Opinion: Cooperation pays off for Northern Colorado, so let's do it more

There’s good news and bad news for those who frequent Interstate 25 between Fort Collins and Johnstown.

The good news is that construction to add express lanes to both directions of the highway, replace or improve aged bridges and connect the Poudre River Trail under the interstate is expected to start this year.

The bad news is construction is scheduled to run into 2021, meaning motorists can expect to endure traffic delays and backups on the already overcrowded highway for a long time. But so it goes with roadwork: It’s always a pain while in progress and a relief when it’s done.

The $248 million project is a major milestone for the region on a number of levels. It will address a critical need to improve mobility and safety on the interstate as well as clear the way for expanding transit services. It’s a big deal.

A key factor in bringing the deal together was the extraordinary cooperation shown by regional governments and the private sector that helped get the project funded years ahead of what was originally envisioned.

A draft Environmental Impact Statement for a wide assortment of multi-modal improvements along north I-25 between Fort Collins and Denver projected the first phase of projects would be done by 2035. The entire plan, including commuter rail service, was projected to be implemented by 2075.

But Northern Colorado was not willing to wait that long. Partners that included Larimer and Weld counties, Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Berthoud, Johnstown, Timnath and Loveland-based development company McWhinney pledged $55 million for the Fort Collins-to-Johnstown project. The money helped secure a federal grant that, combined with state funding, will make the improvements happen.

That kind of cooperation and broad thinking should be used on a regular basis to address other regional issues, including the biggest of all — growth.

Local governments are accustomed to operating in silos when it comes to making decisions about growth. They follow their own lead on where and how development should occur.

The result has been conflicting visions for the best uses of resources such as land, water and infrastructure. Fort Collins and Timnath famously disagreed for years about authority over land on both sides of I-25 before hammering out an agreement in 2009.

Community leaders have not considered the needs and visions of neighboring communities when determining their growth management areas and the pace at which those areas will fill in. We’ve seen annexation land grabs as municipalities race to the interstate to protect their interests and future growth patterns.

Regional leaders meet on a regular basis to discuss issues and how they might work together to address them. Much of those conversations have been centered on transportation.

It’s time to expand the conversation to include a regional perspective on the most effective and efficient approaches to land use. Long-range planning in individual municipalities should include a broader look at the north Front Range.

We live in an increasingly urbanized region that is expected to see its population double to more than 1.2 million by 2050, according to the state demographer.

The region’s leaders need to do a better job of communicating and cooperating when planning for growth and implementing those plans.

If we can get the interstate improved, we can work together to ensure our region remains a great place to live, work and play.

This is the view of the Coloradoan editorial board, written this week by columnist Kevin Duggan. The board meets weekly to set the topic and direction of the Coloradoan's Sunday editorials. News reporters are not involved in the editorial board process.