Understanding and Using the Core Values and Principles

Core Values can be seen as goals for the corridor and each project and improvement should strive to meet or enhance every Core Value. Improving on every Core Value is not easy, nor is it always possible; the key is to understand the Core Values and work with the stakeholders to create balance within your project.

Principles have been identified for a number of the Core Values. The principles help to elaborate on the Core Value and provide stakeholders a deeper understanding of the Core Value and how it applies in the corridor.

Sustainability:

Although no one Core Value is more important than another, sustainability is overarching. Achieving sustainability must be integral to every choice for every Core Value. Sustainability is about balance -- today and for future generations. The principles help articulate aspects of sustainability as they relate to the I-70 Mountain Corridor.

The sustainability worksheets, score card, and success tracking guidance give insights to planners, engineers, and constructors on how sustainability should be measured in the corridor.

Decision Making:

Decision making has been captured in the processes designed and presented in this CSS Guidance. To be true to this Core Value, collaboration must be embraced as the decision methodology. This requires bringing together planners, designers, builders, corridor residents and users, business owners, and technical experts to discuss, debate, and make decisions and choices together.

Safety:

Eliminating fatalities and reducing injuries and property damage are measures of enhanced safety. Segments along the corridor have been identified as high accident locations; these segments require designs that address the specific safety problem.

All users must be considered and protected: wildlife, first responders, corridor workers, trail users, automobiles, and commercial carriers. All types of safety must be considered: vehicle collisions, weather, rock falls, construction, and wildlife crossings.

Healthy Environment:

To maintain a healthy environment, it is paramount to know the environment, the terrain, and the ecosystems; how they interact; and what makes these natural systems healthy.

Philosophically, a healthy environment should sustain itself. Human intervention in maintenance should be minimal, and mitigation should restore natural systems to a level that is self sustaining.

Historic Context:

The historic context of this corridor centers on human interaction with the environment and its resources: trapping, hunting, fishing, mining, hiking, and skiing.   People have economically benefited from these resources over time. An interest in these past activities continues to bring economic benefit and a strong sense of place. New interests in the resources of this corridor may develop. Counties may have individual cultural resource management plans, and these resources must be integrated into corridor plans and projects.

To honor this Core Value, projects must contribute to a positive historic context, even as they create history.

Communities:

Communities are the pulse of the corridor and they must be respected and supported in their efforts to remain viable and vital. Understanding what is truly important in a local area can be found only by engaging with the community, and by understanding its definition of what is unique and what makes it a ‘community.’ Each county within the corridor has adopted a master plan. Several municipalities have adopted master plans as well. These plans must be integrated into corridor projects.

Plans and designs must support and integrate local area efforts.

Mobility and Accessibility:

Mobility and accessibility in the corridor are served by promoting and providing options that best fit a variety of travel and access needs. Remain open to and consider new approaches and technology that advance mobility and accessibility.

Aesthetics:

All that is needed for inspiring aesthetics is provided by the mountains, the vegetation, and the communities. Recognizing and using the aesthetic principles of form, line, texture, and color will integrate improvements into the surrounding context. Improvements should never create a scar, nor should they require the surroundings to change in order to integrate the improvement. The Aesthetic Plan provides corridor-wide and county-level guidance by identifying critical functions, integrating improvements into the local aesthetic, and suggesting strategies -- such as local materials that will honor the landscape. All corridor plans and project designs must be consistent with the Aesthetic Plan.

The look of the corridor is as much a resource as the ski slopes; improvements must protect the scenic integrity.