A Telephone Conversation on Transit in the Northwest

Update: RTD gave people the wrong phone number so they are going to try again!

Thursday, June 27 at 6:30-7:30 pm
RTD FasTracks Telephone Town Hall on
Mobility Options for the Northwest Area

Dial 1-877-229-8493 and enter code 19081

Today Rep. Perlmutter's office called me and said that his office was supporting a federal Tiger grant to build the Northwest Rail line as it is currently planned. Another alternative that I think that we should consider would be for the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) to build a rail line either from Denver to Longmont, Loveland, and Fort Collins or from the end of the North Metro Line again continuing on to Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins. This line should be included in Amtrak's national system, making it possible to extend the line into Wyoming and further for a daily run.

Any changes to what RTD would provide would require voter approval.

Here is what RTD is considering:

1. Northwest Rail: Evaluate the feasibility and determine the cost associated with constructing the Northwest Rail commuter rail line in smaller segments over time. The line runs from Denver Union Station to Longmont. The first 6.2-mile segment of Northwest Rail, to 71st and Lowell in Westminster, is under construction and is scheduled to open in 2016.
2. North Metro Corridor Extension: As an alternate to providing rail service to Longmont via Northwest Rail, evaluate the possibility of extending the North Metro Line from the planned end of line at 162nd Avenue.
3. U.S. 36 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): Determine how the remaining FasTracks U.S. 36 BRT commitment will be allocated and determine what, if any, final BRT elements are needed for implementation in the corridor.
4. Arterial BRT lines: Evaluate the potential for early implementation of Bus Rapid Transit lines on major arterial roads that could improve mobility and access to transit in the northwest area. Among the routes that will be evaluated are Colorado 119 between Boulder and Longmont, U.S. 287 between Broomfield and Longmont and various east/west connections between Boulder, Louisville, and Lafayette and onto Brighton. 
5. I-25 Downtown Express Lanes Reverse Commute: Examine the current and future reverse-commute challenges on I-25 between Denver Union Station and U.S. 36. Potential improvements to the current north I-25 managed lanes or other connections between Denver’s central business district and U.S. 36 to accommodate bidirectional use will be identified and tested for feasibility.

Entities participating in the study are 36 Commuting Solutions and North Area Transportation Alliance; the cities of Arvada, Boulder, Broomfield,  Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Superior and Westminster; Boulder County; Colorado Department of Transportation, the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the University of Colorado–Boulder.