COLORADO — Supporters submitted more than 188,000 signatures on May 26, 2026, to qualify Colorado Initiative 175 for the November 2026 ballot. The measure would amend Article X of the Colorado Constitution to require that revenue from motor vehicle and fuel taxes be spent exclusively on road transportation-related costs.
Initiative 175 specifies that these funds be used for the construction, maintenance, and operation of public streets, roads, highways, and bridges; motor vehicle safety improvements; transportation design and engineering; and support for the Colorado State Patrol. The revenue in question comes from sales and excise taxes on motor vehicles and fuel, as well as two-thirds of the sales and use taxes collected on motor vehicle parts, equipment, and accessories.
The Colorado secretary of state’s office has until June 25, 2026, to verify whether at least 124,238 valid signatures were collected—the threshold needed to place the measure on the ballot. The group Restore Our Roads, which organized the petition drive, has until June 15, 2026, to withdraw the initiative if it chooses.
State Senator William Lindstedt criticized the proposal, saying, “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.”
A supporter of the initiative argued, “Initiative 175 would constitutionally require a shift of transportation taxes Coloradans already pay on cars, tires, and gas to fund roads and bridges. Instead of this money disappearing into the general fund to pay for whatever shortfall the state faces each budget year, the money generated from motor vehicles would go to roads.” Another backer said, “If, in the end, the legislature truly chooses to override the will of the voters, then that will be their decision to explain to the people of Colorado. Our job is to make sure Coloradans have a clear choice and a real opportunity to be heard.” A critic stated the measure “would defund exactly the types of transportation infrastructure and services that everyday people rely on, while doubling down on financially and environmentally unsustainable car dependency.”
Colorado voters previously rejected a major transportation funding proposal in 2018. Proposition 110, which sought $6 billion in bonds for transportation projects to be repaid through sales taxes and an increase in the state sales and use tax rate, was defeated by 59.39% of voters.