GETTING THERE: Area transit cash likely won't be cut in '09

Despite a floundering economy, the agency that funds many road and transit projects in the region expects to spend about the same amount of money in 2009 as it did this year.

The proposed budget for the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority predicts the sales tax approved by voters in 2004 will raise $70.8 million in 2009, compared with $69.5 million this year. That essentially flat budget mirrors those in the 2007-2008 budget years.

That $70.8 million would be divided among El Paso County and the cities of Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Green Mountain Falls, with 35 percent to be spent on maintenance work on streets and bridges, 55 percent on capital improvement projects and 10 percent on transit.

Beverly Majewski, the authority's financial manager, said this week the '09 budget is based on a revenue projection she did this year that suggested no gain - but no real loss - in tax money. She's hopeful the projection will hold true, but there are no guarantees for a year in which most economists believe America will be in recession.

This year's sales tax revenue - which was forecast last year to be flat - was actually $717,000 above what was budgeted - until August. That month, the latest for which statistics are available, saw revenue fall $120,000 short of budget, Majewski said.

"Depending on what happens the rest of the year will determine whether we meet budget this year," she said. "Hopefully, it won't be too far off."

Majewski said she doesn't think there will be a reduction in spending on capital improvement projects should August's sales tax numbers carry over into next year. When voters approved a list of top priority projects in 2004, the various governments in the authority promised they would be completed before funding for that type of work ends in 2014.

Still, even if RTA revenue remains about the same next year, that doesn't mean there couldn't be cuts in the city or county funds used for maintenance work.

For example, the city of Colorado Springs has spent essentially $4.5 million in general fund money each year since 2005 on resurfacing streets. That was added to RTA funds that annually ranged from $5.2 million to $10.6 million. Next year, the city will drastically reduce spending on resurfacing streets to $450,000, relying on a bump in RTA funding for resurfacing from $5.2 million in 2008 to $7.2 million in 2009.

Saleem Khattak, manager of the city's streets division, estimates the reduction in spending will cut by two-thirds the number of miles of streets the city can resurface next summer, from about 300 lane miles to 100.

Khattak said the city can probably get away with slowing its street resurfacing program for a year or two. But he said he'd hate to defer maintenance work longer than that. He said $1 spent on resurfacing a street in fair condition turns into $10 when a street in poor condition has to be resurfaced.

"As infrastructure gets older, it costs a lot more to repair it," he said. "We're hoping it's a short-term dilemma. We hope the economy stabilizes, the city's finances improve and we can get our funding back to better levels."

The board of directors of the PPRTA will review the budget Nov. 12 and hear presentations by the various governments about how they want to spend the tax money. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Dec. 10. If there are no objections, the budget could be approved then. Both meetings will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments' office at 15 S. 7th St.

Tell me your commuter tales. 636-0197 or bill.mckeown@gazette.com