Transportation Legislation Review Committee (07/07/2015)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

TRANSPORTATION LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE

Date:	07/07/2015	ATTENDANCE

Time:	09:08 AM to 03:52 PM	Becker J.	E
		Buck	X
Place:	RM 271	Carver	X
		Cooke	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Coram	X
	Representative Tyler	Esgar	X
		Jones	X
This Report was prepared by		Kraft-Tharp	X
	Erin Reynolds	Melton	X
		Mitsch Bush	X
		Moreno	X
		Neville P.	E
		Nordberg	X
		Scott	*
		Todd	X
		Winter	X
		Baumgardner	X
		Tyler	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
Overview of Committee Materials Presentation on Transportation Infrastructure Funding Presentation on Transportation Infrastructure Planning Update from the High Performance Transportation Enterprise Presentation on Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Presentation on Contracting and IGAs Update from the DMV Update from the RTD		Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only

09:14 AM -- Overview of Committee Materials

Matt Kiszka, Legislative Council Staff, provided an overview of the committee charge memo (Attachment A), the committee's interim schedule, and its upcoming tour of Southwest Colorado. A Colorado Business Review publication discussing various transportation-related issues was also distributed to the committee (Attachment B).

0707TransportAttachA.pdf

0707TransportAttachB.pdf

09:19 AM -- Presentation on Transportation Infrastructure Funding

Mr. Shailen Bhatt, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Maria Sobota, Acting Chief Financial Officer of CDOT, and Josh Laipply, Chief Engineer of CDOT, came to the table to present on transportation infrastructure funding and distributed a copy of their PowerPoint presentation (Attachment C). Director Bhatt provided an overview of CDOT's budget on the federal, state, and local levels. He and Mr. Laipply responded to a question about the Colorado Bridge Enterprise (CBE) Fund. Director Bhatt continued his presentation, discussing how Colorado ranks nationally and how CDOT responds to fatalities. Mr. Laipply responded to a question about the I-70 East bridge project's eligibility for CBE funding.

0707TransportAttachC.pdf

09:38 AM

Director Bhatt displayed an infographic of per capita spending in 1991 versus 2015 which indicated that dollars spent per person were $125.70 in 1991 versus $68.94 in 2015. Committee discussion ensued on inflation, the effect of federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes on project timelines, and project expediency in general. Specific questions were asked about projects in Weld County, 6th Avenue, and Idaho Springs. Discussion continued regarding CDOT's efforts to communicate construction delays to the general public.

09:58 AM

Director Bhatt addressed the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF). He responded to a question about his ideas for innovative transportation funding solutions based on his experiences in other states and throughout his career in transportation. Director Bhatt addressed CDOT's estimated shortfall for the next 20 years. Ms. Sobota began her presentation of CDOT's sources of revenue and how those are applied to CDOT's annual budget. She responded to a question about Senate Bill 09-228 transfers to the HUTF. She stated that FASTER fees and CBE funds are helping to fill the gap. Director Bhatt addressed the uncertainty of CDOT's funding, and discussed its negative impact on multi-year projects. Mr. Laipply provided a brief presentation of CDOT's asset management goals and cited specifics. He stated that CDOT placed emphasis on snow and ice removal. The panel responded to final questions about flood funding, CDOT's interactions with the military and its response to a recent recommendation that transportation deficiencies be assessed around military installations in the state, and, finally, the impact of deferred maintenance.

10:24 AM -- Presentation on Transportation Infrastructure Planning

A panel came to the table to address the subject of transportation infrastructure planning. Mr. Ed Peterson, representing Transportation Commission District 2, distributed a printed version of his PowerPoint presentation (Attachment D) and discussed the history of the Transportation Commission and its current makeup. He discussed the process through which the Transportation Commission sets its policy direction and budgets and allocates funds. He highlighted a slide on FY 2015-16 asset management projects and discussed project selection. He stated that the transportation commission does not generally choose projects, rather it sets policy goals and performance objectives for the state transportation system. He discussed commission meetings and the commitment of transportation commissioners. Mr. Peterson responded to questions from the committee about local input and project justification, and about CDOT's facility improvement plans in Pueblo.

0707TransportAttachD.pdf

10:45 AM

Ms. Jill Ryan, Eagle County Commissioner and Intermountain Transportation Planning Region Vice-Chair, and Ms. Eva Wilson, Eagle County Engineer, came to the table to present on the work of the Intermountain Transportation Planning Region (IMTPR). Ms. Ryan distributed a printed version of her PowerPoint presentation (Attachment E). Ms. Ryan discussed the destination-oriented nature of the I-70 corridor and how population is not the only indicator of road use or vehicle miles traveled. Ms. Wilson discussed the topography challenges and other unique attributes of rural mountain communities. Ms. Ryan discussed funding challenges faced by the IMTPR, and the public-public partnership strategies being employed in the area. Ms. Ryan wrapped up her presentation with a discussion of recommendations as outlined in the PowerPoint presentation. Ms. Wilson responded to a question about how the IMTPR functions and about how TPRs interact with the Statewide Transportation Advisory Committee (STAC).

0707TransportAttachE.pdf

11:11 AM

Steve Cook, Transportation Planning Manager with the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), came to the table to present on transportation planning at DRCOG. He distributed a printed version of his PowerPoint to committee members (Attachment F). He discussed transportation challenges in the Denver metropolitan area, primarily growth and revenue constraints. He discussed DRCOG's Transportation Improvement Program. He responded to questions about how DRCOG functions.

0707TransportAttachF.pdf

11:36 AM

Vince Rogalski, Chair of the STAC, came to the table to present on the work of the STAC. He distributed a printed version of his PowerPoint presentation to committee members (Attachment G). He provided an overview of the STAC and briefly discussed the STAC's roles and responsibilities, which include providing review and/or comment on statewide transportation plan development, conflicts between Transportation Planning Regions (TPR) and CDOT, the integration of regional plans into the statewide plan, and more. He responded to questions from the committee. Discussion ensued on potential changes to boundaries of various transportation planning groups so that these boundaries overlap.

0707TransportAttachG.pdf

11:50 AM -- Update from the High Performance Transportation Enterprise

Michael Cheroutes, Director of the High Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE) within CDOT, came to the table to update the committee on the activities of the HPTE. He provided a printed copy of his presentation to committee members (Attachment H). He discussed the grand opening of the US-36 Express Lane project on June 22, 2015. He stated that tolling will commence on July 22, 2015, through Plenary Roads, the private partner on the project. He also discussed the education campaigns, both grassroots and through paid media, related to the express lane project. He responded to a question about transponders and consequences for drivers in non-compliance during the initial tolling phase. He discussed Phase II of the US-36 project. He responded to a question about what the HPTE has learned from the US-36 project, particularly in terms of transparency and public involvement. He discussed the procurement schedule of the I-70 East project, the express lane project on both lanes of North I-25 between US-36 and 120th Avenue. Finally, he addressed the mountain express lane project which adds a third travel lane to the I-70 mountain corridor at peak travel periods and is scheduled to open for the 2015 ski season. He responded to questions from the committee.

0707TransportAttachH.pdf

12:12 PM

The committee recessed for lunch.

01:16 PM -- Presentation on Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad

The committee came back to order. Mr. Hugh Fowler, former state Senator, representing the Colorado Association of Rail Passengers, came to the table to present to the committee on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. He distributed some literature on the railroad (Attachment I). Mr. Fowler discussed the idea of the TLRC visiting the railroad on its Southwest Colorado tour later in the summer. He explained that he represents ColoRail, and provided a summary of activities of the legislature that have helped to develop and repair railroads in Colorado. He discussed the importance of railroads to Colorado's history. He said that these days railroads transport freight far more than passengers, and spoke to how passenger service on trains could return to the Front Range. He discussed the issue of the state constitution stipulating that no public moneys can be spent on freight railroads. Mr. Fowler asked for the committee to consider railroads in its discussions and how it might be able to help encourage the development railroad infrastructure in the state.

Attachment I can be viewed at Legislative Council.

01:29 PM -- Presentation on Contracting and IGAs

John Eddy, Manager of CDOT's Contracts and Market Analysis Branch, came to the table to present to the committee on CDOT contracting. A copy of his PowerPoint presentation was distributed to the committee (Attachment J). Mr. Eddy walked the committee through the state's transportation construction contracting process and responded to questions on how the contracting and bonding process can make it difficult for smaller construction companies to bid on CDOT projects, and what the minimum bond is that a contractor must obtain in order to bid on a project. Andy Karsian, Legislative Liaison for CDOT, responded to further questions on CDOT contractor bonding requirements.

0707TransportAttachJ.pdf

01:40 PM

Mr. Eddy responded to questions on whether CDOT hires minority-owned and women-owned companies for projects and if CDOT takes the geographic location of a company into consideration when contracting. Mr. Eddy then discussed consultant contracts for engineering services and the Master Pricing Agreement that applies a financial structure for how CDOT will pay its contractors. He responded to issues raised by the committee from constituents on payment problems experienced by CDOT consultant contractors and disabled veterans in the contracting process.

01:46 PM

Bob Corman, Director, Center for Procurement and Contract Services, CDOT, presented to the committee on intergovernmental agreements (IGAs). Mr. Corman explained that CDOT has so far issued $250 million worth of IGAs, which it uses for any agreement with a non-state governmental entity. He noted that the Safe Routes to School program is an example of a program that requires IGAs to funnel Federal Highway Administration revenue. Mr. Corman said that CDOT is currently performing a lean process to try and speed up its processes and bring its turnaround times down. Mr. Corman responded to questions on the project contracting process for IGAs and the oversight CDOT has for IGA contracts. Mr. Eddy also spoke to CDOT oversight for IGA contracts once projects are awarded.

01:54 PM

The CDOT representatives addressed questions on delays in the IGA approval process.

01:55 PM -- Update from the DMV

Mike Dixon, Senior Director, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Department of Revenue (DOR), came to the table with Tony Anderson, Operations Director, DMV to present to the committee on the DMV and license plates. A copy of his presentation was distributed to the committee (Attachment K). Mr. Dixon told the committee that the DMV is on track in 2015 to meet many of its objectives surrounding customer service and to increase safety across the state. He summarized the organization of the DMV, noting that there are 34 DMV offices across the state, and that the DMV has a goal of seeing customers within an average of 60 minutes 65 percent of the time by the end of FY 2015-16 in the offices where it has deployed "Wait Less" technology, which provides automated kiosks for customers. Mr. Dixon responded to questions from the committee on how the DMV has marketed the availability of online driver's license renewals, and discussed the Driver License, Record, Identification and Vehicle Enterprise Solution (DRIVES) project that the department is currently looking to begin developing.

0707TransportAttachK.pdf

02:04 PM

Mr. Dixon responded to a question on average wait times in the Northglenn DMV office. He discussed performance metrics of DMV offices throughout the state, noting that the Longmont and Colorado Springs offices have encountered staffing challenges in 2015. He responded to questions on average training times for new DMV hires and the average time it takes for a new driver to complete all of the necessary tests to become a licensed driver. Mr. Dixon spoke to challenges recently encountered by the DMV in reaching driver's license online renewal and customer service goals; the high volume of transactions that DMV offices had in FY 2014-15; the DMV's strategic plan for organization, business process, facilities, and IT systems improvement; and legislation implemented in the 2013-2015 legislative sessions that impacted the DMV. Mr. Dixon responded to questions on the implementation of Wait Less systems in offices that are experiencing long wait times, where the offices that support the Colorado Road and Community Safety Act are located, how long the wait times are for appointments to receive licenses in these offices, and the cost of installing Wait Less systems in DMV offices that do not currently have the system installed.

02:19 PM

Mr. Dixon further discussed legislation that has impacted the DMV in the past few years, focusing on: new diesel motor vehicles emissions testing, efforts to improve temporary license plate standards, the development of a new state driver's license and identification card, driver's license fee changes, and veteran designations on driver's licenses.

02:31 PM

Mr. Anderson provided the committee with the DMV's annual update on special license plates (Attachment L). He discussed the new special license plates that became available following the legislative session, such as the Rocky Mountain National Park license plate and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Motor Vehicle license plate. Mr. Anderson provided an overview of how taxes and fees are assessed on vehicles in Colorado and discussed issuance trends for license plates over the past few years. He summarized the types of and requirements for the issuance of military plates, alumni plates, group special plates, designer plates, and other types of license plate. He responded to questions on the challenges that state faces with motor vehicle registrations.

0707TransportAttachL.pdf

02:46 PM

Mr. Anderson then discussed the issuance of regular license plates in Colorado, the plate personalization options available for select license plate types, the DMV's license plate retirement and elimination history, and how the general public can go to the DOR's website for various data points.

02:50 PM -- Update from the RTD

The committee took a brief recess.

03:01 PM

The committee was called back to order. David Genova, Interim General Manager, and Tom Tobiassen, Board Director, RTD, came to the table to provide the committee with an annual update on the recent activities of the Regional Transportation District (RTD). Mr. Tobiassen made some opening remarks. Mr. Genova discussed RTD's service area, fleet size, number of employees, budget, and expenditures. He focused on its FasTracks project, which he said is a $5.5 billion venture, and has so far accounted for 14,000 jobs and $1 billion of local investment in the Denver metro area. He discussed the various rail lines and transit services provided under FasTracks; RTD's key upcoming projects, which include the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service between Boulder and Denver, the "A" line between Denver Union Station and Denver International Airport (DIA), services between Westminster and Denver, the Gold Line between Union Station and Arvada, and the "R" Line, which connects Aurora to the A Line.

03:10 PM

Mr. Genova discussed RTD's upcoming deployment of its "smart card" for transit users and the new simplified fare structure that it will be adopting in 2016. He responded to questions on feedback RTD has received from low-income communities on its new fare structures, detailing the Low Income Task Force that had been formed and proposed travel options for low-income individuals on public transit. He responded to questions on the data gathering that RTD could perform around reduced fares for certain individuals, the timeline and goals of the Low Income Task Force, whether RTD would seek more public input from low-income communities, the task force's involvement with the nonprofit community, when RTD plans to complete the North Metro light rail line, and RTD's reduction of bus services between Boulder and Denver.

03:28 PM

Mr. Genova explained the planned BRT service schedule between Boulder and Denver, which he said should occur four times an hour throughout the day. Committee discussion ensued. Mr. Genova responded to questions on state funding received by RTD under Senate Bill 09-228, the status of bus service for travel between Boulder and DIA, RTD plans for relieving congestion on northbound I-25, RTD's Northwest Area Mobility study, RTD's plans to complete the Northwest Rail Line to Longmont, and passenger numbers on the West Line to Golden.

03:40 PM

Mr. Genova outlined RTD's strategic planning process, and said that its strategic goals for 2016 focus on key rail line openings, fiscal sustainability, and technology. He said that RTD is dedicated to developing its robust safety structure even further, achieving a state of good asset repair, and strong security across its transit system. He discussed RTD's participation with small and minority businesses, its Workforce Initiative Now program, development of real time bus information for bus riders in 2015, using technology to measure the customer experience, and RTD's public and stakeholder outreach and collaboration. Mr. Genova and Mr. Tobiassen responded to questions on the opportunities for open data sourcing of RTD's real time bus information and RTD's provision of call-and-ride services.

A packet of materials on RTD projects (Attachment M) was distributed to the committee.

Attachment M can be viewed at Legislative Council.

03:52 PM

The committee adjourned.