Highways and other regional roads in Colorado are built with a finite capacity, to handle a certain amount of traffic. As development occurs around them, more cars are added to the road and that capacity gets used up, leaving commuters in traffic and sticking cash-strapped local and state governments with the unenviable job of fixing the problem.

This happens in large part because there is a disconnect at work. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has the responsibility to build and maintain regional roads, yet has no say in the development decisions that use up their capacity. Local governments make the development decisions that use up the capacity, yet have no responsibility or incentive to consult with CDOT about the impacts of their decisions on highway capacity, because historically CDOT has come in and fixed congestion problems by expanding or building new roads. However, especially in this economy, the state no longer has the money to fix these messes.

We need another solution. HB 1284 recognizes that a better, cheaper and more efficient solution is to get CDOT, regional planning organizations (MPOs), and local governments to work together to decide on the best use of highway capacity in congested areas before problems occur.

Smart Growth
 
• HB 1284 incentivizes local governments, CDOT and MPOs to work together to plan for traffic growth in congested areas so that roads continue to function efficiently as a region grows and traffic is added to roadways.
• In congested areas only, where this is really needed, HB 1284 asks MPOs, member local governments, and CDOT to proactively come up with a plan for how they will use up available highway capacity and potentially add new highway or transit capacity as needed down the road while protecting the public from gridlock. 
• HB 1284 will help decrease the congestion in busy corridors and save commuters time.

Fiscally Responsible

• HB 1284 will save the State of Colorado and taxpayers money by encouraging proactive planning and reducing the need for CDOT to reactively expand roads in congested corridors
• HB 1284 will only apply in congested corridors within MPO boundaries, where there is significant growth and congestion, not in rural areas. There will be no “planning for planning’s   sake” or added bureaucracy where it is not needed.