January 26, 2012 12:50 AM UTC

Let Those Bridges Fall (2012 Edition)

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• by: Colorado Pols

7NEWS reports:

Rep. Randy Baumgardner of Hot Sulphur Springs is bringing his tag fee repeal to a Republican House committee Wednesday. The GOP-controlled House approved the idea last year, but the lower fees were rejected in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Baumbgardner’s bill would lower late registration fees from $25 a month to a flat fee of $20 total. It would also repeal an exemption from the late fee for a vehicle that has expired temporary registration number plates, tags or certificates.

Each year since the 2009 passage of the FASTER vehicle registration fee increases to pay for repair and replacement of decaying and obsolete bridges around the state, Republicans have splashily introduced legislation to repeal all or part of the program. Rep. Randy Baumgardner’s new proposal to reduce late fees may be a little more restrained than other wholesale repeals attempted before, but it still won’t fix the bridges that FASTER is paying to fix. The bill’s fiscal note estimates it will reduce available revenue for these repair projects by $12 million per year.

As of this month according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, of the approximately 120 bridges in Colorado rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and rated ‘poor,’ meaning they qualify for funds under FASTER, 18 projects are now completed–with 16 under construction, 13 with completed designs, and 44 in design right now. Here’s an updated list from CDOT of FASTER projects by county with anticipated completion dates.

We were thinking maybe Rep. Baumgardner will tell you which ones shouldn’t be completed.