16th Legislative Breakfast on Transportation Innovations for Climate Action

On January 7, 2025, a group of legislators, business members and community and state leaders, including Governor Jared Polis, came together in the Glenn Miller Ballroom at the University of Colorado - Boulder to review the accomplishments of the 2024 legislative session regarding decreasing greenhouse gas effects through transportation innovation.

The meeting was presented by Commuting Solutions, which is one of several state Transportation Management Organizations (TMO's) that are funded through a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) initiative fund that aims to decrease harmful greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable travel options and through the Northwest Mayors and Commissioners Coalition (NWMCC).

The NWMCC is described on the Boulder intergovernmental-affairs website as a coalition of local governments that speaks with one voice on transportation investment priorities while retaining state and federal lobbyists. NWMCC has support from all Northwest Metro city councils, trustees and commissioners for the Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS) recommendations.

Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy represented the NWMCC by explaining Commuting Solutions' role in the state's effort to address harmful greenhouse gas emissions while promoting multi-modal sustainable transit solutions.

Levy explained that Commuting Solutions is the TMO for the Northwest Metro Region that extends along the Highway 36 corridor and directly north to Longmont. For their work on the CO 119 Safety Mobility and Bikeway Project, they work in conjunction with the Boulder Transportation Connections TMO. Commuting Solutions is described as a coalition builder, a business advocate and a Transportation Demand Management service provider for 4,000 businesses and 250,000 employees.

Commuting Solutions and NWMCC are working together to deliver increased air quality through greenhouse emission reduction and innovative sustainable transit solutions in support of some of the goals set by the Polis administration in the Colorado Transportation Vision 2035 that was put forth in 2024.

Commuting Solutions engineered a consensus agreement with RTD and local governments, and through the Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS), identified short, near and long-term transit priorities, including six arterial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Express Bus Services and the completion of the long-awaited Northwest Rail line.

Through 2024, the following funding has been secured:

• CO 119: Secured $162M for corridor reinvestment, including a $25M federal US Department of Transportation (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equitability (RAISE) grant.

• CO 42/96th Street: Secured $3.2M from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) funding and $3.2M in local funding.

• US 287 Corridor Safety: Study completed and CDOT secured a $47M federal grant to

improve safety, including raised medians in Boulder County to prevent head-on crashes.

• Rail: Secured $66M federal and $27M state match to upgrade freight lines and support

future passenger rail operations between Denver and Longmont.

• CO 7 Corridor: Secured $152M for corridor infrastructure improvements and transit starter

service between Boulder and Brighton.

Legislative accomplishments in 2024 noted at the meeting included:

• Senate Bill 24-032 (Methods to Increase the Use of Transit) creates statewide a transit pass exploratory committee, an ozone season transit grant program and a zero fare transit fund.

• Senate Bill 24-065 (Mobile Electronic Devices and Motor Vehicle Driving) expands the prohibition of mobile electronic device use in vehicles to drivers over 18 years of age and establishes penalties for repeat offenders.

• Ballot Measure 7A – Approved by voters, allowing RTD to retain all revenue rather than issue TABOR refunds.

Priorities put forth for 2025 included:

• Pursuit of federal, state, regional, and local funding for Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS) corridors

• Support of actions to reduce transportation's impact on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions

• Engagement in legislative session discussions about other potential funding mechanisms

• Exploration of peak service for the Northwest Rail and Front Range Passenger Rail

• Continued planning process for US 287, 120th Avenue and CO 42

• Further design and engineering for US 287, CO 7, CO 42, South Boulder Road and 120th Avenue

Regarding Front Range Rail, Executive Director of CDOT Shoshana Lew said that while the initial service offering will be from Fort Collins through Denver, the Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) is planned to extend intercity train service to Pueblo with the long-term vision of connecting Colorado to New Mexico to the south and Wyoming to the north.

Stakeholders of this vision have established a Service Development Plan for passenger rail that will run from Pueblo to Fort Collins.

Senate Bill 24-184 mandates the accelerated completion of FRPR Phase 1 from Denver to Fort Collins with the imposition of a congestion impact fee to help fund it.

A recent federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant with state matching funds will allow vital safety improvements in the northern corridor, including improving crossings in Berthoud, Longmont, and Boulder County, and funding for Positive Train Control required for passenger trains.