العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolFASTRACKS
(Redirected from Fastracks)
'FasTracks' is a 12-year, $6.2 billion (originally $4.7 billion) public transportation expansion plan for the Denver-Aurora and Boulder Metropolitan Areas, developed by the Regional Transportation District. The plan calls for six light rail and diesel commuter rail lines with a combined length of 119 miles (192 km) to be opened between 2013 and 2016. 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.
The new commuter and light rail lines will share a hub at Denver's Union Station, which will reap $200 million worth of facilities improvements under FasTracks, and for which a separate renovation and expansion project is also being planned. Endpoints of the radial rail lines are planned for Longmont, Thornton, Denver International Airport, Lone Tree, Littleton, Golden, and Arvada. FasTracks will include a stop near the University of Colorado at Boulder and a connector line through Aurora.
This will be a new light rail line of 12.1 miles, or 19.4 km, that will follow a former Associated Railroad right-of-way. The project is already in Final Design, a Final Environmental Impact Statement having been completed. It is estimated to cost $511.7 million to build. Twelve stations will be located on the line. It will open in 2013. In May 2007 it was announced that in an effort to rein in expenses, the line will only be single-track instead of double.[1]
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. [2]
The 'Northwest Rail Corridor' will be a commuter rail project between Denver, Boulder, and Longmont. The line will be 38.1 miles (61 km) and would entirely follow existing railroad right-of-way, with seven stations on the route. It expected to be open in 2014 and cost $791.4 million to build.
This will be an 18 mile long express bus line running along US 36 between Denver and Boulder, Colorado. There will be six stations along the route, and is expected to cost $791.4 million to build. The project will be completed in two phases, with the first phase to be completed by 2008 and the second by 2016.
Another commuter rail line that is expected to open in 2014 is the 'East Corridor', a 23.6-mile (37.8-km) line between downtown Denver, Aurora, and Denver International Airport. It is estimated to cost $702.1 million to build. Five stations will be located on the line.
On July 24, 2007, the RTD board chose Electric Multi Unit (EMU) commuter trains as the mode of rail transportation that would 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. http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/main_1
The area along the I-25 North corridor is growing heavily, and is expected to continue to grow. A commuter rail line along an existing railroad right-of-way from Denver to 160th Avenue in Thornton, which will be 18 miles (28.8 km) long, will have eight new stations, and will open in 2015. It is estimated to cost $428.1 million to build.
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 through Aurora, which will include seven new stations. This line will open in 2015, and is estimated to cost $442.3 million to build.
The 'Gold Line' is an 11.2-mile (17.9-km) rail line between Denver and Arvada, which would have seven stations. It is expected to open in 2015 and cost $463.5 million to build. Budget concerns have sparked debate over alternatives to light rail on the planned Gold Line. The two alternatives that remain include the electric trains on the railroad alignment and the modern streetcar on the 38th and Harlan alignment.
On July 24, 2007, the RTD Board of Directors chose Electric Multi Unit (EMU) commuter trains as the mode of rail transport that will be used on the Gold Line. The U.S. Department of Transportation has chosen the Gold Line to be a Public Private Partnership or Penta-P. This is a program designed to reduce rail construction and operation costs by having a private entity finance, design, build, operate and maintain the rail line.
Extensions to light rail lines that have already been completed are planned. Extension committed by the FasTracks plan include a 2.5-mile extension to the Southwest Corridor, extending the line to the southwest corner of Lucent Boulevard and C-470, a 2.3-mile extension to the Southeast Corridor into Lone Tree, and a 0.8-mile extension to the Central Corridor to connect the 30th & Downing station with the East Corridor commuter rail line at the intersection of 40th & 40th.
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 (EIS) has already been completed.
By Spring 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. RTD attributed the problem to construction costs and additional infrastructure requests outside the scope of the original plan. FasTracks is also faced with the problem of lower-than-expected sales tax revenue.
On July 24, 2007 the RTD Board selected electric multi unit trains (EMU) as the rail technology that will be used on the Gold Line and the East Corridor. In making this decision the board accepted the recommendations of its staff.
http://www.eastcorridor.com/announcements/RecentDevelopments_7-07.pdf
The RTD Board has recommend that the transit district pursue Public-Private Partnerships for the financing of the Gold Line, the East Corridor and the Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility. The Gold Line and the East Corridor were recently accepted into Penta-P, the Federal Transit Administration's pilot program for such partnerships.
1. Transportation project more than a billion dollars over budget
2. http://denver.yourhub.com/Lakewood/Stories/News/About-Town/Story~310434.aspx
★ Regional Transportation District (RTD)
★ TheRide (current transit services provided by RTD)
★ Official Website, and map
★ Light Rail advocacy group
★ Colorado rail advocacy group with local links and documents.
★ Union Station advocacy site
★ DRCOG, a resource for FasTracks TOD plans, news and research.
'FasTracks' is a 12-year, $6.2 billion (originally $4.7 billion) public transportation expansion plan for the Denver-Aurora and Boulder Metropolitan Areas, developed by the Regional Transportation District. The plan calls for six light rail and diesel commuter rail lines with a combined length of 119 miles (192 km) to be opened between 2013 and 2016. 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.
Location
The new commuter and light rail lines will share a hub at Denver's Union Station, which will reap $200 million worth of facilities improvements under FasTracks, and for which a separate renovation and expansion project is also being planned. Endpoints of the radial rail lines are planned for Longmont, Thornton, Denver International Airport, Lone Tree, Littleton, Golden, and Arvada. FasTracks will include a stop near the University of Colorado at Boulder and a connector line through Aurora.
Line details
West Corridor (light rail)
This will be a new light rail line of 12.1 miles, or 19.4 km, that will follow a former Associated Railroad right-of-way. The project is already in Final Design, a Final Environmental Impact Statement having been completed. It is estimated to cost $511.7 million to build. Twelve stations will be located on the line. It will open in 2013. In May 2007 it was announced that in an effort to rein in expenses, the line will only be single-track instead of double.[1]
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. [2]
Northwest Rail Corridor (commuter rail)
The 'Northwest Rail Corridor' will be a commuter rail project between Denver, Boulder, and Longmont. The line will be 38.1 miles (61 km) and would entirely follow existing railroad right-of-way, with seven stations on the route. It expected to be open in 2014 and cost $791.4 million to build.
US 36 Corridor (bus rapid transit)
This will be an 18 mile long express bus line running along US 36 between Denver and Boulder, Colorado. There will be six stations along the route, and is expected to cost $791.4 million to build. The project will be completed in two phases, with the first phase to be completed by 2008 and the second by 2016.
East Corridor (commuter rail)
Another commuter rail line that is expected to open in 2014 is the 'East Corridor', a 23.6-mile (37.8-km) line between downtown Denver, Aurora, and Denver International Airport. It is estimated to cost $702.1 million to build. Five stations will be located on the line.
On July 24, 2007, the RTD board chose Electric Multi Unit (EMU) commuter trains as the mode of rail transportation that would 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. http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/main_1
North Metro Corridor (commuter rail)
The area along the I-25 North corridor is growing heavily, and is expected to continue to grow. A commuter rail line along an existing railroad right-of-way from Denver to 160th Avenue in Thornton, which will be 18 miles (28.8 km) long, will have eight new stations, and will open in 2015. It is estimated to cost $428.1 million to build.
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 through Aurora, which will include seven new stations. This line will open in 2015, and is estimated to cost $442.3 million to build.
Gold Line (commuter rail)
The 'Gold Line' is an 11.2-mile (17.9-km) rail line between Denver and Arvada, which would have seven stations. It is expected to open in 2015 and cost $463.5 million to build. Budget concerns have sparked debate over alternatives to light rail on the planned Gold Line. The two alternatives that remain include the electric trains on the railroad alignment and the modern streetcar on the 38th and Harlan alignment.
On July 24, 2007, the RTD Board of Directors chose Electric Multi Unit (EMU) commuter trains as the mode of rail transport that will be used on the Gold Line. The U.S. Department of Transportation has chosen the Gold Line to be a Public Private Partnership or Penta-P. This is a program designed to reduce rail construction and operation costs by having a private entity finance, design, build, operate and maintain the rail line.
Extensions (light rail)
Extensions to light rail lines that have already been completed are planned. Extension committed by the FasTracks plan include a 2.5-mile extension to the Southwest Corridor, extending the line to the southwest corner of Lucent Boulevard and C-470, a 2.3-mile extension to the Southeast Corridor into Lone Tree, and a 0.8-mile extension to the Central Corridor to connect the 30th & Downing station with the East Corridor commuter rail line at the intersection of 40th & 40th.
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 (EIS) has already been completed.
By Spring 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. RTD attributed the problem to construction costs and additional infrastructure requests outside the scope of the original plan. FasTracks is also faced with the problem of lower-than-expected sales tax revenue.
On July 24, 2007 the RTD Board selected electric multi unit trains (EMU) as the rail technology that will be used on the Gold Line and the East Corridor. In making this decision the board accepted the recommendations of its staff.
http://www.eastcorridor.com/announcements/RecentDevelopments_7-07.pdf
The RTD Board has recommend that the transit district pursue Public-Private Partnerships for the financing of the Gold Line, the East Corridor and the Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility. The Gold Line and the East Corridor were recently accepted into Penta-P, the Federal Transit Administration's pilot program for such partnerships.
References
1. Transportation project more than a billion dollars over budget
2. http://denver.yourhub.com/Lakewood/Stories/News/About-Town/Story~310434.aspx
See also
★ Regional Transportation District (RTD)
★ TheRide (current transit services provided by RTD)
External links
★ Official Website, and map
★ Light Rail advocacy group
★ Colorado rail advocacy group with local links and documents.
★ Union Station advocacy site
★ DRCOG, a resource for FasTracks TOD plans, news and research.
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
