Officials say Regional Transportation Authority work is advancing; urge unified, transparent public outreach

County and city leaders discussed progress and communications around a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) formation process and urged clearer, coordinated outreach to avoid public confusion.

Commissioners and councilors said the formation committee — the elected official group representing participating jurisdictions — and a parallel technical committee will develop the intergovernmental agreement, a service plan and recommended funding sources. County and city representatives said the formation committee plans to take a draft IGA to each jurisdiction in March for public hearings, while the technical committee (meeting Feb. 3) will develop a service plan and funding recommendations to present back to elected officials.

Commissioners criticized a recent newspaper article that presented a specific funding model as if the formation committee had already decided it; several smaller jurisdictions said they were surprised by the report. Commissioners said the consultant and formation committee should coordinate public outreach so messaging is consistent across jurisdictions and early community engagement occurs before ballot or funding decisions are finalized.

Officials emphasized there is no final decision on geography or specific funding mechanisms. The RTA formation timeline includes drafting an IGA, requesting CDOT review, and completing a service plan; the group discussed statutory timelines for a potential November ballot measure if jurisdictions choose that route. Leaders agreed to keep lines of communication open, share consultant materials, and hold joint briefings so the public hears a coordinated explanation of options rather than ad hoc statements from individual jurisdictions.