“Under the leadership of Congressman Polis, Colorado has demonstrated that improving and updating U.S.36 can serve as a national model in investing in our infrastructure while greening our nation and creating good-paying jobs,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“We came here today to show that these recovery funds are not just building a better road and reducing traffic, but are also creating jobs and improving lives up and down the U.S. 36 Corridor,” said Congressman Polis. “This innovative and ground-breaking project would not have been possible without the incredible collaboration between the U.S. 36 Coalition, area leaders at all levels, and the many communities along the U.S. 36 Corridor. We worked hard, worked smart, and have transformed the U.S. 36 Corridor into a model for forward-thinking, sustainable transportation policy that the country will follow.”
The U.S. 36 project includes adding one managed lane in each direction on U.S. 36; bus rapid transit operations for the corridor; a commuter bikeway; and an intelligent transportation system for toll collection and incident management. Improvements to the entire U.S. 36 Corridor are estimated to cost $1.3 billion and would likely be constructed in multiple phases. The first phase of the project would construct the infrastructure for managed lanes/bus rapid transit at the east end of U.S. 36 in order to reduce congestion and encourage more energy efficient modes of transportation.
The U.S. 36 Coalition, which includes mayors and commissioners from six local governments and 36 Commuting Solutions (the business side of the Coalition), provided the Speaker and Congressman with details about U.S. 36 Corridor project, which is considered to be a national model for partnership and innovation.
“The City and County of Broomfield has a bold vision to create more primary jobs by becoming the applied research and science capital of the world,” said Broomfield Mayor Pat Quinn. “We cannot achieve that goal without the multi-modal corridor we envision, and that multi-modal corridor cannot be built without TIGER and other innovative funding, so we are offering our heartfelt thanks to Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Polis today for their support.”
“There are no Republican, Democratic, or Independent highways, and that’s what makes this project so special,” said Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally. “We greatly appreciate Congressman Polis for the opportunity to brief Speaker Pelosi on the merits of the U.S. 36 multi-modal project and the significant benefits we are realizing from the ARRA funding.”
“The U.S 36 project is a sustainable and environmentally friendly plan that will provide our employees with immediate options for how they get to work each day, and aligns so well with the mission of WhiteWave Foods to reduce our overall footprint on the planet,” said WhiteWave Foods VP of Government and Industry Kelly Shea.
Colorado hopes to leverage the $10 million TIGER Grant, using innovative financing methods and additional funding through the TIFIA loan program. This could allow work to begin on a $150 million first-phase project this summer. It is estimated that this first-phase project would provide over 1,500 construction-related jobs contributing to Colorado’s economic recovery. “The Recovery Act has had a significant impact on the construction industry in Colorado,” said state Transportation Commissioner Heather Barry. “Without these funds, it’s clear to us that unemployment in the transportation sector would be much higher and many hardworking Coloradans would be without good paying jobs today. We hope to continue this momentum with U.S. 36 and with support from our federal partners so we can continue our path to economic recovery while improving Colorado’s transportation system. | 
