Transportation

Beginning on July 1, 2026, the bill directs state-level permit fees and supplemental surcharges for oversize and overweight vehicles and longer vehicle combinations to the freight cash fund (fund), which is newly created in the office of freight mobility and safety (office) in the transportation development division of the department of transportation (department). The fund is appropriated for use by the office for the following main purposes:For funding freight-related projects; andTo support the office in functions related to freight projects, movement, and infrastructure, including the administrative costs of the office.In funding freight-related projects from the fund, the office is required to attempt to direct money in a manner that is proportional to the amount of freight routes and the impact of freight traffic in the affected community or region of the state.The office may also use money in the fund to create and maintain a centralized online permitting system for oversize permits, overweight permits, and other types of freight or transport permits issued by the department, the Colorado state patrol, or any local government. The centralized permitting system must allow a person to apply for and be issued all necessary state and local permits for a route in a single transaction and pay for all associated permit fees and surcharges for that route in a single transaction. By September 1, 2027, the office is required to conduct a feasibility study relating to the centralized permitting system and must report to the transportation legislation review committee during the 2027 legislative interim on the completed feasibility study and any progress toward implementing the centralized permitting system. The office is required to implement the centralized permitting system by July 1, 2029, either by creating a new online permitting system or by modifying an existing online permitting system.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Under current law, the public utilities commission (commission) may assess a civil penalty in an amount up to $550 against a transportation network company (TNC) if the TNC had written notice of a TNC driver's violation of certain prohibitions against discriminating against riders and the TNC failed to reasonably address the violation. Additionally, a driver is required to report to the TNC any refusal by the driver to provide services to a rider, and the TNC is required to annually report all such refusals to the commission.     The act removes the condition that a TNC first have written notice of a driver's violation of the discriminatory prohibitions before a civil penalty may be assessed against the TNC, increases the maximum civil penalty to $1,300, and requires the commission to consider certain mitigating and aggravating factors in determining whether to assess a civil penalty and the amount of a penalty assessed. The act also requires:A TNC to mandate and provide education to drivers concerning the transportation of riders with service animals;A TNC to provide monthly, rather than annual, reporting to the commission regarding drivers' refusal to provide services;A TNC to provide a mechanism to allow a consumer to report a driver's refusal to provide transport to the consumer directly on the TNC's digital platform, which information must be included in the TNC's monthly report; andThe commission to aggregate and anonymize the TNCs' monthly reports and make the anonymized reports available to the public.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act increases the penalties for improperly passing a vehicle in a no-passing zone and clarifies that no-passing zones are indicated by a solid yellow line or line pavement markings. The act requires the Colorado department of transportation to prioritize installing signage on roadways with increased incidents of crashes resulting from illegal overtaking on the left.     The act increases the points assessed for multiple speeding violations within a one-year, 2-year, or 5-year period for driving 20 miles per hour or more in excess of the reasonable and prudent speed or driving in excess of a 75 miles per hour speed limit and requires drivers driving a vehicle 100 miles per hour or greater be assessed 4 additional points. The act requires that drivers who have multiple speeding violations within a one-year, 2-year, or 5-year period receive a summons and complaint upon committing their violation instead of a penalty assessment notice.     The act increases the fine for violating regulations regarding transporting hazardous materials by motor vehicle to $500 and increases the fine range for a second or subsequent violation to $500 to $1,000.     The act appropriates $30,943 to the Colorado department of revenue from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Current law allows the state to locate an automated vehicle identification system (AVIS) on a highway that is part of the federal interstate highway system but prohibits a county, city and county, or municipality (local government) from doing so. The bill authorizes a local government city and county or municipality to locate an AVIS on a highway that is part of the federal interstate highway system.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The act authorizes the clean fleet enterprise (enterprise) to incentivize, support, and accelerate the replacement of a truck that is part of a fleet and that is powered by a diesel-fueled internal combustion engine, is a model year of 2009 or earlier, and is registered, operable, and capable of independent roadway operation (aging diesel truck) with a diesel truck that is a model year of 2018 or later (new diesel truck) until December 31, 2031. The act also allows the enterprise to provide funding or financing through grant programs, rebate programs, revolving loan funds, or other strategies to help owners and operators of aging diesel truck fleets finance the replacement of aging diesel trucks with new diesel trucks to reduce the up-front costs of acquiring new diesel trucks until December 31, 2031.     The enterprise may use the clean fleet enterprise fund to provide money to support the replacement of aging diesel trucks with new diesel trucks, but the enterprise is required to ensure that it does not expend more than 20% of the fund's income during a state fiscal year for the support.     To qualify for any money provided by the enterprise for the replacement of aging diesel trucks with new diesel trucks, the act requires a purchaser of the new diesel truck to surrender an aging diesel truck to the seller of the new truck. The seller of the new diesel truck must decommission the aging diesel truck by drilling a hole in the engine's block and cutting the chassis rails in half. The seller must be an authorized dealer of new diesel trucks who must certify that the new diesel truck meets all state and federal emissions and safety standards for its model year.     The enterprise must prioritize applications to replace aging diesel trucks from businesses that are privately owned, independently owned, or have limited access to capital. The enterprise is not allowed to accept an application from the owner or operator of a motor vehicle fleet that owns, leases, or operates more than 50 heavy-duty motor vehicles or from a business entity with annual gross revenue exceeding $100 million. The enterprise is required to prioritize the replacement of an aging diesel truck that has a model year of no later than 2006.     The act expands the business purpose of the enterprise to include providing incentives and support for refrigerated transport units powered by zero emission technology. The act allows the enterprise to exercise its rights and powers without regard to the state 'Procurement Code'.     The act requires the enterprise to annually prepare a report that includes the estimated pollution reduction benefits of the enterprise. The enterprise must seek to ensure that all projects funded by the enterprise achieve measurable results and outcomes.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act increases the gross vehicle weight rating limit from less than 10,000 pounds to less than 16,000 pounds for a passenger vehicle for which the use of a child restraint system is required.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

This Senate Resolution (SR 1) demands that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) prioritize funding and implement road improvement projects for state highways in Morgan County. It cites a 2023 CDOT assessment showing 70% of Morgan County's non-interstate state highways (about 145 miles) have a drivability life of three years or less, likely declining to one year by 2025. The resolution urges CDOT to reevaluate its project planning to address this underserved condition, specifically addressing Morgan County's road maintenance needs. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new law or funding but formally requests CDOT action.

The act creates the 'Transit Investment Area Act' to facilitate the financing of transit and rail station infrastructure. Specifically, the act:Allows a local government and a transit agency to jointly undertake a transit investment project. To finance the project, the local government may apply to the Colorado economic development commission (commission) to designate a transit investment area and an approved financing entity;Authorizes the approved financing entity, which may be a newly created transit investment authority, a county revitalization authority, a metropolitan district, or an urban renewal authority, to receive state sales tax increment revenue. This revenue consists of the state sales tax collected in the designated area above a base amount, plus an additional 20% to account for out-of-area deliveries.Permits the financing entity to issue bonds and use the state sales tax increment revenue to finance eligible improvements related to the transit project;Prohibits the financing entity from using the state sales tax increment revenue to acquire property through eminent domain;Requires projects to comply with specified hiring, apprenticeship, and workforce standards;Caps the commission's approval authority at no more than 3 transit investment projects in any calendar year and no more than 6 in total and caps the total state sales tax increment revenue dedicated to all projects at $75 million per fiscal year; andAuthorizes the commission to revoke project approval if substantial work does not commence within 5 years and requires financing entities to submit annual reports and independent financial audits.     The act requires the Colorado office of economic development, in consultation with the department of local affairs and the department of transportation, to publish a transit and housing investment zone map on or before October 30, 2026.     The act creates the Colorado affordable housing in transit and housing investment zones tax credit (tax credit). The tax credit is administered in the same manner as the Colorado affordable housing in transit-oriented communities income tax credit; except that the tax credit is awarded in connection with housing projects in transit and housing zones. The act authorizes the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority to allocate up to $8,333,333 in tax credits each calendar year beginning in the 2027 calendar year through the 2033 calendar year.     For the 2026-27 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $213,349 to the office of the governor for use by economic development programs.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

The act clarifies the conduct by which a person can commit criminally negligent homicide to include proximately causing the death of another person while operating or driving a motor vehicle with criminal negligence. The act repeals the class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense of a person being the proximate cause of death to another person while driving a motor vehicle, while clarifying it can be charged as a class 5 felony elsewhere in statute.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)