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U.S.
Senator Ken Salazar
Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees
2300 15th
Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO
80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C.
20510
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Senator
Salazar Secures Critical Funding for Colorado Transportation Infrastructure,
Food Assistance
WASHINGTON, DC
- Today, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Transportation,
Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2009.
At the request of United States Senator Ken Salazar, the bill includes
over $89 million for critical transportation priorities around Colorado.
“Colorado’s roads
and public transportation system are critical to the economic vitality
of our state,” said Senator Salazar. “Making these investments will
help ease the strain on Colorado roadways, expand access to public transit,
and accommodate the population growth we expect to see in Colorado in
the coming years.”
North Central
Region
- $11.182 million
for the Mason Corridor – Bus Rapid Transit Project (Fort
Collins): The city of Fort Collins is home to approximately 140,000
Coloradans and serves as the regional economic center for Northern
Colorado, yet the city lacks a reliable public transportation system.
Funding will be used for the development of a bus system that will
provide reliable transit service through a mix of residential, employment,
retail, and university destinations throughout the Fort Collins community.
- $2 million for
improvements to I-25 North (Larimer County): I-25 accommodates
roughly 50,000 vehicles a day and is the most important link between
Northern Colorado and the Denver metro area. The section of I-25 North
between SH-56 and US-34 is rapidly deteriorating due to water seeping
under concrete slabs. The Colorado Department of Transportation will
use the funding to make much-needed improvements to this stretch of
road, including installing drains and guardrails and overlaying the
existing concrete pavement with hot mix asphalt.
Pikes Peak Region
- $2 million for
Improved Access to Peterson Air Force Base (El Paso County):
Powers Boulevard is the second-busiest transportation corridor in
Colorado Springs, providing a vital link between the community and
strategic military facilities such as Peterson Air Force Base. At
the request of Peterson AFB officials and the Colorado Department
of Transportation, Senator Salazar secured $2 million in federal funds
that will be used for the design phase for the transformation of the
intersection at Peterson and Powers Boulevard into a full interchange.
- $300,000 for
Feeding Hope to Grow Healthy Families Project (Colorado Springs):
These funds will provide hundreds of thousands of healthy meals to
low-income families, children, and seniors suffering from food insecurity
across Colorado by supporting the purchase and installation of equipment
at the state’s two largest food banks: Care & Share Food Bank
for Southern Colorado, and Food Bank of the Rockies.
Denver Metro
Region
- $70 million for
RTD West Corridor Light Rail (Denver): The West Corridor
Light Rail project will provide direct rail service west through Denver,
Lakewood, Jefferson County, and Golden, with a major Intermodal facility
at the Denver Federal Center, which currently employs over 6,000 federal
workers. The project will increase the percentage of peak-hour, peak-direction
transit mode split from 7 percent to 26 percent and reduce travel
time for motorists along the US6/West 6th Avenue Freeway. Funds will
be used for final design, rail construction, and the procurement of
vehicles.
- $2 million for
I-70 Stapleton Interchange (Stapleton): The proposed I-70
Stapleton Interchange will provide direct access to the northern and
southern sections of Stapleton, which are currently bisected by I-70.
Stapleton is growing rapidly, both in terms of population and the
local economy; this project is therefore crucial to avoiding congestion
in the community.
- $1.03 million
for RTD Southeast Corridor (T-REX): Funds would be used to
satisfy the final payment of $1.03 million expected from the Full
Funding Grant Agreement allowed by FTA in November 2000.
- $1 million for
Interchange Reconstruction at Fitzsimons Campus (Aurora):
The interchange at I-225, Colfax Ave., and 17th Place currently serves
the Fitzsimons Campus, which is home to the University of Colorado’s
medical research and teaching facilities, the Children’s Hospital,
and the construction site for a new regional VA Hospital. Funds will
be used to obtain all necessary environmental approvals and complete
design and engineering work needed for the reconstruction of the interchange.
The FY09 Transportation-HUD
Bill now awaits action in the full Senate.
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