[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: DRCOG Board Meeting Sept. 21-Bombing Range-Mileage Base User Fees-TDM Funding

[kohls at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Cowles, Macon

We rec'd an update on the Lowry Bombing Range in SE Arapahoe County. ARapahoe County, you will recall, created a huge row in 2007 with their plans to do urban level development on a part of the Range. But in 2009, the developer, Lend Lease, pulled out. At the Board meeting we heard from the State Land Board of the latest plan for the Bombing Range. Now, the development is centered around drilling for natural gas. The Land Board figures that permitting the development will earn the Board $400MM in royalties over 20 years.

We also heard a report on:

MILEAGE-BASED USER FEE SYMPOSIUM
Information was shared about a conference attended by Board members. The Symposium on Mileage-Based User Fees was hosted by the Texas Transportation Institute. A mileage-based user fee is an alternative way to finance the construction and maintenance of roads based on how much people drive, rather than on how much gas is put in the tank of a vehicle.

What is remarkable about this topic is that mileage based user fees are now being embraced by the more conservative members of the Board. So over time, this may get to be a viable way of financing regional transportation projects.

FUNDING ALLOCATED TO REGIONAL TRAVEL DEMAND MANAGEMENT PROJECTS
The Board also adopted a resolution allocating funding for fiscal years 2012-2013 to 15 proj- ects promoting the use of transportation alternatives. The Regional Travel Demand Manage- ment pool totals $1.8 million for the two years. DRCOG received 25 project submittals for the funds, totaling about $4 million in requests. 

These Boulder projects were funded, though not at the levels that the applicants wanted.


Boulder East TMO          US 36 Transit Incentive Program
36 Commuting Solutions TMA        US 36 Transit Incentive Program
Boulder County      Nederland Monthly Pass Program
Community Cycles (Boulder)         Employee Bike Ambassadors
Boulder County   Diagonal Highway Vehicle Trip Reduction Program

Macon Cowles
Boulder City Councilor