Things they have been looking at include ways to reduce current and future traffic congestion on Powers. One of the proposals includes turning the road into a freeway between Woodmen Road and the Colorado Springs Airport.

So far the process has included holding open houses, mailing newsletters, and having individual meetings with local residents.

Go to Fox21 to see the entire item.

One of the two steel truss bridges carrying US 50 over the Gunnison River in Gunnison that is on CDOT's wish list to repair with federal funds next year. CDOT photo.

By Kevin Flynn
Inside-Lane.com

The Colorado Department of Transportation has put 40 highway and airport projects totaling $136.8 million on its wish list for federal grants in 2011.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Transportation awards what it calls discretionary grants, over and above each state’s usual formula funding, in targeted areas such as bridge repair, interstate maintenance, scenic byways and others.

There are 31 highway projects on the list, totaling $90.3 million, and nine airport projects totaling $46.5 million. You can read the entire CDOT list here.

Because it focuses on specific needs, discretionary funding can quickly be put to good use – a series of such grants was used by CDOT to replace the old Interstate 25 viaduct over Broadway and the railroad mainline at the same time T-REX was under construction, allowing both new projects to open at the same time and effectively making the T-REX improvements go a little bit farther.

The federal government sets up funding in various categories and then solicits candidate projects from the states. Projects are selected based on how well they fit the criteria for each category.

This US 24 bridge over California Gulch three miles south of Leadville, built in 1934, is one of those up for replacement if CDOT wins a federal discretionary grant it is seeking for next year. CDOT photo.

Other requests include $6.6 million to replace the Sixth Avenue Freeway bridge over Sheridan Boulevard, on the Denver-Lakewood line; $5.5 million for four miles of concrete resurfacing on Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon; $5 million to reconstruct I-70 in concrete from Tower Road to Colfax Avenue, and $4 million to replace the CO 120 span over the Arkansas River and Union Pacific Railroad in Fremont County.

The Sixth Avenue bridge and the CO 120 bridge are two of the 124 poor-rated bridges in the state that are part of the FASTER program. Drivers are being charged an average of up to $18 a year extra on their vehicle registrations to replace poor-rated bridges under the law passed last year. The Sixth Avenue span was built in 1961 and is rated 45.1 on a scale of 100 as structurally deficient. The Fremont County bridge is a steel truss structure built in 1927 and is rated 17.9 for being functionally obsolete.

You can take a photo tour of the 124 bridges on a map of the state by clicking here.

Among the airport projects for which funds are being requested are $13 million to extend the runway at Aspen’s Sardy Field; $7 million for a wildlife fence at Walker Field in Grand Junction; $7 million for an apron extension at Denver International Airport; $5 million for taxiway rehabilitation at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, and $4 million for runway rehabilitation at Front Range Airport.

While CDOT isn’t likely to get all it asks for, it will enlist the help of the state’s congressional delegation to push for them.

There’s reason for that.

CDOT says the projects are a priority that “address pressing needs of the state transportation system.” They are already on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and were selected in consultation with the Statewide Transportation Advisory Committee. The Colorado Transportation Commission approved the list at its January meeting.

The next step is up to the city council, which will decide Feb. 9. The Colorado Department of Transportation, which owns 80 percent of the FREX buses, has already approved use of the state’s share of sales proceeds to continue the Springs-Denver commuter bus service for the rest of the year.

If Council decides to dedicate its $288,000 share to other uses, FREX service will be terminated in its entirety after Friday. Due to budget shortfalls in the 2010 city budget, Mountain Metropolitan Transit has cautioned riders to plan for the possible discontinuation of FREX service since late last summer.

Go to the Colorado Springs Business Journal to see the entire article.

Nine surplus FREX buses have been put up for sale a third time in an invitation for bid posted by the City of Colorado Springs late this afternoon. At least two out-of-state transit agencies have expressed interest in purchasing the buses. Consequently, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), who owns 80% of FREX buses, and the City of Colorado Springs, who owns the remaining 20%, agreed to post a third invitation for bid in an effort to generate operating funds for the service in 2010.

Mountain Metropolitan Transit is cautioning FREX riders to continue planning for service elimination after February 12th. “We are working within an extremely tight timeframe,” said Craig Blewitt, Interim Transit Services Division Manager. “FREX is currently operating on limited carryover funds from 2009. Unless we receive an iron-clad commitment that meets the minimum asking price, the last day of FREX service will continue to be February 12th as we have already informed the public.”

Interested parties have until 10:00am on February 8th to bid on the buses. If an acceptable bid is made, Colorado Springs City Council will have to make a final determination on February 9th during their formal session whether local proceeds from the sale may be used to sustain FREX service for the remainder of 2010. CDOT has already approved use of state proceeds to sustain the service for the rest of the year.

FREX is operated by the City of Colorado Springs, Transit Services Division/Mountain Metropolitan Transit. For more information, please visit www.FrontRangeExpress.com or call 719-636-FREX (3739) or 877-425-FREX (3739).

Here the offical press release:

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) approved a proposal to use the proceeds from the sale of up to nine surplus FREX buses for operating expenses in 2010. With the informal support of Colorado Springs City Council, an invitation for bid was posted in early January and closed today at 2:00 p.m. with no response.

As a result, FREX service is expected to discontinue in its entirety effective February 15th. “We are certainly disappointed in the result of the sale,” said Craig Blewitt, Interim Transit Services Division Manager. “FREX has been extremely successful in terms of average daily ridership and meeting its original objectives including reducing auto emissions and traffic congestion along the I-25 corridor and providing a viable transportation alternative between Colorado Springs and Denver, the state’s two largest employment markets.”

FREX tickets will be pulled from sale effective immediately, and passengers are reminded that existing tickets must be used by the termination of service on February 15th as there are no refunds, credits, or exchanges of FREX tickets.

FREX is operated by the City of Colorado Springs, Transit Services Division/Mountain Metropolitan Transit.

For more information, please visit www.FrontRangeExpress.com or call 719-636-FREX (3739) or 877-425-FREX (3739).

Organizers are hoping that a new system in would run with other vehicles in traffic lanes on Tejon, Cascade or Nevada. They would start in downtown Colorado Springs, but could extend as far north as Garden of the Gods and as far south as I-25.

Go to News Channel 13 to see the entire story. The news channel also has a video report you can see here.

Go to KKTV News to see the entire article.

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Commission unanimously agreed to use the proceeds from the sale of five to nine of the FrontRange Express buses to keep the service running in 2010.

Go to the Colorado Springs Gazette to see the entire article.

Funding for the Front Range Express is still needed for 2010. To keep the service running next year, at least five of the 19 FREX buses must be sold to cover the $1 million costs.

The Colorado Transportation Commission must approve the sale of anywhere between five and nine FREX buses to pay for 2010 service. When the buses were originally bought, 80 percent of the money came from state taxpayers, while 20 percent came from tax money from the Pikes Peak Regional Transportation Authority. If the commission approves the sale, it will contribute the state’s 80 percent to pay for the 2010 service.

Go to News Channel 13 KRDO to see the entire story.

A “last-ditch effort” is under way to sell five surplus FrontRange Express buses to keep the service running next year, said Sherre Ritenour, the city’s transit services manager.

The bus service, which includes stops in Monument and Castle Rock, “is currently slated not to operate beginning Jan. 1 unless it’s funded by this very unique idea,” she said.

The state Transportation Commission will consider the proposal Thursday and decide whether to use the proceeds from the sale of the buses to fund FREX in 2010 or to redirect the money to other state projects, she said.

Go to the Colorado Springs Gazette to see the entire article.