Authority ‘rural’ in name only
|
So how is it that many of the projects planned for the “rural” transportation authority would be built in urban Colorado Springs? “Don't be misled by the name,” said Craig Blewitt, Colorado Springs transportation planning manager, noting that the Rural Transportation Authority (RTA) title was not chosen by the local citizens and government officials who have been organizing the proposed RTA bond election for this fall. “It's only 'rural' because that's what the State Legislature named it (in a law that made such a taxing entity possible),” he said, adding the whimsical thought that perhaps the title reflected Denver politicians' view that the the rest of Colorado is largely rural. “It's an important point,” Blewitt said, “because if it (the RTA bond issue) fails it fails. But if it fails because people don't understand it, that's something different.” Westside Pioneer Article |