To inform Colorado’s new 10-year plan of priority transportation projects, CDOT is looking towards the public for input. YourTransportationPlan.com gives Colorado residents an opportunity to voice their transportation thoughts, concerns, and priorities for the future.
While it may seem simple, this approach of formally gathering feedback from the grassroots is an innovative best practice. As new CDOT Director, Shoshana Lew wrote in a recent letter to the public, “It’s easy to get caught in a maze of government programs and acronyms, and for plans to get siloed so we end up with separate plans for trains, planes, automobiles, bikes, pedestrians, freight, and more. People’s lives aren’t organized by categories like highway and transit funding, and neither should that be the way we talk about the challenges we face as communities.”
CDOT hopes that by asking the public to define their needs first and foremost, efforts can most successfully extend beyond the boundaries of some conventional planning precedents and break down silos. Lew posits that, “Instead of starting with the question of how we pay for it, we want to start with the question of ‘what should we pay for and why?’”
We all know of I-70’s traffic woes, but to provide a bit of context that underpins statewide transportation issues – Colorado is the country’s eighth fastest growing state, and growth adds an incredible amount of stress on transportation systems. More people with more cars, traveling to more places, and demanding more commercial goods can put significant wear and tear on infrastructure. In keeping with future demands, Colorado will need new roads, transit services, and support systems.
Locals know what’s best for locals, and through this process YOU can inform the plan. Please take CDOT’s transportation survey where you can dictate priorities, submit comments, and even highlight certain pain points using CDOT’s ‘Map Marker’ tool. In addition check-out the schedule for upcoming events that CDOT will be tabling at and Telephone Townhalls.
This method of participatory planning is an important step in the right direction, and is one that I-70 Coalition is in proud support of. We encourage you all to be a part of the process!