GOP unveils transportation proposals The Denver Business Journal - by Cathy Proctor Denver Business Journal November 12, 2007 Colorado Republicans rolled out their proposals Monday to address transportation needs across the state. The group, led by House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, and Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, called for improving the state's roads and highways without any tax increases. Democrat Gov. Bill Ritter has a blue-ribbon panel looking at ways to raise as much as $2 billion for transportation projects through a combination of increased fees and higher taxes. The Colorado Department of Transportation has said it needs $60 billion to cover the state's transportation needs over the next 25 years. But that figure is a moving target that's constantly going up, McElhany said. "The shortfall estimate has tripled since when I came into the Legislature and I was getting it from [former Gov.] Roy Romer's CDOT," McElhany said. "And it's all levels of need -- state, city and county -- and even then you have to figure it's exaggerated. "I don't think there's such as thing as enough. The goal posts keep moving so you do what you can," McElhany said. The Republicans' proposal calls for shrinking the size of the state's highway system -- by shifting responsibility for one-time rural roads come suburban thoroughfares from the state highway department to local governments and their budgets. "A lot of the state highways were out in the rural areas at one point, but now they're highly developed," McElhany said. "Like Parker Road through Parker and Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs. That used to be rural but now its one of the most highly developed areas in the state. It's throwing off a huge amount of tax revenue in sales and property taxes. "The thought is that instead of the state, with its meager resources, trying to maintain the roads, let the locals do it," McElhany said. That measure will be sponsored by Rep. Glenn Vaad, R-Mead, and Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial. "Local governments can better respond to their transportation needs," Vaad said in a statement.
The Republican proposal also calls for getting voters to approve creating and protecting a dedicated revenue stream for CDOT out of tax revenue from auto-related purchases. The measure will be sponsored by McElhany, May and Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud. McElhany said such a measure would have funneled $292 million into CDOT last year. The state's current funding structure for transportation allows CDOT to get money left over after all other state priorities are funded. "Transportation has been fairly well funded in the last couple of legislatures," McElhany said. "But the problem is that members of both parties continue to support legislation that drains money away. We need to give [CDOT] a dedicated funding stream." As for big projects, like upgrading the Interstate 70 corridor to the mountains, McElhany said the focus needs to be on the funding structure, before it moves to specific projects. "You take one step at a time and get what you can for transportation today," he said. Also among the proposals is a measure by May, Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Lakewood, and Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita. The bill would require the state to analyze whether it should bid on private toll roads in the state that are up for sale. Last summer the Northwest Parkway signed a 99-year lease for $603 million with a joint venture of two foreign companies: Brisa Auto-Estradas de Portugal S.A., based in Lisbon, Portugal, and Companhia de Concessoes Rodoviarias, based in Sao Paula, Brazil.
"The Northwest Parkway toll road this summer accepted a deal with two foreign companies from Portugal and Brazil to lease the road for 99 years, the state never placed a bid on the road," May said. "We feel that the state should take advantage of these opportunities if it is found to be in the best interest of Colorado taxpayers." The Colorado Legislature convenes in January.