colorado's anti-transportation policy

8/6/2019 Colorado's Anti-Transportation Policy

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Colorado's Anti-Transportation Policy

December 31, 2002

Issue Backgrounder

By Dennis Polhill, Matthew Edgar

The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) recently

updated its Metro Vision 2020 Regional Transportation Plan.

Although their transportation agenda is not directly stated, hints

are revealed in their rhetoric. One stated mission is to offer a'variety of travel opportunities.' As with all rhetoric this is a nice

and non-agitating statement that no one would readily disagree

with. But what does it really mean? A close look at their report

reveals facts seen by few and understood by fewer.

Travel Demand

(Person Trips)

DRCOG predicts a 48% increase in travel demand by 2020 in theDenver Metro area:

Source: DRCOG Metro Vision 2020, Regional Transportation Plan,

page 107

Transportation Investment

(Billions of Dollars)

DRCOG inventoried all sources and applications of transportation

funding through 2020 and discovered that $9.63 billion of $16.93

billion (58.9%) will go to mass transit (buses and light rail). The

rest of DRCOG's money will go to all other forms of

transportation, including, among other things, roads, bike paths,

and sidewalks.


page 107

Market Share

(Percent)


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DRCOG predicts that mass transit's share of all trips will grow

from 1.53% to 2.23% in 2020, meaning that transit will

accommodate just 4.04% of the new trips. Thus, if DRCOG's

numbers are accurate the benefit of applying 59% of

transportation funding to mass transit will be a 0.7% increase in

mass transit's market share.


page 101.

Summary and Conclusion

DRCOG's 'transit plan' will nearly double severe freeway

congestion by 2020. How can such a plan be acceptable? Is it

because DRCOG dictates a single view, as NO information is

provided in their plan about costs, benefits, or critical analysis of

potential competing alternatives that might offer more mobility at

less expense? DRCOG's approach is like saying, 'I like blue.' The

statement reveals nothing about green, yellow, or red.

DRCOG's failure to offer analysis of other alternatives, which can

compete with each other on the basis of costs and benefits, raisesserious doubts about DRCOG's objectivity, allowing pro-transit

ideologues and pro-transit lobbyists to use the power of

government to force their preconceived (and ill-conceived) agenda

upon others and upon the political process.[1]

Copyright 2002, Independence Institute

INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE is a non-profit, non-partisan Colorado

think tank. It is governed by a statewide board of trustees andholds a 501(c)(3) tax exemption from the IRS. Its public policy

research focuses on economic growth, education reform, local

government effectiveness, and Constitutional rights.

JON CALDARA is President of the Institute.


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DENNIS POLHILL is a Senior Fellow with the Independence Institute.

MATTHEW EDGAR is a Research Associate with the Independence

Institute.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES on this subject can be found at:http://independenceinstitute.org/Centers/Transportation/

index.htm< /FONT>

NOTHING WRITTEN here is to be construed as necessarily

representing the views of the Independence Institute or as an

attempt to influence any election or legislative action.

PERMISSION TO REPRINT this paper in whole or in part is herebygranted provided full credit is given to the Independence Institute.

[1] Additional detail is available in Independence Institute Opinion

Editorial, 'Colorado's Anti-Transportation Policy', by Dennis Polhill,

September 20, 2000, http://www.i2i.org/publications/op-eds/

transportation/antitransportation.htm

Copies of DRCOG's MetroVision 2020 report are available from

DRCOG, 2480 W. 26th Ave., Suite 200B, Denver, CO 80211.

colorado's anti-transportation policy

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