Press Release- June 06, 2007
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2007
Contacts:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370
Stacey Stegman, 303.902.7356
U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY ANNOUNCES U.S. 36 IS FINALIST FOR NEW URBAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced today that the U.S. 36 Corridor has been selected as a finalist for the Department of Transportation's Urban Partnership program, which will provide federal investments of up to $1.1 billion to cut traffic tie-ups in America's most congested cities.
Secretary Peters made the announcement in Denver during a news conference with Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, whose office supported the Urban Partnership Agreement application.
The U.S. 36 "proposal is designed to keep the Mile High City free from miles-long traffic jams," Secretary Peters said. "This plan represents the kind of innovative thinking we need to tackle traffic in our fastest growing communities."
The proposal seeks $234.5 million from the Urban Partnership Agreement to add one new toll lane in each direction on U.S. 36 between Denver and Boulder.
Gov. Ritter praised the new federal partnership program and the U.S. 36 application as precisely the type of collaborative efforts necessary for a 21st century transportation system.
"The Highway 36 corridor is one of the most heavily-traveled routes in the state," Gov. Ritter said. "It's home to some of our most important businesses and is a hub for high-tech industries.
There is no denying the link between a modern, 21st Century transportation infrastructure and the state's economy."
The Governor has appointed a blue ribbon Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel that is examining current funding challenges and possible options. Recommendations are due by the end of the year.
Secretary Peters said the proposed new lanes in the U.S. 36 Corridor application would give free access to buses and high-occupancy vehicles, while charging lone drivers a toll that would vary based on the amount of traffic on the road. Secretary Peters added that the integrated proposal would improve Bus Rapid Transit service along U.S. 36, and provide drivers across the region with real-time information about traffic congestion and alternative routes to avoid construction and accident delays.
Secretary Peters said fighting traffic jams along the corridor is necessary to keep commuters moving and companies growing. She noted, for example, that congestion costs Denver-area residents over $1 billion every year, according to the Texas Transportation Institute.
"This program is designed to show the nation that gridlock is not guaranteed," Peters said. "For too long, growth has brought longer traffic jams to America's cities. Cities can thrive and grow without having the kind of traffic jams that commuters from Aurora to Littleton experience every day."