In response to growing public criticism over a U.S. 36 maintenance project contract, the Colorado Public Interest Research Group is asking for an extended review period.
CoPIRG director Danny Katz says a 20- or 30-day public input period would benefit both the public and the Colorado Department of Transportation.
“I think that public comment opportunity will not only provide clarity, but for the Colorado Department of Transportation which I think believes they’ve negotiated a good deal it just gives them more opportunity to communicate what that good deal is," he said.
In response to public demand, CDOT recently released the thousand-plus page contract.
The 50-year contract could soon be finalized at a meeting of the High Performance Transportation Enterprise Committee. The deal puts a consortium of companies in charge of maintaining a 21-mile section of U.S. 36 from Denver to Boulder, as well as managing and collecting tolls from proposed toll lanes.
In addition to protests planned Wednesday outside the HPTE meeting, other requests for extended review periods are expected to be presented. Boulder’s Drive SunShine Institute also plans to file a lawsuit over the public-private partnership to slow it down.
