About Restore Our Roads
Colorado’s roads and bridges are in a disastrous state of disrepair. Our roads aren’t safe. Colorado’s mountain destinations and business centers are clogged by mind-boggling gridlock. Whether you live in the rural valleys of the Western Slope or the bustling neighborhoods along the Front Range, our state’s transportation system is in critical condition.
Colorado is collecting record-breaking tax revenues from taxes and fees on cars, car registration, and gasoline. Since 2017, the legislature has created or increased fees on everything from gas at the pump to Uber rides and retail deliveries with a promise of fixing and funding our roads.
How can Colorado’s roads and bridges be in such bad shape?
The reasons for the years of neglect are relatively straightforward. The state’s gas tax, the main transportation revenue source, has not changed since 1991. Meanwhile, road construction and maintenance costs have soared due to inflation, leading to chronic underfunding for both upkeep and upgrades. Colorado’s explosive population growth – nearly 40% since 2000 – has dramatically increased traffic volume, accelerating wear and tear and congestion without a corresponding increase in infrastructure investment.
Roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested, or lack safety features cost Colorado motorists a total of $11.4 billion statewide annually – as much as $3,060 per driver in some areas – due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays, flat tires and vehicle wear and tear.
With only 34% of Colorado’s roads in “good” condition – far below the national average – the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 report gave Colorado a D+ grade for its roads and highways.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) faces a $350 million annual shortfall just to maintain existing conditions. Of that amount, at least $200 million is needed solely for pavement maintenance.
There is broad consensus that something must be done. But each and every year, roads are moved to the bottom of the priority list as lawmakers contend that we can’t fund education, public safety, healthcare and roads. During budget challenges in 2025, lawmakers pulled $140 million from CDOT's budget, including $65 million specifically designated for highway funds.
Funding our roads and highways must be a top priority, even while our state faces budget constraints.
Problems
Problem 1 –Quality
Roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested, or lack safety features cost Colorado motorists a total of $11.4 billion statewide annually – as much as $3,060 per driver in some areas – due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays, flat tires and vehicle wear and tear.
Problem 2 - Capacity
Colorado’s road conditions are struggling to keep up with the state’s population growth and the resulting increase in traffic. With population increase projections, more vehicle travel, congestion and vehicle accidents are expected. Vehicle miles traveled are above pre-pandemic levels. Trying to force Coloradans into mass transit by prioritizing funding for these projects is not working and is unrealistic.
Problem 3 - Funding
Continued lack of adequate investment in roads, bridges, and highway infrastructure at a time when there is a $350-million-per-year funding shortfall jeopardizes the safety of our citizens and impedes our state's economic progress and competitiveness.
Deferred maintenance, repairs and expansion of Colorado's roads, bridges and highways have created an unsustainable financial, time, and safety burden on Colorado commuters and industries that rely on effective transportation infrastructure to sustain the state's economy.
Funding our roads and highways must be a top priority, even while our state faces budget constraints. The issue impacts nearly every person and every business in the state. We cannot mass transit our way out of this hole. The state's backbone is made of roads, bridges, and highways.
Proposed Solution
There is broad sentiment among Colorado voters that our roads are a mess and need to be fixed. An astounding 80% of Coloradans said they would vote yes/lean yes for a ballot measure that requires transportation dollars to be used to fund projects for automobile traffic on roads and bridges without raising taxes.
Initiative 175 would constitutionally require a shift of transportation taxes Coloradans already pay on cars, tires, and gas to fund roads and bridges. Instead of this money disappearing into the general fund to pay for whatever shortfall the state faces each budget year, the money generated from motor vehicles would go to roads.
This measure accomplishes two things neither rural nor urban Coloradans have enjoyed for decades: It locks in sustained investment of an additional $700 to $900 million per year, without raising taxes, and it ensures that every region receives its fair share to address the most urgent local priorities.
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Revenue comes from all state sales, use, and excise taxes or fees on motor vehicles and fuel, along with two-thirds of state sales and use taxes collected on vehicle parts, equipment, materials, and accessories that are installed on vehicles.
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The money would be distributed according to the current Highway Users Tax Fund formula, which allocates revenue to the state, counties, and municipalities and safeguards funding for the Colorado State Patrol.
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Cities and counties will see an increase in funding. As the overall “pie” gets larger, distributions go up. New funds under HUTF can only be used for roads, highways and bridges and not other types of transportation.
