Transportation

What I said I would do as commissioner:

Despite our many successes in managing growth, traffic problems continue to worsen. We cannot maintain a strong economy or high quality of life without addressing this problem. I will work with communities in and near Boulder County to develop effective solutions to our traffic problems. These solutions will include commuter rail, bus rapid transit lines, regional bus expansion, highway improvements, and regional bikeways. With these solutions in mind, I strongly support RTD’s FasTracks ballot proposal. I have had great success working with other Mayors and City Councils to develop consensus on needed improvements for the Diagonal and US 36, and I will work hard to secure state and federal funding for these projects.

What I did as commissioner:

In the last four years, working cooperatively with the Regional Transportation District, the state, and local municipalities, we made significant improvements to our transportation system.

We improved safety for multiple traffic modes through the addition of shoulders along such roads as 75th street on the plains and Left Hand Canyon in the mountains. We also made substantial progress on key regional trails, such as the Longmont-Boulder bikeway. And we have implemented new transit services, such as the LYNX route in Louisville and the Extra Long JUMP, which connects Boulder, Lafayette and Erie. More improvements are yet to come, as 69 percent of the voters approved our proposed 15-year extension to the county’s transportation sales tax.

During my tenure on the commission, I have also been actively involved in regional and statewide transportation planning efforts. My roles as chair of the Denver Regional Council of Governments a member of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Transportation Panel, along with my work with the US 36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition, place me in a key position to shape transportation policy in a manner that best reflects Boulder County interests. I am pleased to report that my efforts are helping to secure final agreement on improvements in the US 36 corridor, with the heart of the project being high quality bus rapid transit service in a dedicated lane between Boulder and Denver.

What I have left to do as commissioner:

I have three priorities for my next term on he count commission – delivering the bikeway, transit, and safety improvements that we promised the voters in last year’s transportation sales tax issue; building the US 36 bus rapid transit system; and, expanding Eco-Pass opportunities across Boulder County. Further, I know that we sorely lack the revenue to address our statewide transportation needs. That is why I will continue to work cooperatively with the state and regional partners I have developed on future funding mechanisms that provide sufficient transportation funding. At the same time, I will fight to ensure that transportation funding is tied to smarter land use planning, reduced growth in vehicle miles traveled, and a recognition that in an age of climate change and peak oil we cannot simply continue to expand our highways.