I-25 looking south towards Sports Authority Field at Mile High

According to a new report by INRIX and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, annual delay per commuter increased to 49 hours in 2014 for Denver metro drivers. This is an increase from 46 hours during the height of the recession.

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce states, “Without metro Denver’s investment in FasTracks over the last decade, these facts would be worse. With average weekday Regional Transportation District (RTD) boardings of 344,000 people between December 2013 and November 2014, it is clear that Coloradans have embraced our region’s investment in public transportation. But in a metro area that plans to grow, the need to continue to invest in all modes of transportation to sustain economic health and quality of life is evident.”

The 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard shows that traffic congestion nationwide caused motorists to burn more than 3 billion gallons of fuel while stuck in traffic, 7 billion in wasted hours, at an estimated price of $160 billion.

“While Denver has made some incredible improvements in mobility thanks to FasTracks and the use of ride sharing and alternate transportation, we have a long way to go,” said Kelly Brough, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. “We know our state needs to invest in transportation if we want to continue to be a top destination for a highly educated and healthy workforce. Efficiently getting to and from work, school and recreational opportunities is critical to our economic development efforts and quality of life in this region. This report underscores the need for increased investment in transportation across the metro area.”

A plan is currently in place to widen I-70 in North Denver at a price tag of over a billion dollars. The plan includes removing the viaducts and having a portion of the highway below grade. Toll lanes will also be added.