August 5, 2013

While listening to the study session presentation on increased Lightrail ridership before the August 5^th City Council meeting, I was struck by the extent to which trends in Lightrail usage mirror the many changes that have occurred in Greenwood Village in recent years. Having lived and gone to school in the area for my entire life, I have witnessed the municipality begin to transform from an area with many open fields and mainly single-family dwellings to one with many more apartment buildings and multi-family residences. Since its creation in 2006, the Lightrail system has propelled some of these changes. With a quite effective and popular public transportation option, Greenwood Village is no longer a city in which having a car is an absolute necessity. Such changes, coupled with recent power outages in one of the city’s larger retail areas, bring up questions about how the Village will respond to various modernizations. Moving forward, the city will need to consider the fact that with such a viable transportation option in Lightrail, not all residents may own a car. Does this mean that a grocery store should be built within walking distance of some of the newly constructed apartment complexes? Furthermore, it may also be necessary for the city to change some aspects of its electrical system as a growing population increases the demand for power and taxes the current system. Although these questions do not currently have clear answers, they will need to be considered by City Council while making future decisions. As Greenwood Village itself continues to grow and transform, the city’s government must be sure to adapt as well to best serve the area’s changing needs.