On Friday, February 7, Colorado Governor Jared Polis delivered his State of the State message to a packed audience at the Boulder Chamber. He placed special emphasis on the state’s progress in increasing quality of life by giving more Coloradans access to good jobs and training opportunities, affordable housing and sustainable transportation options. These efforts will “allow people to get where they want to go, quicker and less expensively, with less traffic and congestion, better air quality, more convenience, and lower cost,” Governor Polis said.
The governor spoke specifically to the issue of housing affordability in his hometown of Boulder and the work he and his administration have done locally to provide more options for residents:
“When it comes to affordability, we know the high cost of housing is a big challenge, especially in the Boulder community. It’s a challenge for families to live [here]. It’s also a competitive disadvantage for businesses who want to attract and retain the people that they need to be able to expand and thrive in our state. And to foster a more successful ecosystem and make life here more affordable, we need more housing near job centers, so workers can live close to job opportunities, and businesses can fill the in-demand jobs they have to succeed. …
“We look forward to continuing to partner with Boulder City Council and the state legislature around how we can unlock additional housing opportunities, near job centers and transit-planned communities. For instance, we gave Coloradans more freedom to build accessory dwelling units on their property, expanding housing near transit, getting rid of parking requirements above and beyond what people need and want, making it easier to build housing that’s inherently affordable. In Colorado, we are saying yes to more housing, yes to unlocking prosperity, and yes to opportunity for every budget.”
In addition to boosting support for accessory dwelling units, transit-oriented communities and parking reform, Polis touted his administration’s work to realize the Northwest Rail project and Front Range Passenger Rail, saying the train from Denver to Boulder, Longmont and Fort Collins will be up and running by 2028.
When pressed on this claim, he doubled down, saying, “We’ve just got to do this, we’ve got to deliver. … We’ve already got the funding mechanism in place from the state, partnering with RTD.”
Polis specifically referred to money allocated for rail transit through two bills he signed into law last year: SB24-184, which generates funding through a fee on vehicle rentals, and SB24-230, which funds rail and other transit projects through a fee on oil and gas production. These new funding sources helped boost Colorado from 44th in the nation in transit funding to 22nd. To make Northwest Rail a reality, Polis said station development and rail safety improvements are some of the final pieces of the puzzle, following funding.
Speaking about how each part of the livability puzzle fits together, Governor Polis emphasized the importance of providing Colorado residents choices:
“These steps move us closer to our vision of a Colorado where you can step out of your door and choose from a variety of affordable, convenient, reliable ways to get where you want to go. This saves families money – a family of four might want one car instead of two or a family might even use rideshare instead of having to go through the cost of car ownership themselves. Our housing and transit goals really go hand in hand with our climate goals and our affordability goals. More and better and less expensive transit options, housing closer to job centers and transit hubs save money and mean less pollution and less congestion.”
Governor Polis continues on his “whistle-stop tour” of the state this month to share his administration’s accomplishments and commitments. Watch or read the transcript of his original State of the State address, delivered at the State Capitol on January 9, here.