colorado rail passenger association spring meeting june 1, 2013

Colorado Rail Passenger AssociationSpring Meeting

June 1, 2013

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FasTracks Background• 122 miles of new light rail

and commuter rail

• 18 miles of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service

• 31 new park-n-Rides; over 21,000 new spaces

• Enhanced Bus Network & Transit Hubs (FastConnects)

• Redevelopment of Denver Union Station

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Northwest Rail Line

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• 41-mile corridor• Uses existing BNSF

line from Pecos to Longmont

• Includes use of existing freight track and construction of new track.

• Double track operation will be shared by passenger and freight services

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Northwest Rail Line - Segment 1

• DUS to Westminster Station

• Included as part of Eagle P3 project

• Construction began in 2012

• Project opening in 2016

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Northwest Rail Line – Segment 2

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• Westminster to Longmont

• Shared commuter/ freight operations with BNSF– BNSF to construct

track improvements

– RTD to construct stations, platforms, traffic improvements, etc.

• Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) technology

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For stakeholders in North area, the Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS) will determine transit priorities in the region, taking into account new conditions

Northwest Area Mobility Study

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• Northwest Area Mobility Study – Study Area

• North: Longmont • East: I-25• West: SH 93/SH 119 • South: SH 72/88th Ave.

General Study Area

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1. Northwest Rail: – Service options – Construction phasing

options:• Westminster Center/

88th Ave. • Church Ranch • Broomfield/Flatiron• Louisville• Boulder Transit Village • Downtown Longmont

Five Key Study Elements

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Five Key Study Elements (cont’d)

2. North Metro Extension Longmont:

– Alternative A - Preferred Alignment from the North I-25 EIS

– Alternative B - Utilize the Boulder Branch turning northward on US 287

• Includes spur to Boulder

– Alternative C - Utilize the CDOT North I-25 alignment from ICS Study to SH 119

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Five Key Study Elements (cont’d)

2. North Metro Extension Longmont:

– Alternative A - Preferred Alignment from the North I-25 EIS

– Alternative B - Utilize the Boulder Branch turning northward on US 287;

• includes spur to Boulder

– Alternative C - Utilize the CDOT North I-25 alignment from ICS Study to SH 119

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Five Key Study Elements (cont’d)

3. US 36 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Program Commitments– For Opening Day and

2035• Service Plan• Capital Improvements• FasTracks Costs

and Funding

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Five Key Study Elements (cont’d)

4. Arterial BRT Connections:

– General Corridors Identified by RTD/Stakeholders:

• Table Mesa PnR; Foothills Pkwy; SH 119 Longmont

• US 287 Between Broomfield and Longmont /US 36

• East/West Connections: Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, and to Brighton

– Others—TBD by Stakeholders and RTD

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Five Key Study Elements (cont’d)

5. High Level Analysis of North I-25 Reverse-Commute

Issues: Between Denver Union Station and US 36: – Identification of Travel

Issues– Proposed Solutions

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Schedule

• HNTB selected as project consultant

• Consultant team preparing background tech memos

• Telephone Town Hall meeting June 19

• Public open houses to be scheduled in the fall.

• Study scheduled for completion by Feb 2014

• Upon study completion, RTD will work with stakeholders to determine funding options to advance study’s preferred alternatives

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Public Involvement

• Study will include public outreach efforts – currently developing detailed public involvement plan

• Will be soliciting public input on establishing priorities and determining study outcomes

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Questions?

Chris Quinn

Planning Project Manager

chris.quinn@rtd-denver.com

(303) 299-2439