Sierra Club urges CTIO to prioritize multimodal projects; local driver raises lane-marking safety concerns
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Summary
At a Colorado Transportation Investment Office board meeting, Sierra Club transportation chair Becky English urged CTIO to prioritize multimodal and low-emission projects and use new analysis tools; a resident, Kurt Hoffman, raised concerns about express-toll lane markings and adherence to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
At a Colorado Transportation Investment Office (CTIO) board meeting, Becky English, chair of the Transportation Committee for the Colorado Sierra Club, urged CTIO directors to prioritize multimodal and safety-focused projects over highway widening and to use newer analytic and technology tools when evaluating investments.
"Our motto is clean, safe, accessible transportation for all," English told the board, urging it to emphasize climate-minded investments in 2026 and to seek solicitations for innovative approaches, including automated electric transit systems and advanced modeling tools such as TCART.
English said CTIO, CDOT and transportation districts should provide guidance to help local agencies adopt cleaner, more efficient alternatives. She also pointed to the I-70 Mountain Corridor as an example where state leadership could solicit modern solutions consistent with the corridor's federal mandate.
Separately during the public-comment period, resident Kurt Hoffman raised a technical safety concern about express-toll lane markings. Hoffman said he reviewed markings in multiple states and compared them with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), arguing some current Colorado lane markings differ from MUTCD definitions and that there appears to be no enforcement penalty for noncompliance.
"I was looking for 4 lines, not 2 lines with a buffer that discouraged across," Hoffman said, describing what he saw on maps and photographs from other jurisdictions and expressing concern about local practice and enforcement.
Board members thanked both speakers. No formal action was taken; CTIO staff noted the comments and, for related regional requests, directors later instructed staff to follow up with the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments to clarify scope and timing for a requested study. The board did not adopt any new policy at the meeting based on the public comments.
