RTPO launches transportation finance study to plan for safer roads and long-term mobility
Mesa County Regional Transportation Planning Office is taking an important step to understand how to keep our roads safe, reliable and financially sustainable for the long run. On Dec. 9, the Board of County Commissioners approved a $300,000 contract with Fehr & Peers, a nationally recognized transportation planning firm, to conduct a Transportation Finance Study. The study is fully funded through the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Here’s what that means for residents — and why it matters.
Mesa County’s transportation system faces growing challenges:
- Rising costs: the cost of operating Grand Valley Transit and maintaining local roads has increased sharply in recent years.
- A high rate of traffic fatalities: Mesa County ranks among the highest in Colorado for traffic deaths. Commissioners noted that safety must be at the center of future planning.
- A funding gap: even with ongoing federal and state grants, our needs outpace available funding. As RTPO Director Dana Brosig explained, residents often want expanded transit and safer roads, but the County has never formally asked the community what improvements they would be willing to support.
Commissioners highlighted that more federal transportation dollars may soon become available. This study positions Mesa County to compete for those funds with well-defined, data-backed priorities.
The study will begin soon and take less than a year. Once completed, findings will be presented publicly and shared with the Board of County Commissioners and the community.
Mesa County’s transportation system affects every resident, every day. This study is the first step in building a safer, stronger and more sustainable future.
