Ritter slaps GOP senator's I-70 toll plan

Gov. Bill Ritter today criticized Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany's plan to charge tolls at the Eisenhower Tunnel to pay for road widening on Interstate 70.

Speaking on the Mike Rosen radio show, Ritter said McElhany, a Colorado Springs Republican, "talked to no one about doing this."

"He hasn't done anything to try to loop in all the people impacted by the bill," Ritter said, saying businesses, residents and motorists along the I-70 corridor didn't get any input into the bill.

McElhany's proposal, which has passed a Senate committee, calls for $5 tolls at the Eisenhower Tunnel. Another proposal from Denver Democratic Sen. Chris
Romer, D-Denver, would have charged tolls on cars with fewer than three people during high-traffic times on I-70 between Floyd Hill and the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Romer's proposal was grounded in committee.

Asked about the governor's criticism of his idea, McElhany said that if Ritter had a better idea, he should come forward with it.

"We assumed that if he had any ideas at all for transportation, we would've heard of them by now," McElhany said. "This bill was an attempt to do at least something and get the discussion started on at least one transportation idea since the governor has none."

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