I’ve periodically updated you on efforts to secure the $965M necessary to widen I-25 from Highway 14 (Mulberry Road in Fort Collins) to Highway 66 just north of Longmont to 3 lanes each way.
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is working on this project with the Greeley and Loveland Chambers through the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance. We have created an initiative called the Fix North I-25 Business Alliance.
This is a long-term project in a resource-constrained environment. It will take consistent, persistent lobbying effort to patch together various funding sources.
Short-term goals of the Fix North I-25 Business Alliance include:
- Get the Alliance fully-operational – leaders in place, funding set
- Convince the 13-member government coalition (I-25 Coalition) to reach agreement that keeps $35M of designated state funding in Northern Colorado on the portion of the interstate that needs widened
- Support CDOT if it applies for federal Presidential Challenge and Resilience and Recovery grants
- Protect SB-228 transportation funding during 2015 Legislative Session
- Determine whether federal funding is available through freight corridor or high priority corridor designations
- Convince CDOT to make an operational change to move trucks into the right-hand lane of southbound I-25 on the Berthoud Hill
Here’s the direct lobbying the Fix North I-25 Alliance has done so far this year:
- Planning to attend board meeting of Colorado High Performance Transportation Enterprise (Sept 17)
- Contacted the 13 local governments in group called I-25 Coalition to press them to develop united plan for North I-25 expansion (Sept 5)
- Met with Governor John Hickenlooper and briefed him on situation on North I-25 (Aug 28)
- Met with CDOT Director Don Hunt to press him to support widening of North I-25(Aug 28)
- Briefed U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (Aug 7)
- Lobbied U.S. Congressman Cory Gardner (Aug 6)
- Met with CDOT Region 4 officials including Commissioner Kathy Gilliland and CDOT Director Johnny Olson (July 31)
- Met with Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Beauprez (July 17)
- Testified to U.S. Congressman Bill Shuster, Chair of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (July 1)
- Met with Former CDOT Director Tom Norton for background information on highway funding (June 11)
- Lobbied U.S. Congressman Jared Polis (spring) who declared widening of I-25 the top transportation project in his district
- Attended monthly meetings of government I-25 Coalition (13 county and local governments that touch North I-25)
We are raising money for our lobbying effort. If you’re interested in helping out, contact me at [email protected] or 970 482-3751 x 102.