FasTracks
Encyclopedia
FasTracks is a twelve-year, $6.5 billion (originally $4.7 billion) public transportation expansion plan for the Denver-Aurora
and Boulder
metropolitan areas in Colorado
, USA, developed by the Regional Transportation District
. The plan calls for six light rail
, diesel
commuter rail, and electric commuter rail lines with a combined length of 119 miles (192 km) to be opened between 2013 and 2016 to provide commuters an alternative to the region's congested roads and highways. It expands on previous transportation projects, notably T-REX
. The plan also includes the expansion of existing light rail stations, the addition of a bus-based rapid transit route between Denver
and Boulder, and the addition and expansion of bus routes and parking facilities to support the new rail lines.
. It will undergo $200 million worth of facility improvements as part of FasTracks. Endpoints of the radial rail lines are planned for Longmont
, Thornton
, Denver International Airport
, Lone Tree
, Littleton
, Golden
, and Arvada
. FasTracks will include stops near the University of Colorado at Boulder
and a connector line through Aurora
.
In May 2007 it was announced that the line from the Federal Center to the Jefferson County Government Center will be reduced to a single track to help cut costs. According to RTD, this change will reduce train headways from 5 minutes to 15 minutes and make it easier for the line to run in the median of U.S. 6.
Preliminary work on the line began on May 16, 2007 at 13th & Quail in Lakewood
. A "rail pulling" ceremony was held with Lakewood and RTD
representatives in attendance.
On June 18, 2008, the Regional Transportation District announced the price of the west corridor light rail project had jumped to $707 million from $634 million.
, and Longmont
. The proposed 41 miles (66 km) line would have seven stations on a route that would follow an existing railroad right-of-way. It is expected to open in 2018 at a cost of $684.4 million.
Part of the line will be managed as part of the Eagle P3
public-private partnership.
, and Denver International Airport
. It is estimated to cost $1.14 billion to build. To expedite travel time between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport
, only seven stations will be located on the line, namely DIA, Airport Blvd/40th Ave, Peoria/Smith, Central Park Blvd (Stapleton), Colorado Blvd, 38th/Blake, and Union Station.
On July 24, 2007, the RTD board chose EMU
commuter trains as the mode of rail transportation that will be used on the East Corridor. RTD also announced that the East Corridor had been designated a Public Private Partnership or Penta-P by the U.S. Department of Transportation
. Under this program, a private entity would finance, design, build and possibly maintain and operate the rail line. This program is designed to reduce the costs of rail line construction and operation. Construction started in August 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2016.
. The line will have eight stations on its 28-mile (28.8 km) route. Plans call for the North Metro Corridor line to open in 2019 at estimated construction cost of $637.2 million.
. The project will include seven new stations and provide 1,800 new parking spaces. This line will open in 2018 and is estimated to cost $619.6 million.
, passing through the northwestern Denver suburbs, Adams County
and Arvada
. The line will have eight stations: Union Station, 41st Avenue, Pecos, Federal, Sheridan, Olde Town, Arvada Ridge and Ward Road. It is expected to open in 2016 and cost $590.5 million to build. Budget concerns sparked debate over alternatives to light rail on the planned Gold Line. Two alternatives proposed include electric trains on the railroad alignment and the modern streetcar on the 38th and Harlan alignment.
As with the East Corridor, the RTD Board of Directors chose Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) commuter trains to run on the Gold Line; this line is also to be operated as part of the Eagle P3
public-private partnership.
; and a 0.8 miles (1.3 km) extension to the Central Corridor to connect the 30th & Downing station
with the East Corridor commuter rail line at the intersection of 38th and Blake.
In 2006, engineering design of the initial segment was begun. The West Corridor line's Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) has already been completed.
By spring of 2006, the EISs of all other proposed lines were underway. The municipal governments of Denver, Boulder
, and Lakewood
had launched detailed studies of community redevelopment possibilities around station locations. The cities of Westminster
, Thornton
, Aurora
, Greenwood Village
, Englewood
, Sheridan
, and Arvada
are also planning transit oriented development areas around some of their proposed rail stations.
Central to the regional nature of the service package is Union Station
. Special studies of its redevelopment and adaptation for multiple transport modes have been conducted and engineering design work and property development work was underway in 2006.
In May 2007, a $1.5 billion budget overrun was reported. Despite service and construction reductions, by January 2010 the budget had grown to $6.5 billion (a $1.8 billion overrun). Sales tax revenues are now projected to come in much less than originally anticipated to the point that the project is short $2.45 billion.
On April 13, 2010 the RTD board of directors decided to postpone asking voters to further increase the current sales tax until 2011 at the earliest. If the tax increase fails to be implemented, the full buildout of the FasTracks plan may not take place until 2042.
On 31 August 2011, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
announced that the US Department of Transportation had approved a $1 billion grant to the Eagle P3 project, which consists of the East and Gold commuter rail lines, covering half of the $2 billion cost of the construction of the two lines.
No-bid contract
s: RTD awarded a no-bid contract for railcars to the Siemens Corporation who contributed $101,000 to the FasTracks Yes campaign issue committee.
Impact on congestion claimed to be negligible: Rail transit critic Randal O'Toole of the Cato Institute wrote a paper titled "The Full Truth About FasTracks" prior to the ballot measure passing in November 2004. This paper contains many criticisms including predictions that FasTracks will have a negligible impact on congestion in the Denver metropolitan region
.
Eminent Domain
: Both Colorado Department of Transportation
and the Regional Transportation District
have used eminent domain to condemn properties in the path of transportation projects. While eminent domain, or the forcible, but market price compensated, taking of private property for a public good, is sometimes unavoidable, organizations such as the Colorado Property Rights Coalition and the Property Rights Project allege that government transit agencies have abused their condemnation powers in these ways:
1. Transit Oriented Development at 14th and Wadsworth in Lakewood, Colorado.
2. Inverse condemnation
A business at 1195 Benton St. Lakewood CO 80214.
Most of these claims are backed by property owners affected by eminent domain in which they feel they not only should have received market value for their property, but also using eminent domain beyond what is considered public good when seized property is given to other profit-making private entities.
Denver Union Station Design: The Regional Transportation District (RTD) and Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) has received significant criticism for the redevelopment of the Denver Union Station. Critics maintain that the project precludes impending access of high speed rail technology, is designed to present logistical complications for both rail and bus commuters, and is being modeled to perform as a stub-end terminal for current and future intercity rail routes such as those operated by Amtrak
. Many citizens and public transportation advocates have also expressed frustration with the high cost overruns associated with the design selection.
Federal Station Relocation on the Gold Line: The Regional Transportation District (RTD), Adams County, and the Federal Transit Administration have also received criticism for a decision to relocate the Gold Line Federal Station from the east side to the west side of Federal. Critics maintain that RTD's decision to relocate the station to the less accessible west site, where parking is not as convenient and does not provide for expansion, was inappropriately influenced by proposed development on the west side.
However, supporters in surrounding neighborhoods and nearby Regis University backed the relocation because they regarded it as more accessible than the initial site on the east. Parking was just as convenient. Pedestrian and bike access was superior because the west site was directly accessed from the regional trail system. The west site was out of the flood plain and floodway of nearby Clear Creek, unlike the east site which was lower and on an undocumented landfill site that would RTD would have to spend up to an estimated $2 million to mitigate. And the proposed development was moving through the county’s public approval process with support from county commissioners.
The decision came after the final determination of preferred locations and completion of environmental studies and public comment processes. Critics maintain that the west site has not been properly studied for environmental or other impacts, and that the projects mismanagement will result in destruction of undisturbed ground in lieu of capitalizing on the opportunity to clean up previously improved lands. However, RTD showed that the west site was fully analyzed alongside the east during the environmental study in 2007-08, and had at least the same if not fewer impacts. Further, the west site was not "undisturbed ground" but in fact was raised fill on a previously used commercial business site.
Critics feel that the needs of the handicapped, elderly, and physically challenged are being neglected by moving the station. The distance one must travel from the proposed west side station is far greater than the distance one must travel on the planned and approved east side station. But RTD showed that the difference (570 feet vs. 450 feet from the nearest handicapped parking spot to the middle of the train platform) was 120 feet, comparable to many other stations in the system.
On December 15, 2010, RTD announced that the Federal Station would remain on the East Side of Federal and not be moved to the West Side.
The reason was that the Adams County Commissioners that day withdrew their support for the change under pressure from residents of a subdivision near the west site who opposed the private developer’s plan to build higher-density housing and commercial buildings around the new station site. RTD said if the county no longer supported moving the station to accommodate the development, as the county had originally done, then RTD had no reason to continue the move. See: http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/gl_1
Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area
The Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area in the State of Colorado that includes the City and County of Denver and nine suburban counties. The Census Bureau estimates that the population was 2,357,404 on...
and Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
metropolitan areas in 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...
, USA, developed by the Regional Transportation District
Regional Transportation District
The 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 plan calls for six light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
commuter rail, and electric commuter rail lines with a combined length of 119 miles (192 km) to be opened between 2013 and 2016 to provide commuters an alternative to the region's congested roads and highways. It expands on previous transportation projects, notably T-REX
Colorado T-REX Project (TRansportation EXpansion)
The Transportation Expansion Project or T-REX was a $1.67 billion venture that had a goal of transforming the way people in the metro Denver area commute within the areas of Interstates 25 and 225, then the country's 14th busiest intersection...
. The plan also includes the expansion of existing light rail stations, the addition of a bus-based rapid transit route between Denver
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...
and Boulder, and the addition and expansion of bus routes and parking facilities to support the new rail lines.
Location
The new commuter and light rail lines will share a hub at Denver's Union StationUnion Station (Denver)
Union Station is Denver, Colorado, USA's historic train station at 17th and Wynkoop in the LoDo district. The station first opened in 1881.-History:...
. It will undergo $200 million worth of facility improvements as part of FasTracks. Endpoints of the radial rail lines are planned for Longmont
Longmont, Colorado
Longmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Longmont is located in Northern Colorado. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H....
, Thornton
Thornton, Colorado
The city of Thornton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado and a suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thornton is northeast of the state's capital, Denver. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...
, Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
, Lone Tree
Lone Tree, Colorado
Lone Tree is a Home Rule Municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,873 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lone Tree is located at . It is on the northern border of Douglas County, and directly adjacent to Arapahoe County...
, Littleton
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
, Golden
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
, and Arvada
Arvada, Colorado
The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties in the Denver metropolitan area of the U.S. State of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
. FasTracks will include stops near the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
and a connector line through Aurora
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
.
West Corridor (light rail)
This will be a new light rail line of 12.1 miles (19.5 km) that will follow a former Associated Railroad right-of-way. The line's Final Environmental Impact Statement has been completed and it has entered its Final Design phase. The cost to build the line is estimated to be $635 million*. Twelve stations will be located on the line. There will be an additional 5,054 parking spaces for transit added along the route. The line is scheduled to open in 2013.In May 2007 it was announced that the line from the Federal Center to the Jefferson County Government Center will be reduced to a single track to help cut costs. According to RTD, this change will reduce train headways from 5 minutes to 15 minutes and make it easier for the line to run in the median of U.S. 6.
Preliminary work on the line began on May 16, 2007 at 13th & Quail in Lakewood
Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010...
. A "rail pulling" ceremony was held with Lakewood and RTD
Regional Transportation District
The 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...
representatives in attendance.
On June 18, 2008, the Regional Transportation District announced the price of the west corridor light rail project had jumped to $707 million from $634 million.
Northwest Rail Corridor (commuter rail)
The Northwest Rail Corridor will be a commuter rail project between Denver, BoulderBoulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, and Longmont
Longmont, Colorado
Longmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Longmont is located in Northern Colorado. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H....
. The proposed 41 miles (66 km) line would have seven stations on a route that would follow an existing railroad right-of-way. It is expected to open in 2018 at a cost of $684.4 million.
Part of the line will be managed as part of the Eagle P3
Eagle P3
Eagle P3 is a public-private commuter rail project involving the Regional Transportation District and Denver Transit Partners to develop parts of the FasTracks public transportation program in Denver, Colorado.-Terms:...
public-private partnership.
US 36 Corridor (bus rapid transit)
This will be an 18 miles (29 km) long express bus line running along US 36 between Denver and Boulder. Six stations are planned along this route, and is expected to cost $235.6 million to build. The project will be completed in two phases, with the first phase to be completed by 2010 and the second by 2018.East Corridor (commuter rail)
Another commuter rail line that is expected to open in 2015 is the East Corridor, a 23.6 miles (38 km) line between downtown Denver, AuroraAurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
, and Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
. It is estimated to cost $1.14 billion to build. To expedite travel time between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
, only seven stations will be located on the line, namely DIA, Airport Blvd/40th Ave, Peoria/Smith, Central Park Blvd (Stapleton), Colorado Blvd, 38th/Blake, and Union Station.
On July 24, 2007, the RTD board chose EMU
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
commuter trains as the mode of rail transportation that will be used on the East Corridor. RTD also announced that the East Corridor had been designated a Public Private Partnership or Penta-P by the U.S. Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
. Under this program, a private entity would finance, design, build and possibly maintain and operate the rail line. This program is designed to reduce the costs of rail line construction and operation. Construction started in August 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2016.
North Metro Corridor (commuter rail)
The North Metro Corridor is a commuter rail that is planned to run along an existing railroad right-of-way from Denver to 160th Avenue in ThorntonThornton, Colorado
The city of Thornton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado and a suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thornton is northeast of the state's capital, Denver. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...
. The line will have eight stations on its 28-mile (28.8 km) route. Plans call for the North Metro Corridor line to open in 2019 at estimated construction cost of $637.2 million.
I-225 Corridor (light rail)
Facilitating a circumferential link between the Southeast Corridor and the East Corridor is the I-225 Corridor, a new 10.5-mile (16.8-km) light rail line running through AuroraAurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
. The project will include seven new stations and provide 1,800 new parking spaces. This line will open in 2018 and is estimated to cost $619.6 million.
Gold Line (commuter rail)
The Gold Line is an 11.2 miles (18 km) electric commuter rail corridor that will run from Denver Union Station to Wheat RidgeWheat Ridge, Colorado
The City of Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
, passing through the northwestern Denver suburbs, Adams County
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...
and Arvada
Arvada, Colorado
The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties in the Denver metropolitan area of the U.S. State of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
. The line will have eight stations: Union Station, 41st Avenue, Pecos, Federal, Sheridan, Olde Town, Arvada Ridge and Ward Road. It is expected to open in 2016 and cost $590.5 million to build. Budget concerns sparked debate over alternatives to light rail on the planned Gold Line. Two alternatives proposed include electric trains on the railroad alignment and the modern streetcar on the 38th and Harlan alignment.
As with the East Corridor, the RTD Board of Directors chose Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) commuter trains to run on the Gold Line; this line is also to be operated as part of the Eagle P3
Eagle P3
Eagle P3 is a public-private commuter rail project involving the Regional Transportation District and Denver Transit Partners to develop parts of the FasTracks public transportation program in Denver, Colorado.-Terms:...
public-private partnership.
Extensions (light rail)
Extensions to light rail lines that have already been completed are planned. Extensions approved by the FasTracks plan include a 2.5 miles (4 km) extension to the Southwest Corridor, extending the line to the southwest corner of Lucent Boulevard and C-470; a 2.3 miles (3.7 km) extension to the Southeast Corridor into Lone TreeLone Tree, Colorado
Lone Tree is a Home Rule Municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,873 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lone Tree is located at . It is on the northern border of Douglas County, and directly adjacent to Arapahoe County...
; and a 0.8 miles (1.3 km) extension to the Central Corridor to connect the 30th & Downing station
30th/Downing (RTD)
30th/Downing is a RTD light rail station in the Five Points neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States. Operating as part of the D Line, the station was opened on October 8, 1994, and is operated by the Regional Transportation District. It is the current northern terminus for Five Points trains...
with the East Corridor commuter rail line at the intersection of 38th and Blake.
Progress
FasTracks is being funded with federal appropriations, private contributions, and a region-wide sales tax increase. The project was allowed to begin when the sales tax portion of its funding was approved by Denver metro area voters in November 2004. The tax went into effect in January 2005.In 2006, engineering design of the initial segment was begun. The West Corridor line's Environmental Impact Statement
Environmental impact statement
An environmental impact statement , under United States environmental law, is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making...
(EIS) has already been completed.
By spring of 2006, the EISs of all other proposed lines were underway. The municipal governments of Denver, Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, and Lakewood
Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010...
had launched detailed studies of community redevelopment possibilities around station locations. The cities of Westminster
Westminster, Colorado
Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...
, Thornton
Thornton, Colorado
The city of Thornton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado and a suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thornton is northeast of the state's capital, Denver. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...
, Aurora
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
, Greenwood Village
Greenwood Village, Colorado
The city of Greenwood Village is a prominent suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States...
, Englewood
Englewood, Colorado
The city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the...
, Sheridan
Sheridan, Colorado
Sheridan is a Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,600 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sheridan is located at ....
, and Arvada
Arvada, Colorado
The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties in the Denver metropolitan area of the U.S. State of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
are also planning transit oriented development areas around some of their proposed rail stations.
Central to the regional nature of the service package is Union Station
Union Station (Denver)
Union Station is Denver, Colorado, USA's historic train station at 17th and Wynkoop in the LoDo district. The station first opened in 1881.-History:...
. Special studies of its redevelopment and adaptation for multiple transport modes have been conducted and engineering design work and property development work was underway in 2006.
In May 2007, a $1.5 billion budget overrun was reported. Despite service and construction reductions, by January 2010 the budget had grown to $6.5 billion (a $1.8 billion overrun). Sales tax revenues are now projected to come in much less than originally anticipated to the point that the project is short $2.45 billion.
On April 13, 2010 the RTD board of directors decided to postpone asking voters to further increase the current sales tax until 2011 at the earliest. If the tax increase fails to be implemented, the full buildout of the FasTracks plan may not take place until 2042.
On 31 August 2011, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
Ray LaHood
Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
announced that the US Department of Transportation had approved a $1 billion grant to the Eagle P3 project, which consists of the East and Gold commuter rail lines, covering half of the $2 billion cost of the construction of the two lines.
Criticisms
Over budget: The original estimate made by the proponents of the FasTracks project touted a total cost of $4.7 billion. The current estimate has grown to $6.5 billion.No-bid contract
No-bid contract
The term "no-bid contract" is a popular phrase for what is officially known as a "sole source contract". A sole source contract implies that there is only one person or company that can provide the contractual services needed, and any attempt to obtain bids would only result in one person or...
s: RTD awarded a no-bid contract for railcars to the Siemens Corporation who contributed $101,000 to the FasTracks Yes campaign issue committee.
Impact on congestion claimed to be negligible: Rail transit critic Randal O'Toole of the Cato Institute wrote a paper titled "The Full Truth About FasTracks" prior to the ballot measure passing in November 2004. This paper contains many criticisms including predictions that FasTracks will have a negligible impact on congestion in the Denver metropolitan region
Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area
thumb|300px|Map of the 12-county Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaThe Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Combined Statistical Area located in the Denver region of the state of Colorado...
.
Eminent Domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
: Both Colorado Department of Transportation
Colorado Department of Transportation
The 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...
and the Regional Transportation District
Regional Transportation District
The 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...
have used eminent domain to condemn properties in the path of transportation projects. While eminent domain, or the forcible, but market price compensated, taking of private property for a public good, is sometimes unavoidable, organizations such as the Colorado Property Rights Coalition and the Property Rights Project allege that government transit agencies have abused their condemnation powers in these ways:
1. Transit Oriented Development at 14th and Wadsworth in Lakewood, Colorado.
2. Inverse condemnation
Inverse condemnation
Inverse condemnation is a term used in the law to describe a situation in which the government takes private property but fails to pay the compensation required by the 5th Amendment of Constitution. In some states the term also includes damaging of property as well as taking it. In order to be...
A business at 1195 Benton St. Lakewood CO 80214.
Most of these claims are backed by property owners affected by eminent domain in which they feel they not only should have received market value for their property, but also using eminent domain beyond what is considered public good when seized property is given to other profit-making private entities.
Denver Union Station Design: The Regional Transportation District (RTD) and Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA) has received significant criticism for the redevelopment of the Denver Union Station. Critics maintain that the project precludes impending access of high speed rail technology, is designed to present logistical complications for both rail and bus commuters, and is being modeled to perform as a stub-end terminal for current and future intercity rail routes such as those operated by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
. Many citizens and public transportation advocates have also expressed frustration with the high cost overruns associated with the design selection.
Federal Station Relocation on the Gold Line: The Regional Transportation District (RTD), Adams County, and the Federal Transit Administration have also received criticism for a decision to relocate the Gold Line Federal Station from the east side to the west side of Federal. Critics maintain that RTD's decision to relocate the station to the less accessible west site, where parking is not as convenient and does not provide for expansion, was inappropriately influenced by proposed development on the west side.
However, supporters in surrounding neighborhoods and nearby Regis University backed the relocation because they regarded it as more accessible than the initial site on the east. Parking was just as convenient. Pedestrian and bike access was superior because the west site was directly accessed from the regional trail system. The west site was out of the flood plain and floodway of nearby Clear Creek, unlike the east site which was lower and on an undocumented landfill site that would RTD would have to spend up to an estimated $2 million to mitigate. And the proposed development was moving through the county’s public approval process with support from county commissioners.
The decision came after the final determination of preferred locations and completion of environmental studies and public comment processes. Critics maintain that the west site has not been properly studied for environmental or other impacts, and that the projects mismanagement will result in destruction of undisturbed ground in lieu of capitalizing on the opportunity to clean up previously improved lands. However, RTD showed that the west site was fully analyzed alongside the east during the environmental study in 2007-08, and had at least the same if not fewer impacts. Further, the west site was not "undisturbed ground" but in fact was raised fill on a previously used commercial business site.
Critics feel that the needs of the handicapped, elderly, and physically challenged are being neglected by moving the station. The distance one must travel from the proposed west side station is far greater than the distance one must travel on the planned and approved east side station. But RTD showed that the difference (570 feet vs. 450 feet from the nearest handicapped parking spot to the middle of the train platform) was 120 feet, comparable to many other stations in the system.
On December 15, 2010, RTD announced that the Federal Station would remain on the East Side of Federal and not be moved to the West Side.
The reason was that the Adams County Commissioners that day withdrew their support for the change under pressure from residents of a subdivision near the west site who opposed the private developer’s plan to build higher-density housing and commercial buildings around the new station site. RTD said if the county no longer supported moving the station to accommodate the development, as the county had originally done, then RTD had no reason to continue the move. See: http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/gl_1
See also
- 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...
(RTD) - TheRideTheRideRTD Bus & Light Rail is a transit system in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. It is operated by the Regional Transportation District . It currently operates 101 local, 13 limited, 24 express, 16 regional, and 6 skyRide bus routes...
(current transit services provided by RTD)