CDOT to sell our roads without citizen approval.

[nynco]

I am not trying to start a debate about socialism or capitalism here. Please don't turn it into that. This is about the citizens of Colorado deciding our future. I can see many Conservatives and Tea Party patriots being interested in this.

CDOT is getting ready to sell our roads to a private company for a lease of 50 years. They plan to do this to I36 first and then I70 and I25 and more. This is being fast tracked on purpose to prevent the public from debating the sale of our roads. There is language in contract that prevents Colorado from improving on the roads for the next 50 years in any way that hinders the profit of the company buying our roads. To include improving local roads around the new toll roads. This could even be used to kill off any form of infrastructure improvements over the next 50 years. To me this is a big deal and harms the citizens of this state for generations. Its like living large on a credit card.

If you support this, fine. But, I think that no un-elected bureaucracy should have the right to sell our public infrastructure without the consent of the people. I think anything like this needs to be voted on by the people. There needs to be a public referendum on a ballot before we sell our public roads. Let the public decide.

This is a link to a wordpress site that has more detail. The page stinks of hyperbole and other stuff. Don't get caught up in the liberal stuff you might take issue with. This is too important to get lost in the weeds that way. The main point is voters should decide. I think the Tea Party people can see value in that stance.

https://friendsofthecoloradopuc.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/us-36-privatization-50-year-contract-to-be-signed-weds-feb-12-2014-day-before-senate-briefing-by-cdot-2/

Is this being talked about in the Conservative world? What are the thoughts of the board members here. I have learned a great deal from you all and have changed my stances of some issues because of your sound reasoning and I would like your thought and input on this.

Thank you

[tmleadr03]

Socialism bad, capitalism good.

/Thread

[Mtn.man]

So if an Interstate is Federally funded, how can a state lease them?

[Guylee]

Looks pretty ludicrous to me. Of course they're not allowing a vote...it would immediately get shot down.

[jackthewall81]

Socialism bad, capitalism good.

/Thread
this.

[nynco]

Socialism bad, capitalism good.

/Thread

I honestly don't want to get into that at all. The point I am trying to make is I want the people to decide through a vote and not let an unelected big government bureaucracy. That big government bureaucracy should not have the power to sell our public infrastructure without our consent.

[nynco]

So if an Interstate is Federally funded, how can a state lease them?

That is a real good question and I honestly don't see how, but they are doing it.

[TFOGGER]

The Boulder Turnpike was a toll road originally, and may be the ONLY example of a toll road being turned over to the state when its construction costs were paid by tolls (as E-470 was supposed to be). The deal that is being inked now is a travesty, only benefiting Goldman Sachs and an Australian management company. They reap the benefits of our tax dollars, and provide little or noting in return, much like Coors Field and the football stadium.



The Denver-Boulder Turnpike was championed by business and university interests in Boulder due to there being no direct route between Denver and Boulder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder,_CO).[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)] The 17.3-mile (27.8 km) toll road (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toll_road) stretched from Federal Boulevard (US 287 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_287_(CO))) in Westminster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster,_CO) to Baseline Road (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseline_Road_(Colorado)) in Boulder, and opened on January 19, 1952 with a toll of $0.25. The Valley Highway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Highway) from downtown Denver opened in 1952–1954, feeding directly into the Turnpike. Most of the new highway carried SH 185 (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SH_185_(CO)&action=edit&redlink=1) (US 87 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_87_(CO))), but traffic continuing north on that route initially had to exit at 70th Avenue, now SH 224 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SH_224_(CO)), with the remainder of the route to Federal Boulevard becoming a realignment of SH 382 (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SH_382_(CO)&action=edit&redlink=1). When the bonds for the Turnpike were paid off ahead of time in 1967, tolls were removed,[7] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_36_in_Colorado#cite_note-7) and the road became State Highway 49, which also replaced all of SH 382. US 36 was also extended at this time, following the Valley Highway (by then part of I-25 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-25_(CO))) from Colfax Avenue north to SH 49, and then overlapping SH 49 to the end at Baseline Road, SH 119 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SH_119_(CO)) on 28th Street, SH 7 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SH_7_(CO)) to Lyons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyons,_CO), and SH 66 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SH_66_(CO)) to end at US 34 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_34_(CO)) in Estes Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estes_Park,_CO). Late in 1968 these redundant state highway designations were dropped,[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_36_in_Colorado#cite_note-list-1923-3) resulting in the elimination of SH 49 and SH 102, realignment of SH 119 to go more directly in Boulder, and creation of gaps on SH 7 and SH 66.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_36_in_Colorado#cite_note-maps-4) In 2012 the turnpike was also given the honorary name Buffalo Highwayin recognition of the University of Colorado's mascot,[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)] though this name has not achieved common use.

[TFOGGER]

So if an Interstate is Federally funded, how can a state lease them?

The state provides maintenance for the Interstate system, partially funded with federal tax dollars. They are attempting to contract that maintenance and construction out to private firms, but are not receiving any capital contributions for existing infrastructure.

[wctriumph]

Well, that sucks. Emails sent and calls made to my rep's and the governor.


TEA

III

[tmleadr03]

I honestly don't want to get into that at all. The point I am trying to make is I want the people to decide through a vote and not let an unelected big government bureaucracy. That big government bureaucracy should not have the power to sell our public infrastructure without our consent.

Of course but this is why I posted that...


And while I am all for private companies owning roads if they maintain them I avoid toll roads since I already pay for roads in my taxes.

[MED]

Interesting, Hickenlooper loves to outsource and these initiatives are being pushed by him in several areas of state government. It looks like 36 is a proof of concept; glad it isn't 285 or 470! Not surprised that this is being pushed by his administration and becoming an action item rather than a plan for comment; after all, these people know what is best for us, right?

[nynco]

Tfogger I agree 100%.

There is a petition here. Again... the main point I am trying to make and thankfully I see some board members agree with is - our public roads should not be sold by an un elected big government bureaucracy.

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/colorado-senate-reject-alec-nomination-to-colorado-public-utility-commission-puc

[nynco]

Of course but this is why I posted that...


And while I am all for private companies owning roads if they maintain them I avoid toll roads since I already pay for roads in my taxes.

Sorry I misunderstood you. I took it as you being cynical of me and I should not have jumped to that conclusion. I can be a little defensive around here and I am working on changing that. I also see many board members here changing and softening on their negative opinion of my past and I thank them for giving me a chance to change.

[nynco]

Interesting, Hickenlooper loves to outsource and these initiatives are being pushed by him in several areas of state government. It looks like 36 is a proof of concept; glad it isn't 285 or 470! Not surprised that this is being pushed by his administration and becoming an action item rather than a plan for comment; after all, these people know what is best for us, right?

Actually this is the first trial run and those roads might be next. Either we stop it now or we prepare for more.

[speedysst]

I think I'll try to win Powerball so I can buy a section of I-70 and repaint the lines like Kramer did in Seinfeld. Instead of 3 lanes, I'll make 2 really wide ones!

[BPTactical]

It is called "Privatization" and it is something that as a former employee of CDOT we fought for years. The uninitiated think this is a way to save the state million in maintenance costs.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It will cost state employees jobs and cost the taxpayers millions.
The deal for 36 is already a done deal, the contracts were signed last year. That is why you have construction from Boulder to Denver along its entire length.
Within 3 days of signing, ground was broken. The plans and projects were in place long before the contract was signed and quite a few were no bid contracts.
This has been tried before and failed in an epic fashion. Illinois tried it and ended up selling all of its facilities and equipment to contractors.
Levels of service went down, response times expanded.
It cost hundreds of millions there when Illinois had to buy back property and equipment.
I was part of a team assigned to write justification for keeping maintenance in the hands of state assets. We worked for 4 months and came up with a very lucid and compelling fact based presentation why maintenance of state highways needs to stay in the hands of state assets.
It never made it to the Transportation Commision.

[nynco]

That sucks BPTacticle thanks for sharing your experience and I am not surprised in the least. This is being voted by a non elected body on purpose in order to make it so no one that we can vote for is to blame. It is corruption by design.

[roberth]

It is called "Privatization" and it is something that as a former employee of CDOT we fought for years. The uninitiated think this is a way to save the state million in maintenance costs.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It will cost state employees jobs and cost the taxpayers millions.
The deal for 36 is already a done deal, the contracts were signed last year. That is why you have construction from Boulder to Denver along its entire length.
Within 3 days of signing, ground was broken. The plans and projects were in place long before the contract was signed and quite a few were no bid contracts.
This has been tried before and failed in an epic fashion. Illinois tried it and ended up selling all of its facilities and equipment to contractors.
Levels of service went down, response times expanded.
It cost hundreds of millions there when Illinois had to buy back property and equipment.
I was part of a team assigned to write justification for keeping maintenance in the hands of state assets. We worked for 4 months and came up with a very lucid and compelling fact based presentation why maintenance of state highways needs to stay in the hands of state assets.
It never made it to the Transportation Commision.

Normally I want everything privatized. I want the government out of education, I want the government out of mortgage loans and the auto business. I want the government to stop income transfers from the middle class to the wealthy and the poor.

I'm thinking about the General Welfare clause in The Constitution. It appears to me that roads are part of the General Welfare which benefits each citizen, much like national defense or the judicial system.

Education is specific welfare which only benefits those with children and only for the duration of their child's education. The government's involvement in the auto industry only benefited the UAW which makes it specific welfare for a select group. Obamacare is specific welfare, it only benefits those who don't pay in or who are subsidized. Section 8 housing is specific welfare benefiting only those who qualify for it, same for WIC and EBT. When the government invests our tax money in companies like Solyndra and other scams that is specific welfare because All of the citizens didn't get a benefit, only the people running and working for Solyndra got anything.

[SideShow Bob]

Help, didn't you people know that the HOT lanes from downtown to US 36 are under private contract already ? And has been for years.

[Great-Kazoo]

I honestly don't want to get into that at all. The point I am trying to make is I want the people to decide through a vote and not let an unelected big government bureaucracy. That big government bureaucracy should not have the power to sell our public infrastructure without our consent.

I know a bunch of folks who live on the rez that agree.

[esaabye]

So I read the petition and it was going fine until they suggest we increase gas taxes ( to hurt SUV drivers) increase income taxes to hurt the fat cats and increase oil and gas royalties. This group is not interested in the same outcomes as I am. Their solution is to increase my taxes, those of my employer, and hamper my ability to travel so that the state can increase the labor pool and keep providing the same mediocre service they do now.

while not a fan of this contract I am not a fan of your alternative (assuming you are in agreement with the petition you shared)

[68Charger]

Hickenlooper and democrat administration doing something not fiscally responsible? (this is my shocked face)

I simply will not take the toll roads (when I travel back East it's practically unavoidable, but company pays the tolls then)

I hope is it is a complete an monumental failure, and winds up being referred to as "Hick's folly" and the disgrace kills his national political career...
but in reality, he probably bought a future election with the deal...

[Aloha_Shooter]

I wonder how much this Change.org petition resembles the ludicrous petitions you'd see on Leno or O'Reilly. I'm no fan of Goldman Sachs but read a bit further down on the webpage ...


CDOT makes the false claim that privatization is the only source of money for upgrading Colorado Highways. Privatization is like a high interest credit card loan. The state of Colorado gets quick upfront cash, then has to pay high interest and profits to foreign toll road firms and Wall Street bankers for the next 50 years. Public Finance options for US 36 include:


Use the more than $70 million in new marijuana tax revenue to finance education and Colorado public highways
Add a 2% flat tax on all income, including capital gains over $500,000 in Colorado. Wall Street Bankers want all people in Colorado to pay road tolls.
Instead, let’s have the Wall Street Bankers pay a little more tax to support Colorado public highways.
Let’s do a small increase on the fuel tax to fund public highways. This will also encourage people driving gas guzzling vehicles like Hummers to move to more fuel efficient or electric vehicles like VIA Motors pickup trucks and cargo vans (http://www.viamotors.com/).
Let’s do a small increase on the oil and natural gas production tax in Colorado. The vast profits of the oil and gas sector can help fund Colorado public highways.



Yeah, I'm not quite ready to call BS on this one but my BS meter is pinging real hard. It sounds more like another incremental front for getting voters behind another tax increase. The last thing we need is to give Ferrandino and company another source of revenue to spend.

[DeusExMachina]

Hey, idiots: http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/994634-what-or-who-driving-all-panic-about-alleged-privatization-us-36-boulder

[nynco]

I don't agree with the tax solutions as many of you do not either. But I look at that as a battle for another day. Right now, the important part for me is preventing this from being signed later this week.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Yeah because the rest of the state should have to pay for those privileged drivers speeding merrily along from Denver to Boulder or Denver to Fort Fun. A toll road is the perfect solution to meet the upgrade needs there -- and the tax "solutions" proffered on that website are just the in Ferrandino and company want to circumvent TABOR. Nah, so far, I see nothing to protest and everything to support the toll lane solution.

[bogie]

Yeah because the rest of the state should have to pay for those privileged drivers speeding merrily along from Denver to Boulder

Now that you mention it, why should I pay for the six lanes that let drivers sit on 25 when driving between cos and south Denver?

[Aloha_Shooter]

Now that you mention it, why should I pay for the six lanes that let drivers sit on 25 when driving between cos and south Denver?

You paid for them because it's a part of the Interstate system which is a nationwide express route intended to ease the logistic burden of national defense. Eisenhower was inspired by the Autobahn system in Germany and how it helped them speed transport of troops and war materials. The express lanes they're talking about charging tolls for are a whole other deal altogether -- if the proposal was to turn all of I-25 into a toll road, I'd be on the side of people protesting that but that's NOT what's being done. In point of fact, what they are doing is getting lease money from investors who propose to front the money necessary to repair and upgrade a much larger portion of the infrastructure and then get their money back by charging tolls to use the express portions of the highway -- so the people using those portions are the ones paying the bill.

My apologies for injecting a little reality and a few facts into this discussion.

[BPTactical]

CDOT is funded by taxes on fuel sales and supplemented by fed dollars. If anybody tells you different they are full of shit.
No money from the general fund/coffers goes to CDOT.
Therefore any proposed tax increase will go the the general fund and NOT CDOT.
They are lying.

[tmleadr03]

CDOT is funded by taxes on fuel sales and supplemented by fed dollars. If anybody tells you different they are full of shit.
No money from the general fund/coffers goes to CDOT.
Therefore any proposed tax increase will go the the general fund and NOT CDOT.
They are lying.

Unless they raise fuel sales tax...

[jerrymrc]

Unless they raise fuel sales tax...

And the problem with that is the "other" vehicles that use the roads is increasing and not paying any and/or very reduced taxes. Some states are coming up with a plan that drives the tree hugger's nuts. [Flower]

[tmleadr03]

And the problem with that is the "other" vehicles that use the roads is increasing and not paying any and/or very reduced taxes. Some states are coming up with a plan that drives the tree hugger's nuts. [Flower]

Mileage tax.

[Eric P]

Mileage tax.

How many of you would accept a gps tracker in your vehicle? Who would own the data?

Another aspect of the VMT is they could change the tax rate based on congestion, air pollution alert days, or what road you are driving on. It would track what roads are travelled and divvy up the tax dollars based on what roads are used.

I think the only way I could accept it is if only used the GPS to verify you are on a taxable road and to start the odometer. Once off a road, say your private drive, the odometer would turn off. Same if you left the state.

[spqrzilla]

CDOT is funded by taxes on fuel sales and supplemented by fed dollars. If anybody tells you different they are full of shit.
No money from the general fund/coffers goes to CDOT.
Therefore any proposed tax increase will go the the general fund and NOT CDOT.
They are lying.

Well, sure they are lying. But dollars are fungible. The idea that X is funded by Y is really not true. Its not like they paint little "CDOT" initials on the Federal Reserve notes received from the gas stations. If I pay my Xcel bill from my checking account, does that mean that my wife's income made no contribution to that bill?

[bobbyfairbanks]

Privatization is not socialism or communism but a very large step to freedom. You should be happy that things are leaving the governments control and being transferred private hands.

[RblDiver]

CDOT is funded by taxes on fuel sales and supplemented by fed dollars. If anybody tells you different they are full of shit.

Indeed, my dad (civil engineer with CDOT) was saying the other day that his projects are ~80% paid by the feds. (Which makes an interesting situation now that they're in something of a fight with the Nat'l Parks Service).

[Rabid]

Privatization is not socialism or communism but a very large step to freedom. You should be happy that things are leaving the governments control and being transferred private hands.
Do you think they will lower our fuel taxes if the highways were privatized? Lets just answer that, no they will not. I do not want my wallet getting picked by two hands rather then one. There are two things i do not want privatized right now. That being our infrastructure and our safety, be it police, fire, and even the air traffic controllers the R's have been after for decades to name a few. If we can cut costs, zero out our taxes in that area and improve on what we already have then it is time to take care of those concerns but i do not see it yet. This is our government taking care of this without public say, what a stupid idea. Why not open it up to bidding after we the people decide what we think needs to be done while they lease our land from us. Why can't we the people determine fines if the winner of the contract can not complete their work on time with the least inconvenience. The road to privatization needs to be lead by use not a bunch of special interest groups that control our money grubbing officials.

[rockhound]

Privatization is not socialism or communism but a very large step to freedom. You should be happy that things are leaving the governments control and being transferred private hands.



you are nuts, i lived in florida for years. they did not open a major highway project the entire time i was there that was not a toll road. it is higher now, but at the time it was 9 bucks to run the east/west expresssway from one end of orlando to the other. 18 bucks a day added to a commute, $360 a month if you had to commute.

wow that sounds like freedom

[Aloha_Shooter]

1. CDOT is not selling US 36. They are leasing out portions of it in return for a private concern taking care of the maintenance so the state not only gets cash out of the deal but is relieved of an annual expense. The private concern thinks they can make it work financially by charging a toll for people who want express routes.
2. We would be paying for US 36 maintenance and upgrades anyway. The difference here is that the cost is being borne by those who want to travel faster.
3. You can still go east to west across Florida without paying the tolls, it just takes 3-4 times as long. The toll road is successful because people want to get from I-95 to Naples or Tampa or West Palm Beach faster and are willing to pay for it. It is freedom because you have choices: you can pay in cash or you can pay in time. Florida has no income taxes and a lower sales tax than we do here -- and some of you want to give the Dems permission to raise taxes even more to pay for highway maintenance that should already be budgeted.
4. From what I've been able to dig up in the past day, the toll road and private-public partnership proposals have been open and transparent -- including bidding -- for two years. It's not CDOT's fault that most of us have ignored it because of the fights over Amendment 64, gun control, sex education in elementary schools, etc.

Why am I not surprised this thread was started by nynco? It's so full of misinformation you'd think it came from the White House Communications Director.

[Skip]

As a citizen I approve the sale of Boulder. With substantial tolls for anyone entering, leaving and sky high property taxes.

Who do I write to make that happen?

[DeusExMachina]

Goldman Sachs, or some other liberal hot button bank.

[Sawin]

1. CDOT is not selling US 36. They are leasing out portions of it in return for a private concern taking care of the maintenance so the state not only gets cash out of the deal but is relieved of an annual expense. The private concern thinks they can make it work financially by charging a toll for people who want express routes.
2. We would be paying for US 36 maintenance and upgrades anyway. The difference here is that the cost is being borne by those who want to travel faster.
3. You can still go east to west across Florida without paying the tolls, it just takes 3-4 times as long. The toll road is successful because people want to get from I-95 to Naples or Tampa or West Palm Beach faster and are willing to pay for it. It is freedom because you have choices: you can pay in cash or you can pay in time. Florida has no income taxes and a lower sales tax than we do here -- and some of you want to give the Dems permission to raise taxes even more to pay for highway maintenance that should already be budgeted.
4. From what I've been able to dig up in the past day, the toll road and private-public partnership proposals have been open and transparent -- including bidding -- for two years. It's not CDOT's fault that most of us have ignored it because of the fights over Amendment 64, gun control, sex education in elementary schools, etc.

Why am I not surprised this thread was started by nynco? It's so full of misinformation you'd think it came from the White House Communications Director.

Thank you

[roberth]

Thank you Aloha_Shooter.

[Ronin13]

you are nuts, i lived in florida for years. they did not open a major highway project the entire time i was there that was not a toll road. it is higher now, but at the time it was 9 bucks to run the east/west expresssway from one end of orlando to the other. 18 bucks a day added to a commute, $360 a month if you had to commute.

wow that sounds like freedom
I concur on this... My GF is from Orlando- when she worked at Sea World and lived in the only place she could afford (45min-1hr away) it was either pay a crap ton of money to be 45min away, or avoid the toll roads and be 3hrs away. That's a huge difference. In the modern era, where time is money, it's a toss up: pay more, drive less; pay less, drive more. Toll roads can go up everywhere, as long as I don't have to pay more for gas. Rabid put it very well- I too would rather only one hand be in my pocket than two; and considering I may get a job in Louisville, while my GF still lives in Denver, I'd rather not have the choice between pay a toll 4-6x a week (if you factor round trip) or drive 1-2hrs to avoid the toll... either way I'm paying in either gas or tolls. This is why I avoid E-470. And Aloha, good points. However, some of us (well myself) aren't that good at seeking out obscure and lesser reported stories like this while we have other issues that took the forefront lately (64, guns, etc.). Hence why I rely on you savage bunch to fill me on in the stories that aren't top priority on some of the sites I get news from (note: NOT MSM). [Beer]

[BPTactical]

I concur on this... My GF is from Orlando- when she worked at Sea World and lived in the only place she could afford (45min-1hr away) it was either pay a crap ton of money to be 45min away, or avoid the toll roads and be 3hrs away. That's a huge difference. In the modern era, where time is money, it's a toss up: pay more, drive less; pay less, drive more. Toll roads can go up everywhere, as long as I don't have to pay more for gas. Rabid put it very well- I too would rather only one hand be in my pocket than two; and considering I may get a job in Louisville, while my GF still lives in Denver, I'd rather not have the choice between pay a toll 4-6x a week (if you factor round trip) or drive 1-2hrs to avoid the toll... either way I'm paying in either gas or tolls. This is why I avoid E-470. And Aloha, good points. However, some of us (well myself) aren't that good at seeking out obscure and lesser reported stories like this while we have other issues that took the forefront lately (64, guns, etc.). Hence why I rely on you savage bunch to fill me on in the stories that aren't top priority on some of the sites I get news from (note: NOT MSM). [Beer]


You got a GF?
Now that is news....

[Aloha_Shooter]

Oh gee, this press release is almost two years old: http://boulder.kdvr.com/news/transportation/111216-cdot-looking-bids-us-36-improvement-project

What does it say? (My emphasis in red bold)


CDOT looking for bids on U.S. 36 Improvement Project
Submitted by
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012, 11:04am







Topics: Transportation (http://boulder.kdvr.com/news/transportation)






Print E-mail







Yesterday, the Colorado High Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE) released a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a public-private partnership (P3) for Phase 2 of the US 36 Managed Lanes/Bus Rapid Transit project, the phase that will complete improvements to the corridor between Denver and Boulder. US 36 is a priority regional transportation project in one of the highest growth corridors in the state.
The successful bidder is expected to design, build and finance Phase 2 of US 36 and operate and maintain the managed lanes for the full US 36 corridor as well as for the I-25 HOV/Express Lanes, a total of about 24 miles. The “design, build, finance, operate, maintain” agreement will be structured as a toll concession and is expected to have a term of 50 years.

Statements of Qualifications are due in April and a short list of qualified proposers is expected to be announced in May.
A copy of the RFQ may be obtained via the following link: http://www.coloradohpte.com (http://www.coloradohpte.com/) or at: http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/US36ManagedLanes. For more information, contact Kari Grant at 303-757-9380.
About the US 36 Managed Lanes/Bus Rapid Transit Project:
Phase I of the multi-modal US 36 project will reconstruct US 36 between Federal Boulevard and the Interlocken Loop interchange. Construction of Phase I is expected to begin in spring of 2012.

Phase II, for which RFQs are being requested, will complete the reconstruction of US 36 between the Interlocken Loop and Foothills Parkway in Boulder. Both phases of the US 36 improvements consist of the following elements:



Reconstruction and widening of US 36 to accommodate a new buffer-separated managed lane in each direction of US 36 as well as 12-foot shoulders
Reconstruction existing pavement
Construction of sound walls
Construction of retaining walls
Installing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for tolling, transit information and incident management
Accommodating queue bypass lanes at on-ramps
Where feasible, installing a commuter bikeway
Replacing necessary structures
Implementing an appropriate transportation demand management (TDM) program

Press Release








So the managed (toll) lanes are new additional lanes but existing lanes will be rehabbed too. You will be able to use the rehabbed non-toll lanes, you'll just have to contend with the traffic from everyone else who doesn't want to pay the toll.

I haven't dug in any further but I'll bet the "Friends of the Colorado PUC" has strong ties to unions, environmentalists, and other nutcase lying friends of Bloomberg/Obama/etc. (whoops, sorry that's pretty redundant).

[Rabid]

Oh gee, this press release is almost two years old: http://boulder.kdvr.com/news/transportation/111216-cdot-looking-bids-us-36-improvement-project

What does it say? (My emphasis in red bold)



So the managed (toll) lanes are new additional lanes but existing lanes will be rehabbed too. You will be able to use the rehabbed non-toll lanes, you'll just have to contend with the traffic from everyone else who doesn't want to pay the toll.

I haven't dug in any further but I'll bet the "Friends of the Colorado PUC" has strong ties to unions, environmentalists, and other nutcase lying friends of Bloomberg/Obama/etc. (whoops, sorry that's pretty redundant).

FYI "Friends of the Colorado PUC" is not contributed by Bloomberg or Obama its the Koch brothers along with energy company's A.K.A the D's worst enemy. Is it good information, no, not at all. Its big money looking for more money. This truly is a R response, even though it does not sound like it, to the D's. My guess is they are trying to get the boulderites up in arms and effectively so if you think it was a D's proposal.

US 36 is a money pit, i can not truly remember a full year it was not under construction and i am a native. I have no clue what they are doing, maybe helping the albino humping toad or something but it is always too little to late when it is for the commuters. To turn the clock back 10 years on this abomination of a highway by turning it from a 3 and 2 lane to a 2 and 1 lane is a joke, did i paid for countless years of construction only to get charged again when i do not want to be in a traffic jam? I hope not because i feel money is owed to me for the next 50 years if it is.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Can you read? The managed lane is an ADDITIONAL lane.

[Ronin13]

Well that sure makes me feel better. Thanks for posting that Aloha... and here's a nice little update from CDOT on the whole matter, it pretty well lays out the facts:
http://www.coloradodot.info/projects/US36ExpressLanes/update-on-us-36-public-private-partnership-understanding-the-facts

[Rabid]

Can you read? The managed lane is an ADDITIONAL lane.
Someone is not a morning person [mlp]

[StevenP]

Public hearing today.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25069820/public-invited-discuss-50-year-u-s-36

[CO Hugh]

Crony capitalism. If it goes to a private company then there is a prohibition against the government building competing roads, such a provision applies to E470. What pisses me off is the state people never negotiate as tough as if it were a bond issuer or bank funding such a project, for example the stadiums.

[Aloha_Shooter]

FYI "Friends of the Colorado PUC" is not contributed by Bloomberg or Obama its the Koch brothers along with energy company's A.K.A the D's worst enemy. Is it good information, no, not at all. Its big money looking for more money. This truly is a R response, even though it does not sound like it, to the D's. My guess is they are trying to get the boulderites up in arms and effectively so if you think it was a D's proposal.


To turn the clock back 10 years on this abomination of a highway by turning it from a 3 and 2 lane to a 2 and 1 lane is a joke, did i paid for countless years of construction only to get charged again when i do not want to be in a traffic jam? I hope not because i feel money is owed to me for the next 50 years if it is.


Someone is not a morning person [mlp]

Is that a confession? [ROFL3]

Seriously, seeing the positions on their Wordpress page, the one thing "Friends of the Colorado PUC" aren't are friends of or shills for energy companies or capitalists like the Koch brothers. Just look at the snippets of these recent posts:


ALEC & Xcel Scheming Behind Closed Doors? (http://friendsofthecoloradopuc.wordpress.com/2014/01/22/alec-xcel-scheming-behind-closed-doors/)
Xcel Energy, an active member of the corporate lobbying organization the American Legislative Exchange Council through 2010, quit ALEC in 2011 to avoid negative publicity. The ALEC business model allows corporate lobbyists to pay $7,000 to $25,000 per year to write draft legislation behind closed doors with state lawmakers. State lawmakers then take the corporate lobbyist’s legislation back to the state…




Are Rate Payer Dollars Being Wasted? Xcel Energy Urged to Stop Funding ALEC Attacks on Clean Energy (http://friendsofthecoloradopuc.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/media-release-xcel-energy-urged-to-stop-funding-alec-attacks-on-clean-energy/) For Immediate Release: Jan 13, 2014 Are Rate Payer Dollars Being Wasted? Xcel Energy Urged to Stop Funding ALEC Attacks on Clean Energy via Trade Association Front, EEI (Download Media Release as PDF) Publicly Xcel says it values sustainability and renewable energy. A key question for the state of Colorado is- Are Colorado rate…

[MED]

Is that a confession? [ROFL3]

Seriously, seeing the positions on their Wordpress page, the one thing "Friends of the Colorado PUC" aren't are friends of or shills for energy companies or capitalists like the Koch brothers. Just look at the snippets of these recent posts:

I worked for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in 1994 drafting model legislation and talking points. It was sure a nice alternative to the government funded left leaning National Coalition of State Legislatures (NCSL).

[Rabid]

Is that a confession? [ROFL3]
Yes.


Seriously, seeing the positions on their Wordpress page, the one thing "Friends of the Colorado PUC" aren't are friends of or shills for energy companies or capitalists like the Koch brothers. Just look at the snippets of these recent posts:
I looked at the Coloradopols article where i got that info and they where describing ALEC.... Guess i's don't read so wells [gohome]

[MrPrena]

470 is leased to private company to pay off debt.

Toll lane for HWY 91 in CA to Riverside was owned by Level3communication in Broomfield about 13-15 years ago.