Voters in Colorado will decide on a ballot measure that would require vehicle-related and fuel tax revenue to be used for road transportation on Nov. 3, 2026.
Initiative 175
The measure — known as Initiative 175 — would add a new section to Article X of the Colorado Constitution to require the state and local governments to spend any state revenue collected to support road transportation on costs related to:
- the construction, maintenance, and operation of public streets, roads, highways, or bridges;
- the development and improvement of safety measures for motor vehicles traveling on public streets, roads, highways, or bridges;
- the design, engineering, and management required for road transportation; and
- the Colorado state patrol.
The initiative defines state revenue collected to support road transportation as "all sales and excise taxes on motor vehicles and fuel", as well as "two-thirds of the sales and use taxes on motor vehicle parts, equipment, and accessories that are affixed to a vehicle." The state would then allocate the collected revenue among local governments and the state highway fund.
The Colorado secretary of state's office certified Initiative 175 for the ballot on June 23, 2026, announcing that proponents submitted 143,112 valid signatures, thereby surpassing the minimum requirement of 124,238 signatures.
Restore Our Roads, the organization leading the campaign in support of Initiative 175, said, "[Initiative 175] dedicates existing sales taxes generated from motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and fuel taxes to fixing and maintaining Colorado’s deteriorating roads. For years, transportation revenues have been raided for other priorities while Colorado’s roads and bridges continue to deteriorate. In the meantime, drivers are paying the price in costly vehicle repairs, longer commutes, and lost productivity."
However, the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 26-1430 (HB 1430) on May 13, 2026. If voters approve Initiative 175, the bill would temporarily lower fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees, road-safety surcharges, and road-usage fees, reducing transportation revenue for four years.
The bill would also create a new fund for revenue that Initiative 175 would require to be spent on roads. Some of that money would be used to pay costs that the state already covers through the General Fund. As a result, some of the money directed to roads would replace funding the state already provides, rather than increasing total road funding.
Votes in the state legislature were largely along party lines, with Democrats voting for HB 1430 and Republicans voting against it. The Colorado House of Representatives approved the bill by a 42-22 vote, with 41 Democrats and one Republican voting in favor, and 21 Republicans and one Democrat voting against it. The Colorado State Senate approved the bill by a 22-13 vote, with 22 Democrats voting in favor, and 12 Republicans and one Democrat voting against it.
State Sen. William Lindstedt (D-25), a sponsor of HB 1430, said, "Initiative 175 is a special interest group's irresponsible solution to a legitimate problem. We remain committed to doing more to fix our roads and secure sustainable transportation funding, but not at the expense of hospitals and schools. It's time for the proponents of Initiative 175 to come to the table and work with us to chart a responsible path forward."
Governor Jared Polis (D) also expressed his support for HB 1430, with spokesperson Eric Maruyama stating, "Of course the governor would support a bill to cut taxes and save Coloradans money, and that includes cutting the gas tax while protecting the state budget." HB 1430 was signed into law by Gov. Polis on June 4, 2026.
In response to the passage of HB 1430, Restore Our Roads said, "The passage of HB 26-1430 unleashed an unprecedented power grab by the governor and Democratic-controlled legislature that strips voters of their right to decide how road dollars are spent with the stroke of a pen."
Colorado last voted on a ballot measure related to funding roads, highways, and bridges in 2018. On Nov. 6, 2018, voters in the state decided on Proposition 110, which would have authorized $6 billion in bonds to fund transportation projects, to be repaid through sales taxes, and would have increased the state sales and use tax rate. Proposition 110 was defeated by voters, with 59.39% of the vote against it.
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