| Summary |
The bill clarifies the scope of the high-performance transportation
enterprise's (transportation enterprise) powers and duties to expand its
capacity to execute its charge and more explicitly prioritize mitigation of
traffic congestion and traffic-related pollution through the completion of
multimodal surface transportation infrastructure projects as follows:
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Section 10:
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Authorizes the transportation enterprise to impose a
congestion impact fee, as a new user fee, in
maximum amounts of up to $3 per day on the
short-term rental of a motor vehicle that is powered
by an internal combustion engine and up to $2 per
day for a motor vehicle that is a battery electric or
plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that are subsequently
adjusted for inflation, and, in conjunction with
section 9, requires the fee to be collected and
administered in the same manner as an existing state
daily vehicle rental fee;
•
Clarifies that providing diverse multimodal
transportation options, including rail projects, that
reduce traffic congestion and degradation of
existing surface transportation infrastructure is part
of the transportation enterprise's statutory charge;
•
Clarifies that project-specific limitations on the
expenditure of the transportation enterprise's
project-specific user fee revenue, which do not
apply to congestion impact fee revenue, allow
multimodal improvements in the same travel shed
where the fees were paid;
•
Requires the transportation enterprise to develop a
new multimodal strategic capital plan that aligns
with the 10-year transportation plan of the Colorado
department of transportation (CDOT) and statewide
greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals and
priorities, complies with specified environmental
standards adopted by the transportation commission,
and prioritizes benefits to user fee payers and the
reduction of adverse impacts on highways;
•
Requires the transportation enterprise to complete
an initial assessment of opportunities available
through 2030 to leverage federal money made
available to the state and to thereafter assess such
opportunities on an ongoing basis;
•
Clarifies the scope of an existing requirement of
approval from each directly affected metropolitan
planning organization and other transportation
planning regions for a proposed surface
transportation infrastructure project that adds
substantial capacity or significantly alters traffic
patterns; and
•
Requires the transportation enterprise to detail its
work to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse
gas emissions and support the expansion of public
transit in its annual report to the legislative
committees with oversight over transportation; and
•
Section 8 modifies an existing definition of surface
transportation infrastructure to more clearly include
multimodal transportation options. Section 8 also modifies
an existing definition of user fee to include the new
congestion impact fee and creates new definitions of
surface transportation infrastructure project network
(network) and travel shed to ensure, in conjunction with
section 11, that the transportation enterprise's user fee
revenue can be spent with more flexibility, from a
geographic standpoint, than is currently the case.
Section 3 authorizes the regional transportation district (RTD) to
extend construction and operations of its northwest rail fixed guideway
corridor beyond its boundaries, including an extension of the corridor to
Fort Collins as the first phase of front range passenger rail service in
order to gain the opportunity to access federal intercity rail service
money, if all capital and operating expenses outside the district are fully
accounted for and already reimbursed to the district by a public body.
Section 3 also requires the district, in cooperation with CDOT, the
transportation enterprise, and the front range passenger rail district (rail
district), to provide to the transportation legislation review committee and
the governor:
•
A report containing an implementation plan, which must
include, among other things, identification and evaluation
of options for creating a separate legal entity or
intergovernmental agreement as a business model, for
construction and operations of the corridor to the legislative
committees that oversee transportation and may also
consider the creation of a Colorado rail authority to house
some or all passenger rail services under one entity; and
•
A report, which must also include the cooperation of any
separate legal entity created, concerning a plan to begin
providing front range passenger rail service no later than
January 1, 2028.
Sections 4, 5, and 6 respectively provide specific, explicit
authorization to the RTD, the rail district, CDOT, and the transportation
enterprise in accordance with an implementation plan developed as
required by section 3 to enter into a standalone intergovernmental
agreement with or create a separate legal entity with each other, to
implement the completion of construction and operation of the RTD's
northwest fixed guideway corridor, including an extension of the corridor
to Fort Collins as the first phase of front range passenger rail service.
Section 7 requires CDOT and the rail district to annually report to the
legislative committees that oversee transportation regarding the status of
the service development plan for front range passenger rail service
between Trinidad, Pueblo, and Fort Collins.
Sections 1 and 2 make legislative findings and declarations.
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