Who We Are
What is PPACG?
Formed in 1967, The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) is a voluntary organization composed of 16 member governments serving a regional community. PPACG’s purpose is to identify regional problems and opportunities, develop solutions, and make recommendations on region-wide strategies. This regional approach serves to facilitate state and federal funding for local programs and projects.
- 4,918 square miles
- 16 member governments
- 786,885 regional population
- 5 military installations
Board of Directors
PPACG is governed by a Board of Directors composed of elected officials appointed by the member governments and non-voting members from each of the five military installations and key agencies.
Committees
Committees serve the community by providing technical or community input to the Board of Directors and are made up of member appointees and important partners from the region.
PPACG Member Governments and Military Partners
- El Paso County
- Park County
- Teller County
- Alma
- Calhan
- Colorado Springs
- Cripple Creek
- Fairplay
- Fountain
- Green Mountain Falls
- Manitou Springs
- Monument
- Palmer Lake
- Ramah
- Victor
- Woodland Park
- U.S. Air Force Academy
- Cheyenne Mountain SFS
- Fort Carson
- Peterson SFB
- Schriever SFB
What is the MPO?
PPACG’s transportation planning efforts are focused within the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Colorado Springs Urbanized Area (UZA). MPOs are federally mandated and funded transportation planning organizations that are made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities. They are required for any UZA with a population greater than 50,000. The MPO boundary is designated by the U.S. Census and sets the geographic limits for certain types of federal funding eligibility.
Purposes of MPOs
- Identify planning needs and investment alternatives that reflect the region’s shared vision for its future.
- Allocate scarce federal and other transportation funding resources.
- Provide transparency through public participation in the planning process.
About the Plan
Purpose
- Brings together existing local, regional, and state planning efforts to provide a strategic framework for the development, operation, and management of the transportation system.
- Present an opportunity for decision makers to understand the broader social, economic, and environmental impacts of transportation investments and land-use decisions.
- Develop a strategy for the best use of public funds in meeting community goals.
Scope
Long range transportation plans (LRTPs) are required to comply with federal and state laws for the region to be eligible for federal transportation funding. This plan:
- Includes a 20 or more year horizon;
- Describes the multimodal transportation system components designed to facilitate mobility of people and goods throughout the region;
- Is fiscally constrained, which means that projects can only be included in the plan if funding is expected to be reasonably available to pay for them;
- Identifies funding—federal, state, local, and private—that is reasonably anticipated to be available during the period 2025 to 2050;
- Demonstrates that transportation activities are consistent with air quality goals and meet the mobility needs of persons with disabilities; and
- Is updated every 5 years.
Plan Process and Schedule Summary
Phase 1: Framework — Spring – Fall 2023
- Define Requirements
- Public Involvement Plan
- Vision, Goals, Objectives
- Inventory of Current Conditions
- Needs Identification and Public Survey Development
- RTPAC #1
Phase 2: Development — Summer 2023 – Fall 2024
- Compile Performance Measures
- Finalize Project Scoring Criteria
- Draft Fiscally Constrained Project List
- Demographics and Modeling Forecasts
- RTPAC #2
- Community Survey
Phase 3: Evaluate — Spring – Fall 2024
- Evaluate Projects
- Additional Input on Transportation Needs
- Integrate Remaining Component Plans
- Greenhouse Gas Modeling
- Draft Document Development
- RTPAC #3
- RTPAC #4
Phase 4: Review — Fall – Winter 2024/2025
- Draft Plan Review
- Open Houses and Public Hearing
- Final Adoption by Committees
- RTPAC #5
- Public Comment Period
Public Engagement
Engagement was built into each step of this LRTP development. The integration of existing planning efforts and the PPACG governing board, committee structure, and public outreach programs support cooperation. PPACG believes that a multifaceted approach to stakeholder and public engagement allows for greater exposure and opportunities.
- Public Survey with more than 800 responses
- Input from committees workshop, and agency consultations
- 30-day Public Comment Period
- Open Houses around the region
Regional Transportation Plan Advisory Committee
In addition to our standing committees, PPACG convened an additional advisory committee focusing on the 2050 LRTP. The RTPAC guides the plan development process and provides insight into public participation.
More than 50 individuals and organizations around the region were invited to participate in the RTPAC, representing a variety of community needs and perspectives.
Plan Framework
Establishing a vision and goals with the guidance of our planning partners and RTPAC was a critical early component of the planning process. The vision and goals must align with federal and state guidance and planning factors, performance-based metrics, and regional needs.
All projects and recommendations included support one or more of these goals.
Vision
Develop a sustainable multimodal transportation system, facilities, and services that meet regional mobility and accessibility expectations, improve the quality of life in the Pikes Peak region, and plan for the future of transportation.
Goals
- Preserve and enhance the function of and access to the existing regional transportation system.
- Provide efficient, improved, and fully connected multimodal and intermodal transportation for people, goods, information, technology, and freight to employment hubs, military installations, and other key destinations throughout the region.
- Increase the safety, security, redundancy, and resiliency of the multimodal transportation system.
- Maintain a robust, equitable, and healthy regional transportation system that enhances economic vitality of the Pikes Peak region.
- Implement responsible transportation solutions.
Measuring Performance
An integral part of the plan is a review of the region’s progress in achieving transportation goals. There are several federal performance measures that MPOs are required to evaluate with regard to safety, pavement condition, bridge condition, travel time reliability, freight movement, and transit.
In addition, the plan discusses other key issues impacting residents, visitors, businesses, and communities throughout the region, including information gathered through public survey, local jurisdiction plans and expertise, and consultations with other organizations.
What are we doing well?
- Interstate pavement condition and National Highway System (NHS) bridge conditions are better than the state average.
- System reliability for the interstate system and truck travel exceed targets.
- The region is in attainment for air quality standards as set by the EPA.
- Traffic-related fatalities are starting to decline.
- Multimodal options are increasing.
- Transit safety, accessibility, and options have increased.
- There are multiple dedicated services for specialized transportation.
What do we need to improve?
- Non-interstate road pavement condition and reliability are below statewide targets.
- Serious injury crashes are on the rise.
- Crash rates indicate a need to focus on safety for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
- There are opportunities to improve mode share and connectivity.
- Recurring congestion is problematic.
- There are opportunities to make transit a more competitive travel option.
- Specialized transportation is inadequate to meet current demand and can be confusing for users.
The Current System
Transportation Network
The transportation network within the Pikes Peak Region is composed of roadways, transit systems, bicycle and pedestrian networks, railroads, and airports. These facilities are largely operated and maintained by local governments, CDOT, and private companies.
The LRTP provides a holistic view of the transportation system and supports those entities that operate and maintain the transportation networks. A successful transportation network allows the movement of people and goods safely and efficiently throughout the region and beyond, taking into account the transportation modes available to users.
It should be noted, however, that the PPACG network for this plan is primarily limited to roadways eligible for federal funding per classification. Similarly, sidewalks and bicycle facilities are only included in the PPACG network if they are associated with those roadways, although other trails and facilities may be eligible for certain funding sources.
- 35 transit routes
- 2 Class I railroads
- 145K specialized rides annually
- 1,014 miles of roadway – The PPACG network does not reflect all roads, sidewalks, and bicycle facilities in the region. See Chapter 4 for information.
- $15B in annual freight value
- 1,233 miles of sidewalk and bike facilities – The PPACG network does not reflect all roads, sidewalks, and bicycle facilities in the region. See Chapter 4 for information.
- 2.3M airline passengers in 2023
Considerations
Social
- Connectivity and mobility
- Safety and crash statistics
- Security of transportation system and planning for emergency events
- Public health and the influence of transportation
- Equity
- Cultural resources, tourism, and recreational opportunities
- Land use and development
Environmental
- Mitigation compliance
- Air quality conformance
- Carbon reduction strategies
- Greenhouse gas reduction
Economic
- Local economic development
- Freight activities and growth
- Military needs
- System productivity and cost
Technological
- Systems management and operations, including traffic signals, and ramp metering
- Electrification, including vehicles, freight, and escooters/ebikes
- Connected transportation
- systems and autonomous vehicles, including advancements in transit and rail
Needs and Project Identification
As a regional document, the LRTP aims to pull together existing planning efforts and component plans and relies heavily on the input of local jurisdictions for both content and project selection.
Projects are identified through local planning efforts and submitted for inclusion in the LRTP.
- Congestion Management Process
- Local Plans and Studies
- Tri-County Study
- Freight Study
- Transit Plan
- Specialized Transportation Plan
- Active Transportation Plan
Future Outlook
Regional Growth
Demand for transportation services is directly related to the demographic, economic, and geographic characteristics of an area, with total demand rings in proportion to increases in population and employment.
Because each jurisdiction within the Pikes Peak Region has its own development plans, PPACG collaborated with these communities and leveraged their household and employment development and growth data to develop a “best-fit” scenario for the region that fits within population forecasts from the Colorado State Demography Office.
Population Growth
Population is expected to increase 36% by 2050
- 2020: 755,105
- 2030: 858,962
- 2040: 958,237
- 2050: 1,023,259
Housing Growth
Occupied housing units are is expected to increase 41% by 2050
- 2020: 283,470
- 2030: 326,228
- 2040: 362,789
- 2050: 400,923
Employment Growth
Jobs are expected to increase 23% by 2050.
- 2020: 505,629
- 2030: 485,940
- 2040: 452,676
- 2050: 410,007
Funding and Sources
The financial plan estimates income from local, regional, state, and federal sources that can be reasonably expected over the life of the plan, taking into account conservative revenue growth and inflation. This funding totals approximately $5.5 billion for capital projects with additional funding identified for maintenance and operations. A significant portion of this funding specific to projects conducted by CDOT.
The estimated available funding is not adequate to fulfill the needs identified by the local communities, and achieving the full transportation vision identified in the plan would require new or enhanced revenues for maintenance, operating and capital projects.
Funding Overview
Regional Capital Funding for local jurisdiction projects
- Federal $294M – Funding administered through PPACG
- Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG)
- Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
- Carbon Reduction Program (CRP)
- State $33M – Funding administered through PPACG
- Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund (MMOF)
- Local $2.1B
- Pikes Peak Regional Transportation Authority (PPRTA)
- Local jurisdiction match funds
- Discretionary Grants $200M
Maintenance and Operations
- Highway Users Tax Fund $872M
Additional Funding in the LRTP
- Transit-specific Federal Funding
- CDOT-administered Funding
- Private Funding
Regional Capital Funding by Source
- PPRTA Capital: 78%
- STBG: 9% – Funding administered through PPACG
- Other Discretionary Capital Grants: 8%
- Local Match: 2%
- State (MMOF): 1% – Funding administered through PPACG
- TAP: 1% – Funding administered through PPACG
- CRP: 1% – Funding administered through PPACG
Investment Overview
Project Selection
Developing a list of transportation projects that improve the way people and goods move is a critical element of the plan. This federally required project listing is intended to help the region identify and prioritize future transportation investments based on adopted regional goals, performance management strategies, and estimated financial resources. PPACG local governments submitted detailed project information that was evaluated and workshops were held to determine the 234 projects in the fiscally constrained list.
Projects by Type
Although many projects have many different elements, projects were classified by their primary and secondary elements, which is represented below.
- 105 Roadway
- 51 Operational Improvements
- 29 Capacity
- 25 Preventative Maintenance/Reconstruction
- 79 Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Multimodal
- 63 Safety
- 32 Intersection Improvements and Interchanges
- 23 Bridge
- 23 Other – Includes plans and studies, technology upgrades, and funding pools for small projects.
- 19 Transit – Transit projects are only those included in the fiscally constrained list, some of which are pools. The Regional Transit Plan details individual projects.
- 13 ADA Enhancements
Investment Overview
Transit
The Regional Transit Plan includes several planned improvements addressing the current and future transit needs of the region, building on previous planning work, responding to public priorities, and supporting continued growth with a more robust, usable, and effective transit system.
The Regional Transit Plan outlines $1.25 billion in capital costs and 58 projects divided into short-term (20), medium-term (21) , and long-term (17) projects.
Transit Investment Themes
- Enhanced Transit Corridors
- New Fixed Routes
- Innovative Mobility Zones
- Extend Service Span
- Improve Capital Infrastructure
- Improve Existing Route Frequency
- New Crosstown Routes
Specialized Transportation
The following five recommended strategies were identified in the 2050 Specialized Transportation Plan. These strategies are not fiscally constrained, and implementation would require coordination among various groups within the Pikes Peak Region and, in some cases, additional funding.
- High Priority
- Incrementally develop a One-Call One-Click center.
- Coordinate with providers to help secure funding for right-sized, shared, and well-maintained vehicles that meet ridership needs.
- Commission mobility services under improved standards of service.
- Medium Priority
- Create a program to reimburse people for Uber, Lyft, and taxi rides in situations where there is a critical unmet transportation need based on the time and location of the trip.
- Consolidate all resources and explore training options for drivers.