In Colorado, we have always done things our own way. Our Rocky Mountain terrain and spirit have led our state to innovate in unique ways. Right now, we are showing that spirit again by reimagining how to create the transportation infrastructure of our future while addressing the most pressing large scale issue of our time: climate change. And we want to show the federal government and other states around the country why and how they should follow our lead.
In recent years, Colorado struggled to find a way to pay for transportation investments. For decades, our only dedicated statewide revenue was a .22 cent per gallon gas tax. Over the years, the purchasing power of the funding collected and used to fund our transportation system didn’t keep up with the times, significantly reducing the state’s purchasing power and creating a massive backlog of transportation projects. At the same time, planned improvements were heavily focused on increasing traffic from vehicles emitting pollution. Too often, the negative impacts of these emissions were centered around vulnerable areas and communities of color. It became clear to us that despite previous efforts Colorado needed to rethink its approach to future funding of our statewide transportation system.
We started a new conversation around transportation from the ground up. We spoke with citizens, local businesses, people from across the political spectrum and governments, freight and delivery providers, new participants in the system like ride-sharing and peer-to-peer delivery companies, and anyone else who had a stake in the future of our transportation system. We brought all these ideas together to chart a new course, and the results have been transformational.
In 2021, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Jared Polis signed the bipartisan Senate Bill 260, a revolutionary new approach to solving our transportation problems in ways that get people out of traffic, improve quality of life, and tackle air pollution. We considered who is using our transportation system today — users ranging from trucking companies, delivery companies, gas and electric vehicle drivers and more and all agreed to chip in to create better mobility across Colorado that benefits their changing needs.
The reason they agreed to it is that the benefits were clear for everyone— improvements such as: a 10 year list of badly needed road and bridge projects to get people out of traffic and do desperately needed improvements to aging bridge and bridge assets like the state’s majestic Eisenhower Johnson Memorial tunnels which have a $150 million backlog of repairs; continuing the state’s unprecedented focus over the last few years on fixing rural roads; significant investments in electrification to make sure Coloradans can take advantage of the best options as major car makers like Ford and General Motors electrify their products; and much needed dollars to help local governments execute their visions for expanding transit and helping downtown economies thrive as Colorado grows. And, thanks to the funding in the bill, the state is providing new safe and convenient options that save people money, like a micro transit service called “Pegasus” that now offers affordable and efficient trips to the mountains.
And, because Colorado is a diverse and vast state with many different needs, we had to stay close to our communities and neighborhoods throughout the process to make sure we were delivering on real-world needs. Projects that will succeed in our rural areas will look different than those in large cities, so we went back and forth with experts for both and for every area in between. We took unprecedented steps to seek input from regional and local leaders on how the rules should be formed, and then sent money directly to them to implement projects within their communities.
Across the United States right now, most of our ideas to support the funding and implementation of transportation infrastructure have changed little from the 1950s and 1960s when the interstate was established. We know that paradigm is unsustainable. People’s lives can move faster than government programs — especially the ones in Washington — and the challenges we face to breathe clean air and address the impacts of climate change that are too apparent with heat waves, wildfires, flooding, and coastal erosion are urgent. Meanwhile, our economy is rapidly moving toward more modern sustainable and resilient technologies. Nearly all major automobile manufacturers are moving toward clean, electric vehicles. Citizens are choosing quality of life and moving to beautiful places like Colorado that must grow, but sustainably.
In Colorado, we saw this changing landscape as an opportunity. We recognized the challenges for what they are and brought everyone who relies upon our transportation system together to design and implement infrastructure for the future. The effort was worth it and the success is real. We encourage federal, state and local leaders to adopt this approach, and we will be here to help.
— Shoshana Lew, director of the Colorado Department of Transportation; State Sen. Faith Winter, SD24; and Adams County Commissioner Lynn Baca
There’s A Plan! THX for explaining Colorado”s vision and the details to help her people across the entire State!