Interim Committee Tours Front Range Transportation Projects

FRONT RANGE – Today members of the Transportation Legislation Review Committee (TLRC) toured sites across the Front Range to learn more about multiple projects underway to improve transit along busy corridors, increase safety, and reduce emissions on Colorado’s roads.

“Coloradans rely on a strong, reliable transportation system to keep our communities connected, and the TLRC has been diligently working this interim to develop legislation that enhances those systems,” said Chair of the TLRC Kevin Priola, D-Henderson. “It’s vital for us to see firsthand how our efforts to expand transit projects, reduce emissions, and improve safety are making a real impact. I was especially excited to learn about improvements along State Highway 7 that will increase multimodal infrastructure like bus rapid transit and bikeways to create a safer and more sustainable corridor for the future. As the outgoing Chair of the TLRC, I’m confident that the committee’s work will continue, ensuring essential transit projects help Colorado’s transportation network meet its full potential.”

“Colorado deserves a transit system that makes it easier for people to get where they need to go, and the projects we toured today are a big step in that direction,” member of the TLRC Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, said. “The bus rapid transit initiative on Federal Boulevard offers a cost-effective way to improve a busy transit corridor, increasing safety, reliability, and efficiency. We also got a firsthand look at how mobility hubs across the Front Range are connecting Coloradans to key transit routes along the I-25 corridor. As we prepare for the 2025 legislative session, I’m eager to see how the TLRC can further support these transformative projects, making travel throughout our state faster and more efficient.”

Today, TLRC members set out on a driving and walking tour of Federal Boulevard and the proposed 18-mile bus rapid transit project to reduce congestion and transit travel times, improve safety along the corridor and at transit stations, and increase reliability and ridership. The project, driven by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), is currently in environmental review and the preliminary design phase.

The TLRC’s tour continued with visits to mobility hubs on State Highway 7, Berthoud, and Centerra which promote regional transit use in northern Colorado communities. Mobility hubs include Park-n-Ride lots to connect Coloradans to regional transit like the Bustang, electric vehicle charging stations, and shelters to help protect commuters from the elements and safely load and unload from their bus.

Members of the Committee also toured the Loveland Transit Center project and a safety, mobility, and bikeway project in Niwot. In July, the Loveland Transit Center project was awarded a $3.9 million federal grant to construct a physical building at the transit center to house customer service staff and indoor bathrooms.

Finally, the TLRC toured the AirCare Colorado emissions testing center in Broomfield to gain an understanding of Colorado’s emissions testing process and learn more about efforts to reduce emissions caused by transportation.

As Colorado continues to grow, Colorado Democrats have been working to expand transportation options to help people get around without exacerbating existing traffic challenges and air pollution. This year, Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, and member of the TLRC, Senator Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, passed landmark legislation to improve transit and help meet the state’s climate and housing goals by dedicating approximately $100 million per year to local and statewide transit operations through a fee on oil and gas production.

Last month, the TLRC advanced six interim bills to make air quality improvements related to transportation, further carbon reduction goals laid out in CDOT’s ten-year plan, improve accessibility and expand paratransit options, and more. On September 25th, the Committee will vote to advance bill drafts out of the TLRC to be introduced in the 2025 legislative session.