Eastern Boulder County commuters to face major logjam this week

Closure of Baseline Road, along with construction work elsewhere, promises delays

By John Aguilar Camera Staff Writer Boulder Daily Camera

Posted: DailyCamera.com

Call it the Eastern Boulder County Crawl.

Commuters moving from Erie, Broomfield, Lafayette and Louisville toward Boulder and back next week will likely notice a considerable increase in traffic and an annoying bump in backups.

The chief culprit for the upcoming travel woes is Baseline Road, which will be closed between 75th and 95th streets so that a new rail crossing can be installed in Lafayette. But a collection of other road construction projects east of Boulder -- on Arapahoe Road, South Boulder Road and 76th Street -- will combine with the Baseline closure to make life behind the wheel a real drag for people traveling east-west across the county.

"I don't remember a time when we've had so much going on in all the corridors," Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle said. "It's going to certainly be a difficult week for everyone, and we ask for everyone's patience."

The fun starts at 9 a.m. Monday when Baseline shuts down to through traffic (local traffic will still have access) and remains closed between 75th and 95th streets for at least four days. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Burlington Northern will replace its rickety wooden crossing with a concrete one, and on Monday and Thursday, the city will tear out 15 feet of asphalt on either side of the tracks and then repatch the road once the new crossing is in.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will be done on Friday," Lafayette Public Works Director Doug Short said. "The new tracks are already on site."

But in the event of weather delays or project complications, the city is prepared to keep motorists off Baseline until Oct. 24. Electronic signs will be posted starting Monday informing motorists of the situation.

With Baseline Road out of commission, it means the 5,000 motorists who normally traverse that section of road each day will need to find new routes east and west. Valmont and Lookout roads -- even Colo. 52 farther north -- are all cone zone-free options, especially for residents of Erie and northern Lafayette.

Gerstle urges commuters to adjust their travel times out of rush hours, share the drive with someone else or try the bus. The Jump rolls from Erie to Boulder down Arapahoe Road, while The Dash goes from Lafayette to Boulder via South Boulder Road.

"We encourage folks to leave a little earlier or later so not everyone is trying to leave at the same time," he said. "It would also be a great opportunity to test out the bus."

Kristin Flood, of Erie, said the anticipated traffic troubles in eastern Boulder County next week could prompt her to give public transit a shot in getting to her job at The Nature Conservancy's Boulder office. Whether the ride on the bus will become habit-forming, Flood doubts it. She said she has children she has to drive to athletic events most days and can't risk waiting around for a late or disabled bus.

"It would probably double my time," she said of the journey on The Jump.

Flood said she hopes to avoid much of the hassle next week by sticking with her regular route on Valmont Road, though she knows she'll be battling it out with motorists who generally use Baseline Road. Already she has noticed increased use of Valmont Road over the last few years -- a commute that took her 25 minutes one-way now can take 40 minutes.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be 10 times worse than it is," she said of next week.

Jeannie Dulaney, who has commuted from her Louisville home to her job at Flatirons Elementary School in Boulder for four years, said she will leave the aggravation of driving to the Regional Transportation District. She usually takes The Dash to work, and starting next week, she will simply give herself more time to make it to work.

"Knowing there will be more traffic on South Boulder Road because of this, I will plan to leave earlier," she said.

The only way to approach the imminent slowdown across eastern Boulder County, she said, is with acceptance.

"These kinds of things have to happen, and four days isn't such a big deal," Dulaney said. "Everyone needs to think ahead -- and relax."

$3 million improvement project begins at Boulder Reservoir

$3 million improvement project begins at Boulder Reservoir

By Erica Meltzer Camera Staff Writer Boulder Daily Camera

Posted: DailyCamera.com

Boulder began a $3 million improvement project at the Boulder Reservoir on Monday that aims to improve infrastructure for visitors and increase operational efficiencies.

The main entrance will be closed at least through next May, as construction crews work on entry-gate fencing, roadway and parking lot improvements, sewer and stormwater management infrastructure, landscaping and the installation of a raw water irrigation system. The aquatic nuisance monitoring system also will be upgraded.

The project was funded as part of $49 million in capital improvement programs approved last fall by Boulder voters.

The reservoir improvements were identified as high-priority projects in the Boulder Reservoir Master Plan, which was adopted by the City Council earlier this year after a public process.

Boulder Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Jennifer Bray said many of the improvements will directly affect the visitor experience. There should be better traffic flow through the main entrance, fewer traffic back-ups during the height of the season and fewer traffic problems along 51st Street during special events.

The entrance should also be more attractive due to new landscaping and architectural features.

Bray said the entryway improvements also will allow for better monitoring of aquatic nuisance species and will include a decontamination station to prevent infestations.

Other parts of the project include the development of multi-use trails along 51st Street and the north shore of the reservoir to allow off-street access from 51st and to provide connections with other regional trails, dock improvements along the south shore, building renovations and utility upgrades.

"All of the improvements are high priority in that, once implemented, they will address ongoing operational efficiencies and accommodate the expectations and needs of the community," Bray said.

Work on the trail improvements is expected to continue through 2015, though most of the rest of the project is expected to wrap up sooner.

The reservoir will continue to be open during construction, but visitors will have to avoid the main entrance.

Visitors will be able to get to the reservoir's south shore through a temporary gate, which will be located at the south overflow parking lot.

There will be a temporary gatehouse located inside the gates of the south overflow lot and it will be open and staffed during regular facility hours.

People who are driving to the reservoir to run, walk or bike should use either the Eagle Trail parking area or enter into the reservoir and park in the main lot.

Contact Camera Business Writer Erica Meltzer at 303-473-1355 or meltzere@dailycamera.com.

Eastern Boulder County commuters to face major logjam this week

Sorry for #5…

Closure of Baseline Road, along with construction work elsewhere, promises delays

By John Aguilar Camera Staff Writer Boulder Daily Camera

Posted:    DailyCamera.com

Call it the Eastern Boulder County Crawl.

Commuters moving from Erie, Broomfield, Lafayette and Louisville toward Boulder and back next week will likely notice a considerable increase in traffic and an annoying bump in backups.

The chief culprit for the upcoming travel woes is Baseline Road, which will be closed between 75th and 95th streets so that a new rail crossing can be installed in Lafayette. But a collection of other road construction projects east of Boulder -- on Arapahoe Road, South Boulder Road and 76th Street -- will combine with the Baseline closure to make life behind the wheel a real drag for people traveling east-west across the county.

"I don't remember a time when we've had so much going on in all the corridors," Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle said. "It's going to certainly be a difficult week for everyone, and we ask for everyone's patience."

The fun starts at 9 a.m. Monday when Baseline shuts down to through traffic (local traffic will still have access) and remains closed between 75th and 95th streets for at least four days. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Burlington Northern will replace its rickety wooden crossing with a concrete one, and on Monday and Thursday, the city will tear out 15 feet of asphalt on either side of the tracks and then repatch the road once the new crossing is in.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will be done on Friday," Lafayette Public Works Director Doug Short said. "The new tracks are already on site."

But in the event of weather delays or project complications, the city is prepared to keep motorists off Baseline until Oct. 24. Electronic signs will be posted starting Monday informing motorists of the situation.

With Baseline Road out of commission, it means the 5,000 motorists who normally traverse that section of road each day will need to find new routes east and west. Valmont and Lookout roads -- even Colo. 52 farther north -- are all cone zone-free options, especially for residents of Erie and northern Lafayette.

Gerstle urges commuters to adjust their travel times out of rush hours, share the drive with someone else or try the bus. The Jump rolls from Erie to Boulder down Arapahoe Road, while The Dash goes from Lafayette to Boulder via South Boulder Road.

"We encourage folks to leave a little earlier or later so not everyone is trying to leave at the same time," he said. "It would also be a great opportunity to test out the bus."

Kristin Flood, of Erie, said the anticipated traffic troubles in eastern Boulder County next week could prompt her to give public transit a shot in getting to her job at The Nature Conservancy's Boulder office. Whether the ride on the bus will become habit-forming, Flood doubts it. She said she has children she has to drive to athletic events most days and can't risk waiting around for a late or disabled bus.

"It would probably double my time," she said of the journey on The Jump.

Flood said she hopes to avoid much of the hassle next week by sticking with her regular route on Valmont Road, though she knows she'll be battling it out with motorists who generally use Baseline Road. Already she has noticed increased use of Valmont Road over the last few years -- a commute that took her 25 minutes one-way now can take 40 minutes.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be 10 times worse than it is," she said of next week.

Jeannie Dulaney, who has commuted from her Louisville home to her job at Flatirons Elementary School in Boulder for four years, said she will leave the aggravation of driving to the Regional Transportation District. She usually takes The Dash to work, and starting next week, she will simply give herself more time to make it to work.

"Knowing there will be more traffic on South Boulder Road because of this, I will plan to leave earlier," she said.

The only way to approach the imminent slowdown across eastern Boulder County, she said, is with acceptance.

"These kinds of things have to happen, and four days isn't such a big deal," Dulaney said. "Everyone needs to think ahead -- and relax."

Contact Camera Staff Writer John Aguilar at 303-473-1389 or aguilarj@dailycamera.com.

Nice day for a big pick at the Red Lion Bridge. Thanks to Paramount Construction and Gebau for their fine work today..

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Great piece on energy-efficient data centers http://grn.bz/M3d0hH #GrnBz via @GreenBiz

3 essentials for energy-efficient data centers
By Padma Nagappan

Published June 18, 2012

Couresy GreenBiz



When it comes to data centers and energy efficiency, companies prefer to take their own unique approach. Google has its custom servers and built-in batteries, Facebook has opted for an evaporative cooling and proprietary uninterruptible power supply and Yahoo has selected an outdoor air-cooled "chicken coop" design.

Large data center operators have an inherent advantage when implementing energy-efficient strategies as they can shift operations to another facility in the event of a failure or changing circumstances, according to Michael Fluegeman, a principal and engineer with PlanNet Consulting. PlanNet is a Brea, Calif.-based IT consulting firm focused on providing support for critical infrastructure, including data centers.

"Large centers can operate at a higher risk of failure with the offset, but smaller data centers can't do that as easily," said Fluegeman, who specializes in facilities, power and cooling.

"It's following the sun or the moon, because they can very easily shift their traffic to different locations depending on whether it's night or day in a particular location," he said. "Especially if you're using outside air and free cooling or air-side economy as it's called, this is a concept that's used to some degree by larger companies with data centers worldwide, where they shift traffic."

So how can data centers lacking the resources of their larger counterparts achieve increased energy efficiency while reducing costs?

According to Fluegeman, there are three essentials that smaller data centers should follow.

Essential #1: Start with the IT architecture: Fluegeman suggests starting with how you structure all the different components for a network or data center, as there are ways to create a design that will work more efficiently with certain tasks such as file duplication.

"There are ways to architect your system to deal with duplication and keep things lean and mean and trim with good housekeeping,” he said. “This allows data centers to be smaller and greener by using as little power as possible."

As an example, Fluegeman referred to how many have moved away from Microsoft Outlook email in preference of cloud-based email such as Gmail. With Outlook, the same file can get stored hundreds of times, taking up valuable server space. Email in the cloud saves and stores a file only once.

Tiered storage is another way to lower energy usage.

Using this method, older data is stored in a way that takes up very little energy by archiving them on a storage device that goes to sleep or can be pulled up as needed.

Photo of Facebook's data center in Prineville, Ore. provided by Tom Raftery via Wikimedia Commons

Essential #2: Rethink the cooling strategy: Even for smaller data centers, the current trend is to use either a hot aisle containment method or a cold aisle containment method, which arranges the equipment so that hot air is isolated from the cold air.


Containing the hot air and cold air separately and preventing them from mixing can create a 30-degree difference in temperature, according to Fluegeman. The big difference is easier for the A/C system to sense, which results in less power needed to cool the area.

But how do you keep the two from mixing?

Hot air comes out the back, so you line up the servers so all the fronts face one direction and all the backs face the reverse direction. This creates a hot aisle and a cold aisle.

If a center has several parallel rows of servers, alternate hot and cold aisles can be set up by arranging the rows so the fronts face each other and back up to another line of servers, like houses on parallel streets.

Essential #3: Reduce power used with offline uninterrupted power supply, fewer transformers and higher voltage: A radical transformation in data centers is to use an offline uninterrupted power supply, or UPS. The UPS -- which acts as an emergency power supply in the case of a power failure -- also enables the center to operate more efficiently, according to Fluegeman, because it remains in a sleep mode and only wakes up if the power fails.

"It’s controversial -- some won't do it, but we encourage our clients to do it," Fluegeman said.

The lag between power outage and the UPS turning back on is so minimal that the equipment does not pick up on the drop in power, he said.

How the users operate the system will also impact efficiency. The high efficiency or economy mode carries a risk where as the low efficiency mode is considered more reliable, which Fluegeman characterizes as the classic compromise between cautious safety and efficiency.

In the same vein, reducing the number of transformers used will lower the amount of UPS used, which some engineers believe increases risk. Fluegeman, however, said that he thinks the risk is miniscule. A transformer provides isolation between input and output, which can be achieved with circuit breakers and other tools, he said.

Switching to higher voltage equipment can deliver significant energy savings, since it's more efficient and the physical conductors are smaller, something the U.S. is realizing now. While the rest of the world uses 240 volt power, U.S. equipment runs at 120 volts.

"If you look at power lines on big poles on the hill side, those wires are small -- they're far apart, but the power voltage is very high,” he said. “This is being applied to data centers now. Higher voltage is slightly more dangerous and in the U.S we have a lot more attorneys. That's what keeps voltage lower, in my personal opinion."

Shipping Container House: Great piece from Arch Daily on our friends @studioht. http://www.archdaily.com/222361/shipping-container-house-studio-ht/

Shipping Container House / Studio H:T

Architects: Studio H:T
Location: Nederland, Colorado, USA
Project Completion: May 2010
Building Area: 1,517 sqft
Photographs: © Braden Gunem

This project questions the need for excessive space and challenges occupants to be efficient. Two shipping containers saddlebag a taller common space that connects local rock outcroppings to the expansive mountain ridge views. The containers house sleeping and work functions while the center space provides entry, dining, living and a loft above. The loft deck invites easy camping as the platform bed rolls between interior and exterior. The project is planned to be off-the-grid using solar orientation, passive cooling, green roofs, pellet stove heating and photovoltaics to create electricity.

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Argh LinkedIn....