ford, CDOT Communications Director. “While we have Express Lanes on I-25 now, many of these new lanes will function a little differently, so we hope this information is useful to everyone from drivers to transit riders to bicyclists.”
The five-minute “How to Use Express Lanes Video” anticipates that as the Express Lanes open, motorists will have many questions. The video addresses tolling, carpooling, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), passes and many other important topics. It also provides an animated visual of what many of the Express Lanes will look like once they are completed and explains innovative components – like Active Traffic Management – which are new to the state.
Express Lanes increase roadway capacity and help to manage congestion on the highways. The use of toll pricing during peak travel times reduces delays, manages congestion and maintains reliable travel times. Express Lanes currently span seven miles on I-25, between downtown Denver and US 36, and are being built on I-25 in both directions to 120th Avenue and on US 36 to Boulder. Both Express Lanes corridors are scheduled to open later this year. Additionally, CDOT is planning Express Lanes in major mobility corridors across Colorado including I-70 through east Denver and in the mountains, and C-470 – as a way to effectively manage traffic congestion. For more information about Express Lanes, visit expresslanes.codot.gov.
