Mayor Steve Bach and the Pikes Peak Region Mayors Caucus, sent a letter to Don Hunt, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, reminding CDOT to give Colorado Springs and other cities in the Pike’s Peak region all the funding we’ve been promised.

Every year, our region is assigned about 9.5% of CDOT’s $1.2 billion annual budget, funding for rebuilding roads and developing our transportation systems. (And actually this year, we’ve been assigned 10.3% of the CDOT budget.) But over the last six years we’ve always received less than what we were promised, averaging per year only 7.6% of the annual budget, which has withheld from us about $135 million in all.

Mayor Bach’s letter does not ask to have the $135 million given to us, but does request that we be given our full 10.3% this year, which would be about $22 million more than what we normally receive. “With our long list of needed projects, this funding is crucial,” the letter says.

The letter was also signed by Calhan’s Mayor Blair Bartling, Cripple Creek’s Mayor Bruce Brown, Monument’s Mayor Travis Easton, Victor’s Mayor Buck Hakes, Fountain’s Mayor Jeri Howells, Woodland Park’s Mayor Dave Turley, Manitou Springs’ Mayor Marc Snyder, Green Mountain Falls’ Mayor Lorrie Worthey, Teller County’s Commission Chair Jim Ignatius, and El Paso County’s Commission Chair Amy Lathen.

Here is the entire letter from Mayor Bach and the Pikes Peak Region Mayors Caucus to Don Hunt:

Mr. Don Hunt

Colorado Department of Transportation

4201 East Arkansas Avenue, Room 262

Denver, Colorado 80222

 

Dear Mr. Hunt:

 

The members of the Pikes Peak Region Mayors Caucus have reviewed the information contained in your May 14, 2012 email to Mayor Steve Bach, regarding funding percentages for the Pikes Peak region (see attached).  We are in agreement with the facts contained in the email and believe the email supports our conclusions that the Pikes Peak region has not received its fair share of funding.

The calculations in the email are based on a $935 Million budget for CDOT.  The actual CDOT budget is approximately $1.2 Billion, but CDOT assumes a reduced budget to determine MOU amounts.  We are willing to accept this methodology as long as we have access to calculations so that we can verify conclusions.

Within that $935 Million budget, the Pikes Peak Region will receive $96 Million in 2012 (10.27% of the budget).  This includes the $30 Million provided for the I-25 widening.  This exceeds our MOU agreement of 9.48% and we have no argument with the funding allocation in 2012.  Our disagreement is in our historic and possible future funding.

Over the last six years (2006 to 2011) our portion of the statewide funding (according to CDOT calculations and confirmed during an April 12^th meeting with CDOT staff) has been 7.06%.  During that same time period CDOT was able to meet the DRCOG MOU funding amount.  If our six year average had been 9.48% there would have been over $135 Million in additional funding available to the Pikes Peak Region.  For that amount of funding we could have reconstructed both the Cimarron Interchange and the Fillmore Interchange on I-25, or other critically needed projects in the region, during the last six years.

The 2013 Budget (with the additions recently recommended by STAC and the Transportation Commission) demonstrates that in 2013 DRCOG will receive 39% funding while PPACG will only receive 6% of funding.  That means DRCOG will be receiving 97.5% of their anticipated amount will PPACG will only receive 63% of our agreed upon funding.

As the elected officials within the Pikes Peak Region, we feel it is important for CDOT to commit to funding the region at the 9.48% that was agreed upon.  This would provide an additional $22 Million every year to the region.  With our long list of needed projects, this funding is crucial.

 

Regards,

 

Steve Bach                  Blair Bartling          Bruce Brown         Travis Easton         

Colorado Springs           Calhan                     Cripple Creek         Monument               

 

Buck Hakes                 

Victor

 

Jeri Howells                 Jim Ignatius            Amy Lathen

Fountain                        Teller County            El Paso County                                     

 

Marc Snyder                      

Manitou Springs

 

Dave Turley                 Lorrie Worthey

Woodland Park             Green Mountain Falls

 

CC:       John Hickenlooper, Governor, State of Colorado

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20745073/colorado-springs-claims-cdot-consistently-underfunds-citys-road