Two Colorado highway plans set to face off in November
The Colorado Department of Transportation says with the population expected to grow by fifty-percent in the next 20 years, our roads and highways could use an upgrade.
That’s why some in CDOT are optimistic to see not one, but two, propositions on the upcoming November ballot. They say this is a sign that the issue is an urgency.
“People are aware that transportation in Colorado is an issue,” said Michelle Peulen, CDOT Communications Manager for Region 2.
Both of the new plans promise to fix and upgrade Colorado roads heading into the future, but they have two very different strategies.
The first is proposition 109, nicknamed ‘Fix Our Damn Roads’, and the second is Proposition 110, otherwise known as ‘Let’s Go, Colorado’.
Proposition 110 would increase the sales tax by .62 percent for the next 20 years. For example, on a ten dollar purchase, the total price would increase by a little more than six cents.
Peulen notes that it won’t just be people who live in Colorado paying for better roadways, tourists would contribute to this plan as well.
“Those folks who are staying at hotels, eating at our restaurants, buying gas during their vacations would also be paying into improving our roads,” said Peulen.
In the first year alone, CDOT estimates Proposition 110 would raise up to $767 million and allow the state to bond up to $6 billion to pay for transportation projects around the state.
If 110 passes, CDOT estimates it would generate $285 million dollars more over the next 20 years for El Paso County, that’s a 79.54% increase in additional funds. For Pueblo County, they would receive more than $105 million for county highway projects.
Throughout the state, the funds raised from the sales tax increase would be divided between state highways, cities, counties and other projects such as transit and pedestrian needs.
On the other hand, Proposition 109 wouldn’t raise taxes at all. The state would use money from the general funds to invest more in transportation.
These funds would allow the state to bond $3.5 billion to pay for various state highway projects. Local municipalities would not see funds from this proposal.
“There will be no tax increases so it is money that is already in the general fund,” said Peulen. “That money will be earmarked towards transportation.”
Under this plan, existing revenue would be taken from the state budget for over twenty years in order to pay for the bonds.
“If you put that towards transportation costs you’ll have to take it out of the other programs,” said Pueblo County Commissioner Terry Hart. That’s just one of the reasons why he doesn’t support 109.
Hart says 109 would only pay for a fraction of the vital roadway projects facing the county right now. Projects like expanding and improving Highway 50 both on the east and west part of the county as well as Interstate 25.
“The difference between 109 and 110 is 109 does not have revenue stream 110 does,” said Hart. “All the activity we are currently doing with state planning. We would be able to continue that process. We would have the money to do the projects we never had the money to do.”
Proposition 109 supporters argue the money would go directly into improving Colorado’s highway system, instead a portion of the money going to city and county governments.
But are the propositions at odds? The courts may actually have to decide. If both 109 and 110 passes in November, CDOT says the courts would decide whether or not the two could coexist.
