The City of Colorado Springs says there aren't enough staff members to manage planned transportation improvement projects, as a result of recent budget cuts. And that means for now, work on several capital projects approved by voters back in 2004 will have to be suspended.

The ballot initiative requires that most sales tax money fund new road projects, but it doesn't pay for the staff to manage the work. Those engineers are employed and paid by the county or the city. "The city can no longer afford to do that, so we asked the RTA (board) to pay those costs to be reimbursed out of the project budget, and RTA declined to do that," says Cam McNair, engineer with Colorado Springs.

McNair says the city engineering department got rid of the funding for 13 positions because of budget cuts. Those employees helped run the RTA projects.

"What was being asked of us was taking RTA dollars and diverting them to backfill the city of Colorado Springs budget, and I think the majority of the board wasn't comfortable with that based on what was promised to the voters in the Novermber 2004 election," says El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark, who also sits on the RTA board.

The city's engineering division is now looking for a private sector consulting firm to manage the projects. But for now, they're on hold. No word yet on how much that outside engineering firm will cost.

The Woodmen Road project will not be affected, since most of the funding for that has come from the federal stimulus program.

Projects that will be affected include:

● South Metro Accessibility (Proby Pkwy.) Phase 1
● Austin Bluffs Corridor Improvements – Nevada Ave. to Academy Blvd.
● Austin Bluffs Corridor Improvements – Barnes Rd. to Old Farm Dr.
● Fillmore/El Paso St. Improvements
● Vincent Drive Bridge at Cottonwood Creek
● Vincent Drive Extension
● Hancock Avenue Bridge at Templeton Gap Floodway
● Roadway Safety and Traffic Operations Projects:
Platte Ave. Corridor – Hancock to Union
Hwy. 24 @ 21st Street Intersection
8th Street @ Arcturus/Ramona Intersection
Hwy. 24 @ 26th Street Intersection
Las Vegas @ Royer Intersection and RR Crossing