CDOT commission adopts new safety, climate, and multimodal transportation goals

The public interest organization Southwest Energy Efficiency Project on Thursday issued the following press release on the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Transportation Commission updating its goals:

Today, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Transportation Commission voted 8-1 to update its goals and performance targets to guide future investments in Colorado’s transportation system in a document known as CDOT’s Policy Directive (PD) 14. The Commission spent the last few months revising the policy to prioritize safety, expand transportation options, meet state climate pollution reduction targets, and improve road and bridge conditions. 

“These updated performance measures and targets set a vision for the decades to come and will help shape future decisions for transportation in Colorado,” said Alana Miller, Colorado Policy Director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Investing in ways that align with these goals will help build a safer, cleaner, more equitable and sustainable future for our communities.”

Here’s a summary of the updated PD-14 performance targets:

• Advancing Transportation Safety:

1. 1. 1. 50% reduction in traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2037 (compared to 2023 baseline).
      2. 50% reduction in traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries involving Vulnerable Road Users by 2037 (compared to 2023 baseline).

• Sustainably Increase Transportation Choice:

1. 1. 1. Reduce transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 60% by 2037 (compared to 2005 baseline).
      2. Expand statewide transit service by 66.7 million by 2037 (compared to the 2023 baseline). This would represent an 83% increase or about 6% per year. 
      3. Per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction target of 1% per year. 

• Fix Our Roads:

1. 1. Highway pavement: Pavement in poor condition below 1% and 80% or higher driveability life for the state highway system.
   2. Bridges: Bridges in poor condition below 5%.

Transportation is the largest source of GHG emissions in Colorado, and the sector furthest behind in meeting the 2025 and 2030 GHG reduction targets. Achieving those targets requires a two-pronged approach: 1) Increasing electric vehicle adoption, and 2) Reducing total driving, or VMT, by expanding access to non-driving transportation options like transit, biking, and walking, and building housing and jobs closer together so Coloradans don’t have to drive as much.

“This is important guidance for CDOT management to design and prioritize projects that reduce greenhouse gases in alignment with state goals, while providing Coloradans more transportation choices, especially communities disproportionately impacted by pollution from cars and trucks,” said Becky English, chair of Colorado Sierra Club’s transportation committee.  “Biking, walking, and use of public transit align perfectly with our goals of clean, safe, accessible transportation for all.” 

When people are given the chance to opt out of traffic, they often take it, and everyone benefits. CDOT’s cost-benefit analysis from 2021 found that an 11% reduction in household driving would save Coloradans $36.8 billion in the form of lower vehicle operating costs, fewer traffic crashes and fatalities, and lower medical bills thanks to better air quality and more physical activity. In other words, car ownership is very expensive, and CDOT’s new policy framework will improve access to more affordable transportation options. 

“For too long, we’ve attempted to solve congestion with car-centric and costly supply-side solutions like more highway lanes, larger interchanges, and more parking lots, said Matt Frommer, Transportation & Land Use Policy Manager at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. “At the same time, we have overlooked and underfunded more cost-effective transportation demand management strategies that save people money, create safer and healthier neighborhoods, reduce emissions, and improve access for people who don’t drive.”

Other states like Washington and Virginia have gotten a head start on VMT reduction and managed to cut household driving by 13-17% over the last couple of decades, while Colorado levels have remained stagnant. 

CDOT can achieve these new targets by expanding its nationally recognized intercity Bustang service, investing in Bus Rapid Transit projects, building safe and connected pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and supporting more efficient and compact land use.

“With limited resources, we have to focus our transportation dollars on what will ensure people have options that are safe and will move them without polluting our planet or wasting time in traffic,” said Danny Katz, CoPIRG Executive Director. “CDOT’s priorities around reducing traffic-related fatalities, fixing and maintaining what we have and expanding bus, train, and biking options so millions of more trips can happen without being stuck in your car are the right focuses for the next decade.” 

“We applaud the CDOT Transportation Commission’s decision to set targets that will allow for  greater investment in bike and pedestrian infrastructure,” said Maddie Godby, Policy Coordinator at PeopleForBikes. “We believe that these investments will transform Colorado communities and provide a menu of healthy, equity, and sustainable transportation choices.”

“CDOT’s updated performance measures and targets are the right ones to guide the upcoming 10-year planning process,” said Molly McKinley, Policy Director with the Denver Streets Partnership. “Focusing on these priorities puts our state on track for a more sustainable, safe, equitable, and affordable transportation future.”