Dear Members of the General Assembly, We need safer roads and less traffic congestion.
Each day, Coloradans waste time, energy, and resources waiting for a solution to a problem that vexes us all. Unfortunately, our communities and families are suffering – often spending more time in the car than with each other, and spending more money than they should have to due to poor road conditions.
Each year, Coloradans lose $7.1 billion due to roads that are in disrepair and congested. That amount can reach $2,300 per driver per year.
Fixing transportation has become controversial; it should not be. But it does require leadership on the part of elected officials. We urge you to come together and take action in this session of the General Assembly in order to meet this very basic and very real public need.
During the past two years, we have seen, and many of us have supported, a series of ballot initiatives to fund Colorado roads. Each of these efforts has failed. This does not mean the public does not want action.
In fact, recent polling indicates that 62% of Coloradans would support a bipartisan approach that addresses both urgently needed repair and traffic delay projects, and that is funded through new and existing revenue – so long as that plan is specific, time-bound, and subject to public oversight.
As a state we simply cannot continue to kick the can further down the road. It is time for us all to come together around a practical solution. We call on Democrats and Republicans to unite and put all available legislative tools to use and bring the issue to finality before the session adjourns.
We are encouraged by recent efforts by the Director of CDOT and the CDOT team to solicit input from the public by visiting all 64 counties and listening to local concerns over the past year. From this, CDOT developed a focused and prioritized project list that addresses the most needed areas across the state.
The public would benefit from knowing more about what CDOT learned during its outreach, what its priorities are and specifics about priority projects including their funding outlooks, timelines and status updates. A public facing website could contribute both to increased transparency and accountability, but also to public understanding of how CDOT’s budget shortfall for maintenance and expansion impacts their communities. We encourage you to consider implementing such a tool in Colorado as well as a plan that outlines additional measures to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability to the taxpayers.
As a business community, and proud Centennial state citizens, we stand ready to assist you in this endeavor.
The following organizations thank you for your service to Colorado, and we look forward to a successful resolution to this top public policy issue.
