Colorado Emissions Reduction Plan Ties Sustainable Transportation to State Funding

The state’s Greenhouse Gas Planning Standard uses tangible financial penalties to prioritize transportation projects that reduce emissions.

1 minute read

February 6, 2023, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Aerial view of downtown Denver, Colorado with freeway in foreground

The The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) will reallocate funds planned for an expansion of Interstate 25 and C-470 to bus rapid transit projects. | Leeweh / Denver, Colorado

In a guest post on TransitCenter, Planetizen’s own James Brasuell outlines a new Colorado rule that “rearranges regional capital investment plans to prioritize the transportation modes that most effectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: public transit, walking, and biking.”

The state adopted its GHG Transportation Planning Standard in December 2021, requiring its five metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to set clear emissions reduction goals. “Under the GHG Transportation Planning Standard, MPOs failing to meet greenhouse gas targets (GHG) targets are required to develop mitigation action plans” that contribute to “good projects,” i.e. those that help reduce vehicle miles driven and promote alternate modes of transportation.

Brasuell describes the broad-based coalition that grew around the effort to develop the Planning Standard, which encompassed various levels of government and nongovernmental advocates. Already, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) scrapped a freeway expansion plan due to the Planning Standard.

Colorado’s plan could well serve as a model for other states. “While many states’ climate plans are completely separate from their actual expenditure plans, the mode shift required by Colorado’s GHG Transportation Planning Standard will be enforced with tangible fiscal penalties–a degree of financial consequences not achieved by other laws around the country, such as California’s SB 375.”

Friday, February 3, 2023 in TransitCenter

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Floor-to-ceiling rotating gates at Fairmount subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

April 28 - Mass Transit

South LA Wetlands Park in Los Angeles, California.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope

Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

April 28 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

April 28 - The Sacramento Bee