The standoff over a road‑funding initiative in Colorado persisted after supporters declined state lawmakers’ request to withdraw the measure, while both sides signaled they are willing to pursue a broader agreement ahead of the fall deadline.

Initiative No. 175, backed by the coalition Restore Our Roads, would require that all transportation-related revenue be used exclusively for building and repairing roads and bridges, improving safety, conducting transportation planning and engineering, and supporting Colorado State Patrol operations.

The group — and the initiative’s backers — have argued that road funds have been diverted to other priorities, even when Colorado can barely keep up with maintaining its roadways. Critics, on the other hand, countered that the proposal would siphon off money from key spending priorities.

The petition for the measure received over 180,000 signatures and is currently being reviewed by the Secretary of State’s Office. To qualify for the November ballot, just over 124,000 of those signatures must be valid.

Some Democratic lawmakers, claiming that approving the measure could divert money from services such as health care and education, introduced House Bill 1430 in the 2026 session. The bill lowers excise taxes on fuel, certain registration fees, and road‑use fees from 2027 through 2030, effectively canceling out the initiative. It passed and was signed into law, but it will take effect only if Initiative 175 is approved by voters.

On Tuesday, Restore Our Roads announced it had rejected legislators’ attempts to “force” the withdrawal of Initiative 175 by June 15 but maintained that the group remains open to working with lawmakers on a “sustainable plan” to fund Colorado’s roads without taking money from other sectors.

“Road transportation money should fund roads, and Initiative 175 finally does that — without raising taxes,” said Tony Milo, president and CEO of the Colorado Contractors Association. “It’s unfortunate Governor Polis is forcing Coloradans to wait three more years to fix the roads, but in the meantime, they will get a much-needed break at the pump and, over the long haul, safer, better-maintained roads.”

In a joint statement released by the House and Senate Democrats, lawmakers said they had made “several good-faith efforts” to reach a compromise with Restore Our Roads, including proposals to create a working group to address road funding and establish a new $7.5 million enterprise, but that all were rejected.

HB 1430 was sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, Rep Emily Sirota, D-Denver, Sen. William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, and Sen. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder.

In a combined statement on Tuesday, the bill sponsors said Colorado could already be working on a real plan to improve road funding but claimed that road building contractors chose to walk away. As a result, they argued, voters are now stuck with what they described as bad options.

The sponsors added it is troubling that the ballot measure is still advancing despite what they described as multiple good‑faith attempts to reach a compromise. They accused”special interests” of promoting a false promise for their own gain.

The deadline to withdraw a ballot measure is Sep. 3.

Milo told Colorado Politics that his coalition is fully committed to continuing conversations with stakeholders through that date.

He said the initiative’s backers are willing to work toward a compromise. The goal, he emphasized, is to secure funding to fix the state’s roads, improve safety, boost quality of life, and help attract businesses and jobs.

Milo added that they share the broader interest in maintaining strong education and health care systems and don’t want to undermine those services, but, he argued, the state still needs to address its transportation needs.

During the session, Boesenecker said the ballot measure’s language does not make it clear that increasing road funding means taking money from elsewhere.

He told Colorado Politics that no one disputes the need for better road funding in the state, but if voters are told it comes at no cost, of course, they’ll be inclined to approve it.

Milo has argued that passing HB 1430 does nothing more than undermine the voters’ will.

“If, in the end, the legislature truly chooses to override the will of the voters, then that will be their decision to explain to the people of Colorado,” he said. “Our job is to make sure Coloradans have a clear choice and a real opportunity to be heard.”