Commissioners debate link between I‑25 capacity projects and maintaining expanded Bustang service
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Summary
Staff told the Commission that sustaining expanded Bustang service (funding hole of roughly $30–40 million annually as SB‑funding sunsets) is a precondition to advancing many I‑25 capacity projects, prompting requests for modeling and long‑range policy sessions on transit funding and service levels.
CDOT staff and commissioners spent considerable time discussing the relationship between sustaining expanded Bustang service and moving forward with major I‑25 capacity projects.
Paul DeRocher (Division of Transit and Rail) said investments in express lanes and mobility hubs have enabled higher‑frequency interregional bus service (Bustang) and that new projects on I‑25 are predicated on fully funding the expanded bus service. He noted that SB funding (referenced in the presentation as a prior legislative expansion) created higher service levels and that maintaining those service levels requires additional ongoing funding.
Commissioners pressed for clarity on how large the funding gap is. During Q&A staff and commissioners discussed a funding shortfall in the range of $30 million to $40 million annually associated with the sunset of temporary SB funding; staff characterized that range as the floor of the conversation and said fiscal year 28 is when the ongoing shortfall becomes clearer.
Why it matters: staff argued that transit service levels underpin the multimodal rationale for large capacity projects — i.e., the state will not fully support capacity expansions unless investments in transit service that make those expansions equitable and effective are sustained. Commissioners asked for additional modeling, a study session on Bustang’s long‑term role and more detail on how mobility hub investments can raise transit uptake.
Quotes from the workshop: "The 30 to 40,000,000 is essentially maintaining the existing service levels at that expanded level," a staff member said; commissioners urged a long‑range vision and additional analysis of ridership capture and VMT/GHG impacts.
Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to schedule follow‑up briefings and one or more study sessions to model service levels, costs and likely ridership responses; staff said they will bring additional material in coming months.
