Colorado § 29-35-207 - Transit areas map - transit station area criteria - transit corridor area criteria - housing opportunity goals, models, and guidance.

§ 29-35-207. Transit areas map - transit station area criteria - transit corridor area criteria - housing opportunity goals, models, and guidance.

(1) Transit areas map.

(a) On or before September 30, 2024, the department, in consultation with metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies that operate within metropolitan planning organizations, shall publish a transit area map, or transit area maps, based on the criteria in subsections (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6), of this section. Only transit areas that are identified pursuant to subsections (2) and (3) of this section and identified on a transit area map pursuant to this subsection (1) must be included in the calculation of a housing opportunity goal pursuant to section 29-35-204 (2).

(b) In publishing the map described in subsection (1)(a) of this section, the department shall also publish a walkshed map that identifies the areas that are reachable by a person walking a distance of not more than one-half mile from a transit station where part of the transit station area based on that transit station is separated from any exit to the transit station by a state-owned limited-access highway or railroad track, using simple and efficient geospatial analysis methods and readily available network data.

(2) Transit station criteria. The department shall designate transit station areas, for purposes of subsection (1) of this section, based on routes identified in an applicable transit plan for existing stations for:

(a) Commuter bus rapid transit;

(b) Commuter rail; and

(c) Light rail.

(3) Transit corridor area criteria.

(a) The department shall designate transit corridor areas, for purposes of subsection (1) of this section, by identifying transit routes that meet one or more of the following criteria:

(I) An urban bus rapid transit service that is identified within:

(A) A metropolitan planning organization's fiscally-constrained, long-range transportation plan adopted prior to January 1, 2024, and planned for implementation, according to that plan, prior to January 1, 2030; or

(B) An applicable transit plan that has been planned for short-term implementation, according to that plan;

(II) A public bus route that:

(A) Has a planned frequency or scheduled frequency of fifteen minutes or more frequent for eight hours or more on weekdays; and

(B) Is identified within an applicable transit plan for short-term implementation or implementation before January 1, 2030, according to that plan.

(b) For transit agencies within metropolitan planning organizations that do not have applicable transit plans, the department shall designate transit corridor areas, for purposes of subsection (1) of this section, by identifying any public bus routes with existing transit service levels as of January 1, 2024, with a scheduled frequency of fifteen minutes or more frequent for eight hours or more on weekdays.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (3)(a) and (3)(b) of this section, the department shall not designate transit corridor areas, for purposes of subsection (1) of this section, within a transit-oriented community that has designated twenty percent or more of its area as a manufactured home zoning district as of January 1, 2024.

(4) Optional transit area criteria.

(a) The department shall designate optional transit areas, for purposes of subsection (1) of this section, based on the following criteria:

(I) A bus rapid transit service that is identified within a metropolitan planning organization's fiscally-constrained, long-range transportation plan adopted prior to January 1, 2024, and intended for implementation after January 1, 2030, and before December 31, 2050;

(II) Public bus routes other than those identified in subsection (3)(a)(II)(B) of this section that operate at a planned or scheduled frequency of thirty minutes or more frequent during the highest frequency service hours as identified by:

(A) Existing service as of January 1, 2024; or

(B) Identified within an applicable transit plan; and

(III) Other areas planned as mixed-use pedestrian oriented neighborhoods.

(b) For purposes of subsection (4)(a)(III) of this section, a transit oriented community may request that the department designate a mixed-use pedestrian-oriented neighborhood as an optional transit area. The department shall review and approve or reject such a request based on whether the mixed-use pedestrian-oriented neighborhood fulfills the goals of this part 2 established in section 29-35-203 (2).

(5) Potential transit area criteria.

(a) The department shall designate an area as a potential transit area, for purposes of subsection (1) of this section, if it consists of corridors, as identified by the department of transportation that:

(I) Include major travelsheds, as defined by common travel patterns in an area, that impact anticipated new or modified interchanges on state-owned highways; and

(II) Are outside of census urbanized areas, as identified in the latest federal decennial census;

(b) In designating potential transit areas, for purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the department shall attempt to identify areas where future transit service and neighborhood centers could potentially align to provide information for state, regional, and local planning efforts.

(c) In updating the transit area map pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the department shall identify any neighborhood centers that a local government has designated within a potential transit area.

(6) In identifying the boundaries of transit areas and optional transit areas pursuant to this section, the department shall use:

(a) Geospatial data from relevant transit agencies and metropolitan planning organizations; and

(b) Roadway locations based upon the centerline of the roadway.

(7) Housing opportunity goals, models, and guidance. On or before February 28, 2025, the department shall publish models and guidance to satisfy the goals of this part 2 as established in section 29-35-203 (2) and interpret the density and dimensional standards established in section 29-35-205 (1)(b) with the intent of providing simple and efficient methods for local governments to calculate the net housing density of transit centers in order to meet their housing opportunity goals. In publishing models and guidance, the department shall establish models, guidance, and typical building typologies for local governments with form-based codes.

Source: L. 2024: Entire article added (see the editor's note following the part 2 heading), (HB 24-1313), ch. 168, p. 857, § 1, effective May 13.