Roadways are a vital component of infrastructure in the United States. The vast majority of goods are transported by truck, highlighting the economy’s need for reliable roadways to connect supply chains and move goods and services efficiently across borders. Most commuters use roads daily to get to work, and individuals also rely on roadways for crucial access to resources including employment, social, health, and education services.
However, many highways, major roads, and bridges are in need of repair. Hazardous road conditions can negatively impact the economy, contribute to traffic congestion, and impact the safety of Americans. The passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package) highlights the importance of reliable roads in the U.S., and the commitment to improving America’s infrastructure. The 2021 bill signed by President Joe Biden dedicated $110 billion in funding to repair and update roads and bridges, in addition to supporting major transformational roadway projects across the U.S.
Despite this massive investment, America still has its fair share of hazardous roads. From 2000 to 2020, the share of major roadways in poor condition has remained fairly steady, rising from 11.8% to 13.8% over the course of 20 years. While frustrating for vehicle owners and operators, there’s more promising news: the share of roads in good condition has steadily increased since 2000, rising a total of 8.4 percentage points, from 45.5% in 2000 to 53.9% in 2020.
The share of major roadways in fair condition, or the category between good and poor, was the only category to shrink over the last 20 years, falling from 42.6% in 2000 to 32.3% in 2020—a decrease of over 10 percentage points.
There’s no shortage of roads that need fixing, and total highway expenditures have grown over the past 20 years, highlighting the government’s commitment to improving America’s most common form of transportation. Funds dedicated to capital outlay, or the cost of equipment or expenditures to make improvements including construction, grew the most and secured the most funds, increasing from $87.4 billion in 2000 to $127.7 billion in 2020. Spending on maintenance also increased by nearly $20 billion, climbing from $43.7 billion in 2000 to $61.4 billion in 2020.
Highway costs aren’t isolated to physical improvements. Expenditures in administration, highway law enforcement, and bond interest have also increased in order to maintain orderly and safe roadways. This particular area of spending grew from $36.6 billion in 2000 to $55.1 billion in 2020.
While roads serve as important infrastructure, and investments in roadway improvements are growing, there are still regions where road quality is lagging behind. A surprising amount of East Coast states—where individuals are more likely to commute via public transit—are home to a large share of roadways in poor condition, while Midwest states are more likely to be farther down the list.
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. To determine the states with the worst roads, researchers at Construction Coverage calculated the share of major roadways in poor condition. In the event of a tie, the state with the lower percentage of roadways in good condition was ranked higher. Major roadways are defined to include interstates, other freeways and expressways, other principal arterials, and minor arterials.
The analysis found that 17.5% of the major roadways in Colorado are in poor condition, compared to 13.8% of roadways across the country. Out of all states, Colorado has the 14th worst roads. Here is a summary of the data for Colorado:
- Share of major roadways in poor condition: 17.5%
- Share of major roadways in fair condition: 41.0%
- Share of major roadways in good condition: 41.5%
- Daily vehicle-miles traveled per capita: 23.4
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
- Share of major roadways in poor condition: 13.8%
- Share of major roadways in fair condition: 32.3%
- Share of major roadways in good condition: 53.9%
- Daily vehicle-miles traveled per capita: 24.4
For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Construction Coverage’s website: https://constructioncoverage.com/research/us-states-with-the-worst-roads-2023
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Colorado has 14th worst roads in U.S.
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Drivers get streamlined experience at Dry Creek Road and I-25 interchange
Arapahoe County in January completed a $1 million project that improves the Dry Creek Road and I-25 interchange, offering drivers a streamlined experience navigating one of the area’s busiest exchanges.
Work began last September to expand the number of southbound I-25 on-ramp lanes and make safety and operational improvements to the intersection.
Crews lengthened the turn lanes on westbound Dry Creek Road to allow more motorists to turn left onto the southbound I-25 on-ramp. The lengthened turn lanes allow motorists turning left more room to get out of the through lanes on Dry Creek Road, reducing congestion.
The southbound I-25 on-ramp also saw improvements, including an additional third lane to be utilized during peak hours, new metering, signage and striping.
The work also includes new traffic signals at the intersection and upgraded pedestrian ramps that meet American Disabilities Act standards.
The project was funded by Arapahoe County, Colorado Department of Transportation, City of Centennial, Inverness, Panorama and Southgate at Centennial metropolitan districts.
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NRCS in CO Announces NEW Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easement (ACEP-ALE) Application Signup Cut-off Date
Fiscal Year 2023 ACEP-ALE Applications are due February 17, 2023
DENVER, CO – Colorado Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist, Clint Evans, announced the 2023 application cut-off dates for eligible entities to participate in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easement (ACEP-ALE) in Colorado. There is one signup offered for complete and eligible applications to compete for available funding. Application packages are due on Friday, February 17, 2023, by 4:00 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST) for funding. Ranking pools offered for parcel applications are General, Grasslands of Special Significance (GSS), GSS Gunnison Sage Grouse, GSS Greater Sage Grouse, and General Urban Agriculture
The purpose of the ACEP-ALE program is to (1) protect the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land that negatively affect the agricultural uses and conservation values and (2) protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible land.
Applicants (eligible entities) must be a federally recognized Indian Tribe, state or local units of government, or a non-governmental organization. Applicants must have an established farmland protection program that purchases agricultural conservation easements for the purpose of protecting agriculture use and related conservation values by limiting conversion to nonagricultural uses of the land.
USDA provides up to 50 percent of the appraised fair market value of the conservation easement in this voluntary program and up to 75 percent for qualifying Grasslands of Special Significance (GSS), including projects in Sage Grouse territory. The qualified landowner retains ownership and continues to use the land for agricultural purposes.
To be eligible to receive ALE funding, eligible entity applicants must demonstrate a commitment to long-term conservation of agricultural lands; a capability to acquire, manage, and enforce easements; adequate staff capacity for monitoring and easement stewardship; and the availability of funds. All landowners of record and the land being offered for enrollment must also meet specific eligibility criteria as outlined in the application materials posted to the State ACEP website.
Fully completed application packets must be received by no later than 4:00 PM MST on an advertised signup date to be considered. Application packets may be sent to the attention of Easements Program Manager, by email (preferred) to ; by FedEx or UPS to USDA-NRCS, Denver Federal Center, Building 56, Room 2604, Denver, CO 80225; or by USPS to USDA-NRCS, Denver Federal Center, PO Box 25426, Denver, CO 80225.
Applications postmarked or time stamped after the deadline WILL NOT be accepted. Only fully completed and properly executed applications that are submitted by the signup date on the appropriate forms and accompanied by all required supporting documentation will be considered for funding in FY 2023. All qualified applications will be reviewed, ranked, and considered for funding according to the Final ACEP rule, policy, and guidance. Complete applications received after the cutoff date may be considered if another sign-up date is announced
Incomplete applications WILL NOT be considered.
For more information about ACEP-ALE, please contact Laura Trimboli at 970-403-6379 or . You can also visit your local NRCS at your nearest USDA Service Center or visit the Colorado NRCS ACEP website.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife locates, collars two wolves in North Park
CPW placed GPS collars on two wolves in North Park on Feb. 2. Male wolf 2101 has a gray coat and is in the foreground on the right. Male wolf 2301 has a black coat and is in the background on the left. WALDEN, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife placed GPS collars on two wolves in North Park, Colorado on Thursday, Feb. 2. The male wolf 2101 was recaptured two years after his initial capture. The other wolf collared was male 2301, presumably one of six pups produced by female wolf 1084 and male wolf 2101 in 2021.
“Both animals were caught together in an area of North Park where we have been receiving reports from the public in the past couple of weeks,” CPW Species Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell said. Odell was part of the capture team working to collar wolves in North Park this week along with CPW Wildlife Research Scientist Ellen Brandell and CPW Wildlife Veterinarian Pauline Nol. “We would like to thank the public for sending in their wolf sightings.”
CPW’s team was doing wolf capture and collaring work in conjunction with elk and moose capture efforts for ongoing research studies in the area.
“2101’s collar had failed and we could see it was damaged. Wolves are rough on collars and that’s to be expected that in time collars will fail,” said Odell.
“Refitting 2101 and having a second GPS collar will allow our biologists and wildlife managers to continue learning about the behavior of these wolves,” said CPW Acting Director Heather Disney Dugan.
During the collaring effort, a CPW-contracted company safely darted the animal with a tranquilizer from a helicopter, allowing the collar to be fitted by field staff on the ground.
“Both animals were given a health exam during the collaring process and appear to be in good health,” said Odell.
It is worth noting that, while collars provide valuable information, they only provide a snapshot and are not monitored in real time. The primary tools used by wildlife officers are field observations of physical evidence such as wolf prints and scat during field investigations to verify the presence of wolves on the landscape.
CPW also encourages the public to use its wolf sighting form if they see a suspected wolf. Any personal observations, photos or videos taken can help inform CPW staff and fill in the gaps as to wolf activity in the state.
These collaring efforts occurred on the known wolves in Jackson County that naturally migrated to the state and are not the result of wolf reintroduction efforts. No wolves have been reintroduced under Proposition 114 – now state statute 33-2-105.8.
CPW placed GPS collars on two wolves in North Park on Feb. 2. CPW’s team was doing wolf capture and collaring work in conjunction with elk and moose capture efforts for ongoing research studies in the area.
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Colorado Secretary of State’s Office Permanently Adopts New Bingo Rules
Denver, Colo – Today, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office is adopting permanent rule revisions to create new definitions and to accommodate the use of improved electronic aids and devices in conducting bingos and raffles. These rules have been adopted to implement House Bill 22-1093 (Updates To Bingo And Raffles Law).
The adopted rules include definitions of “bingo” and “bingo strip card,” amendments to clarify definitions and prize limits throughout bingo and raffle rules, and new rules regarding the oversight and administration of bingos and raffles statewide.
A public rulemaking hearing was held on January 17, 2023, at 11 a.m. to receive testimony concerning the preliminary draft of permanent rules. This hearing was conducted in-person and via webinar.
To read the Notice of Adoption, click here. For more information on this rulemaking process, please click here. For an audio recording of the public rulemaking hearing, please click here.
These rules will become permanently effective twenty days after publication in the Colorado Register.
Members of the public with questions about rulemaking should contact . Members of the press with questions relating to the rulemaking should contact .
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NFIB to Oppose Spending Additional Money on UI Recipients’ Families
Testimony tomorrow will remind legislators of the fragility of the Trust Fund and its sole purpose
DENVER, Feb. 8, 2023—The state’s leading small-business association will testify tomorrow, February 9, against House Bill 1078 when it comes before the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee at 1:30 p.m.
“Every working Coloradan has a stake in the health of the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. It is from that pot of money that unemployment benefits are drawn from when needed,” said Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
“Colorado was one of 22 states that had to borrow from the federal government to keep its UI trust fund solvent, and we just recently paid Uncle Sam back, but with the help of another loan from a private bank. We cannot afford to expand the program, and it was never intended to include anyone other than the recipient who lost his or her job through no fault of their own. It’s also important to remember that employers – not employees – pay into the fund and increasing a cost to them when the small-business economy is extremely fragile is poor policy.
“To be certain of our opposition to this bill, we sent our members a special poll asking them what they thought, and it came back with a 97% in opposition.”
NOTE TO CAPITOL CORRESPONDENTS—Gagliardi will also testify in support of House Bill 1063, an income tax rate reduction, before the House State, Civic, Miliary &Veterans Affairs Committee, which convenes after adjournment of the floor session.
Keep up with the latest Colorado small-business news at www.nfib.com/colorado or by following NFIB on Twitter @NFIB_CO or on Facebook @NFIB.CO
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Make Plans to Attend CLA’s Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium
Cattle Market Outlook, Bureau of Animal Protection Update, Long-Range Weather, Beef Quality Assurance Certification and more!
Aurora, CO – Register to attend the Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium next Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in Hugo, CO! This annual event, hosted by the Colorado Livestock Association, includes trade show exhibitors and a full day of informative presentations from experts across the industry.
For the first time, Dr. Matthew May, Feedlot Health Management Services, will share how all sectors of the beef industry can harness the power of their data to drive decision-making. May will lead a discussion on how to think outside the box about data collection and how the beef industry can collaborate to move the industry forward.
Dr. Rebecca Niemec, Manager of the Bureau of Animal Protection program, will provide producers with an update on program activities since she was appointed to the position last February.
CattleFax Market Specialist, Troy Applehans, will be on hand to share a market outlook. CattleFax is an industry leader in research, analysis and information for beef, grains, energy and protein sectors, including pork and poultry, as well as trade.
Back by popular demand, KKTV’s chief meteorologist and Weather5280‘s climate and long-range forecast specialist, Brian Bledsoe, will provide a forecast for Colorado farmers and ranchers to assist them in strategizing for the future.
Need to renew your Beef Quality Assurance certification or earn a CLA Safety Group credit? Producers can receive both in the afternoon, led by Colorado BQA State Coordinator Libby Bigler.
Attendance is free, but please register for lunch by February 10, 2023. Register online at www.coloradolivestock.org or call the CLA office at (970) 378-0500.
CLA is able to provide high-caliber meetings and events because of the support of our agribusiness partners. We would like to recognize and thank our meeting sponsors!
AGPROfessionals
AgRisk Advisors
Alltech
American National Insurance
Colorado Beef Council
Flagler Cooperative Association
Pinnacol Assurance
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Box Truck Driver Leaves Lane and Sideswipes Trooper
Colorado State Patrol wants you to keep your head up and phone down
(COLO) – A Colorado State Patrol vehicle sustained moderate damage when a company box truck driver, based out of Colorado Springs, failed to properly hold his lane position and struck the cruiser on the driver’s side as it was traveling in the right lane.
At 7:10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 31, a box truck traveling westbound on Meadows Parkway (Highway 85) was in the center lane when the driver veered to the right sideswiping a vehicle traveling in the same direction one lane to the right. The vehicle was a Colorado State Trooper going to work in an unmarked cruiser.
While both vehicles were estimated to only be driving at 10 mph at the time of impact, moderate damage occurred to the cruiser when the box truck temporarily hooked onto the car and then separated. Fortunately, both the trooper and other driver were not injured in the crash. The other driver was cited for careless driving due to being distracted.
Lane violations can be switching lanes in an unsafe manner, driving too close and subsequently crossing over lane boundary lines.
“We find a variety of reasons people fail to drive in their designated lane, but some of the most common are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving aggressively or being distracted behind the wheel,” stated Sgt. Troy Kessler, Colorado State Patrol. “In this case the driver wasn’t paying attention to where he was headed. He was looking at his GPS because he was unfamiliar with the area and his truck moved into the adjacent lane. No road, weather, or other extenuating circumstance contributed to the crash.”
Colorado State Troopers made over 12,650 proactive traffic stops for lane violations in 2022. Driving distracted has consistently been one of the top causal factors for serious injury and fatal crashes in Colorado for the last five years.
A picture of the Colorado State Patrol vehicle and dashcam video of the lane violation and resulting collision are available for media use.
As a reminder, a driver’s primary or “default” position in normal circumstances is to drive so that your vehicle is in the center of the lane with equal amounts of space on both sides.
Troopers continue to take a low tolerance approach to lane violations while launching a yearlong campaign called “Stay in Your Lane.” This campaign is designed to remind people to control their lane position based on their current driving environment. This campaign also aims to bring attention to three of the most common and avoidable behaviors that contribute to lane violations – driving aggressively, driving distracted or driving while impaired
See more pictures and dashcam video here.
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2023 Farm Bill Decision Webinar
The March 15th deadline for farmers to make their ARC/PLC decisions for the 2023 crop year is fast approaching. In an effort to provide growers with the most up to date information needed to make this important decision, CSU Extension and the USDA Farm Service Agency have teamed up to conduct a Farm Bill Decisions webinar.
The webinar will be held Tuesday, February 7th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. Topics to be addressed are: the mechanics of ARC/PLC and the limitations of ARC-IC for fruit and vegetable producers, the payment outlook in 2023 for ARC-CO/PLC for the major program crops in Colorado and managing the 2023 margin squeeze.
Please preregister for this free webinar here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAlduygrDMiGdHZrPz1udlQMAhvPM5eYa_Z
To get a copy of the registration link, contact Brent Young at
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Deer Trail Eagles Meal Deal
Come support the Deer Trail Eagles as they take on the Byers Bulldogs on Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 starting at 4 p.m. with JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys! Little Dribblers will be playing at halftime of the girls’ and boys’ games. FBLA is running concessions and we know you want the night off from cooking.Meal Deal: $7.00Sloppy JoeBag of ChipsPickle SpearHomemade Chocolate Chip CookieWater or PopIf you want Gatorade or Tea instead of Water or Pop, add a $1.00.
