“It is time for transportation to have an equal seat at the table when it comes to our state budget.  Increased transportation funding can and must be accomplished by reprioritizing the state budget and without increasing taxes.”

- Governor Bill Owens

In the time before Governor Owens took office, urgent transportation priorities suffered from years of neglect.  But Gov. Owens recognized the importance of updating our transportation infrastructure sooner, rather than later.  Throughout his 4 years in office, he has worked to provide for Colorado's transportation needs.

In 1999, Gov. Owens asked the people of Colorado to approve an innovative bonding program and allow the state to issue bonds on anticipated revenue from federal transportation outlays.  Voter approval of that plan spurred a rapid updating of transportation projects across Colorado that had lain idle for years.  Already, 6 of 28 projects are finished, and more will be completed in coming months.

Then, in 2002, Gov. Owens brought legislators to a landmark agreement to commit $15 billion over 20 years to address other priority transportation needs across the state of Colorado.  The funding fully addressed the remaining state share of a plan to address Colorado's urgent needs for transportation improvement.  Gov. Owens, over four years, accomplished what his predecessors were unable to do.  He got Colorado moving again -- without raising taxes.

Gov. Owens has:

·        Pushed for and signed legislation increasing transportation funding by $15 billion over the next twenty years—all without raising taxes.

·        Proposed and won voter approval for $1.6 billion in transportation bonds.

·        TRANS bonding program increased transportation funding and accelerated 28 key projects throughout the State.

·        Made permanent investment in roads by using a portion of the State sales tax.

·        Enhanced Rural Air Safety Radar that improved safety performance and accident prevention.

·        Supported Frontier Airlines’ bid to add another non-stop flight from Denver International Airport to Washington Reagan National Airport.

·        Reformed CDOT and the way they do business by adding a change to the law to allow companies to bid and build road construction projects before the final design is complete.

Return to Issues index page.