Reports

Denver’s residents send more than 190,000 tons of trash to the landfill every year, enough to fill a train all the way from Denver to Fort Collins, more than 70 miles long. All this garbage leaves Denver with more than just a trashy reputation—we’re missing big opportunities to reduce climate pollution, build healthy soils that grow healthy food, recycle our waste and create local jobs. With a 20 percent recycling rate, Denver is at the back of the pack compared to other U.S. cities.

So what’s in all this trash that‘s filling up Denver’s landfill? It’s a lot of leaves, grass clippings, branches and wasted food. More than half of what residents throw away is biodegradable materials that could have been easily composted in a green bin instead of ending up in the trash. 

For years, the only real way for people to get from the Denver region up to the ski slopes has been to drive their personal car.  The good news is that over the last few winter seasons, options for getting to the slopes without driving your personal car have increased and smart phone technologies have made ride sharing and carpooling an increasingly efficient option.

Colorado needs a transportation system that provides safe, convenient, affordable options that connect the Front Range to the ski slopes. This guide highlights the available options that our researchers found for travelling from the Denver metro region to the ski slopes without your personal car. Currently, available options include airport shuttles, multiple vans and bus programs, rideshares, and two train lines.