Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Northern Front Range Transportation Authority (NFRTA) Steering Committee and what is its purpose?
The NFRTA Steering Committee is made up of a group of two dozen citizen volunteers that represent four communities of interest: business, environmental, civic, and government.
The Steering Committee’s purpose is to embrace and activate the mission, and set of common principles created by the NFRTA Principles Committee for the purpose of selecting transportation projects and developing intergovernmental agreements between participating municipalities and counties in our region.
Who decided who would be involved in the Steering Committee?
The North Front Range MPO identified Steering Committee members from the following sources:
- Referrals from the NFRTA Principles Committee
- NFRTA Leadership Committee
- Participant list from Transportation Summit attendees (~250 individuals) and invitation list (~1700 individuals).
What is the anticipated involvement of the Steering Committee?
The Steering Committee meetings:
1. Will be scheduled approximately every other week for 3 hours (evenings) over a 12 week period.
2. Will be governed by a set of agreed upon ground rules which are designed to ensure individual participation, committee productivity, and mutual respect.
3. Will be held in a location central in the region.
The Steering Committee members:
1. Are expected to work to a regional outcome, primarily putting regional and community interests ahead of individual interests.
2. Should expect a light to moderate amount of “homework” which will consist of reading materials, spreadsheets, charts, and graphs provided in advance of meetings.
3. Will deliberate and recommend a set of roadway and transit projects for citizens of the region to consider as a ballot measure in November 2007.
4. Will examine and explore issues of equity, shareback, tax rates, maintenance, and regional transit and develop intergovernmental agreements between the region’s jurisdictions.
What information is available to help the Steering Committee make decisions and achieve its objectives?
The NFR-MPO will provide ample research and background information to assist in this decision-making process which includes project financial, performance, and benefit calculations. A high level of staff support will be available to the Steering Committee throughout this process.
Sources of information will include the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan, the Transportation Summit from last June, ongoing polling data, project selection modeling, and the NFR MPO Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Transit Advisory Group (TAG).
Why isn’t (name of individual or organization) involved now?
(We expect a number of individuals or groups could fill in the blank of this question, but the response will be the same)
The current phase of this process involves bringing leaders from communities of interest together to discuss the issue. The NFRTA Steering Committee represents a broad cross-section of the regional community and has been formed to be a working group to develop a project list for a ballot proposal. A broader coalition is being formed as well, and we welcome any interested participants to join.
How can other members of the community get involved?
Individuals who would like to get involved in the broader coalition supporting this effort can sign up by visiting . Or they can contact John Daggett the Regional Multi-Modal Planning Manager of the North Front Range MPO at 970-224-6190.
Are the meetings open to the public?
Yes. Although these are not public meetings designed to attract large numbers of people from the general public, observers are welcome. Space is, however, limited.
How is this group related to the Summit held last June and the Principles Committee that met last fall?
The North Front Range Summit was an activity that was designed to alert the citizens of northern Colorado to the transportation challenges and opportunities that face the region now and in the coming years. One of the largest challenges is identifying and financing northern Colorado’s transportation system’s needs. The Principles Committee was formed with the goal of addressing this challenge by identifying and establishing a charter, mission, and set of common principles that guided the formation of the NFRTA Steering Committee and will direct the project selection and the development of intergovernmental agreements; all crucial next steps in the RTA process.
What transportation options are you pursuing?
The RTA Principles Committee met last fall to identify the common principles that will be used to select potential transportation options/projects. Now the RTA Steering Committee will be responsible for using those principles to guide the selection of the project list. At this point, we have not made any specific project decisions for the transportation initiative.
How are you going to fund a transportation plan?
An RTA has two sources of funding available under current Colorado statute: sales taxes up to 1% and automobile registration fees up to $10.00 per registration. Establishment of a RTA and its funding requires a ballot measure and vote of the people.
What is your timeline?
The Steering Committee will focus its efforts on building a coalition and defining the project list between now and the end of April. We will work with local jurisdictions to secure signed intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) before the end of July. Our campaign is targeting a November 2007 election date.
Can we meet the transportation needs of our community without additional funding?
No. We are becoming a regional community. Current trends indicate that in the future, most travel will be done within the region, not to Denver or other areas. Even with the expected state, federal, and local improvements of $1.3 billion over the next twenty years, severe congestion will occur within the region. The region is also not keeping up with necessary maintenance which means much higher costs in the future.
How does the work of the NFRTA relate to the WeldCounty Commissioners’ recent proposal to seek a sales tax increase that would be dedicated to transportation projects only in WeldCounty?
Weld County is exploring its own options independently, but we at the NFRTA are committed to a regional solution. This process is about exploring potential long-term solutions to the region’s transportation issues. We’re excited to have people from both Weld and Larimer Counties involved in this initial stage of the process.
What do you personally want to see result out of this process?
The NFRTA Steering Committee is made up of individuals committed to trying to reach an agreement on principles that will guide the next stage of this process. I’m not looking to push my own personal agenda, but rather explore all possible options with this diverse group of stake-holders.
What “region” are you talking about?
The North Front Range (NFR) generally covers the urban areas of Larimer and Wel d Counties. It specifically includes the 13 member governments in the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) which are: Larimer County, Weld County, Berthoud, Evans, Fort Collins, Garden City, Greeley, Johnstown, LaSalle, Loveland, Milliken, Timnath, and Windsor. This area covers 1600 square miles and includes almost 390,000 northern Colorado residents. (view Map of the Region)