In Colorado, that new vision was catalyzed by climate change. In 2019, Gov. Jared Polis signed a law that required the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent within 30 years. As the state tried to figure out how it would get there, it zeroed in on drivers. Transportation is the largest single contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for about 30 percent of the total; 60 percent of that comes from cars and trucks. To reduce emissions, Coloradans would have to drive less.
Wasn’t 470 all funded by municipal bonds, paid for by tolls and some vehicle registrations and governed by a board of local governments? And last I heard they still had like $1.2B to pay off. I don’t necessarily like the model, but I’m sure the alternative models where federal funds, general taxes, etc are used for growing roads forever aren’t any better. I’m not for profiteering, but I am for road users paying the actual costs instead of begging for subsidized roads as per usual.
As to RTD, yeah it’s a mess but for a lot of different reasons, with the top one imo is the dog shit land use policies in the entire service area. They were dealt a damn near impossible hand given the horrible sprawl and shit development, which tragically is still going on right now (barfs in general airport direction).
I thought I had read years ago that it was paid off, but looking it up now, you are right. I need to retract that part of it.