DRCOG staff outline plan to add Clear Creek and Gilpin counties to MPO boundary review
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Summary
Staff told TAC that adding Clear Creek and Gilpin counties to the MPO planning boundary responds to federal decennial boundary review and existing regional ties; detailed fiscal effects were not yet calculated and the governor makes the final boundary decision after CDOT review.
DRCOG staff presented an informational briefing about a proposed adjustment to the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) planning boundary to include portions of Clear Creek and Gilpin counties.
Jacob Reager, speaking for DRCOG, said the federal regulation that follows each decennial census (citing 23 CFR) requires MPOs to review their planning area. He said Clear Creek and Gilpin are already DRCOG members for non‑MPO programs and that including them on the MPO side is largely a mapping and coordination step: “We are required under federal law after every decennial census to review our MPO planning boundary,” Reager said.
Reager said the Evergreen small‑urbanized area already crosses into Clear Creek County under the 2020 census geography, and that strong travel, recreation, and economic ties—principally the I‑70 corridor—support the change. He cautioned staff have not yet performed final financial calculations to show how TIP regional share allocations would shift, saying any added regional funding would likely be small under DRCOG’s current population/employment/VMT formula and that overall funding levels depend on federal reauthorization.
Clear Creek County Manager Colton Roloff, participating at his first TAC meeting, urged inclusion so his county can be part of regional planning: “We host over 10,000,000 visits a year from the metro area” and the corridor’s traffic and public‑safety demands are regionally significant, he said.
Process and timing: DRCOG staff said they expect to return the item to TAC as an action item in the coming one to two months, then forward a draft letter and documentation to CDOT and the governor’s office for the governor’s final determination; staff aim to complete the process before the RTP adoption this fall.
What’s next: DRCOG staff will continue coordination with Clear Creek and Gilpin counties, CDOT and RTD; TAC will review a proposed action and recommendation before any board decision.
