A Greener, More Affordable Longmont

Photo and original caption, courtesy of the Longmont Museum.

In Longmont, protecting our environment and improving quality of life are not competing goals – they’re the same goal. Yes, we’ll protect the planet, but we’ll also save families money and prioritize Longmont’s children – to whom we will leave this city when we are gone.

While we’re not an eco-paradise yet, Longmont is already an environmental leader. Through our ownership of the Platte River Power Authority, we’re close to fulfilling our pledge to eliminate 100% of carbon emissions from electricity. By 2030, we’ll have electricity that is 88% carbon free. It’s an immense accomplishment that is evidence of the power of effective local government to improve people’s lives.

Enhancing Longmont’s Environment and Quality of Life

This really is a place where we can have our cake and eat it too. I’ll be focused on the following outcomes:

Cleaner Air

The average Longmont household spends about 15% of their income on transportation. By building a more walkable city, we’ll put that money back in people’s pockets while helping the environment.

Transportation is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions. By providing alternatives to driving a car, we can reduce transportation related emissions while making streets safer and reducing traffic. I’ll also continue support for RIDE Longmont, an innovative public transit service for our car-oriented design, until better fixed route public transit options are available.

Two-thirds of Longmonters support replacing car lanes with protected bike lanes. By updating design standards, we can ensure streets are designed with safety in mind. If we build bike lanes safe enough that we’re willing to let children ride in them, then they’ll be safe enough that everyone will want to use them.

We can also eliminate many car trips of inconvenience by allowing small businesses to provide necessary services inside neighborhoods. Corner stores, coffee shops, and doctor’s offices in residential areas keep wealth local and create resilient business through built-in customer bases.

Preserve Natural Areas

When we build more housing in existing neighborhoods, we preserve natural areas around our city. If we don’t build enough homes in Longmont, people don’t disappear—they move to outlying areas like Frederick, Berthoud or Greeley. And then they either drive to or through Longmont, compounding our traffic problems.

Walkable neighborhoods, integrated with nature, with residents from many stages of life will also improve the resiliency of businesses in those neighborhoods. Rather than big shopping centers with parking lots, we’ll have many more areas of economic vitality distributed throughout the city which will mean more opportunities for green space.

We’ve already taken the first step by eliminating parking minimums, which would otherwise force these businesses to waste money on excessive parking. These savings can make a boutique business viable, or create savings they pass along to their customers.

More Green Space in the City

By reducing space wasted on asphalt, we’ll reclaim space inside Longmont that we can fill with nature. I’ll expand our urban forestry efforts to increase tree cover throughout the city, focusing especially on areas that currently lack shade.

I’ll also repeal rules which penalize native plants and assume a landscape of turf grasses not suited to the Colorado landscape. Native plants require less water, provide habitat for pollinators, and connect us to our region’s natural heritage. And repealing unnecessary rules will reduce staff time enforcing petty laws that reduce freedom by policing innocuous behavior.

Measuring Our Success

We’ll know we’re succeeding when:

• Local air quality measurements show reduced pollutants from transportation sources
• Rates of parents who feel it is safe for their kids to play outside¹This could be measured in the city satisfaction survey, which currently lumps all of these problems into the “Traffic” category
• More children walk or bike to school than are driven
• The number of trips taken by foot or bicycle increases year over year²This is currently 3% according to the Transportation Mobility Plan

  

• Our urban tree canopy grows, with new trees thriving in every part of the city
• Native plant species become more common in both public and private landscapes
• Distinct local businesses thrive throughout the city, rather than just downtown

Footnotes

• 1
  This could be measured in the city satisfaction survey, which currently lumps all of these problems into the “Traffic” category
• 2
  This is currently 3% according to the Transportation Mobility Plan