Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Transportation

Colorado lawmakers back off withholding road money from cities under plan to boost housing near transit
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado lawmakers back off withholding road money from cities under plan to boost housing near transit

By Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun Facing outcry from local officials, Colorado Democrats this week said they would back off a plan to withhold highway maintenance funding from cities that don’t meet proposed state targets for housing density near transit stops. But even with the biggest penalty in the bill on the chopping block, local government leaders across the Denver metro area remain divided over the legislation, the centerpiece of Gov. Jared Polis’ plans to reduce housing costs in Colorado. House Bill 1313 would require a number of urban and suburban local governments to allow more apartments and townhomes along major transit corridors. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado rental car fee hike would raise money for Front Range and mountain passenger rail systems
Approved, State, The Colorado Sun

Colorado rental car fee hike would raise money for Front Range and mountain passenger rail systems

By Jesse Paul | Colorado Sun Colorado’s state-imposed rental car fee would increase by as much as $3 per day under a soon-to-be-introduced bill in the legislature aimed at attracting federal investment in proposed Front Range and mountain passenger train systems. The fee increase would generate an estimated $50 million in revenue annually, money that would be used as a match to secure federal grants. Lawmakers are specifically hoping for a share of the $66 billion Congress set aside in 2021 for rail development in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  “We have a short window to pull down this federal infrastructure money,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat and the lead sponsor of the forthcoming bill. “I really want to make sure Colorado...