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Governor Bill Ritter will visit the site of a bridge in rather bad repair in Thornton today to sign legislation meant to avert a possible disaster, according to News 5/30, which quotes Pueblo state Representative Sal Pace, a Democrat, as warning, “We have a serious crisis looming.”
Ritter will sign the bill, sponsored by Democratic Senator Dan Gibbs of Silverthorne, which would repair 126 bridges and roads around the state by raising vehicle registration and car rental fees, bonds, and road tolls, reports the Denver Business Journal.
The bill, known as FASTER (Funding Advancement for Surface Development and Economic Recovery), initially “squeaked through” the House of Representatives in a 34-31 vote, the Journal notes–all Republicans opposed, along with four Dems. The legislation raises $250 million a year and will cost the average driver about $31 more a year.
Critics say the plan hits residents with fees at a time when they are already financially burdened, but The Denver Post, in an editorial, calls the bill a good step, albeit a small one, toward improving Colorado’s infrastructure problems.