February 16, 2026
Dear Commissioners,
We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to comment on CDOT’s 10-Year Plan and urge you to prioritize Active and Multimodal transportation projects over those that will deepen our state’s unsustainable dependence on driving. As advocates for the safety and dignity of those who do not or cannot always drive, we wish to reiterate points already made by many other individuals and advocates throughout this process of CDOT’s 10-year plan update.
We urge you to align CDOT’s near-term transportation project priorities with the long-term goals outlined in Policy Directive 14 and Governor Polis’ Transportation 2035 Vision, which aim to improve safety for all road users, increase mobility options, reduce tailpipe emissions, and prioritize “fix-it-first” projects.
As in previous 10-year plans, under the current project pipeline, Roadway Capacity is by far the largest category of spending, significantly exceeding other categories such as Safety, Rural Paving, Active Transportation, or Transit. We believe this status quo is unacceptable; more funding should be allocated to projects that give people the freedom to travel in and around their communities without always relying on a car–whether that’s by biking, walking, or taking transit.
We understand that traffic congestion is a challenge facing Colorado’s transportation system, and the current emphasis on roadway capacity reflects a genuine concern. However, widening highways, thereby entrenching our car dependence and repeating mistakes of years past, is not a long-term solution to the congestion problem.
Not only is the widening approach expensive, but research and reporting tell us that widening highways is an ultimately futile solution to the problem of traffic congestion. Instead, we need to be prioritizing convenient and reliable transit, thoughtfully deployed congestion pricing, and safe and connected networks for people to bike and walk.
Investing in Active Transportation has proven benefits for health, safety, air quality, and economic vitality (benefits that CDOT acknowledges clearly in its most recent Active Transportation Plan). Thus, we are disappointed to see this project-type play such a minor role in the strategy reflected by the 10-year plan.
There is a significant opportunity cost to investing our finite transportation dollars in expensive infrastructure that neither improves safety nor ultimately solves our transportation challenges. And this opportunity cost is especially acute when just last year, in a tight budget year, $78 million for multimodal and safe streets infrastructure was cut from the state budget. We face a similar situation this year. Now more than ever, there is far more demand for active and multimodal infrastructure than there is supply of funding.
This could not be coming at a worse time, given that people are still dying by the hundreds on our roadways every year, and Colorado is off track to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals. The path to creating safer streets, cleaner air, and fewer preventable deaths starts with how we prioritize the transportation dollars we have.
CDOT and Governor Polis have an ambitious and laudable vision for transportation in this state: A vision that gives people the freedom to move safely in their communities without always relying on a car. CDOT’s concrete plans need to align with that vision. The people of Colorado deserve it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Peter Piccolo, Executive Director, Bicycle Colorado
Peyton Gibson, President, Bike Walk Golden
Matt Muir, Policy Director, Coalition 4 Cyclists
Jill Locantore, Executive Director, Denver Streets Partnership
Matthew Elliot, Founder, Edison Bike Bus
Karl Stang, President, Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou Springs
Avi Stopper, Founder, Bike Streets
Allen Beauchamp, Community Engagement Manager, Trails and Open Space Coalition
Cully Radvillas, Board President, Bike Colorado Springs
Billy Gooch, Board Member, Vibrant Littleton
Joshua Stuart, Liam’s Dad, Liam Memorial Fund
