HomeMy WebLinkAbout20121721.tiff WELD COUNTY =
COMMISSIONERS
Cindi L.Markwell y�ekr yr. Chamber State Capitol Building
Secretary of the Senate 2012 JUL — t 161 Colorado Room250
Denver,Colorado 80203
RECEIVEDenver (303) 66-4838
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E-mail: cindi.markwell@state.co.us
June 22, 2012
Upper Front Range TPR
Barbara Kirkmeyer, Weld County Commissioner
P.O. Box 758 /915 10th Street
Greeley, CO 80631
Dear Ms. Kirkmeyer:
Enclosed is a copy of Senate Joint Resolution12-037, Concerning the need for adequate
and reliable long-term sources of funding for the statewide transportation system,
adopted by the Colorado General Assembly during the 2012 legislative session. This
document is being sent to you in accordance with the provisions contained therein.
Sincerely,
Cindi Markwell
Secretary of the Senate
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SENA I E JOINT RESOLUTION 12-037
BY SENATOR(S) Tochtrop;
also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Vaad, Acree, Balmer, Barker,
Baumgardner,Bradford,Brown,Casso,Conti,Coram,Court,DelGrosso,
Duran, Ferrandino, Fields, Fischer, Gardner B., Gerou, Hamner,
Hullinghorst, Jones, Joshi, Kagan, Kefalas, Kerr A., Ken J., Labuda,
Lee, Levy, Liston, Looper, Massey, McCann, McKinley, Miklosi,
Nikkei,Pabon,Pace,Peniston,Priola,Ramirez,Ryden,Schafer S.,Scott,
Singer, Solano, Sonnenberg, Soper, Stephens, Summers, Swaim,
Swerdfeger, Szabo, Todd, Tyler, Vigil, Waller, Williams A., Wilson,
Young, McNulty.
CONCERNING THE NEED FOR ADEQUA 1E AND RELIABLE
LONG-TERM SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THE STATEWIDE
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
WHEREAS, A safe, well-maintained, and sustainable statewide
transportation system that has sufficient capacity to allow efficient
movement of people and goods throughout the state is critically important
to the state economy and the continued prosperity of the state; and
WHEREAS,From 1995 to 2010,the population of Colorado increased
by 36%, from 3.7 million people to over 5 million people, and the
population is expected to increase to 6 million people by 2020; and
WHEREAS, From 1995 to 2010, the total number of vehicle miles
traveled in Colorado increased by 34%, from just over 35 billion miles to
nearly 47 billion miles, and the number of vehicle miles traveled is
expected to increase by more than an additional 20% by 2020; and
WHEREAS, As the number of vehicle miles traveled on the surface
transportation system increases, traffic congestion increases, roadway
surfaces deteriorate more quickly, and the state and local governments
must spend more money to increase the capacity of and maintain the
system; and
WHEREAS, The rates of the primary traditional sources of state and
federal transportation funding,the state and federal excise taxes imposed
on a per gallon basis on gasoline and other motor fuels, have not
increased since the early 1990s; and
WHEREAS, As motor vehicles have become increasingly fuel
efficient, the amount of revenues generated by motor fuel taxes has
remained nearly flat in nominal terms and has declined substantially in
real terms, and this trend will continue as hybrid and alternative fuel
motor vehicles become more popular; and
WHEREAS,Despite the large increase in use of the statewide surface
transportation system and legislative efforts to supplement motor fuel tax
revenues with other sources of revenues,when adjusted for construction
cost inflation, total state transportation funding declined from 1995 to
2010; and
WHEREAS, The lack of adequate funding for construction,
maintenance,and repair of the statewide surface transportation system has
allowed traffic congestion to increase so that travel time delay per traveler
in congested corridors averages over 18 minutes per trip and costs
commuters in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs almost $2 billion
annually; and
WHEREAS,The lack of adequate funding has also allowed statewide
transportation system infrastructure to deteriorate so that only 48% of
state highway lane miles are rated above poor condition, and without
additional sources of funding that percentage is expected to drop to 30%
over the next decade; and
WHEREAS, The Colorado Department of Transportation estimates
that an additional$157 million per year above the department's forecasted
budget will be needed just to maintain the state highway system in its
current condition over the next decade and that an additional$390 million
per year would be needed to improve the condition of the system to meet
the department's goals; and
PAGE 2-SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 12-037
WHEREAS, In light of the size of the shortfall in funding for the
statewide transportation system and the critical importance of an adequate
statewide transportation system to the state economy and the continued
prosperity of the state, the state must consider all reasonable means of
generating additional sustainable dedicated revenues for transportation,
including but not limited to increases to existing motor fuels taxes,tolling
for new capacity created by public-private partnerships, and flat or
variable transportation system user fees based on vehicle miles traveled;
now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of
the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
(1) That the Governor,the Colorado Transportation Commission,the
Colorado Department of Transportation, the metropolitan planning
organizations and regional planning commissions, and all other elected
officials and governmental or nongovernmental entities that have
responsibility for or mission-related interest in transportation planning or
funding are encouraged to make every reasonable effort to develop and
support the implementation of innovative and effective means of
generating additional adequate and sustainable dedicated revenues for
transportation.
(2) That the efforts to develop and support the implementation of
such means of generating revenues should include a serious and thorough
examination of operational barriers to and the technical, fiscal, and
political viability of developing and implementing flat or variable
transportation system user fees based on vehicle miles traveled.
PAGE 3-SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 12-037
Be It Further Resolved,That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
Governor John W.Hickenlooper,Executive Director of the Colorado
Department of Transportation Don Hunt,and each metropolitan planning
organization and regional planning commission in the state.
S9L
Brandon C.Shaffer Frank McNulty
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
6-424 O( o s Gi_ doze,
Cindi Markwell Marilyn Eddins
SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PAGE 4-SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 12-037
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