COLORADO SPRINGS — With about half a million people in the city alone, and more living in El Paso County, Colorado Springs has grown dramatically over the years.
But is the state’s second-biggest city in population prepared to take on a continuously growing population, in a changing climate that has seen several fires over the past ten years?
Colorado Springs was recently named the second-best place to live in the country, according to the U.S. News and World Report.
According to coloradosprings.gov, the population of the city has grown dramatically since the 1990s, increasing 73.84% from 1991 to 2021.
Colorado Springs has about half a million people, but El Paso County has over 700,000 people.
I had the chance to speak with the president and chief executive officer of the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC who says having a city that’s growing as rapidly as the Springs is a better problem to have than a city that’s decreasing in population.
As for the fire danger we have seen, there’s a plan in place.
“Both the city and county have invested over twenty million dollars. The city, and the passing of 2D in 2021, put another $20 million into fire prevention and mitigation. We should take advantage of that, but I will also add that while we do that, we can also at the same time continue to grow smartly,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, president and chief executive officer of Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC.
Those at the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDCsay because our population is growing rapidly, the Springs has lots of job openings that need to be filled, a good problem to have.
Because the city is on the map, attractions surrounding the city are also growing in popularity.
One of those attractions is Pikes Peak, also known as America’s Mountain. Starting today, Pikes Peak is requiring reservations to drive to the top of the mountain.
“What we saw is a lot of visitations, heavy visitation, up there so what we saw and so we understood that we are going to have a congestion issue, so we went to the reservations just to make sure that people have a wonderful guest experience,” said Skyler Rorabaugh, manager of Pikes Peak.
Skyler says putting in a reservation system is more sustainable and will help preserve the mountain’s beauty.
If you do not make a reservation, you will still be able to drive to mile 16 of the 19-mile highway. Shuttles will also be available to transport guests to the top of the mountain.
To make a reservation, visit here.
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