Colorado Freight Plan
2024 Colorado Multimodal Freight Plan
- Executive Summary
- NameColorado Freight Plan Executive SummaryDescriptionThis version of the plan is a 10 page 80,000ft overview of the Colorado 2024 Freight Plan highlighting all major aspects of the plan.
- Colorado Freight Plan
- NameColorado Freight PlanDescriptionThis version of the plan is a 51 page 10,000ft overview of the Colorado 2024 Freight Plan highlighting all the major aspects of the plan and giving a bit of context with each section.
- Technical Analysis
- NameColorado Freight Plan Technical AnalysisDescriptionThis is the full deep dive 336 page analysis of the 2024 Freight Plan. Each section referenced within both the Executive Summary and the Freight Plan go into full detail throughout the context of this version. This document is what was submitted and approved by FHWA in early 2024.
The 2024 Colorado Freight Plan reflects the following policies:
Statewide Freight Plan Focus Areas
Mobility, or multimodal options for all transportation methods
Asset Management, or taking care of our transportation system
Greenhouse Gas and Pollution Reduction or environmentally-conscious freight solutions
Risk and Resiliency, or assessing areas of improvement
Equity and Inclusion, or ensuring fair freight solutions for all
Statewide Investments
Two federal acts ensure CDOT's Freight Mobility and Safety Branch complies with nationally established requirements.
Railroad Safety Enhancement Act
The 2024 Colorado Freight and Passenger Rail Plan fulfills the requirements of the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, and is an element of the Statewide Transportation Plan.
FAST Act and IIJA
The first Colorado Freight Plan, initially approved in March 2019 in accordance with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act serves as a roadmap for short-term and long-term strategies in freight transportation, ensuring compliance with federal mandates to access funding under the National Highway Freight Program (NHFP). This plan, a cornerstone of Colorado's transportation strategy, involves collaboration among CDOT, public agencies, private industry partners, and the Colorado Freight Advisory Council, which offers guidance on freight branch initiatives.
With the recent enactment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which bolsters and updates the FAST Act, the updated and approved 2024 Colorado Freight Plan aligns with the new required elements introduced by the IIJA. This revision, initiated in 2023, reflects the evolving needs and priorities of the state's freight industry, ensuring continued effectiveness and compliance with the Federal Regulations. Additionally, the plan's appendix outlines the Freight Investment program, detailing projects funded under the Federal National Highway Freight program.
Previous Freight Planning Efforts
- 2008: Eastern Plains Rail Relocation Study
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the two Class I Railroads operating in Colorado, the BNSF Railway (BNSF) and the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) (hereinafter jointly referred to as the Railroads), have completed several reviews and studies since 1979 investigating the potential for public-private partnerships that would culminate in the relocation of a significant portion of through freight rail traffic away from the congested Front Range onto a bypass route in the Eastern Plains of Colorado.
More details of the relocation study can be found in the link below:
- 2014 Colorado Freight Advisory Council Established
- 2018: Truck Parking Study
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Division of Transportation Development (DTD) works closely with the trucking industry to collaboratively address issues surrounding freight transportation in the state, including truck parking. To contribute to these efforts and in view of the urgency of truck parking needs, DTD has completed the Truck Parking Assessment (TPA). The TPA examines eight critical freight corridors within Colorado to quantify the level of parking supply and demand and identify solutions with the potential to improve truck parking concerns. This assessment serves as a key component of CDOT’s overall efforts in the truck parking arena, providing a data driven understanding of truck parking availability and needs. It is envisioned that the TPA will spawn additional future efforts to assess, develop, plan, implement and/or construct truck parking improvements across the state.
Report from the study can be found in the link below:
- 2020: Freight Sector Industry Partnership
Public/private partnership working in conjunction to educate and create new employment opportunities within freight in the state of Colorado
- 2022: Truck Parking Playbook
Colorado Truck Parking Playbook 2022
How We Are Approaching Truck Parking in Colorado
Federal Truck Parking Development Handbook
- 2012: Freight Data Study
The research in this report was designed to collect information on the freight data needed to support transportation planning in Colorado.
- 2015: Highway Freight Plan
- 2019: Colorado Multimodal Freight Plan
First official freight plan produced by CDOT as part of requirement from the FAST Act of 2018. Mandated that a new freight plan be created around policy initiatives involving projects involving freight within each state.
Documented plan can be found below:
- 2021: Freight Mobility and Safety Branch created
In January 2020, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) under Executive Director Shoshana Lew’s leadership, demonstrated the value it places on the freight industry and its key stakeholders by establishing the Freight Office. The Freight Office prioritizes safe and reliable mobility to support the efficiency of supply chains essential to Colorado’s economic well-being.
On June 17, 2021, SB 21-260 codified in State law the creation of a Division of Transportation Development Freight Mobility and Safety Branch (Freight Branch) further elevating the importance of freight within the Department.
With this new legislation and the creation of the Branch came the requirement to develop a Freight Mobility and Safety Strategic Plan for the Branch that highlights the following:
Vision and Goals
Key Priorities for all freight-related programs, activities, and projects
Guidelines for Coordination between the Branch and the Colorado Freight Advisory Council (FAC)- 2022: Inland Port Study