SB 2016-011 proposes to eliminate the transit portion of Colorado’s FASTER funding. This small but critical funding stream has helped Colorado transit make essential connections between regions, provided much-needed capital for replacing older buses, and provided match to leverage federal dollars.
We are asking you to please call or email your state representative and senator (you can find their contact information here: Find your legislator and request that they OPPOSE this bill.
The passage of Senate Bill 1 in 2006 brought Colorado into the ranks of 47 other states that fund transit capital projects. We could not have built our facility without SB-1 funds ($5.25 million). The subsequent FASTER legislation adopted in 2010 earmarked 10% of new transportation revenues for transit. FASTER funding has enabled Via to purchase four MV-1 CNG-fueled vehicles for our Via Paratransit service. It is also funding the procurement of three new HOP vehicles. Since the end of congressional earmarks, we have no dedicated revenue source for replacement vehicles for the HOP service, which provides more than 800,000 passenger trips per year. Without FASTER funds, we would have no source of funding for these general public transit vehicles other than sporadic FTA calls for projects such as the Low/No Emission vehicle grants.
This is a small but critical piece of the funding transit agencies use to replace aging fleet vehicles. Rolling back the 10% for Transit provision would be a big blow to Via and to other transit agencies in the state.
And, if you have the time and inclination, a call to the bill sponsors would also be very helpful.
They are:
Patrick Neville
State Representative – District 45 (Douglas County)
Phone: 303-866-2948
E-Mail: patrick.neville.house@state.co.us
Tim Neville
State Senator – District 16 (Boulder, Denver, Gilpin, and Jefferson Counties)
Phone: 303-866-4873
E-Mail: tim.neville.senate@state.co.us
Thanks for any support you may wish to give.
