Because without state revenues, congestion gets worse and the bill to cities and counties gets bigger;
...until the state fixes its monetary problems, local officials expect only piecemeal improvements, even as gridlock worsens and commuter complaints soar.
...Beginning in 1999, the metro area began to see less transportation funding as the Colorado Department of Transportation shifted money to maintain rural roads, said Bill Vidal, executive director of the Denver Regional Council of Governments.
..."If we can address the funding issue, I think the equity issue will work itself out, but when you're removing billions of dollars in projects, what can you do?' Vidal asked.
...Some officials say the situation won't get much better until the state deals with the tangle of three constitutional amendments that both mandate and limit spending.
"It's a problem that won't have a solution in my opinion until there's a crisis in this state and the voters realize the three constitutional amendments need to be modified,' Adams County Commissioner Ted Strickland said.
Since cities and counties get most of their money from sales tax, and that is capped by state law, eventually that well will run dry as well, officials said.