Coloradans will call for significant increase in transit, walking, rolling and biking
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- As the legislature works on a transportation funding bill, nine Coloradans from across the state shared their personal multimodal stories and call for a significant investment in transit, walking, rolling, and biking.
At the event, the coalition released a slide deck that highlighted the lack of investment Colorado makes in transit as a state. According to an analysis by SWEEP, the state covers 2.6% of the transit capital costs and 0.3% of the transit operating costs in Colorado. That compares to a national average of states funding 22.8% of state transit capital costs and 23% of state transit operating costs.
"More people riding transit, walking, biking, and rolling will play a critical role in tackling climate change, reducing pollution, making our streets safer, and increasing the overall accessibility of our transportation system," said Danny Katz, executive director of CoPIRG. "The stories we unveiled today are just the tip of the iceberg and they show people want to use their bikes and ride transit and walk around their communities but a lack of service and safe infrastructure is standing in their way. New funding could make a big difference to ensure everyone has the options they need and want to travel around their community and the state."
On Thursday, community members across the state shared their story about the importance, needs, and benefits of multimodal transportation, including:
- Chris Bentley, Louisville
- Amanda Roberts, Denver
- Carly Boliger, Carbondale
- Filip Carnogursky, Colorado Springs
- Melissa Colonno, Denver
- Soleil Gaylord, Telluride
- David Lehman, Grand Junction
- Paolo Solorzano, Denver
- Matt Young, Lakewood
According to CoPIRG, a non-profit that operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world, writes "Our transportation system is designed to move cars not people, which threatens our health and safety. In 2016, 605 people died on Colorado’s roadways including 100 pedestrians and bicyclists. The dangers of walking and biking leads too many Coloradans to drive even short distances of less than a mile to complete trips, which in turn contributes to our ever worsening obesity rates in Colorado. "
CoPIRG adds, "Colorado’s roads have become choked with traffic. To relieve congestion, decision-makers waste billions of dollars widening highways, which doesn’t actually relieve congestion, instead of helping people get out of their cars by providing better options. For example, beginning in 2000, Colorado spent $1.2 billion widening I-25 in Denver. Within three years of completion, I-25 congestion was back to pre-construction levels, and cities around I-25 now had to deal with the additional local congestion and parking from the influx of cars on the new, traffic-choked lanes."
The non-profit has worked to pass a bill through the state legislature to increase funding for transit, walking, and biking.
They've also supported local policies that increase multi-modal funding, clarifying "We are working to convince the Colorado Department of Transportation to invest more money in current transit services like Bustang, the statewide bus service, and to reduce spending on wasteful highway expansion projects in favor of new transit, walking and biking infrastructure and services."
