Colorado is poised to start permitting non-public firms to station crews at designated areas alongside Interstate 70 and different mountain highways who can provide to promote, set up and take away tire chains and different tire-traction units on tractor trailers and passenger autos for a charge.
This system can be created via Senate Invoice 69, a bipartisan measure that represents the Colorado legislature’s newest effort to stop panic-attack-inducing winter journey hangups within the excessive nation.
The laws is modeled after the same initiative in Washington that has been in operation for roughly 20 years. Oregon and California additionally permit related third-party distributors to assist motorists set up and take away chains.
“We all know one of many largest the reason why business truckers, particularly ones that aren’t from Colorado, don’t put their chains on is that they don’t know the way or they need assistance,” state Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat and one of many lead sponsors of Senate Invoice 69, stated throughout a committee listening to final week. “I’ve heard from police chiefs in my district that (these truckers) get out of their truck in the midst of a snowstorm in shorts and flip-flops.”
All business autos touring via Colorado’s excessive nation are required to hold chains from Sept. 1 to Could 31. They need to use these chains when the state’s chain regulation is in impact.
Two-wheel drive passenger autos touring via the excessive nation should carry chains or different tire-traction units, like snow socks, for 2 or extra drive tires from Sept. 1 via Could 31. The chains or traction units should be used when the passenger car traction regulation is in impact.
If passenger autos don’t have chains or traction units, they should have tires with a tread depth of at the very least 3/16-inch and that are rated for both “all climate” or “mud and snow.”
Violators face steep fines, particularly in the event that they trigger a crash.
Senate Invoice 69 would go away it as much as the distributors to find out how a lot to cost, however in Washington state, chain set up for passenger autos prices roughly $25 whereas removing prices $10. The distributors cost $25 per tire for chain set up on massive vehicles and $5 per tire for removing.
In Washington, there are 5 small companies that supply chain set up and removing providers alongside stretches of mountain roads.
The Colorado Division of Transportation can be liable for licensing the distributors and stopping a monopoly.
Motorists wouldn’t be required to make use of the chain set up and removing providers. It will merely be an possibility for these needing assist.
The Colorado Division of Transportation, in addition to Colorado Ski Nation USA, the Colorado Motor Carriers Affiliation and the I-70 Coalition, help the measure.
“That is yet another piece within the puzzle,” Greg Fulton, who leads the Colorado Motor Carriers Affiliation, informed the legislature final week.
Lastly, Senate Invoice 69 would additionally require rental automotive firms to inform their prospects of Colorado’s traction legal guidelines. It will make clear as nicely that all-wheel drive autos should have winter or all-season tires to adjust to the passenger-vehicle traction regulation.
The opposite essential sponsors of Senate Invoice 69 are Sen. Marc Catlin, a Montrose Republican, and Democratic Reps. Meghan Lukens of Steamboat Springs and Elizabeth Velasco of Glenwood Springs.
The invoice handed the Senate Transportation and Power Committee final week with unanimous help. It now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Final yr the legislature handed Senate Invoice 100, which prohibits autos from touring within the left lane on treacherous sections of Interstate 70 via Colorado’s excessive nation, together with Floyd Hill, Georgetown Hill, close to the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, Vail Go, Dowd Junction and Glenwood Canyon.
Moreover, the invoice elevated fines for business autos that velocity via Glenwood Canyon and added an inventory of mountain routes to the areas the place business car drivers should carry chains between Sept. 1 and Could 31.
