Home Care In Castle Rock, CO

Beginning later this month, motorists traveling along the 18-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Monument and Castle Rock will have to pay to use the new express lanes built on the northbound and southbound directions of the corridor.

Toll charges along the so-called I-25 South Gap will go into effect at 6 a.m. Jan. 17, Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Hoover said Thursday. From that day on, drivers in each direction will have the option to use the express lane in exchange for a toll or use the other two general purpose lanes for free.

The Colorado Transportation Investment Office recently approved the rates, using an adjustable pricing system so express lane users will pay different prices depending on the time of day.

Traffic

"These are very basic time-of-day tolls tied to historic traffic levels at those times on those days. Higher the traffic, higher the toll. Lower the traffic, lower the toll," Hoover said.

The tolls will go live a little more than two years after the state transportation department opened the new express lanes in early December 2021 and implemented a testing period in 2022 and 2023, during which toll fees were temporarily waived.

For vehicles traveling both segments of the corridor — the first from Monument to Larkspur and the second from Larkspur to Castle Rock — trips will range from $1.50-$9.46 each, depending on the time of day and whether the vehicle is registered under an Express Toll account, an all-electronic toll collection system available for Colorado's express lanes as well as E-470 and Northwest Parkway.

Motorcyclists and vehicles with three or more people can use the express lanes for free. Carpooling vehicles must have a driver plus at least two additional passengers, an Express Toll account and a switchable HOV transponder to use the express lanes for free, Hoover said.

Drivers can visit ExpressToll.com to create an account and/or purchase a switchable HOV transponder.

Trucks with four or more axles may also use the express lanes, but must pay a $25 surcharge on top of the tolls. The agency charges large trucks more because they're slower-moving, put greater wear and tear on road infrastructure and can create visibility issues when traveling on the left side of the roadway, which can make it more difficult for other vehicles trying to pass, Hoover said.

Motorists who have an Express Toll account will save about 40% more when using the express lanes than motorists who don't have an account, he said. Vehicles not registered with an Express Toll account pay the toll plus a surcharge to process the license plate.

The express lane rates for the I-25 South Gap are the lowest rate per mile in Colorado and are also among the lowest in the country, Hoover said.

Express Toll rates along the I-25 South Gap range between 70 cents to $2, depending on the time of day and which segment or segments of the corridor a vehicle travels.

That's compared with, for example, express toll rates to use east- and westbound Central 70 between I-25 and Chambers Road in Aurora, which range from $1.50 to $4.50, depending on the time of day. Another example is the Express Toll rates on I-25 Central, from downtown Denver to U.S. 36, which range from $1.25 to $7.15, depending on the time of day.

Hoover said drivers using the I-25 South Gap express lanes can expect a time savings of between 20%-50%.

"If it was going to be a 40-minute trip, maybe it's now just going to be a 30-minute trip or a 20-minute trip. It can make a huge difference," he said.

Hoover reminded drivers that speed limits are no higher in the express lanes than in the general purpose lanes. Travelers should always adhere to posted speeds.

"Just because you're going the speed limit doesn't mean you're not going faster than traffic in other lanes. The point of the express lanes is to give you a reliable trip time," he said.

Hoover also reminded motorists the express lanes are not passing lanes and should not be used as such. Drivers can enter and exit the express lanes through the dashed lines only. Passing the solid white lines is illegal and dangerous due to the differences in speed between the express lanes and general purpose lanes, he said.

Drivers who cross the solid white lines into and out of the express lanes will receive a civil penalty and a $75 fine for the violation. The Colorado Department of Transportation has anti-weaving equipment to catch vehicles weaving in and out of the express lanes, Hoover said.

For more information on Colorado express lanes and how to use them, to see a map of Colorado's express lanes and for more toll information, visit codot.gov/programs/expresslanes.

More than 32,000 vehicles so far have been reported stolen last year in Colorado, which is a significant decrease from 2022, according to data provided by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority — Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT).

Cmdr. John Pickard with C-MATT said that data for 2023 is still being calculated as auto theft reports come in after the start of the new year, which means the numbers will change slightly. So far, auto thefts statewide are down about 20%. As of Jan. 3, there have been 32,750 auto thefts reported in 2023, compared with 41,063 in 2022.

Auto thefts from Denver International Airport were down more than 70% in the last two months of 2023, Pickard said. He attributed some of the decrease to the arrests of car theft suspects. DIA has also added security cameras in the economy and Pikes Peak lots.

Passenger cars (10,367) and SUVs (9,817) were the types of vehicles most stolen last year, followed by pickup trucks (6,562) and motorcycles (1,763).

Below are the top 10 makes and models of vehicles stolen in Colorado in 2023, according to C-MATT:

1. Hyundai Elantra (1,324)

2. Chevrolet Silverado (1,281)

3. Hyundai Sonata (1,035)

4. Ford F-150 (1,013)

5. Kia Sportage (974)

6. Ford F-250 (808)

7. Kia Optima (783)

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8. Hyundai Tucson (750)

9. Honda Civic (685)

10. Kia Soul (648)

Denver was the city with the most reported auto thefts, but it also had the most recoveries. The top 5 cities for thefts and recoveries in the state last year were:

Denver: 10,942 thefts and 9,444 recoveries

Aurora: 4,722 thefts and 4,369 recoveries

Colorado Springs: 3,247 thefts and 2,701 recoveries

Pueblo: 1,542 thefts and 1,438 recoveries

Lakewood: 1,169 thefts and 1,142 recoveries

C-MATT said the highest risk for having your vehicle stolen is to leave the vehicle unlocked or to leave the keys in the vehicle. Tips to protect your vehicle from theft include never leaving your car running unattended, always keeping car doors locked when driving or parked, and always parking in a well-lit area.

For more on this and other stories, visit our partners at 9News.com.

Cities in the arid West are not going to get more water any time soon. So they need to squeeze every last drop out of the supply they already have. Water-strapped communities along the Colorado River are trying to make it possible to turn treated wastewater into drinkable tap water. Take Castle Rock, Colorado.

“We pay a lot of money to get a water supply,” said Mark Marlowe, Castle Rock’s water director. “The last thing we want to do is just put it back in the river after we use it and let it go downstream for someone else to use it for free.”

The suburb between Denver and Colorado Springs is growing fast. Castle Rock and cities around the region are increasingly stressed about keeping the taps flowing. Marlowe said technology has come far enough that wastewater doesn’t have to get pumped into rivers or the ocean once it’s cleaned.

“It’s safe, and it also makes us much more reliable in a drought because we don’t lose water to the environment through evaporation or having it soak into a dry creek bed,” Marlowe said.

Engineers can set up filters and pump it from the treatment plant right back into the pipes that go to homes and businesses. It’s called “direct potable reuse.”

Scientists say it’s safe, and in Colorado, the state put out rules for cities that want to try it out.

“There’s a finite amount of water on the planet, so we already know that it’s going to be recycled and be reused,” said Tyson Ingels, an engineer with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

This isn’t that different from treating water from a creek or reservoir, he said. “You are pulling water in understanding that it’s been contaminated by geese, elk or another community.”

No Colorado city is converting wastewater into drinking water quite yet. But it’s an idea that’s picking up steam across the region. California just proposed new rules, and water managers near Los Angeles are developing a massive water reuse facility — one with a price tag of $3.4 billion.

“If you’re looking for resilience and economic prosperity in the face of climate change, you really need to do belt, suspenders, flying monkeys, you know, whatever it’ll take to have the redundancy that you need in water supply,” said Felicia Marcus, former of chair California’s water control board and former head of Los Angeles’ public works department.

But setting up water reuse systems takes more than just money. One of the biggest hurdles? Convincing people to trust it.

“They told me it’s the ick factor,” said Birgit Landon, who ran a public outreach campaign for Colorado Springs Utilities. “Really, it’s just the visual, it’s the idea, it’s the ick factor that makes them go, ‘No way.’”

She traveled around the city demonstrating how exactly the technology works with an educational trailer full of pipes and filters. And at the beginning, people were pretty hesitant.

“Are you willing to use recycled water for lawn, watering your lawn?” Landon would ask. “‘Oh, yes, absolutely.’ How about for the water in your toilet? ‘Yeah, no doubt.’”

The same went for washing clothes and dishes. “’How about for drinking?’” she would ask. “And then they started to hesitate. ‘Well …’”

But Landon has some good news: Those folks can be converted. By seeing, touching and tasting treated wastewater, she said that holdouts mostly got on board. And with a growing gap between water supply and water demand, people in the West might not have a choice.

Light to moderate snow is expected throughout the day in Denver and the surrounding areas as the next snowstorm makes its way through the state.

Heavy snow bands that started along Interstate 70 and south in the mountains will pass into the Front Range through Friday. The highest snowfall will likely be south of Denver from Castle Rock to El Paso County and the southern Front Range foothills.

Denver will likely see between two and three inches of snow through Saturday morning.

The National Weather Service in Boulder said as of 6:35 a.m. Friday the snow was developing quickly and will spread across most of Douglas County.

Heads up am commuters for the Palmer Divide!

Snow is quickly developing (as of 635 am) and will continue to spread across much of Douglas County impacting I-25 south of Denver. Pavement temperatures will support road snow and slick travel from ~Castle Rock to CO Springs. #COwx pic.twitter.com/mD83qHPnY1

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) December 8, 2023

Forecasters warned drivers that pavement temperatures will support snow on the roadways and the morning commute on Interstate 25 could be slick.

A winter weather advisory in effect Friday evening in western Jefferson and much of Douglas counties states between two and six inches of snow could fall, and forecasters said that total could rise to seven or eight inches depending on how long the snow bands stay through Saturday.

After these bands make their way into the Front Range Friday, a second round of snow is expected in the mountains about noon Friday, bringing another four to six inches to areas along Interstate 70.

Aside from the snow, temperatures will also be of concern, as lows could drop into the teens this weekend.

Friday’s high is 41 degrees, and the low is 21 degrees. Saturday will see a high of 36 degrees and a low of 16 degrees.

Denver is activating its cold weather shelter plan Friday and Saturday night, opening two former hotels to people needing shelter.

The former Best Western hotel now known as New Directions at 4595 Quebec St. and the former Doubletree Hotel at 4040 Quebec St. will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. both nights.

The Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St., Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St., and Urban Peak, 2100 Stout St., will also have expanded capacities.

Castle Rock, CO, manages to strike that elusive balance of truly having a small-town feel with big-city amenities, which, combined, make it one of the best places to live in the U.S.

Castle Rock is known for being a midway point between Denver and Colorado Springs and also for drawing shoppers looking to score killer deals at its outlet malls. But the more than 75,000 residents who call Castle Rock home know there’s much more to make this community special. Castle Rock fosters a tight-knit community, and residents have several opportunities to gather together throughout the year at events like the annual Starlighting ceremony with cameos by Santa Claus and a summer concert series at The Amphitheater at Philip S. Miller Park, where Grammy-award-winning musicians rock out.

Ranking high in the health care category, the Centura Castle Rock Adventist Hospital provides care for the community and has been recognized as having a leading birth center and 3D mammography in Colorado’s first sensory suite, which makes for a more calming experience for those doing cancer screenings. And forget bland cafeteria food; the hospital’s lobby-level restaurant, Manna, serves gourmet dishes like cola-braised short rib, cauliflower tacos and pizzas with inventive toppings. (The food is so good, residents come to dine here — no medical appointments needed).

Great schools are also a significant draw in Castle Rock, which is home to the innovative ACC Sturm Collaboration Campus, allowing residents to conveniently earn an associate degree from Arapahoe Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University. Programs include marketing, management, cybersecurity, software development and more.

Castle Rock residents are also spoiled with outdoor amenities, including 5,800 acres of open space and nearly 75 miles of trails. The 300-acre Philip S. Miller Park is a crown jewel of the community, with the Miller Activity Complex (or MAC, as residents know it) packed with ways to have fun and stay fit. There are batting cages, trampolines, lap lanes for swimming, a leisure pool with a slide, a BEAM interactive projector game system for kids, plus a functional fitness area for adults that’s stocked with kettlebells, dumbbells, plyometric boxes, tires and ropes. Oh, and did we mention that the park also has zipline tours and an adventure park, as well as a plaza with splash pads and outdoor fireplaces? There are infinite ways to have fun.

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Castle Rock ranks highest for health, safety and economy.

Weather and Outdoor Activities in Castle Rock, CO

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Castle Rock’s amenities, health care options and good schools make it one of the best places to live in the U.S. Learn how to pick the best neighborhood for you and your family in Castle Rock and discover its excellent startup scene. Another good resource as you consider a move: The Ultimate Guide To Finding Your Best Place To Live.

A resident shares the ins and outs of owning a business in Castle Rock.

Jason Gray came to Colorado in 1998 to open a business for someone else. The Washington state native was living in Alaska when his employer sent him to the Lower 48 to launch a coffee shop in Denver. When his job in the city ended, Gray stayed in the Centennial State.

“I fell in love with Colorado right away,” he says, “I realized winter here wasn’t so bad and started looking for the place I wanted to be.”

He settled on Castle Rock, CO, and in 1999, he opened Crowfoot Valley Coffee. Over the next 24 years, Crowfoot has thrived, and Gray was elected mayor in 2018 after stints on the boards of several local business and development associations. Here’s what he has to say about starting and running a small business in the town.

Why did you start your business in Castle Rock? I wanted to be in a smaller community so I could be an integral part of that community, and was also looking for a town or city that was growing quickly. You need to know what growth pattern you’re looking at. At the time I moved here, Castle Rock was about 15,000 people, and I knew that they were selling about two homes per day here. I knew it was growing.

What local resources did you utilize to help get you started? The Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce is a longtime staple. I was fortunate to belong to [a chamber] in Alaska, so I wanted to belong to it here. As with any organization that helps businesses out, you can’t only pay the fee to belong. You have to get involved. If you just throw money at it and walk away, you’re throwing money down the drain – but if you get involved, I think that really helps.

Experiences & Adventures

How to Spend the Perfect Day in Castle Rock, CO

How would you describe Castle Rock’s small-business scene? I think the small-business scene now is going really well. I love small businesses, but I especially love good small businesses! I want to support them not only because they are friends but because they’re good. Right now, we have [places like] Wild Blue Yonder Brewing Co., Provision cocktail lounge, the Emporium small business shopping center and Tribe [at Riverwalk] restaurant.

Why would you recommend Castle Rock to other entrepreneurs looking to open a business? For a bunch of reasons! The town does a good job of helping out businesses, making it easy to get paperwork filed. And in and around downtown, there’s a community of small businesses that lean on and trust each other.

What advice would you give other entrepreneurs trying to open a business? No matter what the business is, just stay consistent: Know why you’re going into it and put the effort in. You can’t be changing your hours constantly. I think that’s hard because there’s the mystique of, ‘I can open a business and work whenever I want.’

I’ve been in coffee for over 35 years, and I’m not putting in 80-hour weeks anymore, but it’s still a full-time gig. There are a lot of businesses that fail because the entrepreneur doesn’t understand that.

Get to Know Castle Rock

Want to learn more about living and working in Castle Rock, CO? Check out the latest edition of Livability Castle Rock, Colorado.