The Colorado Senate approved bipartisan legislation allowing drivers to voluntarily pay an extra $5 when registering their vehicles to help finance wildlife crossings and reduce the growing number of dangerous collisions between cars and animals on state highways.

In 2024 alone, more than 3,500 such incidents occurred on Colorado roads.

The bill titled SB26-141, sponsored by Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, and Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, now heads to the House for consideration after it was passed Monday. The measure aims to create a funding stream for wildlife safe-passage infrastructure at a moment when federal grants that have supported such projects are scheduled to end.

“There’s very little that we can do in government that is over 90% effective — but wildlife crossings are that rare solution,” Roberts said. “This infrastructure is proven to reduce collisions with wildlife, protect humans and animals, and save drivers money.”

The optional fee would take effect in 2027 for passenger vehicles, light trucks, motorcycles and recreational vehicles. Motorists not paying the fee face no penalty. Legislative analysts project the fee would raise roughly $2 million in partial-year revenue during fiscal 2026-27 and about $3.9 million annually, based on expected participation rates.

Seventy-five percent of the revenue would go to a new Collision Prevention Fund managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation for construction and for matching funds for federal grants. The remaining 25 percent would support habitat connectivity on either side of the crossings.

Conservation groups including the Colorado Wildlife Federation, Roaring Fork Safe Passages and the League of Women Voters of Colorado have voiced strong support. League volunteer lobbyist Janine Reid told senators the $5 voluntary fee is “very reasonable” and would help build more infrastructure despite tight budgets and reduced federal support.

State data show wildlife-vehicle crashes remain a persistent safety issue. Between 2010 and 2025, such collisions resulted in 52 motorist fatalities and more than 400 serious injuries while generating an estimated annual economic cost exceeding $300 million.

Wildlife crossings paired with proper fencing have reduced collisions by 80 to 97 percent in treated corridors nationwide, according to federal and state transportation studies.

Colorado already has 95 crossing structures statewide. See the map from CDOT for details on each.

The newest one is the I-25 Greenland wildlife overpass near Larkspur in Douglas County, completed in December 2025 and described as North America’s largest by surface area. The 200-by-209-foot structure spans six lanes and connects 39,000 acres of habitat for elk, pronghorn, mule deer, bears and mountain lions.

“The I-25 Greenland wildlife overpass is critical to the safety of both wildlife and motorists,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew in a December 2025 statement. “The overpass is an essential component of the wildlife crossing system in this area, which is expected to reduce wildlife-vehicle crashes by 90%.”

The Greenland project filled a 3.7-mile gap in the I-25 South Gap improvements between Castle Rock and Monument. Before the full system of underpasses, fencing and this overpass was in place, drivers in the corridor experienced an average of one wildlife-vehicle crash per day during peak fall and spring migration seasons.

Gov. Jared Polis highlighted the broader significance when the overpass opened.

“Colorado is leading the way in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, and improving safety for both our motorists and wildlife,” Polis said in a December, 2025, release. “The I-25 Greenland wildlife overpass is a momentous feat, in our continued work to expand safe transportation options for both humans and wildlife, protecting critical habitat, and our amazing outdoor spaces for generations to come.”

The project was built through a partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Douglas County and local land trusts, with most funding from a federal grant under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program created by the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That pilot program is scheduled to conclude after fiscal 2026.

Supporters of SB26-141 pointed to the approaching end of those federal dollars — along with ongoing state budget constraints — as a key reason for establishing a dedicated state fund. The bill explicitly allows the Collision Prevention Fund to be used for federal grant matching, helping Colorado continue competing for any remaining national resources.