NAAPME Announces 11 Recipients of Community Clean Transportation Assistance Program Funding

News Release

Statewide - Trails and transit systems in Estes Park, bike lanes and pedestrian crossings in Fort Collins and traffic flow in Weld County. All these things will see substantial improvements - along with a longer list of projects statewide - thanks to a Colorado Department of Transportation grant program designed to improve air quality along parts of the Front Range.

CDOT's Nonattainment Area Air Pollution Mitigation Enterprise, or NAAPME, has selected grant recipients through its Community Clean Transportation Assistance Program. CCTAP funds projects that improve air quality by addressing the impacts of auto emissions in the nine-county Denver and North Front Range Ozone Nonattainment Area, where ozone levels exceed federal standards.

These projects aim to improve multimodal access, promote active transportation options like biking and walking and increase safety and connectivity through infrastructure upgrades and strategic mobility hubs.

Twenty CCTAP grant applications were submitted from various organizations. After a rigorous review process, NAAPME selected 11 projects to receive funding. Additional consideration was given to projects that support disproportionately impacted communities, ensuring that the benefits of clean transportation reach those most affected by air pollution. A total of $17.3 million in funding has been awarded to these projects.

"This program is vital in our commitment to improving air quality and mitigating the impact of motor vehicle emissions in the Denver and North Front Range Ozone Nonattainment Area," said NAAPME Program Administrator Darius Pakbaz. "These projects represent a significant step forward in our efforts to create a cleaner, healthier Colorado, especially for our disproportionately impacted communities."

Several of the grant recipients will be using the funds to expand on already successful projects, while other recipients will be using funds to begin new projects. In Loveland, for example, grant funding will help create a mobility hub and improve traffic flow at the intersection of US Highway 34 and US Highway 287.

"The City of Loveland is proud to partner with the Colorado Department of Transportation and NAAPME on a project that will enhance two vital regional corridors," said Loveland City Engineer Nicole Hahn. "By 2028, we aim to deliver transportation improvements that will reduce congestion, expand access to active modes of travel and contribute to better air quality for the entire Front Range community."

In Greeley, funding will be used to build four mobility hubs, helping integrate multiple transit options for the area.

Victoria Leonhardt, senior urban transportation planner for the City of Greeley, said Greeley was excited to receive the CCTAP grant to support the "Greeley Connected: Mobility Hubs Project" - a vital investment in our community's future.

"These hubs will help improve access, reduce emissions, and support a stronger local economy by connecting people to more options - whether they walk, bike, ride transit, or drive electric," Leonhardt said. "This project moves us closer to achieving the 'Greeley on the Go 2045' vision of a safe and connected city."

The full list of CCTAP grant recipients for this round are as follows:

US Highway 34 and US Highway 287 Advancing Corridor Connectivity with Equitable and Safe Streets (ACCESS) Project - Town of Loveland ($1.2 million)

• Intersection improvements that optimize traffic flow and creates a strategic mobility hub to connect four city routes and seven regional routes. The hub will include dual left-turn lanes, right-turn bays, adaptive traffic signals, shorter crossing distances and improvements to bicycle/pedestrian access.

Greely Connected: Mobility Hubs - City of Greeley ($1.4 million)

• Establishes a network of four mobility hubs to integrate public transit, biking, walking and alternative fuel infrastructure for seamless multi-modal transportation.

Environmental Justice Air Pollution Mitigation - Regional Air Quality Council ($1.5 million)

• Enhance and expand four already successful programs in the Denver Metro area (Accessible Bikes for Community, Clean Air Auto Repair, Engines Off and Simple Steps Better Air) to Larimer and Weld Counties.

Colorado Highway 119 Mobility - Last Mile to Finish Line - Boulder County ($3.2 million)

• Three multimodal improvement projects and one travel demand management program to support the CO 119 Safety, Mobility, and Bikeway project.

Weld County Road 59 and Colorado Highway 52 Roundabout - Weld County ($1.8 million)

• Completes a roundabout to enhance air quality and traffic flow and eliminating serious broadside crashes at the intersection of WCR 59 and CO 52, a key east/west truck route. It will improve safety for students and families accessing nearby schools, and support travel for the disproportionately impacted communities of Hudson, Lochbuie and Keenesburg.

Moraine Avenue Multimodal Trail - Town of Estes Park ($4.5 million)

• Trail that will integrate seamlessly with the existing transit system and connect residential, business, and downtown Estes Park by promoting safer and more accessible travel. The trail will encourage residents and visitors to walk or bike to key destinations, including Rocky Mountain National Park.

Missed Connections - Adams County ($500,000)

• Complete missing sidewalks and curb ramps in unincorporated Adams County, ensuring transit riders can safely walk, or roll, to their final destination along the forthcoming Federal Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.

First and Last Mile - Federal BRT - City of Denver ($800,000)

• Improve multi-modal access to the forthcoming Federal Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor by designing upgrades to existing and future bikeways, pedestrian crossings and bus stops on east/west corridors crossing Federal Boulevard.

Connecting North College - City of Fort Collins ($528,275)

• Plan and design active transportation networks for the disproportionately impacted North College neighborhood that is currently separated from the urban core by Poudre River, Union Pacific Railroad, Larimer and Weld canals and US Highway 287. Identify barriers and gaps in the current network that prevents residents from accessing schools, Fort Collins free transit system and the city-wide paved trail network.

Taft Hill Road and Active Modes Improvements - City of Fort Collins ($539,864.00)

• This project will include multimodal improvements by widening sidewalks, adding a new side path, protected bike lanes and safer crossings.

Colorado Highway 66 Pedestrian Trail - Town of Mead ($1.4 million)

• Construct a bicycle/pedestrian underpass at CO 66 that will connect downtown Mead to residential and commercial areas south of CO 66, removing the barrier the high-speed highway currently presents.

For additional information about the NAAPME CCTAP grant funding program visit codot.gov/programs/naapme/naapme-community-clean-transportation-assistance-grant-funding-program