At the 14th Legislative Breakfast, the esteemed event hosted on January 5, 2023, civic and business leaders, state legislators, and experts from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors convened for an important dialogue around clean energy, transportation, and economic development and how continued innovation at their intersections benefits Colorado’s citizens. The event was co-hosted by two longstanding champions of transportation progress in the northwest metro region: Commuting Solutions and the Northwest Mayors & Commissioners Coalition (NW MCC).
Historically, the mission of the NW MCC, which was founded in 1999 as a coalition of local governments in Colorado’s northwest metro region, is to speak with one voice regarding regional transportation investment priorities and to retain federal and state lobbyists. It also has long had the support of all city councils, trustees, and commissioners for the Northwest Mobility Study (NAMS) recommendations. Commuting Solutions has also represented the region’s business and civic communities for more than two decades.
So the annual gathering was an opportunity for these two organizations to showcase the array of sustainable transportation-related projects accomplished together in 2022 while also exploring potential funding mechanisms during the 2023 Colorado Legislative Session.
New Frontiers in Transportation
Giving a presentation titled “New Frontiers in Transportation,” Mayor Guyleen Castriotta of the City and County of Broomfield together with Commuting Solutions Board Chairperson, Chris McShane, highlighted a robust list of 16+ transportation accomplishments and projects advocated for and funded in 2022 by the organizations:
- Quiet zone railroad safety crossing progress from Westminster to Longmont
- US 36 Bikeway/Sheridan Boulevard Underpass is under construction
- CO 119 CDOT/RTD Safety and Mobility Study is underway
- Boulder County CO 119 Bikeway design is underway
- RTD begins Peak Service Northwest Rail Study
- CO 42 Lafayette/Louisville multimodal design progress
- CO 119: Secured $32.7 million in DRCOG TIP funding for the corridor
- Longmont 1st & Main Transit Area Study was completed
- CO 7: $10 million corridor design and engineering is underway
- Boulevard underpass and elsewhere to tens of millions of dollars secured for numerous studies and transit projects
- Secured $9.5 million DRCOG Regional 2022-2025 TIP funds to support preconstruction on activities
- Secured $9.2 million for transit starter service funding
- US 287: Completed Phase 1 of the Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study
- CO 42/96th Street: Secured $3.2 million DRCOG TIP funding and $3.2 million in local funding (City of Louisville)
- 28th Street (US 36)/Broadway (CO 93): Secured $3.98 million in DRCOG TIP and CDOT funds to construct transit priority intersections along Broadway
- 120th Avenue: Initiated with CDOT the US 287/120th Ave Multimodal & Safety Study in Broomfield
- Advocated for passage and implementation of SB22-180, Fare-Free Transit Funding Grant Program
- Seek funding and support for the full implementation and restoration of the US 36 BRT
- Advocated for the restoration of RTD Flatiron Flyer service in the RTD System Optimization Plan
2023 Top Priorities
They then shifted focus to the work to be done in the year ahead. Their mutual priorities for 2023 include:
- Pursuing federal, state, regional, and local funding for NAMS corridors
- Supporting actions to reduce transportation’s impact on GHG emissions
- Engaging in legislative session discussions about other potential funding mechanisms
- Continuing to explore peak service for the Northwest Rail and Front Range Passenger Rail
- Continuing the planning process for US 287; 120th Avenue, and CO 42; and
- Furthering design and engineering for CO 119, US 287, CO 7