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H_THL_2023A 01/17/2023 01:35:02 PM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
JOINT COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ON JOINT SENATE TRANSPORTATION AND ENERGY AND HOUSE TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Date 01/17/2023
Attendance
Boesenecker X
Catlin E
Cutter X
Dickson X
Exum X
Jaquez Lewis X
Lindsay X
Lindstedt X
Mabrey X
Mauro E
Parenti X
Pelton B. X
Priola X
Simpson X
Taggart X
Vigil X
Wilson X
Winter T. X
Winter F. X
Froelich X
Time 01:35:02 PM to 03:55:41 PM
Place Old State Library
This Meeting was called to order by Froelich
This Report was prepared by April Bernard
Hearing Items Action Taken
Presentation from Colorado Department of Transportation Committee Discussion Only
Presentation from Front Range Passenger Rail District Committee Discussion Only
Presentation from the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Committee Discussion Only
Public Testimony Committee Discussion Only
Presentation from the Joint Budget Committee Pursuant to Joint Rule 25(d) Committee Discussion Only
Call to Order and Introductions Committee Discussion Only

Presentation from Colorado Department of Transportation - Committee Discussion Only
01:35:36 PM  
Director Shoshana
Lew, representing the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), introduced
staff Kay Kelly, Chief of Innovation Mobility; Stephen Harrelson, Chief
Engineer; Jeff Sudmeier, Chief Financial Officer; Sally Chaffey, Legislative
Liaison; and Anna Mariotti, Civil Rights Program Manager.  Ms. Lew
provided a presentation to the committee (Attachment A) and outlined basic
information about the department.
01:40:03 PM  
Director Lew provided
information about the department organization chart, which included divisions
within the department.
01:44:00 PM  
Director Lew provided
information about the department's wildly important goals, including improving
the safety of Colorado's transportation system; reducing air pollution
and and congestion; and ensuring efficient use of funds and construction
project delivery.
01:46:05 PM  
Director Lew talked
about the development and execution of the ten-year plan and the availablity
of department data.
01:47:53 PM  
Mr. Harrelson, representing
CDOT, outlined transportation safety.  He indicated that education
and outreach is included in department activities.  For example, he
said that the department has educated the public on traction in inclement
weather and speeding.
01:49:23 PM  
Mr. Harrelson also
discussed vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and motorcyclists.
 He discussed infrastructure improvements for safety, such as accessible
sidewalks, as well as the the integration of safety into projects.
01:51:52 PM  
Mr. Harrelson talked
about the Advancing Safety Transportation Program, including a safety champion
to introduce and focus on safety.
01:54:40 PM  
There was a discussion
about safety throughout the country.  Mr. Harrelson touched on increased
traffic fatalities, including those for vulnerable users and involving
alcohol use.
01:55:43 PM  
There was a discussion
about driver education as a way to address safety.
01:58:31 PM  
Mr. Harrelson talked
about the Main Street program which provided 201 grants, totaling $63 million,
from 2020 through November 2022.
01:59:19 PM  
Ms. Kelly, representing
CDOT, provided details about clean transportation, reducing pollution by
reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and emissions.  She shared that
VMT have rebounded since the pandemic, but are not quite at pre-pandemic
levels.
02:00:55 PM  
Bustang was discussed,
including $30 million from Senate Bill 22-180, to expand the service.  Funding
will pay for a

media campaign and website, in addition to expanded service.
02:01:57 PM  
Mr. Harrelson discussed
accountability and transparency, including the availability of information
to the public, timely completion of projects, and consultant spending.
 He indicated that the department has reduced the use of consultants
by 20 percent by increasing the use of in-house staff.  There was
a discussion about a work hour estimate training program for engineers.
 Mr. Harrelson talked about the additional projects to re-surface
rural roads.
02:05:43 PM  
The 10-Year Plan
was discussed, including completion of the first four years of the plan
ahead of schedule.
02:09:22 PM  
Director Lew talked
about the road through Glenwood Canyon.  She highlighted an accident
that occured as the committee met,  involving three trucks.  Director
Lew discussed closure of the canyon for rainfall, including cooperation
with other agencies for safety and the continued operation of the canyon.
02:11:35 PM  
There was a discussion
about mud slides in Glenwood Canyon in the coming year.  Director
Lew said that debris flow has significantly decreased which may result
in a less stringent threshold for closures, resulting in fewer closures.
 Director Lew talked about improvements for alternate routes to deal
with  closures, including work with counties on a possible plan for
Cottonwood Pass.
02:14:24 PM  
Director Lew discussed
the 10-Year Plan, including projects on US-40 and I-70.
02:16:16 PM  
There was a discussion
about re-vegetation in Glenwood Canyon, including partnerships with the
United States Forest Service.  Mr. Harrelson talked about prior re-vegetation
projects, including lengeth of time for the revegetation process (five
years).
02:20:09 PM  
There was a discussion
about communication for the Cottonwood Pass alternative, including time
tables.  Director Lew mentioned community workshops to increase communication.
 This alternative is currently the subject of Transportation Commission
meetings and work shops.
02:23:23 PM  
VMT calculations
were discussed, including the use of a nationwide metric to calculate road
capacity for future build efforts.  Additional discussion included
the state of roads.  Director Lew indicated that the federal government
rates roads and focuses on highways, rather than rural roads.  She
acknowledged that rural roads are important in Colorado. Director Lew talked
about federal ratings on bridges and mentioned that it is easier to fix
bridges that are not as far gone.
02:27:29 PM  
There was a discussion
about transportation funding, as well as public transit.  The department
indicated that a number of local transit agencies participated in the program
to reduce emissions by offering zero fare in August 2022.   Participation
statistics shared by the department included 280 public transit agencies
and local governments, however some rural agencies were unable to participate
due to employee shortages.
02:32:31 PM  
There was a discussion
about freight on the roads, including the weight on county roads.  Director
Lew talked about improvements on I-70 and I-76 as part of the 10-Year Plan.
02:34:51 PM  
There was further discussion about traffic fatalities.
02:35:40 PM  
Director Lew talked about the Revitalizing Main Streets program.
02:39:38 PM  
Mr. Sudmeir, representing
CDOT, talked about budget requests for Fiscal Year 2023-24, including avalanche
mitigation.
02:41:17 PM  
The budget for the
department is $1.75 billion, with 85 percent of funds going to core construction
and maintenance.
02:42:21 PM  
Mr. Sudmeir talked
about the status of CDOT's $543 million in stimilus funding.
02:44:04 PM  
There was a discussion
about funding for the sustainability of the transportation system.
02:45:53 PM  
There was a discussion
about federal competitive grants.



Presentation from Front Range Passenger Rail District - Committee Discussion Only
02:49:25 PM  
Chair of the Board
Jim Souby, representing the Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPRD),
introduced staff, including Deborah Mulvey, Board Member, and Andy Karsian,
General Manager.  There was a PowerPoint presentation (Attachment
B).  Mr. Souby provided basic information about the district.  He
talked about funding, the governing board, and district details.
02:53:49 PM  
Ms. Mulvey, representing
FRPRD, talked about the service plan, including the corridor plan.
02:56:15 PM  
Mr. Karsian, representing
the FRPRD, talked about the jurisdictions that the district is working
with, as well as funding for the district.
02:57:50 PM  
Mr. Karsian talked about the four-year plan for the district.



Presentation from the Regional Transportation District (RTD) - Committee Discussion Only
03:00:26 PM  
Lynn Guessinger,
Chair of the Board of Directors representing the Regional Transportation
District (RTD), provided basic information about district. Debra Johnson,
General Manager and Chief Executive Officer representing RTD,  provided
an overview of people power, the zero fare for better air initiative, and
the systemwide fare study and equity analysis.  Ms. Johnson gave a
PowerPoint presentation (Attachment C).
03:05:00 PM  
General Manager Johnson
talked employees, including attrition rates.
03:06:55 PM  
Ms. Johnson talked
about the zero fare for better air initiative which resulted in increased
ridership increase.  There were no significant route impacts and crime
remained stable.  She mentioned that air quality cannot be quantifid.
03:09:36 PM  
Ms. Johnson talked
about the fare study and equity analysis.
03:10:52 PM  
Ms. Johnson indicated
that RTD is studying fares to simplify the fare structure.
03:12:08 PM  
General Manager Johnson
indicated that RTD is in its last phase of the study, conducting extensive
outreach with two fare alternatives.  She said that the information
will be provided to the board in March or April.  Ms. Johnson shared
that the equity analysis should be complete within one year.
03:13:41 PM  
There was a discussion
about mandatory overtime.  Ms. Johnson shared that employees working
directly for RTD are not required to work mandatory overtime.
03:14:34 PM  
There was additional
discussion about fares, especially for those who travel often.
03:17:51 PM  
RTD's budget was
discussed.
03:19:26 PM  
Ms. Johnson answered
questions about the support of transit through fares.
03:20:12 PM  
Ms. Johnson responded
to questions about partnerships for transit.



Public Testimony - Committee Discussion Only
03:24:40 PM  
Molly McKinley, representing
Denver Streets Partnership, testified.  Ms. Marie Venner, representing
Small Business Alliance; current and former city councilors and commissioners;
Unite North Metro Denver; Colorado Call to Action; and more, testified.



Presentation from the Joint Budget Committee Pursuant to Joint Rule 25(d) - Committee Discussion Only
03:31:22 PM  
The Joint Budget
Committee talked with the committee about CDOT's budget.  The committee
provided a handout (Attachment D).
03:35:52 PM  
There was a discussion about enterprise funds.



Call to Order and Introductions - Committee Discussion Only


03:55:41 PM   The committee adjourned.






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