TRANSIT: Colorado DOT kicks off statewide transit improvement plan

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced the launch Sunday of a new statewide program to assess the condition of public transportation across the state. CDOT expects to implement the program over the next 18 months.

With no budget to create a full statewide transportation network, initial efforts will focus on taking inventory of currently available public transit options throughout Colorado. CDOT will work with local and regional authorities to identify gaps in service and possible collaboration between services.

As part of the plan, the agency will work to form new policies to make public transit more attractive and available to potential users. Local and regional workshops and other meetings will help CDOT determine what the public’s needs are and how they might address them.

The statewide transit assessment plan is the next step in a series of measures, dating back to 2012, to improve public transportation in Colorado. Last March, the agency put its Freight and Passenger Rail Plan into action, which initiated a feasibility study for an Advanced Guideway System in advance of a possible high-speed rail line between Denver and Eagle County.