A move in Colorado to legally require that revenue collected for funding road work actually goes to funding road work may end up as a ballot question in the coming November election.
Proposed by the Colorado Contractors Association, what is called Initiative 175 would officially mandate that some 2% of the Colorado state budget be dedicated to road work and repair projects.
Supporters of the proposal contend that the Centennial State has for years underinvested in both road and bridge work.
In a website, the group Restore Our Roads, which is supporting the initiative, contends that “each and every year, roads are moved to the bottom of the priority list” as legislators assert that the funding demands of education and healthcare, among other things, are more important.
The group adds that last year roughly $140 million was taken out of the Colorado Department of Transportation and used for other things, with that amount including $65 million that was especially geared for road work.
Last year a report issued by the Reason Foundation said that Colorado ranked in the bottom ten nationally in terms of the condition of its highways and bridges.
If voters approve Initiative 175 it would make the road funding proposal a part of the state’s constitution.
Opponents of the proposal say it would deprive the State Legislature of funds it may need to pay for other priorities. Democrat Senator Judy Amabile told CPR News that she has not heard much from constituents interested in road funding: “What I’m hearing is to make sure people have access to healthcare, make sure we’re funding K through 12, make sure that we are protecting our water and our air.” The deadline for signatures to put Initiative 175 on the fall ballot is May 27.
May 5, 2026
By Garry Boulard
