COLORADO SPRINGS — Drivers in Colorado Springs are enjoying a smoother ride on nearly 150 lane miles of repaved roads across the city, the result of work funded by the voter-approved 2C tax.
The goal at the start of the summer was 125 lane miles. The city ended up paving 147 across a dozen 2C projects this year.
"Whenever we have an opportunity to move roads up, we take advantage of it. And this season we're here in October. We still got good weather and we were able to pave more roadways before we finished up," Bryan Wilson, public works operations manager, said.
Rio Grande Street on Colorado Springs' West Side was one of this year's 2C paving projects, and neighbors are pleased with the improvement.
"That is nice to see it to actually see it put into place and um it looks so nice," Westside resident Kathleen Eisenbeis said.
The before-and-after on West Rio Grande Street is significant.
"A year ago it was really bumpy, you know, you really had to slow down. There's lots of dips that you, you know, could definitely be hitting your car on if you're going too fast, so it was pretty bad," Eisenbeis said.
"They came in and they actually stripped the road all the way down, um, and repaved, and it looks amazing. It's super smooth and 10 times better," Eisenbeis said.
But neighbors have noticed one issue. With the dips and bumps of the old road gone, traffic that once slowed down now seems to move faster.
"The only thing I would comment on is the speed of the cars that come down here. We have a family, you know, we have kids, we walk our dog down here, so some people just. Go way too fast," Eisenbeis said.
City planners are now looking at the speed issue to see whether more needs to happen on the road to get people to slow down.
Part of the 2C ballot initiative promised accountability to voters. The tax equates to about a half cent on the dollar, which adds up to roughly $70 million annually dedicated to repaving worn-out roads.
"We have to deliver what we promised the voters we're going to do," Wayne Williams, Colorado Springs chief of staff, said.
The program has paved hundreds of miles in just over 10 years, with 190 more lane miles planned for next year. An online interactive map on the city website shows paving from past years, this year's work, and projects planned for the next couple of years.
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