Colorado's Transportation Crossroads

Colorado’s Transportation Crossroads Priority Transit Projects for the 21st Century Colorado’s Transportation Crossroads Priority Transit Projects for the 21st Century CoPIRG Foundation Elizabeth Ridlington, Frontier Group Sarah Payne, Frontier Group Danny Katz, CoPIRG Foundation March 2010 Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank Harry Dale, Chairman, Rocky Mountain Rail Authority; Robin Kniech, Program Director, FRESC; and Stephanie Thomas, Smart Growth and Trans- portation Advocate, Colorado Environmental Coalition for their review of this report. The authors would also like to thank Phineas Baxandall of USPIRG and Tony Dutzik of Frontier Group for their editorial assistance. The generous financial support of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Surdna Foundation made this report possible. The authors bear responsibility for any factual errors. The recommendations are those of CoPIRG Foundation. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or those who provided review. © 2010 CoPIRG Foundation With public debate around important issues often dominated by special interests pursuing their own narrow agendas, CoPIRG Foundation offers an independent voice that works on behalf of the public interest. CoPIRG Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate problems, craft solu- tions, educate the public, and offer Colorado residents meaningful opportunities for civic participation. For more information about CoPIRG Foundation or for additional copies of this report, please visit www.copirg.org. Frontier Group conducts independent research and policy analysis to support a cleaner, healthier and more democratic society. Our mission is to inject accurate information and compelling ideas into public policy debates at the local, state and federal levels. For more information about Frontier Group, please visit www.FrontierGroup.org. Cover photos: Union Station, crowd exiting train, new light rail train courtesy of RTD; traffic congestion on I-70, David Parsons on istockphoto.com. Layout: Harriet Eckstein Graphic Design Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 4 The Case for More and Better Public Transportation in Colorado 5 Travel Trends 5 The Benefits of Transit in Colorado 9 A 21st Century Transportation Vision for Colorado 12 Goals of Improved Public Transit in Colorado 12 Build Regional Rail Service 13 Complete Denver’s FasTracks System 15 Improve Regional Transit in the North Front Range 18 Improve Transit in Colorado Springs 19 Improve Transit for the Roaring Fork Valley 22 Improve Bus Service in Smaller Communities 22 From Vision to Reality: A 21st Century Transit System for Colorado 25 Federal Government 26 State Government 26 Conclusion 28 Notes 29 Executive Summary olorado’s transportation network Colorado’s current transportation does a poor job of meeting the needs system leads us to use too much oil, Cof the state’s residents. Heavy auto- spend too much money on fuel, lose too mobile traffic forces consumers to spend much time stuck in traffic, and create more money at the gas pump, steals time too much global warming pollution. from Colorado families and businesses, makes our air less healthy, deepens our • Coloradans drove 46 billion miles in oil dependency, and creates more global 2008, 70 percent more than in 1990. warming pollution. Even though per-capita miles driven Expanding public transportation can in Colorado have stabilized in recent provide more Coloradans with alternatives years due to improved transit options, to driving, while laying the foundation for higher gas prices and a weak economy, an efficient transportation system for the total miles driven continue to rise. 21st century. Public transportation already helps hun- • Coloradans lost 68.8 million hours dreds of thousands of Coloradans get where stuck in traffic congestion in 2007, they need to go. In addition to saving time equal to 7,800 person years. and money for consumers, transit systems take cars off the road, cut air pollution, • Between 2002 and 2007, gasoline provide a dependable way to get around or expenditures rose 86 percent in the an alternative way to get to work in a pinch, state, causing Coloradans to spend and can jump-start economic growth. $2.6 billion more to fuel their cars By expanding transit service and im- than they had just five years earlier. proving connections between existing Colorado’s heavy use of oil leaves us service, Colorado could reap more of these vulnerable to volatile world markets benefits. Scores of good transit projects are and dependent on foreign sources of waiting in the wings, while the problems energy. affecting our existing transportation system only multiply. Executive Summary • Transportation-based global warm- metropolitan area linked by efficient, ing pollution increased 62 percent modern transit. Current corridors between 1990 and 2007 in Colorado, where construction is underway jeopardizing the state’s efforts to cut include the East Corridor to Denver global warming emissions. International Airport and along the Gold Line Corridor to Wheat At the same time, Coloradans are rid- Ridge. Encouraging walkable, mixed- ing transit in record numbers, thereby use development centered around saving money, reducing congestion, and new FasTracks transit stops would cutting global warming pollution. further support the goals of reducing automobile traffic and protecting the • In 2008, 74 percent more Coloradans environment. chose to ride transit than in 1991. In the Denver area, the number of pas- • Improved regional transit for towns senger miles traveled via transit nearly in the North Front Range, including doubled between 1998 and 2008. the creation of commuter rail service or bus rapid transit linking Loveland, • Transit use in Boulder, Colorado Greeley and Fort Collins, which Springs and Denver averted more could provide better connections for than 5 million hours of traffic delays commuters and students traveling and saved consumers $107 million in between the three cities, and the 2007. creation of transit service between Fort Collins and Denver. • Public transportation in Colorado helped the state avoid emitting 80,400 • Restoration of service that has metric tons of carbon dioxide pollu- been cut in Colorado Springs, and tion in 2006. then the addition of faster regional and expanded local service. Bus Colorado can reduce traffic, shrink rapid transit lines could connect Fort its oil dependence, improve air quality, Carson and Peterson Air Force Base, cut global warming pollution, and grow two of the area’s largest employers, healthier communities by investing in with residential areas. New and more public transit, creating more choices for frequent local bus service along with a residents. Good transit investments for “call and ride” option in more spread- Colorado include the following: out areas would provide transit choice to more residents. • A rail network connecting communities north and south along the • Bus rapid transit in the Roaring Front Range and west to destina- Fork Valley. Efficient, high-capacity tions along I-70. Rapid train ser- bus service on the Western Slope vice could enable residents to travel would address travel problems on the between Front Range cities in half the state’s busiest rural highway, Highway time of driving, while easing conges- 82, and would more reliably link tion and helping to support the state’s residents of the Roaring Fork Valley important tourism industry. with employment opportunities in Aspen, Glenwood Springs and other • Completion of Denver’s FasTracks regional centers. plan, with its vision of a vibrant 2 Colorado’s Transportation Crossroads • Improved bus service in smaller the Colorado Department of Trans- communities. Transit, whether in portation and charging that division the form of fixed-route bus service with developing a comprehensive or more flexible on-demand service, statewide transit plan for Colorado. can link those without access to a However, until the division has ad- car to critical services, including equate funding and staffing it will be employment, education, medical hampered in fulfilling its mission. care and critical public services. Unfortunately, few rural areas and • Provide stable funding to make the small towns in Colorado offer transit vision a reality. Any plan for transit service for the general public, but in Colorado must be paired with dedi- the success of fixed-route bus service cated, adequate and sustained funding in Sterling, population 14,000, is for infrastructure and operating ex- indicative of the demand for better penses. Colorado’s current reliance on transit options in similar communities sales tax revenue to fund transit leaves around the state. transit agencies vulnerable to budget shortfalls during economic down- Colorado needs an efficient trans- turns, times when they face higher portation system to support the state’s demand for their services. economic recovery and future growth. Investing in transit now can put Colora- • Urge Congress to reshape the dans to work and move the state toward nation’s transportation funding a modern, 21st century transportation priorities. The new federal transpor- system that can meet our needs in the tation law should prioritize investing future. To get there, the state should: new capital in public transit, fixing existing roads and bridges rather than • Lay out a clear and compelling vi- building more highways,

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