Did you know many of Colorado’s 9,000 miles of roads and 3,700 bridges in service today were constructed during the Eisenhower era? President Eisenhower constructed Colorado’s infrastructure to serve as a national defense purpose. Colorado’s roads were built to last approximately 20 years. Now segments of the state highways are 70 to 100 years old, while interstates range from 40 to 50 years in age.

Looking at the shape of some of our roads, it’s obvious they have long passed their useful life. Many are in need of maintenance, while others are long overdue, and will have to be totally reconstructed or closed to ensure the safety of the public.

The state’s aging and inadequate transportation system was never designed to take the demands of the 21st century capacity and load demands, much less handle future growth. However, our roads are a fundamental piece of our economic viability. So how did we let the state’s infrastructure fall apart? The fact is, our transportation revenue is not keeping up with inflation and construction cost. Colorado’s gasoline tax, the primary source of transportation funding, has not increased since 1991. And even in good economic years, the Legislature has had to allocate additional revenue from the general fund to supplement the gas tax since 1997.

In order to resolve the state’s transportation system financial problems, in April 2007 Gov. Ritter established his Blue Ribbon Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel to identify long-term sustainable programs and funding sources for transportation in Colorado. The 32-member panel and its technical advisory council conducted more than a year of research and held a series of regional meetings around Colorado, and in January 2008 produced “A Report to Colorado” on how to address Colorado’s current and future transportation needs. The report identifies the quiet crisis facing transportation funding in Colorado.

The first phase of the panel’s recommendations focus on how future transportation dollars should be invested. The panel recommended the following investment focus: mobility investments in large corridor reconstruction projects statewide to address safety and congestion; shoulder improvements to address impacts of increased agricultural and oil-and-gas activities as well as bicycle, pedestrian and overall safety; transit enhancements in both urban and rural areas to address human service/health access, jobs and recreation needs; environmental stewardship to mitigate impacts; bike/pedestrian enhancement, including safe routes to schools and to encourage reduction in vehicle use and provide safe walking environments; and allocation for local governments to invest in roadways and transit, recognizing both are part of the broader transportation network.

The second phase of the panel’s recommendations deal with funding thresholds and potential revenue sources: preferred threshold — $1.5 billion annually; additional options include $2 billion, $1 billion and $500 million.

Having $1.5 billion annually would make it possible for the state to address needs across all program areas. One-third of the new revenue, approximately $500 million, would be focused on safely preserving roads, bridges, shoulders and other existing components of infrastructure. The other $1 billion would go to projects designed to relieve traffic congestion, better connect regions of Colorado, improve local roads and add more transit options.

In June 2008, Gov. Ritter directed the panel to embark on a public education campaign about the state’s dire transportation funding situation. For information about the panel or to review the Blue Ribbon Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel’s complete report, “A Report to Colorado”, visit http://www.dot.state.co.us/StateWidePlanning/PlansStudies/blueribbon.asp.

Sabrina Harris is transportation manager for the city of Glenwood Springs.