Coalition introduces $3.5B 'Fix Colorado Roads Act'

LOVELAND — Citing a dearth of permanent transportation funding, a broad coalition called Fix Colorado Roads on Friday announced a fix it hopes to put before voters next year.

The Fix Colorado Roads Act would couple a new permanent state general fund source of funding transportation infrastructure with continued Colorado Department of Transportation funding to generate a $3.5 billion bond program. The program would fund road projects statewide, with north Interstate 25, south Interstate 25 and Interstate 70 targeted as signature expansion projects.

The proposal was proposed at the statewide Transportation Matters Summit at The Embassy Suites in Loveland.

EDITORIAL: Coloradoan Editorial Board: Let’s make real progress on I-25 in 2016

"It's time to come together to put the issue of transportation funding in the legislative fast lane where it belongs,'' said David May, president and CEO of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce.

It is Fix Colorado Roads' goal to lobby the Colorado Legislature to bring the measure before voters in November 2016. A similar bill failed in the Legislature last session.

The coalition said the fix is needed because the state devotes no permanent and reliable general-fund dollars to transportation, unlike states such as Texas and Utah that compete for Colorado business.

The coalition points to the need for permanent and sustainable general-fund revenue to address the growing frustration of motorists over highway congestion and impacts on businesses.

INTERSTATE 25: CDOT makes Poudre River Bridge (and bike path) priority

The group says the measure has bipartisan support, but also realizes it will compete with other requests for state funding.

"If going before the Legislature and governor and asking them to support this, we need to lead by example and show them we are willing to put our skin in the game and partner with them,'' Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway said. "And we've done that, especially up here.''

Conway pointed to the $13 million put up by the Northern Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization for I-25 projects in the last year. Another example he said is the recent $5 million road and bridge mill levy bonding program Larimer County and its eight towns and cities recently agreed to. That money will go toward leveraging money for a federal grant to fund I-25 bridge enhancements in Northern Colorado.

If Northern Colorado receives any or all of the $90 million request, CDOT would use the money to widen the Poudre, Big Thompson, Little Thompson and St. Vrain bridges over I-25 to pave the way for three of interstate traffic in each direction from Mead to Fort Collins. If funded, bridge construction could start as soon as spring 2017.

"All we're asking the Legislature for is to let the voters decide in November if they want this,'' Conway said. "We're organized now and we know people are growing more frustrated so the time is now for permanent and sustainable funding.''