Time to Revamp Transportation System
Gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter today promised to partner with Colorado’s regional transportation agencies to seek out creative funding and multi-modal solutions to the state’s critical transportation needs.
Ritter released his plan, "Transportation in the 21st Century: Keep Colorado Moving," to Colorado’s transportation leaders.
“Colorado’s transportation infrastructure is in serious trouble,” Ritter said. “Roads and bridges are in disrepair. On many highways, demand has overwhelmed our capacity to move people and goods efficiently and safely. And the state has no clear financial plan for the future. Simply put, the process for funding our transportation system is antiquated and needs a 21st century overhaul."
“We will look for inefficiencies and eliminate them,” Ritter added. “But we cannot solve this state’s transportation funding dilemma – a $50 billion to $100 billion dilemma according to the state’s own estimates – by eliminating a handful of jobs at the Colorado Department of Transportation and calling it a day. That might be how Congressman Beauprez wants to solve the problem, but it won’t get us very far.”
Ritter’s plan calls for:
- Creating a “Colorado Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel” within his first 90 days in office. The panel will bring together all stakeholders to identify transportation funding strategies, recommend new revenue streams, and examine project priorities. The panel will launch its efforts by holding a Statewide Transportation Summit.
- Protecting current transportation revenue by fighting efforts that would undermine and roll back Referendum C. Ritter opposes Initiative 88, which would cap Ref C revenues and lead to transportation funding cuts. Congressman Beauprez was the first person to sign the petition seeking to get Initiative 88 on the November ballot.
- Promoting regional solutions – such as metro Denver’s FasTracks and El Paso County’s Go 1A – and working in partnership with regional agencies to move Colorado forward. CDOT must be both a leader and a collaborator.
Ritter said that coordinating land-use development plans with transportation projects, protecting the environment, and supporting the state’s 78 commercial-service and general-aviation airports will be among his top transportation priorities. Alleviating congestion along I-70 and working toward a long-term solution to one of the state’s most important transportation corridors also will top his agenda. Regardless of the solution, Ritter said he is committed to including a transit component as part of the long-term I-70 plan.
Ritter noted that Colorado’s statewide needs far outweigh our ability to pay for them. CDOT’s "2030 Statewide Transportation Plan: Moving Colorado," states that current forecasts call for transportation revenue of $75 billion from now through 2030. But the state will need $123 billion to simply maintain today’s level of service and infrastructure, and $178 billion to grow the system and make improvements.
“That means we have a funding gap of about $50 billion to $100 billion,” Ritter said. “Clearly, we have many obstacles to overcome. But we will leave no stone unturned as we explore and examine solutions. It will take a full range of local, regional, and statewide strategies to produce the 21st century transportation infrastructure needed for Colorado to thrive. With strong, responsible, and forward-thinking leadership, we can achieve the Colorado Promise.
Read additional commentary about Ritter's transportation plan:
- ColoradoLib.com: Bill Ritter the visionary: Transportation edition
