Colorado Springs City Council discussing extension of PPRTA tax for priority road projects
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- During Monday's regular work session, the Colorado Springs City Council discussed whether to ask voters this fall to extend the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority sales tax for capital road projects.
Residents of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls, Ramah and Calhan pay a 1% sales tax that is allocated to local transportation improvements with 55% used for capital projects, 35% for maintenance projects and 10% for transit needs.
This could be the second time voters will be asked to extend the 1% sales tax that voters initially approved in 2004; in 2012, 80% of voters approved extending the capital portion of the tax from 2015 through 2024.
Driving the request for another ten-year extension of the tax is the recent development of new priorities for road projects, chief among them the widening of Marksheffel Road on the eastern border of Colorado Springs, between North Carefree Circle and Woodmen Road.
Growth fueled by new home construction has driven the need to expand that road and improve the intersection of Marksheffel and Dublin Boulevard.
Other new priorities include: Upgrades to the Midland Trail along U.S. 24; Extending Powers Boulevard north from Highway 83 to Voyager Parkway and south from Mesa Ridge Parkway to Interstate 25; upgrades to the intersection of Briargate Parkway and Stapleton Drive; and improvements to Woodmen between Powers and U.S. 24.
KRDO reported in March that the Marksheffel widening is scheduled to start in 2025 and would be partially funded by an extension of the PPRTA capital tax; the project's estimated cost is between $50 million and $60 million.
However, Travis Easton, the city's public works director, said Monday that the tax -- if endorsed by local leaders and extended by voters in November -- can cover the entire cost.
"It doesn't make any sense to use federal funds for that, because additional processes, timelines, etc.," he said.
The Council discussed several additional joint city-county projects to be financed through the PPRTA; however, public works staff also brought up a handful of other projects that have received the most criticism or overall public comment.
Among them, a study to possibly change the traffic flow on Platte Avenue downtown, and to increase traffic safety on West Colorado Avenue.
City Council President Tom Strand said that except for Marksheffel and maybe one or two other projects, the top priorities have yet to be determined.
"It depends on whether we're going to get the Colorado Department of Transportation partnering with us on certain projects, and it's probably going to depend on whether the materials and labor forces are available to work on a particular project," he said. "And all of that will kind of go into the mix to see which ones go to the front of the list. But we hope to do them all within the next 3 to 4 years."
Councilwoman Nancy Henjum encouraged city officials to be transparent and communicate well with citizens when establishing toad priorities.
"You know, unfortunately, perception matters, and there's an unfortunate perception of a tremendous lack of trust," she said. "I want to continue working on building and rebuilding trust with all of our departments in the city -- at least where I'm representing. I've got most of the projects on this list, in my district."
The tax is expected to generate around $150 million this year but again, only 55% can used for capital needs.
The Council plans to discuss the matter again in two weeks and include public comment; a final decision is expected by the end of July.
Strand says that he's hopeful that the tax will be extended.
"We're not asking for a new tax, just to continue the existing one," he said. "We have done everything with the tax that we said we'd do. I think voters realized that when they extended it the first time. I hope they will again."
