Rocky Mountain Greenway gets extra funding

COMMERCE CITY — The Rocky Mountain Greenway project picked up a lot of money Feb. 18.
    Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood joined Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced more than $1.7 million in funding for the project. It’s part of the Federal Transit Administration’s Transit in Parks program, will help establish an uninterrupted trail and open space network in the Denver metropolitan area.

Photo by John Carr

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, left to right, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Gov. John Hickenlooper and Commerce City Mayor Shaun Ford were on hand Monday at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to officially open the latest leg of the Colorado Rocky Mountain Greenway. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood also announced nearly $2 million in federal funding for the next phase of the open space and trail network that will ultimately connect hundreds of miles of trails in the metro area to the Two Ponds, Rocky Flats and Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuges and also Rocky Mountain National Park.

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    “The Rocky Mountain Greenway is a shining example of what happens when strong federal, state, local and private partnerships align to take the vision of this uninterrupted trail and open space network and turn it into a reality for the Denver metropolitan area,” Secretary Salazar said. “Already we’ve constructed important links in the greenway, and today’s funding will help complete another critical section to connect Denver’s hundreds of miles of trails.”
    “In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama called on us to upgrade our nation’s transportation infrastructure to help grow our economy and improve energy efficiency,” said Secretary LaHood. “By working with the Department of the Interior, we are improving access to modern transit services through our scenic parklands and helping preserve these national treasures for future generations.”
    “The Rocky Mountain Greenway will improve access and connections to the great outdoors for all Coloradans,” Hickenlooper said. “We want to thank the private, local, state and federal partners that have worked to create this critical space for wildlife and visitors. These trails and open spaces will create excellent recreation opportunities that are accessible from the Denver metro area and will help Coloradans in our goal to be the healthiest state.”
    Salazar and Hickenlooper first proposed the greenway in 2011. When it’s finished, the result will be a comprehensive trail system connecting three national wildlife refuges — Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Two Ponds, and Rocky Flats — to Rocky Mountain National Park and to hundreds of miles of trails in the Denver metropolitan area.