The Government of Colorado is organized into three branches: the executive branch of the Governor , the legislative branch of the General Assembly , and the judicial branch of the Supreme Court and lower courts. This government was created by the Constitution of the State of Colorado , and allows for direct participation of the electorate by initiative , referendum , recall and ratification .
37-451: The Colorado Department of Transportation ( CDOT , pronounced See Dot) is the principal department of the Colorado state government that administers state government transportation responsibilities in the state of Colorado . CDOT is responsible for maintaining 9,144 mile highway system, including 3,429 bridges with over 28 billion vehicle miles of travel per year. CDOT's Mission is "To provide
74-529: A special prosecutor may be appointed to prosecute a crime on a case by case basis. Municipal ordinance violations are prosecuted by city attorneys . Colorado is divided into 64 counties , two of which ( Pitkin and Weld ) are home rule. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships . Two of these counties, the City and County of Denver and
111-445: A comprehensive system of transit for that region. There have been persistent proposals for a Front Range Passenger Rail system, but they have not been implemented as of yet. This means that there is no rail service connecting the state's major population centers. In addition, the following Heritage railways operate within Colorado. Government of Colorado The five statewide elected officers are: The Lieutenant Governor
148-711: A concurrency with US 60 . Further north, State Road 6 (NM 6), former US 66 , meets up with I-25 in Los Lunas . Through Albuquerque, I-25 is named the Pan American Freeway, and there are frequent exits to city streets. A major interchange with I-40 (which is styled as the Coronado Freeway in the city) is named the Big I . It was given an honorable mention by the US Department of Transportation and
185-588: A division of the Highway Department. In 1947, the first National System of Interstate and Defense Highways was approved by the federal works administrator. In Colorado, approved routes included all of I-25 from the Wyoming border to Raton Pass ; all of I-80S (now I-76 ); and I-70 from Denver to the Kansas border. In 1953 the state legislature passed a new law reorganizing the Highway Department and renaming it
222-522: A low emission vehicle standard in 2018 and a Zero emission vehicle standard in 2019, which are projected cause a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030. This is part of Governor Jared Polis 's plan to cut transportation emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. In 2019, Shoshana Lew assumed leadership of CDOT. Under her leadership, the Colorado Transportation Commission approved
259-465: A north and northeast orientation as it leaves New Mexico traversing Raton Pass (7,798 ft or 2,377 m ) and enters Colorado. Due to its elevation and frequent winter snowstorms, I-25 is sometimes impassible and closed in both directions at Raton Pass during winter months. From Santa Fe to Trinidad, Colorado , I-25 approximates part of the route of the Santa Fe Trail . For its entire length in
296-527: A policy designed to stop any increases in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in Colorado , by requiring transportation planners to calculate any emissions associated with a project and mitigate accordingly. The policy was approved by the State Transportation Commission on a 10-1 vote. Apart from environmental benefits, this policy could deliver $ 40 billion in economic benefits, including fewer traffic collisions . Under this policy,
333-614: Is elected on a ticket with the Governor. All statewide elected officers serve four-year terms. There are also elected members of the Colorado State Board of Education , and the Regents of the University of Colorado are elected from districts coterminous with Colorado's congressional districts or at large . As a result, the Governor does not have direct management authority over either
370-762: Is named the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. In the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 , a transcontinental highway was named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower , in commemoration of the route of the US Army's 1919 convoy . This route, rather than following a single highway, spans several, including I-25 in Denver. This combination of routes was intended to approximate the original 1919 convoy route. The designation of this highway, while clear in intent, has not seen widespread adoption in terms of signage or recognition, likely due to
407-542: Is the responsibility of the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court as its executive head, and is assisted by several other commissions. Colorado courts include the: All of the courts above, other than municipal courts and Denver's county court, are part of the state court system. In Denver , county and municipal courts are integrated and are not part of the state court system for administrative purposes, and
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#1732875754004444-589: The Session Laws of Colorado . The laws of a general and permanent nature are codified in the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.). In addition to providing for voting , the people of Colorado have reserved to themselves the: The judiciary of Colorado is defined by Article VI of the Colorado Constitution as well as the law of Colorado . The administration of the state judicial system
481-597: The Arkansas River Valley . I-25 enters Wyoming eight miles (13 km) south of the state capital, Cheyenne . After traveling through Cheyenne, I-25 continues north to Douglas , passing many plateaus and also railroad tracks. Commonly, very long trains can be seen slowly moving alongside this highway. Around Douglas, this Interstate Highway curves somewhat to the west toward Casper . Once through Casper, I-25 turns due north, and it goes as far as Buffalo , where it ends at an interchange with I-90 . I-90 then provides
518-543: The Bustang and Flatiron Flyer bus systems that serve Colorado communities. The transportation commission would also have the authority to grant waivers to this policy. Lew stated this policy enables Colorado to "lead by example" in reducing emissions, in the face of increasing impacts of climate change . The policy has received nationwide plaudits for "showing us how to end America's addiction to highway expansion". However, it also received criticism for some who were concerned that
555-605: The California Zephyr and Southwest Chief , which operate long-distance cross-country routes on east-west alignments, through central and southern Colorado respectively. Light rail and commuter rail service in the Denver metropolitan area is provided by the Regional Transportation District , which also operates local and regional bus service. The bus and rail service is known as RTD Bus & Rail , and provides
592-420: The City and County of Broomfield , have consolidated city and county governments . The 273 Colorado municipalities operate under one of five types of municipal governing authority: A municipality may extend into multiple counties. There are no township governments in Colorado, but there are more than 4,000 special districts . See Active Colorado Local Governments . Other political subdivisions include
629-573: The Colorado Senate . Members of the House are elected for two year terms from single-member, equal population districts. Approximately half of the members of the state senate are elected each two years to four year terms from single-member, equal population districts. The House of Representatives has 65 members and the Senate has 35 for a total of 100 legislators in Colorado. The session laws are published in
666-675: The Department of Education or any of the state's institutions of higher education. The executive branch is otherwise composed of the principal departments: Regulations are published in the Colorado Register and codified in the Code of Colorado Regulations (CCR). The legislative body of Colorado is the Colorado General Assembly made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and
703-615: The Federal Highway Administration for excellence in urban highway design in 2002. Leaving Albuquerque to the north, I-25 curves to the northeast as it approaches Santa Fe . Continuing 'northbound' at Santa Fe, I-25 heads southeast for approximately 45 miles (72 km) traveling through the Santa Fe National Forest and crossing Glorieta Pass (elevation 7,452 ft or 2,271 m). It turns north again at Blanchard toward Las Vegas . The highway maintains
740-905: The Front Range of the Rocky Mountains . That stretch was involved in a large-scale renovation named the Transportation Expansion (T-REX) Project in Denver and the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Interstate Expansion (COSMIX). These projects, and others in New Mexico, were necessary because these stretches of I-25 were originally inadequately designed and constructed (the pavement was deteriorating rapidly) and also because urban areas, like Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, and Denver, had tripled and quadrupled in population much earlier than anyone had anticipated back in
777-574: The Montana –Wyoming border). It passes through or near Albuquerque, New Mexico ; Pueblo, Colorado ; Colorado Springs, Colorado ; Denver, Colorado ; Fort Collins, Colorado ; and Cheyenne, Wyoming . The I-25 corridor is mainly rural, especially in Wyoming, excluding the Albuquerque metropolitan area and the Front Range urban corridor from Pueblo to Cheyenne. The part of I-25 in Colorado passes just east of
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#1732875754004814-513: The Pan-American Freeway , is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States . It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico , Colorado , and Wyoming . I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico (approximately 25 miles [40 km] north of El Paso, Texas ) to I-90 in Buffalo, Wyoming (approximately 60 miles [97 km] south of
851-682: The 1950s and 1960s. Major highway work for the T-REX project ended on August 22, 2006. The COSMIX project was completed in December 2007. Several other smaller improvement projects for I-25 are still ongoing within New Mexico and Colorado. I-25 begins at I-10 's exit 144 in Las Cruces, just south of the New Mexico State University campus. I-25 runs concurrently with US Route 85 (US 85) at this point and carries this concurrency for
888-612: The CDOT had become "preoccupied with cleaning the air." CDOT maintains the state highways in Colorado. The main arteries include Interstate 25 , Interstate 70 , and Interstate 76 . It takes information from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to ensure safety in winter months. The Colorado Department of Transportation operates the Bustang as an intercity bus service to connect the regions of Colorado to each other. It also provides support for other bus systems in
925-799: The Colorado Department of Highways. In 1956, Congress passed the Federal Interstate Highways Act . Among the approvals was the section of I-70 from Denver to the Utah border. In 1968, legislation reorganized highway matters and created the Colorado Department of Highways (CDOH) with 3 main divisions: Division of Highways, Division of Planning and Research, and Division of Patrol. In 1991 – CDOH became CDOT to better align its functions and budgets with Federal Highway Administration / U.S. Department of Transportation . The state adopted
962-601: The Denver Probate Court and the Denver Juvenile Court have jurisdiction over probate and juvenile matters, respectively. Outside Denver, these matters are within the jurisdiction of the district courts. Most crimes in Colorado are prosecuted by a district attorney . One district attorney is elected for each of the state's 22 judicial districts in a partisan election. The state attorney general also has power to prosecute certain crimes, and in rare circumstances
999-777: The University of Colorado Hospital Authority, which provides patient care through UCHealth (University of Colorado Health), and the Denver Health And Hospital Authority ( Denver Health ), which operates a hospital south of downtown Denver among other facilities. There are two federally recognized tribes in Colorado: the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe . There are no other known state-recognized tribes . Interstate 25 Interstate 25 ( I-25 ), also known as
1036-556: The best multi-modal transportation system for Colorado that most effectively moves people, goods, and information." It is governed by the Transportation Commission of Colorado. Motor Carriers over 10,000 lbs are regulated by the state and are required to obtain a federal United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) safety tracking number used to monitor carriers' safety management practices and controls. The Colorado Department of Transportation has its roots in 1909, when
1073-421: The city of Trinidad . It is the main north–south route through Colorado with a length of 300 miles (480 km). The Interstate exits Colorado in the north about eight miles (13 km) south of Cheyenne, Wyoming . I-25 serves all the major cities in Colorado that are east of the Rocky Mountains , such as Denver, Colorado Springs , Pueblo, Fort Collins , and Greeley . For the entire distance in Colorado, from
1110-464: The entire length of its run in New Mexico. Immediately, three exits provide access to the city, including one for US 70 . When I-25 reaches Truth or Consequences , it is parallel to Elephant Butte Lake State Park . From Las Cruces to Santa Fe, I-25 follows the route of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro . As I-25 nears Albuquerque , it has interchanges with highways, such as US 380 , and
1147-669: The first highway bill was passed by forming a three-member Highway Commission to approve work and allocate funds. The Commission first took their post on January 1, 1910. In 1917 the State Highway Fund was created and the State Highway Department was formed. In 1935, Highway Department employees were joined by 44 new co-workers selected from among 7,500 applicants to become the first members of the Colorado State Highway Courtesy Patrol. The Patrol became
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1184-411: The governor-appointed Colorado Transportation Commission would have authority to restrict funding for use only on climate-friendly transportation projects if the CDOT or a regional planning authority fails to meet its emissions reduction target. Lew stated that this policy allows for capacity increases, but that major projects would require offsets in the form of climate-friendly additions. Examples include
1221-558: The highway's most scenic views of the Rocky Mountains and its foothills. Blizzards and high winds on this stretch (particularly over Monument Hill) are notorious for causing traffic problems during the winter months. The section of I-25 that is between the northern border of Pueblo County and the New Mexico state line is named the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway" in honor of President Kennedy's support of water resources development in
1258-554: The irregular nature of the route. Despite this, a commemorative sign was installed in 1986 in the tourist information center off I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas . Congress attempted to honor Eisenhower's contributions to the Interstate System once more in 1990, leading to the renaming of the Interstate System as the "Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways". I-25 enters Colorado 14 miles (23 km) south of
1295-622: The north to the south, the Rocky Mountains are clearly visible. There are also several important military and air bases and institutions along this route, such as Buckley Space Force Base , the Cheyenne Mountain Complex headquarters of NORAD , Fort Carson , Peterson Space Force Base , and the United States Air Force Academy . I-25 crosses the Palmer Divide between Denver and Colorado Springs, providing some of
1332-658: The state, I-25 shares its alignment with US 85, although the latter is unsigned. I-25 has many nicknames through the state's larger cities. In Denver , it is called the Valley Highway, as the highway parallels the course of the South Platte River throughout the downtown area and is often sunken below ground level. The section in El Paso County is named the Ronald Reagan Highway , and, through Pueblo , it
1369-463: The state, such as the Flatiron Flyer which connects Boulder, Colorado to Denver , which is directly operated by the Regional Transportation District . The Colorado Division of Aeronautics is a part of the CDOT. It was created by statute in 1988 and is responsible for the development of aviation in Colorado. Long-distance intercity passenger rail service in Colorado is provided by Amtrak on
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