Sept. 5, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GES Tolling Equity Program honored at the 2024 DRCOG Awards

DENVER — The Globeville and Elyria Swansea (GES) Tolling Equity Program, which allows low-income GES residents to use Express Lanes on Central I-70 or public transportation along the corridor for free, received a Metro Vision Award from the Denver Regional Council of Governments at the organization’s annual awards ceremony Aug. 28.

The award from DRCOG recognizes excellence, innovation, collaboration and leadership in problem-solving among communities and their partners. The ceremony was held at the Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Each year, DRCOG honors organizations and individuals who have made the Denver region a great place to live by championing innovation in the areas of transportation and personal mobility, growth and development, and aging and disability resources. The honorees for the GES Tolling Equity Program are CDOT’s Colorado Transportation Investment Office (CTIO) and Northeast Transportation Connections (NETC).

The GES Tolling Equity Program was created when CTIO, a government-owned business within the Colorado Department of Transportation that owns and operates the Colorado Express Lanes system, was required to implement a transportation benefit for residents of GES following the completion of the Central 70 highway construction project from Chambers Road to Brighton Boulevard.

CTIO developed a program that has three main components. The first is $100 of toll credits and a free switchable transponder to travel for free in most Express Lanes when three or more people are in the vehicle and it is in HOV3+ mode. The second is free transit passes distributed within the community at rec centers, libraries, and schools. Fifteen percent of net revenue from the Central 70 Express Lanes is dedicated to the program each year so that toll credits and transit passes will be an ongoing benefit to GES residents who income qualify.

CTIO partnered with NETC to inform GES residents about the program and distribute transit passes to participants. Since March of 2023, the community has received $200,000 in transit fares, including over 50,000 one-way fares and over 200 monthly passes, and distributed over $14,000 in toll benefits.

“The Metro Vision Award recognizes the significant amount of collaboration and coordination required to develop a program that helps GES residents move in and around their community,” said Piper Darlington, CTIO Director. “We are grateful to the residents of GES for all their feedback in helping to develop the program and to the dedicated NETC staff whose partnership has been invaluable in ensuring the program fits the community's needs and reaches as many residents as possible.”

Other 2024 Metro Vision Award winners include the City of Boulder, City of Centennial, Clear Creek County, Gilpin County and Town of Nederland, City of Englewood, City of Littleton and Littleton Public Schools, City of Thornton and the Regional Transportation District (RTD). Congratulations are also due to Karen Stuart, who received the John V. Christensen Memorial Award, which recognizes individuals who promote cooperation and collaboration for the benefit of the region.

About CTIO:
CTIO seeks out opportunities for innovative and efficient means of financing and delivering important surface transportation infrastructure projects in the state. It has the statutory power, among others, to impose tolls and other user fees, to issue bonds, and to enter into contracts with public and private entities to facilitate Public-Private Partnerships.

About NETC:
Northeast Transportation Connections is a sustainability initiative under the Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities. Its mission is to work with the public and private sectors to reduce single occupant vehicle travel, to improve mobility, and to establish sustainable transportation throughout the northeast Denver area by creating, supporting and promoting an array of transportation options for commuters, residents, students and visitors.

NETC is also a partner in the Denver Connector free ride-share service, which won a Metro Vision Award in 2023.

Click to watch the Tolling Equity Program video

Contact:
Lacey Champion
LChampion@NEtransportation.org
7350 E. 29th Ave. Suite 300
Denver, CO 80238
Ph: +1-217-972-6101

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