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Officials look at long-term road needs

‘Roadmap’ includes $100M in S.W. Colo.
U.S. Highway 160 has been identified along with four other corridors in Southwest Colorado as a priority for future transportation planning. State transportation officials are developing a “roadmap” for future transportation needs and priorities in Colorado.

DENVER – At least $100 million in immediate priorities have been identified for Southwest Colorado in a statewide transportation “roadmap” for the future.

The plan identifies needs and priorities, while formulating solutions to keep pace with growth. Transportation priorities in Southwest Colorado don’t take into account a wish list of nonpriority projects.

Transportation is one of Colorado’s most complicated funding issues. Facing shortfalls, state transportation officials and local governments are examining ways to creatively fill an immediate gap. Looking toward the future, the bill for new projects and improvements runs in the tens of billions of dollars through 2040.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is facing a $23.3-billion, 25-year funding gap, with about $45.8 billion in needs identified.

But convincing voters to raise revenue for roads and highways has never been an easy conversation; taxpayers are simply not hungry for an increase.

The Statewide Transit Plan, a blueprint for improving the state’s transportation system over the next 10 to 25 years, could advance that conversation.

Transportation officials recently made the plan available for public review and comment. The comment period is open through Jan. 4.

“The plan is a fully integrated document, not only about improving the highway system, but also about combining strategies to enhance transit, rail, aviation, freight, bicycling and pedestrian travel,” said Don Hunt, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation. “It identifies the required strategic steps to achieve our goals and the priority corridors we need to focus on over the next decade.”

The blueprint has 10 regional plans, including one for Southwest Colorado, representing Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan counties. That planning began in May 2013.

“A regional transportation plan that reflects the overall priorities and needs for our area is vital at a time of limited funding for transportation,” said Bob Lieb, chairman of the Southwest Transportation Planning Region.

The plan takes into account population growth, which has resulted in increased travel demands and funding shortfalls.

It also points to the gas tax, the main source of funding for Colorado’s roads. With increasing construction costs, the buying power of the gas tax has decreased. It hasn’t been increased since 1991.

Planners are considering options, including tolling and gas and vehicle mileage-based taxes. But without a plan, it’s unlikely that voters would go for such ideas.

Southwest Colorado has prioritized five corridors, U.S. Highway 160, U.S. Highway 491, U.S. Highway 550, Colorado Highway 151 and Colorado Highway 172.

Goals run the gamut for each corridor, including:

Improving wildlife crossings.

Providing tourist-friendly travel.

Improving multimodal options.

Enhancing intersections.

Planning for increased energy-production impacts.

Expanding transit services.

Widening shoulders.

Reducing crash rates.

Whatever plan Southwest Colorado adopts would need to work with the state’s overall strategy. Lieb said the region will re-evaluate accordingly by working with CDOT as the plan is finalized over the next several months.

“This plan is intended to be a living, useful document that is referred to when transportation decisions are being made,” Lieb said. “The plan will be revisited periodically to ensure that we are on the right path toward accomplishing the vision and goals set forth by it.”

pmarcus@durangoherald.com

On the Net

To review and comment on the state and regional transportation plans, visit http://tinyurl.com/plg2brw.



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