Colorado Legislative Council Staff

STATUTORY PUBLIC ENTITY

CONDITIONAL FISCAL NOTE

No State General Fund Impact

Drafting Number:

Prime Sponsor(s):

LLS 98-696

Rep. Zimmerman

Date:

Bill Status:

Fiscal Analyst:

February 7, 1998

House Local Government

Scott Nachtrieb (866-4752)

TITLE:            CONCERNING MUNICIPAL DESIGNATION OF DEDICATED BUS ROUTES IN THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT.


Summary of Legislation


            The bill would allow a qualifying municipality to prescribe one dedicated bus route within its municipal boundaries. A"qualifying municipality" would have a population of at least 10,000 persons. Qualifying municipalities would have to certify its population to the district by January 1 of each year. The Regional Transportation District (RTD) would be required to provide bus service on any designated bus route under the terms established by the qualifying municipality. Qualifying municipalities would be able to coordinate the designation of one dedicated bus route. However, the coordinated route would qualify as each municipality’s one route. RTD would be required to implement the route or changes in the route within 30 days of receiving notice. RTD would determine the fares for dedicated bus routes and would provide all necessary facilities required. The bill would become effective upon the Governor’s signature.


STATE FISCAL IMPACT SUMMARY

FY 1998/99

FY 1999/2000

State Revenues

General Fund


 


 

State Expenditures

General Fund


 


 

FTE Position Change

None

None

Local Government Impact Impact to Regional Transportation District


Local Government Impact


            Regional Transportation District. The RTD would have additional costs to implement the provisions of this bill if a qualified city requested service. Therefore, this bill is assessed as having a conditional fiscal impact to RTD. Currently RTD’s bus service is directed at serving commuters to and from the central downtown Denver area and outlying areas. There are an estimated 21 cities that could request local bus service. This would require 21 new routes and 42 buses plus an additional twenty percent reserve buses so the fleet can be repaired (8 buses). This assumes two buses per route operating eight hours a day 365 days a year. Each bus would require a half hour each way to get to and from a route. The number of operating hours this bill would require has been estimated to be 137,970 (2 buses X 9 hours X 21 routes X 365 days = 137,970).


            RTD has indicated that adding local bus service would require fifty buses at a cost of $301,500 per bus. This would cost RTD an estimated $15,075,000 in capital costs. RTD reports its operating costs per bus to be $47.32 an hour. Operating expenses would be estimated to be $6,529,292. For purposes of this fiscal note, it is assumed that RTD would charge $1.00 for fare on these local routes. At $1.00 per passenger, each bus would have to average 54 riders per hour to recover operating costs (54 riders X $1.00 X 8 hours X 2 buses X 21 routes X 365 = $6,622,560).


            This fiscal note assumes that RTD’s current resources are at full capacity and could not absorb any additional routes within the existing resources. This fiscal note does not consider what current capabilities RTD may have within existing resources to supply local service. Nor does it consider how local routes may be incorporated into the existing lines and schedules.


Spending Authority


            This fiscal note implies that no additional spending authority would be requried for FY 1997-98 to implement this bill.


Departments Contacted


Regional Transportation District