I have really been hoping that I would not need to write this. I have seen so many letters and opinions about the “road diet” proposal for Iris Avenue that I thought writing about it might be moot by now. So many people are uninformed and maybe some will think that of me, but here goes.

First off shame on the City Council for ignoring its duty to be involved in this unnecessary project until the noise level has risen in recent weeks. Bob Yates was the only Council member at the very first meeting back in 2023. There was no one at the Melody Park meeting this past winter nor at the Columbine meeting this spring. Our City Council members are derelict in their duty to represent!

There was however at the Columbine Meeting an outside marketing firm, which raises the question of exactly why that is needed.

The Transportation Planning department seems to be extremely overstaffed, and if that is the case then it is no surprise that every road in Boulder looks like a potential project. At the Flatirons School Meeting, I stated to one of the many Transportation Planning staff that it appeared they were taking a “Field of Dreams” approach, if we build it they will come … or in this case ride their bikes. He stated aggressively, “Well they will.”

It would have been so easy to have a checklist on the signup sheets at the meetings asking if people were in favor of the road diet or opposed. I can tell you that the vast majority appeared to be opposed. I live near 16th and Iris, and I am an avid cyclist, but it is rare to see cyclists on Iris (besides me). There is a bike lane, I use it. When there was construction at Iris and Broadway that reduced the westbound turn lane to a single lane going South it took me almost 20 minutes to move from 16th through the intersection. I informed the project manager and the resulting silence was deafening.

I get that we want elected officials who have vision, but vision should be tempered by what the majority desire not just a vocal minority. Polls have repeatedly confirmed that Boulderites do not want more growth, more growth will mean more traffic and more congestion playing right into the narrative that we need to eliminate cars in favor of bikes and other modes of transportation. Electric bikes and cars may be the answer someday but today they are not. Here in the Land of Tofu, we like to believe we are enlightened but I guess it’s okay to strip mine lithium as long as it’s in third-world countries, and I guess it’s okay to make lithium-ion batteries that cannot be widely recycled (there is one facility in Arizona and it’s expensive).

The only answer to the Iris Avenue debacle and the growth issue, whether it’s the airport or anything else, is to put it up to a popular vote.

Oh yeah, the other name for an elected representative is public servant.

Ronald Aguiar lives in Boulder.