The Colorado state Senate Committee on Transportation yesterday approved legislation by a 5-2 vote that would impose tolls on Interstate 70, an existing freeway. The legislation does not endorse any pre-existing plans for the use of the toll money raised. Instead, the millions in revenue taken from motorists under the bill would be devoted to some undefined future purpose.

"It is not the intent of the general assembly to recommend any particular preferred alternative for the Interstate 70 mountain corridor," the legislation explains. "But that it is necessary and appropriate to authorize the imposition of tolls as authorized by this act in order to provide a source of funding to secure bonds for any preferred alternative that is adopted and approved in the future."

The transportation committee proposal would only take effect if approved by the Federal Highway Administration which has jurisdiction over Interstate 70 because much of the road was constructed in the 1960s and 1970s with federal tax dollars. The proposed tolling is specifically designed to hit "tourists and other persons who use Interstate 70 to travel to and from mountain recreational and resort destinations." The legislation exempts residents of Clear Creek, Gilpin and Summit County from the $5 toll imposed between Floyd Hill and the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel.

The legislation must be considered by the state Senate Appropriations Committee before moving to a vote by the full Senate. A full copy of the proposed legislation is available in a 30k PDF file at the source link below.