Truckers triumphed Tuesday when lawmakers halted legislation that would have imposed steeper fines and docked driving-record points for drivers who disobey the chain-up law.
Mountain communities and ski industry officials who backed the bill were left fuming.
“I’m terribly disappointed,” said Silverthorne Police Chief Joe Russell, adding that Interstate 70 was shut down again last weekend because of spun-out trucks without chains.
The House transportation committee defeated House Bill 1229 by a 7-6 vote. But a vote to kill it failed 5-8, leaving open the possibility that lawmakers could reconsider the legislation.
Rep. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, was sure last week after a committee hearing that he had the votes to pass his bill. But on Tuesday three fellow Democrats said no.
“This is everybody’s problem,” said Dianne Primavera, D-Broomfield, who said she had changed her mind and opposed the bill. “And to try and say it’s just the truckers’ problem, it’s hard to do that.”
Critics of the measure said it was unfair to more severely punish truck drivers – who showed up in force with union representation last week – for ignoring the chain law. Colorado first should address the inadequacy of its chain-up areas, which are sometimes dark and unplowed, and often too close to the road, they said.
Truckers pointed to the death of a Loveland truck driver last month who was pinned by a sport utility vehicle in a chain-up area near Georgetown.
I-70 has 10 official chain-up stations, although the Colorado Department of Transportation says there are more than 200 places to chain up, including rest areas and other pull-outs.
Colorado’s main route through the mountains was shut down 116 hours last year while tractor-trailer rigs without chains clogged the road, according to CDOT.
Gibbs’ legislation would have increased the fine from $100 to $500 for truckers who disobey chain requirements. It also would have slapped four points on the driving records of truckers who ignore the state’s chain law and cause traffic to stall.
Mayors and county commissioners testified that road closures can tie up traffic for hours, preventing police and ambulances from reaching mountain residents. And tractor-trailer rigs that lose traction on steep grades are a safety hazard.
A Department of Transportation study estimated that Colorado loses up to $800,000 per hour for the tourism industry, commerce and travel when I-70 shuts down during peak times.
Critics of the bill said they doubted that figure.
If the bill had passed, Colorado would have become the first state to tack on driver’s-license points for truckers who cause traffic jams, said Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association.
Staff writer Jennifer Brown can be reached at 303-954-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com.
