Colorado needs about $1.5 billion in new money annually for transportation needs, according to a blue-ribbon panel that Gov. Bill Ritter assembled in 2008.
So, how do you get there?
Lawmakers in 2009 approved higher vehicle registration fees, which eventually will amount to $200 million a year to fix deficient bridges.
A 0.1 percent hike in the state sales tax, targeted for roads and transit, would raise about $90 million a year.
A 5 cents-a-gallon increase in the state motor fuel tax would raise about $115 million a year, according to one estimate. However, gas taxes have been going down as cars become more fuel efficient.
The state could consider charging a vehicle miles traveled, or VMT, fee. It would rely on GPS devices in vehicles to help record the miles a motorist drives and then allow that vehicle owner to pay a fee, such as 1 cent a mile, for the use of the road system.
