Staff summarizes 2026 transportation bills: RTD reform, funding shifts and safety measures

Heather Stauffer of the City of Boulder's intergovernmental affairs team briefed the Transportation Advisory Board on 2026 state legislation affecting transportation, highlighting governance, funding and safety actions passed by the legislature.

Stauffer said the session had roughly 626 introduced bills and that the city tracked 129 of them, taking active positions on 58. She summarized key outcomes: - RTD modernization (Senate Bill 150): reduces the RTD board from 15 members to 9 (five elected, four governor-appointed) beginning in 2029; increases director pay and professionalization; adds requirements for geographic diversity and a sub-regional engagement amendment secured by Northwest MCC. The city sought a larger elected component (7 elected) but that amendment was not accepted. - New transit financing tool (House Bill 1065): creates a mechanism for local governments to partner with transit agencies to form transit investment areas financed with state sales-tax increment revenues (a form of TIF) that can pair transit and housing. - Front Range rail district (Senate Bill 172): procedural step to position a Front Range Passenger Rail District for a potential ballot measure; it defines boundaries and aligns elections with statewide cycles. - Budget and multimodal funding: state budget pressure led to a temporary pause of the General Fund transfer to the Multimodal Options Fund for three years (the transfer will resume afterward); the overall context is constrained new spending. - Safety legislation: the city supported and the legislature passed bills that increase penalties for improper passing and speed-related infractions (SB35), require extended interlock-restricted licenses for certain first-time DUI offenders (HB1242), and expand criminal negligence language related to deaths in vehicle collisions (SB72). Staff flagged an AVIS-related change that capped certain fines and removed language allowing a municipal reckless-driving ticket pathway; the city is seeking clarifying fixes in future sessions.

Looking ahead: Stauffer said elections and leadership changes this fall and a possible constitutional initiative (Initiative 175) make the next year uncertain for transportation funding and governance; the Front Range rail ballot question is still being evaluated.

Board members asked about local implications of school-safety bills and proposed e-bike/e-moto liability measures; staff suggested improved public communication when substantive new laws take effect.