Perspectives

The Perspective series examines critical issues in transportation finance confronting Colorado. It includes White Papers which go deeper into the issues addressed in the shorter versions of Perspectives.

The Perspective series examines critical issues in transportation finance confronting Colorado. It is edited by longtime transportation planning expert David Pampu, who also serves as Policy Research Consultant to Move Colorado. During his tenure at the Denver Regional Council of Governments, David directed the Council's long-range planning activities including the agency's award winning Metro Vision plan for growth and development of the Denver region, its Regional Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program. He is the recipient of the Roderick L. Downing Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of the Transportation System of the State of Colorado, presented by the University of Colorado at Denver and the Colorado State Department of Highways.

Future issues will include guest contributors and controversial issues.

 

White Paper Perspectives - NEXT STEP

To maintain and improve Colorado's transportation system

DENVER (March 26, 2010) - In this overview of transportation finance issues challenging Colorado, David Pampu chronicles what has happened over the past year and assesses the issues impacting Colorado's transportation finance situation to address what should be our Next Step?

He notes: "Our transportation infrastructure is aging. The system will age faster as revenues to maintain it decline and construction costs escalate. There are currently 128 structurally deficient bridges in the state, four of ten of our roads are in poor condition, and nearly half of the system in metro Denver is congested. These current deficiencies taken together with the expected 1.2 million more people in the state by 2020 suggest that the problem will only get worse unless decisive action is taken soon."

Move Colorado is in the process of developing a 3-5 years Strategic Plan which will address the need to increase funding for transportation in Colorado by $1.5 Billion annually to maintain and improve the state's transportation system. This will require a statewide ballot measure, regional and local financing initiatives. Timing will be a critical factor in any successful measure, and building a coalition to support and craft a statewide measure will be the first step to be taken next year - a "NEXT STEP."

Copies of the White Paper can be downloaded here.