Colorado Legislative Council Staff

REVISED NO FISCAL IMPACT

(replaces no fiscal impact dated December 30, 1998)

TITLE:            CONCERNING A STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION POLICY, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, DEVELOPING IMPROVED INTRASTATE COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICE IN COLORADO.

Summary of Assessment

            The bill requires the Colorado Transportation Commission to formulate and recommend a statewide transportation policy to the Governor and the General Assembly, within one year of the effective date of the bill, taking into consideration the prioritized and coordinated development and improvement of all modes of transportation and the coordination of recommendations relating to commercial air service with recommendations for improvements of the state transportation system as a whole.

            The bill, as amended in the House Transportation and Energy Committee, also allows the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), in addition to the Regional Transportation District (RTD), to apply for and receive any federal grant funds available for mass transit.

            It should be noted that these federal funds are not guaranteed and are allotted on a competitive basis with all other states. Under current law, only RTD can apply for and receive these funds. The amount of federal funds that CDOT may receive is dependant upon the total cost of any project submitted to the Federal Transit Administration by CDOT. The federal law will fund up to 80 percent of an approved projects cost. The remaining percentage would have to be financed from local matching funds. RTD has used this federal funding source to receive approximately $70 million to help build the HOV lanes on I-25 and $120 million for the southwest corridor light rail project.

            This provision does not change the amount of federal transit funds the state would receive for future mass transit projects, but may change the entity which controls the federal funds for projects depending on which entity applies for the federal funds. The federal law requires a 20 percent state or local government match as a minimum for any approved mass transit project. Under current law, CDOT, RTD, and or any local governments may, through intergovernmental agreements, participate in the financing of the matching share. Current law also allows CDOT to utilize 10 percent of the sales and use tax funds transferred to the Highway Users Tax Fund for some limited purposes other than highway construction. This bill would not change current law. Therefore, this bill is estimated to not increase or decrease what CDOT may contribute as matching funds to mass transit projects. The bill may affect the amount of federal revenues RTD would receive should CDOT apply for these grants. If CDOT never applies for the funds, RTD would not be impacted by this bill.

            The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) currently is incorporating elements dealing with air transportation in its twenty-year transportation plan. Implementation of the bill would not affect the current workload of the department, or have any fiscal impact on any other state agency or unit of local government. Therefore, the bill is assessed as having no fiscal impact.

            The bill would become effective upon signature of the Governor.

Departments Contacted

            Transportation