With just one month to go to the opening of the new Southeast Corridor Light Rail Line, one last remaining problem was resolved at RTD's October 17 Board meeting. At issue was parking at the University Station adjacent to the University of Denver where RTD has constructed a parking garage. Both RTD and DU are concerned that students will use the parking structure to avoid paying for space at university owned lots or dealing with the limited amount of street parking in the area
Anyone entering the parking garage will be issued a parking ticket that can be validated in any validation machine at any other light rail station on the system. Upon returning to University Station, the light rail patron gives his ticket to an attendant when leaving the parking facility. Bus riders will present a valid transfer to the attendant for a route that serves the station. No overnight parking will be allowed in the garage.
Dir. Neil Quinlan (Southeast Arapahoe & Douglas Counties) said he did not like the idea of RTD having two classes of parking. Dir. Barbara Brohl (SW Denver/ South Lakewood) added she did not the idea either but did not see any way to avoid it. RTD General Manager Cal Marsella said a decision had to be made before the SE Corridor line opened and added that he considered the University Station parking policy an "interim solution" until RTD can develop a system-wide policy on parking fees which would have legislative support
The Board approved the measure 11-2 with Dirs. Quinlan and Lee Kemp (Longmont) voting "no."
In other action, the Board unanimously approved an environmental sustainability policy which pledges to "integrate sustainable practices throughout the RTD organization." The lengthy statement describes steps the agency plans to take that include investigating the use of renewable sources to power trains, evaluating the incorporation of energy saving features in maintenance buildings such as using solar space and water heating, reducing light pollution, incorporating renewable energy (e.g.. photovoltaic cells) in transit stations, and using local and recycled materials. RTD will also be adopting LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) principles as a standard for new buildings and major additions and renovations.
Dir. Dave Rose (Brighton) expressed appreciation to Dir. Dave Ruchman (Lakewood) for originating and championing this policy over the course of the past several years.
At long last RTD has an agreement with Park Meadows Mall for a connection to the SE Corridor station at Dry Creek Road. Previous owners had balked at the idea of any rail transit connection to the mall prompting former RTD Board Chair Bob Tonsing (Littleton) to establish a policy that the cost of any future change order connecting the mall to the Dry Creek Station would have to be paid by Park Meadows.
Over the past couple of years two events have taken place which have changed this situation. The mall was annexed into the RTD and now contributes sales tax revenue to the agency and a new owner who took over management of the mall enthusiastically welcomes the transit connection.
Mr. Marsella announced that RTD would be designing and constructing a pedestrian bridge from the Dry Creek Station across an access road to the mall parking lot. RTD would pay $4.5 million for the bridge out of T-REX funds and the mall would be responsible for providing the walkway into the stores. Parking arrangements for both transit and mall customers have yet to be worked out. It is anticipated the bridge/walkway connection will be completed by late 2007.
Mr. Marsella mentioned RTD and its consulting firm CH2M Hill have begun public hearings on the Union Station to Arvada Gold Line. Street car, light rail, and commuter rail technology as well as alternative routes to the BNSF rail line are being evaluated. Several months ago, BNSF announced it objected to light rail trains traversing its right-of-way next to its freight trains fearing the casualties that would result from either a light rail or freight train derailment.
Even though light rail runs in close proximity to freight rail on the SW Light Rail Line with no protest from the railroads operating on the Joint Line, Mr. Marsella said that the private railroad industry made an abrupt change in their thinking following the January 2005 accident in Glendale, CA when a METRA commuter train crashed into an abandoned pick-up truck on a highway grade crossing and subsequently collided with a UP freight train on a siding causing multiple injuries and fatalities.
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No rail or transit issues were scheduled for discussion at the October 19 C-DOT Transportation Commission meeting, however, Com. Joe Jehn (Arvada) who represents Jefferson County on the commission indicated he would be asking his fellow commissioners to delete funds for the I-70 Mountain Corridor portion of High Speed Rail Corridor Study approved for funding by the commission in September. Com. Jehn said he would ask for a vote for this deletion in the commission's next meeting in November. The passenger rail study is to be done by the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority (formerly Front Range Commuter Rail) directed by former Colorado State Representative Bob Briggs.
Com. Jehn contends that the I-70 Mountain Corridor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) study has already ruled out rail or any fixed guideway system for the corridor because its projected cost would be more than the $4 billion ceiling C-DOT has established for corridor improvements over the next 20 years. Though the PEIS is not officially completed, it appears that improvements to the corridor will consist only of additional highway lanes and perhaps some bus transit. Even though the study is not completed, C-DOT is currently designing an additional eastbound truck climbing lane on the west side of Vail Pass. C-DOT officials justify construction of the lane prior to completion of the PEIS because it is "in the public interest" to do so.
The day Com. Jehn announced his plan to rescind the I-70 corridor portion of the funding for the rail study happened to also be day the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments hosted a comprehensive day long workshop on rail/fixed guideway transit for the I-70 Mountain Corridor Transportation Coalition at Copper Mountain Resort. The Coalition includes officials and businesses from Clear Creek, Eagle, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Lake, Park, Pitkin, and Summit Counties is funded in part by C-DOT. Com. Jehn's home county has just joined the Coalition.
Numerous speakers from Colorado and other states presented their thoughts on how to organize, plan, finance, and build a rail-based transit system on the I-70 Corridor. Bill Van Meter (RTD FasTracks), Chris Blewett ( RailRunner -New Mexico) , and Steve Meyer (FrontRunner - Utah) described how their regional transit agencies operate and plan commuter and light rail systems.
Denverites Brendon Harrington, UrbanTrans, and Jim Graebner, Lomarado Group, described possible transit governing structures and what to consider when designing a rail transit system. Region 8 Federal Transit Administrator Charmaine Knighton and representatives from C-DOT and the financial sector spoke about financing the project. One of the speakers, Brian Pinkerton who directs the Mountain Corridor PEIS for C-DOT described the lack of monetary resources to do anything other than occasional incremental work on the highway such as the Vail climbing lanes.
Finally, Richard Stanger, an independent rail consultant who previously served as director of METRA in Los Angeles, Jack Tone from the Denver office of Parsons/Brinckerhoff, and Bob Turman a transportation development research specialist from Sandia Labs described current and future rail/fixed guideway systems and their applicability to the I-70 Corridor.
Members of the I-70 Coalition met the next day to decide what actions to take toward planning for a rail or some other kind of fixed guideway based system for the corridor.
Jon Esty ColoRail