DENVER | Transportation Thread

[Interzen]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Hopefully the next two BRT projects in the metro area, not that silly Boulder to Longmont BRT, are able to reach construction just a bit quicker.

Too Late: Construction on CO 119 begins Monday, Sept. 23
(bouldercounty.gov)

RTD will temporarily close the Niwot Park-n-Ride and permanently close the north and southbound CO 119 bus stops at CO 52 beginning Sept. 29. When it reopens in May 2027, the Niwot Park-n-Ride will include platforms for the new CO 119 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, a larger parking lot with lighting and security cameras, secure bike parking, and access to the newly constructed bikeway.

The northbound and southbound CO 119 bus stops at CO 52 will close Sept. 29 to facilitate reconstruction of the intersection to include new BRT bus platforms and continuation of the median for the new bikeway. Temporary stops were not warranted at this location due to lack of available ADA compliant stop locations. The next closest bus stops served by the BOLT bus are at 63rd St. to the south of CO 52 and Monarch or Niwot to the north.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Interzen

Too Late: Construction on CO 119 begins Monday, Sept. 23
(bouldercounty.gov)

Well, that was fast-ish. It will be a nice upgrade, though I wouldn't call this BRT just yet given the 30 minute headways.

[TakeFive]

What the heck is Bus Rapid Transit aka BRT
Where did it come from and why?

Many may remember Uncle Plato who said that new-cessity is the Mother of Invention. In more modern times it's likely that money, or the lack thereof is important.

According to Wikipedia

Bus rapid transit (BRT), also referred to as a busway or transitway... public transport bus service system designed to have much more capacity, reliability, and other quality features than a conventional bus system.

The second BRT system in the world was the Rede Integrada de Transporte (RIT, integrated transportation network), implemented in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1974.

Over the years various attempts were made to create a higher quality bus service because it was much cheaper than rail. Note: the authors use of "BRT" is our contemporary reference but wasn't used by others in the early years. The system in Curitiba, Brazil was a noteworthy step forward but it was at best BRT-lite - until is was later updated.

It was in Bogotá, Colombia where the quality reached BRT status. Per Wikipedia

TransMilenio is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that serves Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, and Soacha, a neighbouring city. The system opened to the public in December 2000.

Before TransMilenio, Bogotá's mass transit "system" consisted of thousands of independently operated and uncoordinated mini buses. There was also a plan for a network of elevated highways throughout Bogotá, and plans to build a subway as Medellín had done seven years prior.

When Enrique Peñalosa was elected mayor he cancelled these projects and oversaw the construction of the initial TransMilenio system at a fraction of the cost.

Prior to construction, a 30 km trip by public transport would take 2 hours and 15 minutes in 1998; the same trip using TransMilenio now takes 55 minutes.

Bogotá won the first Sustainable Transport Award in 2005 due to the BRT system and urban cycling strategy.

Fast Forward to 2016.

Bogota's Bus Rapid Transit System Eyed By U.S. Urban Planners
March 21, 2016 By Lorne Matalon -- KPBS


Photo courtesy Lorne Matalon -- KPBS

BRT replicates light rail and underground subways —with dedicated lanes and rail-like stations—at far less cost. And that is why BRT is a technology that U.S. urban planners are studying at a time of stressed public budgets. And the system that is often cited by mass transit advocates is the BRT in Bogotá, Colombia, one of South America’s major metropolises.

[TakeFive]

What the heck is BRT-Creep
and where did it come from and why?

Many years ago a still young fellow named Dan Malouff was instrumental in creating the concept and discussion around "BRT-Creep."

Per Wikipedia

Bus rapid transit creep (BRT creep) is a phenomenon where bus systems that fail to meet the requirements for being considered "true bus rapid transit" are designated as bus rapid transit regardless. These systems are often marketed as a fully realized bus rapid transit system, but end up being described as more of an improvement to regular bus service by proponents of the "BRT creep" term.

According to Dan Malouff, a transit planner who was one of the earliest people to use the phrase, the slippery slope towards BRT creep varies widely from system to system.

Flashback to 2011

“BRT creep” makes bus rapid transit inferior to rail
March 9, 2011 By Dan Malouff (Editorial Board) -- Greater Greater Washington

BRT systems in places like Bogota and Curitiba have narrowed the gap between bus and rail, producing BRT lines nearly as good as subways. If they produce such great BRT, why should American BRT be considered the little sister of rail?

The answer is something I call “BRT creep”. Putting aside the inherent differences between bus and rail, one of the big problems with BRT is that it’s too easy to strip down. There are too many corners you can cut that save a lot of money and only degrade service a little bit.

There are a thousand corners like that you can cut that individually may or may not hurt too much, but collectively add up to the difference between BRT and a regular bus.

If by chance you weren't familiar with Dan Malouff, don't worry about it; on this site we just refer to him as "Cirrus".

[TakeFive]

What is Interesting

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Hopefully the next two BRT projects in the metro area, not that silly Boulder to Longmont BRT, are able to reach construction just a bit quicker.

is the Boulder to Longmont BRT better mimics the 'original' concept for BRT in Bogata, Columbia. That BRT connected Bogata (the capitol) with Soacha, a (smaller) city that was ~18.5 miles away. Longmont is ~15.5 miles from Boulder.

There is a couple of important differences though; the housing density is much greater in Columbia and most people can't afford a car so the BRT line was appealing to lots of people.

BTW, from Broadway to I-225 is ~ 8.5 miles while the Federal BRT line will be closer to 18 miles.

[TakeFive]

Okay, I'll admit I wasn't sure what the heck you were talking about

Originally Posted by DenvertoLA

Here is the agenda for this month's FRPR Board of Directors Workshop meeting.

I submitted a comment saying that if they are planning a 2026 ballot measure to help fund this, it should be exciting! If they model this after Caltrain's new electric fleet in the Bay Area, that will be exciting. It would be so dumb to ask voters to pay for a train that's stuck at 55 mph because it has to share tracks with freight. WE CAN HAVE NICE THINGS!!!

https://www.ridethefrontrange.com/_files/ugd/3f188e_60c632d1fcbc4ca3915f4b1fda963266.pdf

But now that I 'see' what you were talking about I'll agree that would be nice, exciting to say the least.


• Video Link

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

What is Interesting

is the Boulder to Longmont BRT better mimics the 'original' concept for BRT in Bogata, Columbia. That BRT connected Bogata (the capitol) with Soacha, a (smaller) city that was ~18.5 miles away. Longmont is ~15.5 miles from Boulder.

There is a couple of important differences though; the housing density is much greater in Columbia and most people can't afford a car so the BRT line was appealing to lots of people.

BTW, from Broadway to I-225 is ~ 8.5 miles while the Federal BRT line will be closer to 18 miles.

And, the biggest difference, is that Bogata BRT has it's own dedicated lane. The Longmont to Boulder BRT won't have this to begin with, just some jump queues at intersections, IIRC.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by DenvertoLA

Here is the agenda for this month's FRPR Board of Directors Workshop meeting.

I submitted a comment saying that if they are planning a 2026 ballot measure to help fund this, it should be exciting! If they model this after Caltrain's new electric fleet in the Bay Area, that will be exciting. It would be so dumb to ask voters to pay for a train that's stuck at 55 mph because it has to share tracks with freight. WE CAN HAVE NICE THINGS!!!

https://www.ridethefrontrange.com/_files/ugd/3f188e_60c632d1fcbc4ca3915f4b1fda963266.pdf

If FRPR can get dedicated tracks this "might" happen, but everything I've seen so far seems to be a peak service model with the passenger rail having exclusive rights during those time blocks.

Do you know if this assumption is correct?

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

And, the biggest difference, is that Bogata BRT has it's own dedicated lane. The Longmont to Boulder BRT won't have this to begin with, just some jump queues at intersections, IIRC.

I used to enjoy driving out to Niwot on weekends to browse and play - but that was over 50 years ago. So I can't even visualize how much traffic there is today but my guess is that other than for 'rush' hours there isn't likely that much demand to warrant full BRT.


Courtesy TripAdvisor

Per CDOT

September 27, 2024

Boulder County - The Colorado Department of Transportation and Contractor, Kraemer North America, will close IBM Drive, from Colorado Highway 119 to IBM E. Loop Road, as part of the CO 119 Safety, Mobility and Bikeway Improvements Project on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Once closed, it will remain closed to all modes of transportation and travel for the duration of the closure–until the end of 2025.

It's also important to appreciate Hwy 119 is part of a multi-modal effort that goes well beyond simply BRT.

According to CDOT

First and final mile connections identified in the Commuting Solutions CO 119 First and Final Mile Study will continue to be evaluated and prioritized as the other improvements and the BRT system are built out.

With this type of BRT project "First- and Last-Mile" are always a critical piece to ridership.

[DenvertoLA]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

And, the biggest difference, is that Bogata BRT has it's own dedicated lane. The Longmont to Boulder BRT won't have this to begin with, just some jump queues at intersections, IIRC.

I'm not too much of a train nerd so I don't know all the facts, but I read online that BNSF- the company that owns the tracks - wanted more than a half a billy for renting out track usage to the FRPR. A LOT more than expected.

I think Amtrak has some legally codified priority on all tracks, but I'm unsure if it comes at discount.

This unexpected high cost of renting tracks from a private company could work in our favor and justify the 'splerge' of building dedicated tracks. Go comment online or at a public meeting. Everything about the project is still being formulated so input matters now.

[Paniolo Man]

A new group, the Western Rail Coalition is advocating for an aggressive expansion of passenger rail in Colorado:



They are already making a splash with their proposal for a passenger rail line through the Eagle River Valley along the Tennessee Pass line.

• Video Link

[TakeFive]

For The Good Times
RIP Kris Kristofferson

I took a few minutes to read about the official opening of IndyGo’s Purple Line BRT. This caught my attention.

Deputy director of the Federal Transportation Administration Veronica Vanterpool attended the ceremony, highlighting the necessity of such a project in a growing metropolitan area. “Thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law... we have had the largest investment in public transportation ever,” Vanterpool said.

Vanterpool said that $108 billion went into 11,200 transit projects across the nation...

"Be grateful for what you have" as it may be some time, if ever, before we see that much funding for transit projects.

Colorado mountain communities received funding for some nice (and needed) transit projects. RTD, in addition to the East Colfax BRT, apparently used most of their share for maintenance and repairs including reconstruction of rail through downtown (not yet finished but funded). Interestingly, Federal Blvd BRT may benefit from being run by CDOT. In any case it's all truly a blessing.

[mhays]

ST3 projects won't start to complete until after 2026. If we even start any ST3 rail by then it'll be a miracle. The first big jobs are still figuring out alignments etc.

[TakeFive]

Look what I found

Originally Posted by mhays

ST3 projects won't start to complete until after 2026. If we even start any ST3 rail by then it'll be a miracle. The first big jobs are still figuring out alignments etc.

From Wikimedia Commons/Streetsblog

Seattle voters approved a $1.5 billion transportation levy on Tuesday, one of several such referendums nationwide.

Denver is in the home stretch for infrastructure projects previously approved by voters incl any iija money needed to supplement original estimates.

I assume that ST2 lines under construction have received all their grant money and necessary funding. I don't see any reason to rush the next projects for a few years as funding may be elusive.

AFAIK, Denver RTD has received all their pending grant money and there's nothing hot in planning.

[TakeFive]

David Zipper, Bloomberg/City Lab has a piece relative to transit etc.
November 12, 2024

They keep referring to Project 2025 but if you think about it, this is nothing different from the position conservatives have taken for decades. I suspect that with everything that is 'on the table' transportation is down the list of priorities in the near term.

Here's the best summation:

It’s wild that there was any human being alive who thought that the federal government was going to step in to save transit. That was never going to happen, but the transit advocates were full of confidence that the Democrats would do it... State and local governments definitely have the tools to fund transit. A bunch of them spend pennies per person on transit. If you don’t like your public transportation system, it’s your state’s fault.

[TakeFive]

What would transit look like in Denver without the dedicated 1% sales tax for RTD?

What is it with cities east of the Mississippi that don't know how to govern themselves with respect to transit?

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/septa-proposed-fare-hikes-service-cuts/

SEPTA/Philadelphia -- is looking at fare hikes and a 20% cut in service. Other than fares their revenue comes from "state, local and federal subsidies." They're operating budget is 1.69 billion and they have no dedicated revenue other than fares which have sucked since the pandemic. Note: There's a Republican majority in the Senate while the House and Governor are Dems.

Minneapolis -- Because of Minnesota being liberal The Metro has navigated needs with state and local funding. However, as their light rail system grew they saw the need for dedicated funding and passed a three-fourths percent sales tax in October of 2023.

Chicago -- the CTA because of their size, received boatloads of pandemic funding and have stretched it out through 2025. But the clock is ticking and so far they haven't come up with a funding fix. BTW, the 'new' Mayor proposed a healthy property tax increase to keep the schools open but the business community quickly said we'll be moving on if this happens.

Seattle -- has so much stinking dedicated revenue they have cat fights over how fancy their light rail stations should be.

[mhays]

You have the wrong impression about Seattle's transportation funding.

Sound Transit's plans are severely over budget, and they continue to extend the multi-decade timeline for the ST3 buildout. They finally figured out the alignment for the next project (West Seattle rail), including a major bridge and a tunnel section, but that'll mean delays for other parts. Art is required, but they're not making anything fancy.

Seattle's transportation levy is 70%(?) of the budget of the city's transportation department. Some goes to transit-oriented street rebuilds, bike lanes, new sidewalks, etc., but the majority is maintenance. Relying on this kind of levy, much as we do for parks, isn't a sign of success.

[TakeFive]

It's a matter of perspective and context

Originally Posted by mhays

You have the wrong impression about Seattle's transportation funding.

Sound Transit's plans are severely over budget, and they continue to extend the multi-decade timeline for the ST3 buildout. They finally figured out the alignment for the next project (West Seattle rail), including a major bridge and a tunnel section, but that'll mean delays for other parts. Art is required, but they're not making anything fancy.

Seattle's transportation levy is 70%(?) of the budget of the city's transportation department. Some goes to transit-oriented street rebuilds, bike lanes, new sidewalks, etc., but the majority is maintenance. Relying on this kind of levy, much as we do for parks, isn't a sign of success.

I appreciate that that there's "never enough money" and that inflation has placed a burden on originally projected construction costs for new lines.

According to this: Your tax/fee revenues come to $2.4 billion in 2023 or 3X RTD's projection for tax revenues of $800 million. Currently a lot of you revenue goes for capital costs and not operating costs.

[mhays]

If you want to compare transit system revenues, you have to add the county systems...King County Metro handles the lion's share of transit in the region, and Pierce and Snohomish have significant systems as well. KC Metro's 2023-24 (two year) operating budget was $2.474 billion.

[TakeFive]

The problem with Seattle is that they live in a bubble of opulence, lol

Originally Posted by mhays

If you want to compare transit system revenues, you have to add the county systems...King County Metro handles the lion's share of transit in the region, and Pierce and Snohomish have significant systems as well. KC Metro's 2023-24 (two year) operating budget was $2.474 billion.

I set out to look at how different transit agencies fund their transit and whether they had a dedicated tax/fee revenue stream for funding operating expenses.

It can get real complicated real fast.

It's true that Sound Transit's $2.4 billion in annual revenue from taxes/fees is three times Denver RTD's $800 million for BOTH rail and bus service. But, Seattle designed their tax/fee revenue to pay for both operating expenses and capital cost of new light rail lines.

With respect to King County's bus service the only thing I could pin down is there's a nine-tenths percent sales tax and a lot of this revenue goes to capital costs as well as operating costs, for example with their electrification program. I never could determine what that nine-tenths percent sales tax added up to in total $'s though?

In any case Seattle has lots of tax/fee revenue even if it doesn't accomplish all they would wish for while many agencies (east of the Mississippi) have no dedicated funding to even cover operating costs or in Chicago/CTA's case they do have sales and other taxes but it is inadequate to cover operating expenses once they run out of COVID money. The state also kicks in a share which can vary so it's quite confusing and definitely a Big Mess.