Better infrastructure and transit in Colorado

We have heard a great deal about high-speed rail being the answer to some of our infrastructure and transit needs. I hope that the day comes soon when we can realize the ambition of a more modern national rail system, but in the meantime I think we should look at a project that can serve and strengthen Colorado.

An intra-state bus system may not sound like the most exciting thing you’ve ever heard of, but I think we can make something that does us a tremendous good with low costs… something that could serve as a model for other states and help us gain a competitive edge.

What I envision is a network of cleaner energy buses established in a public/private partnership that connect the state from end-to-end and allow for our citizens and visitors to easily traverse all that Colorado has to offer. The system could be used by the average commuter, a CSU student returning home to Colorado Springs for the holidays, a family from Florida on a skiing vacation, someone just looking to avoid traffic, or a couple in Grand Junction trying to catch a flight at DIA or visit beautiful Fort Collins and its many trappings.

How could we do it and would anyone use it?

The idea is inspired by its many benefits: (1) help our citizens save money on rising fuel costs; (2) reduce traffic (and emissions) and the wear on our infrastructure; (3) add to a competitive plan for economic and infrastructure development; (4) connect and unite Colorado.

Through a joint public-private partnership, revenue from passenger fares, advertising sales on the vehicles and stations, federal grants and investment, and efficient thinking, we can fund such an endeavor without a gruesome burden on the taxpayer. I would not be in favor of this plan if it meant an outrageous money vacuum on the already strained state budget, and you can rest assured that if it did mean that it will never happen anyway.

So would anyone use it? That is the real trick. Many people do not like the idea of buses so you have to build a network of them that is safe, presentable, family-friendly, affordable, comfortable, and well-maintained. Not easily done.

You must also offer routes that people want and need. That means connecting to popular attractions like Rocky Mountain National Park or our major skiing destinations. It means connecting to airports, Union Station in Denver, Colorado State University, and that train in Durango everyone loves… all at the same time. It also means having the common sense to have service to Mile High Stadium arriving before a Broncos game that comes from destinations like Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Frisco. All of that is a tremendous undertaking.

In general we are talking about routes that cover major cities like Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, Vail, Aspen, Estes Park, etc. We must also plan for a way to transfer to local transit systems in those cities, providing seasonal routes to major skiing and tourist destinations, providing service to major colleges and universities, and to Denver International Airport.

In theory you could land in Denver at DIA and take the “Colorado Express” to Grand Junction, or have a meeting in Denver that requires you to get from Greeley to Union Station so that you can hop on the RTD Light Rail. In the winter you will be able to take a fare from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs to Winter Park. It means the rural Colorado family that never gets to go to the Garden of the Gods will be able to make the trip.

So what are the next steps?

Well if you want to talk to me about it and hear some of the minutiae of the plan -things like solar-powered stations, bids to put popular food vendors at major hubs, the ticket purchasing app for smart phones, or about all the jobs we can create with the project - let me know.

In the meantime (and here’s the catch) we need someone in the General Assembly that will help push for better infrastructure and transportation along with more efficient government spending. The first step is bringing together the experts in government, the private sector, and transit field to discuss the feasibility of such a plan. At the earliest I think you could get approval for it by 2014 or 2016.

Because it would be a public-private partnership, and private industry tends to move a lot quicker, I would hope that by 2024 the entire thing could be up-and-running.

Infrastructure is not a hot-button issue, it isn’t something we usually feel moved by, but imagine there being no limits to what is possible… what if we could invest in cleaner air, individual savings, safer roads, creating jobs, and bringing Colorado closer together all at the same?

We cannot say no to ideas because they would be hard.