S_TRA_2023A 01/17/2023 01:35:02 PM Committee Summary PUBLICSTAFF SUMMARY OF MEETINGJOINT 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 hPresentation from Colorado Department of Transportation Committee Discussion Only hPresentation from Front Range Passenger Rail District Committee Discussion Only hPresentation from the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Committee Discussion Only hPublic Testimony Committee Discussion Only hPresentation from the Joint Budget Committee Pursuant to Joint Rule 25(d) Committee Discussion Only hCall to Order and Introductions Committee Discussion Only Presentation from Colorado Department of Transportation - Committee Discussion Only Attachment Tag File Name Attachment http://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf/0/E6DC684D4677...$File/Attachment A.pdf?OpenElement Attachment A.pdf 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 $543 million in stimilus funding. 02:44:04 PM There was a discussion about funding for the sustainability of the transportation system. 02:45:53 PM There was a discussion about federal competitive grants. Presentation from Front Range Passenger Rail District - Committee Discussion Only Attachment Tag File Name Attachment http://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf/0/91A8C41CBEDD...$File/Attachment B.pdf?OpenElement Attachment B.pdf 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 Attachment Tag File Name Attachment http://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf/0/63A2F957F34D...$File/Attachment C.pdf?OpenElement Attachment C.pdf 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 Attachment Tag File Name Attachment http://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf/0/38B9F0616FED...$File/Attachment D.pdf?OpenElement Attachment D.pdf 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.