Durango’s 2015 half-penny tax is for “recreational facilities, parks, trails, pedestrian and bicycle improvements,” and also for “the urban forest.” All multi-modal projects are funded by this tax – $41.2 million dollars; 26.3 percent of the total over the life of the tax.
The first multi-modal projects funded with this tax are:
A design destroying the scenic rural road feel of Roosa Avenue - a 10-foot-wide sidewalk, eliminating existing bike lanes and, if ultimately built south to U.S. 160, destroying trees along the river bank with a 600-foot retaining wall up to 9.5 feet high. The project also degrades safety, exposing the city to liability.
The Needham Connect II sidewalk, an expensive design eliminating parking along one side of Columbine Drive. This entire area, which was built in the 1950s, has no sidewalks. Why not a cheaper design keeping parking on both sides with a sidewalk on only one side?
If you voted for the 2015 half-cent tax, did you know you voted for this?
All multi-modal projects are protected from cutting as low priority since the money cannot be transferred to the General Fund. Does this make sense when the Council just asked for a tax increase?
The City Council should ask voters to delete “pedestrian and bicycle improvements” and reallocate 26.3 percent of the 2015 half-cent tax, permitting weighing the priority of multi-modal projects against other funding needs.
Reallocating multi-modal funds to the General Fund is needed now, to better use these funds.
John Viner
Durango
