Transit summit sends mixed signals

By Dan MacArthur
Fossil Creek Current

Efforts to establish a taxing authority for financing transportation improvements in Northern Colorado got a boost from this summer's summit aimed at building consensus for its need.

"This is a huge leg up for anybody who wants to do a [Rural Transit Authority]. The talk has already started," said John Daggett, a planning manager for the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Now, Daggett said, a coalition is slowly building to develop a ballot issue next year seeking voter approval of the $1.3 billion proposal. It would fund specific transportation and public transit projects within the MPO boundaries extending roughly from Fort Collins to Greeley to Berthoud.

Those taking part in the transportation summit sponsored by the MPO were indeed of one mind on the need for more money to finance regional transportation improvements. But they were seemingly schizophrenic about how it should be spent.

Collectively, the nearly 250 participants in the tabletop exercise overwhelming agreed that greatest need was to better connect the North Front Range to the Denver metro area, preferably employing some form of public transit such as commuter rail or bus rapid transit using dedicated bus travel lanes.

Yet, a survey reflecting the individual preferences of departing participants showed that more than two-thirds favored spending more money to improve travel between communities in northern Colorado - the proposition the summit originally was predicated upon.

But, Daggett said, follow-up interviews with facilitators who conducted the exercises suggest that the discrepancy isn't as curious as it seems. He said those who favored projects providing better connection to the metro area apparently regarded it as a component of regional transportation improvements, especially given that Interstate 25 is increasingly regarded as Northern Colorado's "Main Street."

"What seemed to be a difference of opinion now seems to be the same opinion," contended Daggett.

Such unity of purpose will be necessary to develop an RTA package and sell it to voters. The proposal currently calls for a 1 percent regional sales tax for the next 20 years, along with a $10 increase in vehicle registration fees.

Together they are estimated to generate some $1.3 billion during that time --exactly the amount allocated to each of the tabletop teams in the June 13 exercise. Together, participants debated how to best "spend" the revenues on a range of transportation improvements represented by colored ribbons affixed to maps of the region.

While the exercise was useful in building consensus, "the one thing it won't do is produce a project list," Daggett said. "Whoever takes on the RTA will have to take that on."

Other than the possible disconnect between the collective and individual minds, the summit offered few surprises and no clear direction on how or whether the RTA effort would proceed. Among the observations and conclusions contained in the preliminary results were:

• There was strong support for focusing most attention on state and federal highways.
• Maintaining existing infrastructure was rated a high priority.
• Public transit must be part of the mix. Of the 27 tables, 78 percent supported some sort of regional transit between the North Front Range and Denver. Some type of transit package, whether regional commuter rail or bus rapid transit along I-25 with regional bus/BRT connections between cities, was included at virtually every table.
• About three-quarters of the participants favored some sort of I-25 improvement with preferences split between high-occupancy vehicle/bus rapid transit lanes and commuter rail.
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• More than 80 percent supported improving Highway 34 between Loveland and Greeley, with about half of those favoring fifth and sixth lanes as BRT/HOV lanes.
• Public transit between Loveland and Greeley was favored by 85 percent of the tables, with twice as much support for regional buses over bus rapid transit.
• Spending should be increased to improve travel by foot and bicycle.
• Transportation improvements will require a funding partnership, preferably among government, business and nonprofits.

Daggett said a final report will be issued Sept. 7. In early October, he said, participants will be invited to return to review the findings and work toward building a coalition to develop the RTA proposal.