On January 9, Commuting Solutions and the Northwest Mayors & Commissioners Coalition hosted the 15th Legislative Breakfast: Connecting Communities, Advancing Unity. The full-house event gathered public, private, and nonprofit civic and business leaders, state legislators and transportation experts to address transportation planning, public policy, and advocacy efforts in the region in advance of the 2024 legislative session.
Esteemed Speaker Line-up
In addition to Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the speakers included: Senator Faith Winter, Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation; Representative Meg Froelich, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation, Housing and Local Government; Christopher Wood, Publisher and Editor of BizWest; Chancellor Phillip P. DiStefano, University of Colorado Boulder; Mayor Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder and the Northwest Mayors & Commissioners Coalition; Debra A. Johnson, RTD General Manager and CEO; Kathleen Bracke, Deputy Director Community Planning and Permitting Boulder County; Ann Rajewski, Executive Director of the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies; Shoshan Lew, Executive Director of CDOT, and Chris McShane, Commuting Solutions Board Chairperson and Senior Vice President and Commercial Banker from InBank.
Connecting Communities, Advancing Unity
During his keynote address, Governor Polis spoke about how affordable, accessible multi-modal transportation is critical to accomplishing the state’s housing and climate goals. “People shouldn’t have to commute forty minutes in order to be able to afford a home,” he said. He emphasized the need unity as we work to make our state more “affordable, sustainable, and livable.”
Senator Faith Winter and Representative Meg Froelich continued the theme of unity by discussing the role that local governments play in creating innovative transportation options that allow for change in other areas such as affordable housing.
Transit Aspirations for Colorado Panel
This year’s event also included a panel discussion featuring Debra A. Johnson, Ann Rajewski, and Shoshana Lew, and moderated by Kathleen Bracke. The panel highlighted the great progress that our state has already made in transit innovation, and discussed how we might shape the future.
The 15th Legislative Breakfast served to not only inform the audience but inspire them to get involved in the often complex process of creating change through responsible legislation at the local, state, and national level.
