COLORADO PERSPECTIVE Cathy Shull Board of Directors Ports-to-Plains Alliance

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Colorado Transportation Commission SB 228 Project List Strategic projects recommended by staff as candidates for funding should SB 228 funds be available and discuss the current status of SB 228 funding

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Colorado Transportation Commission SB 228 Project List US 287: Lamar Reliever Route Phased construction of new 2‐lane roadway. Truck bypass on important Ports to Plains Freight Corridor. $75 million

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Colorado Transportation Commission SB 228 Project List SH 71: I‐76 to I‐70 Congressionally designated high priority corridor (Heartland Expressway). Will add shoulders and improve roadway to Super 2. Improvements will attract truck traffic away from I‐25 and other corridors. $100 million

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Colorado Transportation Commission SB 228 Project List I‐70 East: I‐25 to I‐270 SDEIS ultimate alternative is expansion and reconstruction of I‐70 from Brighton Blvd to Tower Road. Final EIS will be completed for ultimate alternative but will include a fiscally constrained phased construction approach. First construction phase will be reconstruction of I‐70 from Brighton Blvd to I‐270, including managed lanes. Critical project of statewide significance. Major corridor of state and national significance, and major truck route. High mobility and economic benefits. $271 million

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts SB TRANS II $3.5 BILLION. STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS NO NEW TAXES Bonding with no new revenue source

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts SB TRANS II IN THE STATE HIGHWAY 71 CORRIDOR, CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN INTERSTATE 76 AND THE WYOMING [sic] STATE LINE IN THE INTERSTATE 70 EAST CORRIDOR IN THE U.S. HIGHWAY 287 CORRIDOR, PHASED ONSTRUCTION -OF A NEW TWO-LANE LAMAR RELIEVER ROUTE

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts SB TRANS II IN THE STATE HIGHWAY 71 CORRIDOR, CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN INTERSTATE 76 AND THE WYOMING [sic] STATE LINE IN THE INTERSTATE 70 EAST CORRIDOR IN THE U.S. HIGHWAY 287 CORRIDOR, PHASED CONSTRUCTION -OF A NEW TWO-LANE LAMAR RELIEVER ROUTE Failed

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Governor Hickenlooper’s Five Point Plan Convert Hospital Provider Fee to a fee that is collected in an enterprise fund rather than paid into General Fund. Hospital Provider Fee change allows the full transfer to transportation to occur - estimated at approximately $215 million in FY

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Governor Hickenlooper’s Five Point Plan Would any of these funds been used for Ports-to-Plains / Heartland Expressway? Probably not!

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Governor Hickenlooper’s Five Point Plan Would any of these funds been used for Ports-to-Plains / Heartland Expressway? Probably not! Failed

Colorado Transportation Funding Efforts Where did this get us?

 Recognition that Heartland Expressway has the opportunity to move freight traffic off Interstate 25 North  Identification by Colorado Transportation Commission of $446 million for Ports-to- Plains / Heartland Expressway as part of the Strategic Transportation Investment Program  Legislature and Governor both recognized the need for transportation infrastructure

 Industry groups are coming together to discuss a ballot initiative that would provide new revenue to meet the $3.5 billion bonding program.

How Should Rural Colorado Respond?

Viability of Fuel Tax Revenue Inflation Federal Fuel Tax unchanged at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993 and is not indexed to inflation. To have same purchasing power, it would be 29 cents per gallon. Colorado Fuel Tax unchanged at 22 cents per gallon since 1992 and is not indexed to inflation

Viability of Fuel Tax Revenue Fuel Efficiency Standards CAFÉ Standard: Requires 54.5 mpg by % erosion in fuel tax revenues by 2040

Viability of Fuel Tax Revenue A 50 % increase in fuel efficiency allows the same vehicle to travel twice as far on a tank of fuel. Meanwhile the number of vehicles not using gas or diesel will increase dramatically

Viability of Fuel Tax Revenue In 1993: Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.16 Movie Ticket $4.14 Average cost of new car $12, Loaf of Bread $1.57 Tuition to Harvard University $23, Tax on a 20 gallon tank of Gas $8.08 Tax on a 20 gallon tank of Gas Today $8.08 Have the other prices stayed the same?

Rural Colorado must ask itself? What happens to the statewide transportation system if urban areas move to create Regional Transportation Authorities (RTAs)?

RTAs which: Tax only the urban region and can be spent only in the urban region Provide no funding for the statewide system Which does not change how CDOT shares statewide revenues, i.e. rural areas get no additional funding Which provides no additional shared revenues for municipalities or counties? Rural Colorado must get on board supporting new statewide revenue for transportation

The implications of RTA’s will last for generations of rural communities Two years from now the decision will be made: RTAs will address Urban Transportation Needs Or A statewide revenue source will be approved

Contact Information Cathy ShullJoe Kiely Executive DirectorVice President of Operations Progressive 15Ports-to-Plains Alliance