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IV. REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

A. Transportation Planning Regions The following map below illustrates the 15 Transportation Planning Regions (TPRs) in Colorado. Weld County is unique in that it is located within three different TPR’s. They include:

1. Upper Front Range TPR 2. North Front Range TPR 3. Greater Denver Area TPR

In accordance with federal regulations, CDOT further defines TPR’s as urban and rural. For example, the Upper Front Range is designated as rural, while the North Front Range and Greater Denver Area TPR’s are considered urban because they have populations of more than 50,000, which further classifies them as Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s).

An MPO is federally designated by agreement between the Governor and the units of local government responsible for transportation planning processes. MPO’s with populations of 200,000 or more are designated as Transportation Management Areas (TMAs). Both the North Front Range MPO and DRCOG are classified as TMAs. The Regional Transportation Planning Organizations boundaries in Weld County are represented in the map below.

Courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation

Colorado’s Transportation Planning Regions

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B. Highway 85 Coalition Background and Purpose The US 85 Coalition was created via a Memorandum of Understanding and made binding by “Resolutions of Support” between Weld County and ten other municipalities in 2009 and 2010. The jurisdictions include: Ault, Brighton, Eaton, Evans, Fort Lupton, Gilcrest, Greeley, LaSalle, Pierce, Platteville, and Weld County. This effort is in partnership with CDOT, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), Fort Lupton Development Corporation, and Union Pacific Railroad. All entities are being tasked with addressing sustainability and regionalization efforts along US 85, which carries a wide range of traffic types: long-distance interstate traffic, commuter traffic to large employment bases, inter-community traffic, and considerable agricultural traffic. Each community’s pledge is for full support and encouragement of the Highway 85 Coalition and to provide elected official and staff support for meetings. In addition, the communities also pledged to consider matching funds for grants as part of the budget process.

Regional cooperation is not new to Weld County, but has been occurring for many decades. The precursor to the Coalition began back in 1999 when the same communities came together and adopted an Intergovernmental

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Agreement (IGA) for the US 85 Access Control Plan (ACP). The US 85 Access Control Plan was also a planning effort consisting of residents, property owners, local governments, CDOT, and highway users working closely together. The US 85 ACP is still used today, and remains a highly regarded document amongst the communities. The Highway 85 Coalition wants to expand the efforts of the US 85 Access Control Plan and incorporate not only transportation, but land use and sustainability resources.

The intent of the Coalition is to create a Regional Comprehensive and Sustainability Plan for the US 85 corridor. Regional coordination and planning directly benefits all the communities along US 85, as well as Union Pacific Railroad and CDOT. The communities desire to continue implementing the vision of the US 85 Access Control Plan so the vitality of the corridor can be preserved for future improvements, such as multi-

modal facilities, employment centers, aesthetic enhancements, and most of all safety improvements. The purpose of the Regional Comprehensive and Sustainability Plan is to define a corridor boundary, preserve the functional integrity of the transportation corridor, enhance safety in a cost effective manner, and recommend baseline sustainability standards as land use planning tools utilized by each government entity.

US 85 Bypass in Greeley

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C. Ozone Nonattainment Boundary

In November 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated the Denver/North Front Range region as nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone standard of 0.08 parts per million (ppm) as adopted in 1997. Figure 16 shows the expanded nonattainment area, which includes portions of Larimer and Weld Counties, more specifically extending north to approximately WCR 100.

Figure 16: DRCOG Denver-Boulder-Greeley-Fort Collins 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area Map

Ozone is a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) pollutant that is not emitted directly, but rather is a secondary pollutant that forms in the atmosphere through complex chemical reactions. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) react in the presence of strong sunlight, warm weather and stagnant winds to form ground-level ozone. Reductions in emissions of the ozone precursor pollutants are the primary methods used to lower ozone concentrations. A number of sources emit VOCs and NOx; vehicles are a source of both. VOCs (e.g., vapors or fumes) are emitted by evaporative loss of unburned fuel as well as from vehicle tailpipes due to incomplete fuel

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combustion. NOx is also emitted from vehicle tailpipes as a combustion byproduct.

The eight-hour ozone nonattainment area includes all counties in the DRCOG region (except Clear Creek and Gilpin), the North Front Range region as well as parts of the Upper Front Range TPR. The ozone nonattainment boundary in Weld County is shown in Figure 17. The State Implementation Plan (SIP) lists strategies and control measures that will be implemented to reduce emissions. Some of these strategies include restrictions for oil and gas condensate on storage tanks, alternative fuels, removal of exemptions on point sources of pollutants, and the expansion of the vehicle inspection and maintenance program in parts of Weld and Larimer counties.

Figure 17: Weld County 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Boundary

Ozone nonattainment boundaries are eligible for Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds. The purpose of the federal CMAQ program is to fund transportation projects or programs that will contribute to attainment or maintenance of the NAAQS, particularly for ozone in the Weld County region. The CMAQ program supports two goals important to CDOT: 1) improving air quality, and 2) relieving traffic congestion.

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Weld County has received more than $3 million dollars in CMAQ funds for fiscal years 2010-2012 to promote Natural Gas as “the” alternative transportation fuel. As a result, the Weld County Natural Gas Coalition formed and created the Weld County Smart Energy Plan.

This plan identifies short and long range goals for natural gas infrastructure improvements and vehicle conversions. More information can be found at www.weldsmartenergy.org. Weld County’s received CMAQ funds to assist with the installation of public natural gas fueling stations and education and public awareness marketing throughout the county. In addition, Weld County

has partnered with the Oil & Gas industry to convert fleet vehicles to bi-fuel (gasoline & compressed natural gas), dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG), or liquefied natural gas (LNG). Dedicated vehicles are fueled only on natural gas. Typically, diesel vehicles are converted to Dedicated CNG. Fleet vehicle conversions range from passenger vehicles to pick-ups, such as F150 and F250s. Tandem and semi-tractors would be fueled on liquefied natural gas. Weld County is promoting the use of natural gas because the benefits include: Reducing Foreign Oil Dependency; Reducing Greenhouse Gases; Lower Fuel Costs; Natural gas is the Lowest Carbon Fuel; Produces less overall emissions

compared to gasoline or diesel vehicles;

Increased engine life; Safety;

Natural gas powered vehicles get about the same fuel economy as a conventional gasoline vehicle on a gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) basis;

Converting one heavy-duty truck from diesel to natural gas is the pollution reduction equivalent of removing 325 cars from the road; and

Economic Development.

2010 Ford Focus Converted to Natural Gas (bi-fuel)

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D. North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

I-25 is a significant north/south highway important to all of Colorado, and especially the communities adjacent to the corridor. In the next ten years, population and employment growth are anticipated to focus along I-25, as well as the north front-range area in general; thus, making it imperative to study and identify transportation improvements needed along this corridor. For major transportation projects, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that a range of alternatives be considered and that their environmental impacts be analyzed. CDOT in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration initiated an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in accordance with NEPA, to evaluate and identify multi-modal transportation improvements along the I-25 corridor from the Fort Collins-Wellington area to Denver, addressing regional and inter-regional movement of people, goods and services along the corridor. The EIS evaluates and documents the effects various identified transportation improvements have on the environment and on the lives of the people and commuters along the I-25 corridor. Figure 18 is a map of the study area.

Figure 18: North I-25 EIS Study Area

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A record of decision (ROD) is anticipated for adoption in summer of 2011. CDOT, FHWA, FTA, and municipalities have worked together to recommend a preferred alternative, as shown in Figure 19 and more specifically includes the following transportation improvements:

General Purpose Lanes – One new general purpose lane in each direction of I-25 between SH 66 and SH 14.

Tolled Express Lanes (TEL) – One buffer-separated TEL in each direction of I-

25 from the existing HOV/Express Toll lanes at approximately 84th Avenue north to SH 14.

Interchanges - 16 interchanges would be upgraded. Express Bus – Express bus with 13 stations along I-25, US 34 and Harmony

Road with service from Fort Collins and Greeley to downtown Denver and between Fort Collins and DIA.

Figure 19: North I-25 recommended preferred alternative

Commuter Rail – Commuter rail service with nine stations connecting Fort Collins to Longmont and Thornton using the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad right of way, generally paralleling SH 119 and tying into FasTracks North Metro rail in Thornton, which will connect to downtown Denver. Passengers may also connect to the FasTracks northwest rail in Longmont, which will travel to Boulder.

Commuter Bus – Commuter bus service with eight stations along US 85 connecting Greeley to downtown Denver.

Congestion Management- Some

of the improvements include accommodations for ridesharing, carpools and vanpools, along with additional bicycle and pedestrian facilities. In addition, signal timing, ramp metering on I-25 and signage could also be improved.