HomeMy WebLinkAbout961579.tiff RESOLUTION
RE: ENDORSING THE ANALYSIS OF NORTH FRONT RANGE TRANSPORTATION
OPTIONS
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to
Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of
administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) should be
reauthorized and all ISTEA funds should be fully flexible to support multi-modal investment, and
WHEREAS, traffic is becoming notably more congested between Northern Colorado
and the Denver metropolitan area, and
WHEREAS, Northern Colorado's air quality and quality of life is being threatened by
ever increasing traffic congestion, and
WHEREAS, the Colorado Passenger Rail Plan of eighteen potential passenger rail
corridors ranked the Fort Collins/Greeley/Denver corridor first and the Fort Collins/Loveland/
Longmont/Boulder/Denver corridor fourth, and
WHEREAS, the state-sponsored North Front Range Air Quality Study of the Brown
Cloud is designed to yield new information by late 1997 about the makeup, sources, and
migration of the Brown Cloud, and
WHEREAS, environmental and land use planning consideration must be factored into
decisions concerning transportation investments, and
WHEREAS, the Colorado Statewide Transportation Plan and Blue Ribbon Panel on
transportation estimate an eight billion dollar state and five billion dollar local shortfall for a total
of a thirteen billion dollar transportation investment shortfall for the next twenty years, and
WHEREAS, efforts are underway to devise ways to meet the transportation investment
shortfall, and
WHEREAS, the North Front Range region needs an in-depth feasibility study of
transportation alternatives in order to be in a position to make wise decisions and investments,
and
961579
BC0025
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RE: NORTH FRONT RANGE TRANSPORTATION ENDORSEMENT
PAGE 2
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of
Weld County, Colorado, that cost effective, environmentally sound transportation improvement
projects for the North Front Range region must be explored as soon as possible.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board that the Colorado General Assembly and
United States Congress are urged to pursue every available avenue to assist the North Front
Range region in obtaining the resources necessary to conduct a detailed feasibility study of
transportation options.
The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted
by the following vote on the 16th day of September, A.D., 1996.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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arba1- J. Kirkmeyer, air
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Deputy Cle ,3 o the Board
Dale K. Hall
AP AS TO
Constance L. Harbert
ounty Attor e
W. H. Webster
961579
BC0025
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Denver
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Rl f(s "7t( p, President of the Senate
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Barbara Kirkmeyer
Chair, Weld County Commissioners
915 10th Street
Greeley, Co 80632
Dear Commissioners:
As you know, the population growth we have experienced in Northern Colorado has
overwhelmed our highway system and threatens our environment and quality of life.
The Colorado Passenger Rail Study, which is about to be completed under the auspices of
the Colorado Department of Transportation, has identified the corridor serving Northern
Colorado communities as the most cost-effective passenger rail corridor in the state.
Developing a commuter rail project may significantly answer the questions we face as we
try to respond to the congestion on our roads in this region.
A window of opportunity has presented itself in the re-authorization of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act(ISTEA) currently being considered in Congress. It
gives us an opportunity to seek federal assistance to establish priorities for transportation
planning for Northern Colorado as well as to seek additional federal assistance in
conducting a detailed feasibility study so we can get a better understanding of how
passenger rail can fit into our future, as well as other modes of transportation.
Attached is a resolution of support for consideration by Northern Colorado cities and
counties. I am asking that the Weld County Commissioners review this resolution as soon
as possible because hearings on ISTEA will begin in Washington this month. I am hopeful
that you will join the other Northern Colorado communities in support and forward a
signed copy of your resolution to me as soon as possible. I will then forward the signed
resolutions on to Washington to indicate our support in Northern Colorado for
transportation options.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Tom Norton
961579
RESOLUTION
• for consideration by Northern Colorado cities and counties
WHEREAS,daily traffic is becoming notably more congested between Northern •
• Colorado cities and the metro-Denver area; and •
WHEREAS,Northern Colorado's air quality and quality of life is being threatened by
ever increasing traffic congestion; and
• WHEREAS, the Colorado Department of Transportation Passenger Rail Study of 18
potential passenger-rail corridors ranked the Fort Collins-Loveland-Longmont-Denver
corridor fourth;and
WHEREAS,the state-sponsored North Front Range Air Quality Study of the Brown
Cloud is designed to yield new information by late 1997 about the makeup,sources,and
migration of the Brown Cloud;and
WHEREAS, environmental considerations must be factored into decisions
concerning transportation investments; and
•
WHEREAS,the Blue Ribbon Transportation Panel estimates a $13 billion
transportation investment shortfall; and
WHEREAS,efforts are underway to devise ways to meet that transportation
investment shortfall; and
WHEREAS, the Northern Colorado region needs an in-depth feasibility study of •
transportation alternatives in order to be in a position to make wise decisions and
investments;
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED by[entity name] that •
(1) Cost-effective, environmentally-sound transportation improvement projects
for the Northern Front Range region must be explored as soon as possible;
and
(2) State and federal office holders are urged to pursue every available avenue to
assist the Northern Front Range region in obtaining the resources necessary
to conduct a detailed feasibility study of transportation options.
961.579
SEP 3 ' 96 17: 46 FROM PLATTE RIVER POWER PAGE . 001
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To: The Honorable Barbara Kirkmeyer �� ✓
Chair,Board of Weld County Commissioners /_ g ..e___--
Front Christine Kadlub,Governmental Affairs
Platte River Power Authority 970-229-5340 lift)
Re: Resolution Endorsing a Rail Feasibility Study
Date: September 3, 1996
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`G, Following is a draft resolution endorsing a rail feasibility study for northern
t) Colorado's Front Range.
a ` Despite hundreds seeking to testify before House Transportation Subcommittee
,. hearings in September, northern Colorado has a good chance at one of the few
opportunities to testify. In anticipation of that, resolutions endorsing the study from
Weld and Larimer county commissioners and city councils are being sought before
September 13 at the latest Resolutions by local governments will lend strength to
testimony given at a congressional hearing.
The idea is to obtain a placeholder now for funding which will be determined at
committee mark-up next March (likely about $2 million). We are calling the study a
"feasibility study" rather than a "major investment study" because at this point the
feasibility of rail should be determined (is it cheap — e.g., $10 round trip? convenient?
profitable—no state tax dollars?).
If rail is determined feasible, the study can be converted to a major investment
study, if necessary.
Consequently, at this point, local resolutions of support for studying feasibility
are needed as soon as possible. The urgency is due to the unexpected extension of
transportation subcommittee hearings into September.
Thank you. Any questions, please call me 229-5340 or John Fooks 229-5225.
961.579
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