Denver forum wraps up series of meetings on Beyond Traffic report

Federal, state and local leaders met Tuesday in Denver, Colorado, for the last of 11 regional forums on the Beyond Traffic draft framework.

Beyond Traffic, the U.S. Department of Transportation's draft framework for the future, is an outline of the challenges the transportation and infrastructure network will face in the next 30 years. The report evaluates trends and challenges that include higher freight volume, larger population, more frequent extreme weather events affecting transportation and changing demographics from rural to urban regions.

The report suggests that there will be a nationwide gridlock if leaders fail to make changes soon.

“Transportation and the connectivity it provides is what keeps cities going. This is a critical issue, and one that is reaching a boiling point nationwide,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said at the forum. “These new realities demand new ways of thinking. We know that takes new vision, renewed leadership and significant investment, and we’re proud to share the experiences of the Front Range as the Department of Transportation undertakes this wider effort.”

The forum was hosted at the Mile High United Way’s CoBank Leadership Center. Attendees included elected officials, citizens, business owners, transportation industry partners, community leaders, and metropolitan planners.

“Today, we brought together citizens from across the megaregion for a constructive conversation about the critical decisions in transportation that this nation will face over the next 30 years,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation  Anthony Foxx said. “The feedback we received today, and throughout the last couple of months, will be instrumental in developing a final report that encompasses the thoughts of individuals across the nation that know their transportation systems best.”