DENVER -- Denver International Airport will have its entrance road rebuilt, despite a rocky approval process that gave new council members a chance to speak up on climate change and automobiles.
In an 11-1 vote, the reconstituted Denver City Council on Monday approved a $94 million project to rebuild ramps and interchanges while adding lanes to parts of Peña Boulevard’s final approach to the airport.
Airport officials said the project — potentially the first phase of several — was meant to improve the flow of shuttle buses and other vehicles near the airport. But transit advocates said it was a road widening project that would encourage more automobile driving, and they won some support from two new council members.
“Climate change is real and we need to take steps, we need to take immediate bold steps to make sure that we take care of our planet … increasing lanes and adding more single-occupant vehicles is not the answer,” said newly elected Councilman Chris Hinds.
He abstained from the vote, saying he hadn’t had time to vet the project properly.
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