A safe and accessible transportation system is critical to our way of life in Colorado. And yet our transportation infrastructure is literally crumbling around us. According to a recent study, 70 percent of the roads in Colorado are rated “poor or mediocre,” and over 500 bridges around the state are rated as “structurally deficient.”

State and local government infrastructure and maintenance needs are in the billions of dollars. Our state has not raised the gas tax since 1991, and we do not have the resources to maintain our current transportation system – let alone expand it. Moreover, the state’s population is expected to grow by a million people in the next 10 years – bringing further congestion and wear and tear to our roads. The time to act is now.

Proposition 110 (Let’s Go Colorado) asks voters to approve up to $9 billion in bonds for 66 state highway projects around the state. The measure also asks voters to approve an additional $.062 sales tax (or about 6 cents on a $10 retail purchase) that would provide a comprehensive funding solution to help pay back these bonds and address local transportation issues.

If approved, this new sales tax would generate approximately $767 million the first year – totaling more than $21 billion over the next 20 years. The revenue generated would be shared between the state, counties, municipalities and a new multimodal grant program that would enhance rail, bus, bicycle and pedestrian options and help to reduce congestion. The measure also contains a 20-year sunset, so we will not be taxed in perpetuity.

Recently, the membership of both the Colorado Municipal League and Colorado Counties, Inc., voted to support Proposition 110. Our associations are comprised of municipal officials and county commissioners, respectively, from across the state – community leaders who recognize that without adequate transportation infrastructure, our state cannot compete economically.

Our economy and our quality of life depend on a 21st century transportation system. Please vote YES on Proposition 110.