I've mentioned the terrible roads in Colorado, but now I've got a few photos to back it up. This state used to be a pleasure to ride in. Now nearly all of my overnight trips are in other states where I'm not dodging potholes.
The first photo below is a state highway only a few miles from my home. It often carries heavy traffic. The other is from an article I read about how bad the roads have become, and the causes.
Apparently some roads in Eastern Colorado have potholes with rebar sticking out, resulting in blowouts. I recently rode on a section in that area with pavement so rough that I rode on the shoulder for a while.
This is a result of car-hating radicals in the Denver metro area controlling all branches of government. They's defunded road maintenance and siphoned off much of the budget for bike trails and mass transit. That transit has seen such a drop in ridership that it now emits more CO2 per passenger mile than cars or even light trucks. I guess commuters would rather drive than share trains and buses with homeless squatters.
A group of organizations that depend on roads (like trucking companies) are working on a ballot measure that would force the state to spend the road budget on roads, and not 'green new deal' projects. The governor, who is as radical on these issues as the legislature, is furious about this. His CDOT appointees have actually bragged on national media about their plan to let the roads crumble to discourage people from driving.
