Denver Regional Council of Governments
Encyclopedia
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
region of the State of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. DRCOG is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Metropolitan planning organization
A metropolitan planning organization is a federally-mandated and federally-funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities...
and the Transportation Planning Region (TPR) for the region, as well as the regional water quality planning agency and the Area Agency on Aging (AAA).
Extent
DRCOG covers a region that includes Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Gilpin and Jefferson counties and the southwest portion of Weld County.| County | 2010 Census | 2000 Census | Pop Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, Colorado Adams County, Colorado Adams County is the fifth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 441,603 in 2010 census, a 21.4% increase since 2000 census. Adams County is named for Alva Adams, Governor of the... |
|||
| Arapahoe County, Colorado Arapahoe County, Colorado As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile... |
|||
| Boulder County, Colorado Boulder County, Colorado Boulder County is the sixth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county seat is Boulder. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is the City of Boulder... |
|||
| City and County of Broomfield, Colorado |
|||
| Clear Creek County, Colorado Clear Creek County, Colorado Clear Creek County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,322 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Georgetown... |
|||
| City and County of Denver, Colorado |
|||
| Douglas County, Colorado Douglas County, Colorado Douglas County is the eighth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado, in the United States. The county is located midway between Colorado's two largest cities: Denver and Colorado Springs... |
|||
| Gilpin County, Colorado Gilpin County, Colorado Gilpin County is the second least extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Gilpin County was named after Colonel William Gilpin, the first Governor of the Territory of Colorado. The county population was 4,757 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Central City... |
|||
| Jefferson County, Colorado Jefferson County, Colorado Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver.... |
|||
|-
|}
History and Organization
DRCOG was officially formed Feb. 15, 1955, to bring a regional perspective to discussions about the metro area’s most pressing problems and to address those concerns through cooperative local government action. The voluntary association continues to offer opportunities for local officials to work together on regional issues, such as growth and development, transportation, the environment, water quality and older adult services.More than 50 metro area local county and municipal governments are members of DRCOG. Each jurisdiction appoints a representative to the DRCOG Board of Directors. The Board is composed of elected officials (county commissioners, mayors, city council or town board members), as well as three non-voting members designated by Colorado’s governor. Board officers serve one-year terms starting each February. The Board meets monthly to discuss and act on regional issues. The Board allows time for public comment at each meeting, and holds regular public hearings.
A number of standing committees also meet regularly, and ad hoc committees are convened as necessary.
Program Areas
DRCOG’s primary program areas include:- Regional planning – DRCOG is the regional planning commission for the Denver metro area. Since its creation, DRCOG has prepared regional plans. Metro Vision is the region’s current plan to guide growth, transportation and environmental quality to the year 2035. Metro Vision, first adopted in 1997, is the foundation of the regional council’s long-range planning activities. The Mile High Compact is a voluntary intergovernmental agreement through which local governments manage growth by adhering to Metro Vision principles. A number of planning awards have recognized Metro Vision and the Mile High Compact.
- Regional data and maps – DRCOG produces a variety of information to support the planning and policy decisions that shape the region, including mapping; population, housing, and economic estimates; environmental data, etc. DRCOG collaborates with its member governments and other public-sector entities to routinely produce high-quality digital aerial photography for the region.
- Transportation planning – As the region’s MPO, DRCOG works with the Colorado Department of TransportationColorado Department of TransportationThe Colorado Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the State of Colorado of the United States. CDOT is responsible for maintaining 9,144 mile highway system, including 3,429 bridges with over 28 billion vehicle miles of travel per year...
, the Regional Transportation DistrictRegional Transportation DistrictThe Regional Transportation District, or RTD, was organized in 1969 and is the regional authority operating public transit services in eight of the twelve counties in the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area in Colorado. RTD is governed by a 15-member, publicly elected Board of...
, the Regional Air Quality Council and others to prepare transportation plans and programs, and to monitor transportation effects on air quality. DRCOG serves as the TPR in developing plans for the mountains and plains areas of the region. DRCOG also performs traffic signal coordination, travel forecasting, etc. - Transportation demand management – Since 1975, DRCOG has offered Denver metro area residents commuting assistance. Beginning as a carpool matching service, DRCOG’s services now include carpool and vanpool matching, school carpool matching, teleworking assistance, and other alternative transportation programs to help commuters avoid traffic congestion and reduce pollution. In 2008, DRCOG won a creative excellence award from the Association for Commuter Transportation for a targeted telework business assistance program.
- Area Agency on Aging – DRCOG plans and coordinates a continuum of services available to older adults living in the Denver metro area (excluding Boulder County and southwest Weld County). DRCOG assesses the needs of the region's seniors and develops strategies to meet those needs, while allocating federal Older Americans Act funds to service providers in the region. The Ombudsman Program works to serve the needs and protect the rights and dignity of residents of the region’s long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
- Water Quality – State and federal statutes give DRCOG responsibility for regional water quality planning, except for southwest Weld County. DRCOG oversees all regional water quality issues, dealing with rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands and groundwater systems. Regional issues include watershed quality trends, standards and classifications, wastewater treatment and disposal practices, groundwater quality, recharge zones, land use patterns, wetland protection, non-point source pollution, storm water runoff, urban lakes, water supply and other environmental constraints.
- Transit-Oriented Development – Since the passage of FasTracksFasTracksFasTracks is a twelve-year, $6.5 billion public transportation expansion plan for the Denver-Aurora and Boulder metropolitan areas in Colorado, USA, developed by the Regional Transportation District...
, DRCOG has served as a resource for the region as it plans for and implements transit-oriented development (TOD). TODs are pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use developments, located within a half-mile of a transit stop, designed to allow residents and workers to drive their cars less and ride transit more.
See also
- Colorado census statistical areas
- Colorado Department of TransportationColorado Department of TransportationThe Colorado Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the State of Colorado of the United States. CDOT is responsible for maintaining 9,144 mile highway system, including 3,429 bridges with over 28 billion vehicle miles of travel per year...
- Colorado metropolitan areasColorado metropolitan areasThe metropolitan areas of the State of Colorado include the urban statistical areas defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget and regions of urban population defined by other organizations.-Census statistical areas:...
- metropolitan planning organizationMetropolitan planning organizationA metropolitan planning organization is a federally-mandated and federally-funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities...
- State of Colorado