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Residents tell Aspen council: fix the Castle Creek Bridge first, don’t rush ballot language
Summary
Multiple residents urged council to prioritize safety and repair of the Castle Creek Bridge and criticized recently released ballot language as vague, open‑ended and released with insufficient public notice.
A string of residents at the Sept. 3 special meeting urged the Aspen City Council to prioritize fixing the Castle Creek Bridge and to slow the council’s push to finalize ballot language.
"These proposed ballot measures don't make any sense," said Elizabeth Siegel, an attorney, who told council there was no declared emergency that justifies rushing the measures and urged a more deliberative approach. Neil Siegel and Sue Atkinson warned that draft language removes environmental guardrails present in earlier ballot measures and could allow conveyance of public land without mitigation.
Barb Pitchford and other longtime residents said the so‑called "straight shot" alternative would not resolve congestion and argued the bridge itself should be fixed first. Rachel Richards emphasized public‑safety issues, saying evacuation needs and transit access must be central to any EIS scoping. Several speakers criticized the timing and notice: they said the language appeared in a Friday packet before a holiday weekend and left little time for public review.
Councilmembers acknowledged those concerns during debate and directed staff to return with clearer language options, polling options targeted to Aspen voters, and a work plan for bridge inspections and possible stabilization or replacement work.
