Washington – Colorado lawmakers are bragging about bringing home the largest funding increase of any state in the new federal highway bill.
But the state still won’t get as much highway tax money back as it sends to Washington. And Colorado still ranks near the bottom in how much money it will get per person for roads – less than some Western neighbors.
Every state’s funding got a boost from the $286 billion highway bill, which guides federal transportation funding through 2009. Congress passed the bill last week, and President Bush is expected to sign it.
Colorado’s senators sent out news releases touting Colorado’s 47 percent funding jump as the largest percentage increase of any state.
But Colorado was getting relatively little to start with.
“It leaves out the statement that you’re not much better off than you were before,” said Clifford Winston, an expert on transportation and economics at the Brookings Institution.
A state’s performance in highway funding is generally measured by “rate of return” – how much a state gets back compared with what its residents pay out in gasoline taxes.
Since 1998, Colorado has been one of 17 states getting the minimum rate of return set by law – 90.5 cents on the gas-tax dollar.
The good news for Colorado and other “donor” states is that the minimum has gone up. But Colorado will be among 20 states to get the new minimum amount by 2008: 92 cents on the dollar. For Colorado, that means an average of $491 million a year.
“The rate of return got better. But yes, so did everyone else’s,” said Ken Lane, chief of staff to Sen. Ken. Salazar, D-Colo.
Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., said he got the Colorado Department of Transportation all the money it asked for.
“We are improving incrementally,” said Allard spokeswoman Angela de Rocha. “… Sen. Allard is working to increase the amount of money.”
Colorado Department of Transportation director Tom Norton agreed that Colorado is making progress.
“We’re going in the right direction,” Norton said.
It’s not clear why Colorado has done poorly under the funding formula, which takes into account the size of a state’s road system, the number of miles driven and other factors.
Vast, sparsely populated Western states and small, densely peopled Eastern states have generally done best. Colorado doesn’t fit either category.
“I don’t know that there’s anything special about Colorado in terms of why they don’t get as much back as they put in,” said Jack Schenendorf, a lawyer who worked on the House transportation committee for 25 years.
Politics also plays a role in who does better. The highway bill was driven by powerful House transportation chairman Don Young, R-Alaska.
His state came out on top in all categories. It’s getting back 527 percent of the money it sends to Washington, or $650 per person.
On a per-person basis, Colorado’s funding ranks 45th among the states and District of Columbia. It will get back an annual average of about $107 per person.
Other Colorado neighbors also did better. Wyoming ranks second among the states, bringing back $493 per person. New Mexico ranks 12th at $186 per person, while Utah ranks 38th at $118.
Staff writer Mike Soraghan can be reached at 202-662-8730 or msoraghan@denverpost.com.
