North Fork neighbors need your help: REPAIR HWY 133 ASAP
Colorado Department of Transportation, Governor Jared Polis, State Senator Perry Will, State Representative Marc Catlin
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With the recent closure of HWY 133 due to a road washout, small businesses, farms, and artists in the North Fork Valley of Colorado are seeing a significant drop in patronage, some reporting up to 50%. The highway connects the valley to Carbondale and the Front Range and is the main thoroughfare for tourists. Colorado Department of Transportation anticipates the closure lasting until late June at best.
This is a critical time for these family-owned businesses that depend on spring and summer tourism and the road closure is putting an enormous strain on them economically. The road closure also threatens farmers' ability to take their fresh produce to market throughout Colorado.
The North Fork Valley is Colorado’s organic food and wine country boasting ten wineries, several U Pick fruit orchards, dozens of vegetable and herb farms, restaurants and bakeries, artists' galleries, and shopping. This area supplies Colorado with much of its local fruit and is a beloved getaway.
We are calling on the Colorado Department of Transportation and our elected leaders to take immediate action to expedite the repair of HWY 133 and restore this vital byway.
The people of the North Fork Valley need your help!
Please sign the petition and tell CDOT to repair HWY 133 as soon as possible!
Sincerely,
North Fork Valley Creative Coalition
Sponsored by
To:
Colorado Department of Transportation, Governor Jared Polis, State Senator Perry Will, State Representative Marc Catlin
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Colorado Department of Transportation,
I am contacting you to urge you to take swift action in repairing HWY 133 near Somerset, Colorado. The road closure has resulted in a significant drop in patronage of local, small businesses in the North Fork Valley at a critical time for tourism to stimulate the local economy. The road closure is having devastating effects on small, family-owned businesses that are dependent on this spring and summer tourism traffic to sustain them throughout the year. If the road doesn't open until the end of June or later, this greatly limits the time season.
This is also affecting local farmers who rely on HWY 133 to travel to market and deliver their fresh produce to the rest of the state.
Thank you for your action in providing transport to workers in the area affected by the road closure but we are deeply concerned about those who rely on Coloradans being able to visit the valley. We implore you to do whatever can be done and as quickly as possible to restore this critical byway for Colorado's organic food and wine country.
Sincerely,
Concerned citizens of Colorado