DENVER | Transportation Thread

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Which is extremely difficult given the layout. Calgary runs it's light rail right down the middle of the street, with the entire street being a devoted transit way, with elevated platforms and even then you can see that making the station a secure zone would be very difficult in that case where the platform is a heck of lot wider. You could do it at 16th and Stout but it would be one hell of a narrow platform and, as you mentioned, it would require RTD to eliminate the garage entrance on Stout. Though you could reconfigure the garage to have its entrance/exit on Champa.

I think you just found a big part of the solution.

EDIT: Add a 6' high fence on the road side of the track. Put ticket machines at each end, outside enclosed space. Close from the curb to the wall. In effect, while two none gated (for now) entrances at each end would be necessary, the rule of being on the platform only if one had a ticket could be enforced.

[TakeFive]

Wizened I read your original comment as well as the follow-ups.

A couple of years ago I happen to read a bunch of comments pertaining to the 16th Street Mall on Yelp. I was surprised at how many out of town or suburban visitors found it to be "trashy" and by extension downtown in general; especially since Yelp tends to have a younger profile commenter. I doubt that much has improved.

Many of "us" fail to appreciate how women view things and many felt very insecure. If you're going to chase away the shoppers to cater to the shoplifters that's likely not a good formula for long term success. Similarly light rail stations should be hassle-free zones.

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Wizened I read your original comment as well as the follow-ups.

A couple of years ago I happen to read a bunch of comments pertaining to the 16th Street Mall on Yelp. I was surprised at how many out of town or suburban visitors found it to be "trashy" and by extension downtown in general; especially since Yelp tends to have a younger profile commenter. I doubt that much has improved.

Many of "us" fail to appreciate how women view things and many felt very insecure. If you're going to chase away the shoppers to cater to the shoplifters that's likely not a good formula for long term success. Similarly light rail stations should be hassle-free zones.

I agree.

And, my wife who frequently took the light rail to the Auraria Station on Colfax agrees with you. She did say that the 16th and California stop was creepier than the Colfax Station.*

*the Colfax at Auraria station becomes creepier when one takes night classes during the winter and the number of young people waiting for the train is far lower than during the day.

[DenverRider2]

From an article on Brad Buchanan in the Wash Park Profile:

A redo of Blueprint Denver (the land use and transportation plan drafted in 2002) should come to the fore in the next year or two...

The need to facilitate getting people from home to mass transit – “first mile” – and from there to their ultimate destination – “last mile” – is a large piece of the need to revisit Blueprint Denver. “That first/last mile element is a real driver,” said Buchanan. “Large parts of Blueprint were devoted to the need for a new zoning code. Obviously that’s been dealt with. Now we’re in a time where transit alternatives are critical. Until we clearly define our needs and where they are, we can’t get projects funded. The good news is, the buffet of options is substantial.”

Could this be the much pined after transportation plan that allows Denver to start designing (and funding) a functional alternative to relying on the car to get us everywhere?

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by DenverRider2

From an article on Brad Buchanan in the Wash Park Profile:



Could this be the much pined after transportation plan that allows Denver to start designing (and funding) a functional alternative to relying on the car to get us everywhere?

I am sure the rhetoric will say the plan is.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by DenverRider2

From an article on Brad Buchanan in the Wash Park Profile:

Could this be the much pined after transportation plan that allows Denver to start designing (and funding) a functional alternative to relying on the car to get us everywhere?

Denver seems to manage to float a significant bond issue every 10-12 years. I suspect there will be one in 2016. The problem is or the issues will be the items mentioned in paragraphs 11 and 12 to which I would add the already pending new rec. center just north of Colfax as well as a streetcar named Colfax Desire.

With respect to Blueprint Denver Brad states "Until we clearly define our needs and where they are, we can’t get projects funded. The good news is, the buffet of options is substantial.” I highlighted this statement as that should be fun to sort out. Unless any transit proposals could be shoehorned into the the existing city budget with a very long list of competing interests they're likely to have to wait for the next bond issue after the 2016 election.

Other than minor enhancements by RTD most of the first mile/last mile needs will have to be faced by the City of Denver taxpayers or property owners. RTD will be budget constrained until they finish the North Line in 2018. By then RTD will likely be facing disappointing ridership numbers on some lines and the burden of the carrying costs on the completed system. Just a good guess on this.

[Brainpathology]

Originally Posted by DenverRider2

From an article on Brad Buchanan in the Wash Park Profile:



Could this be the much pined after transportation plan that allows Denver to start designing (and funding) a functional alternative to relying on the car to get us everywhere?

It seems more like the plan that pretends Denver already has everything in place for the miles in between the first and last on mass transit.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

You're adorable thinking police"persons" wouldn't do this really tiny ethical/procedural hiccup. Unless you meant if YOU and only you were a police officer you wouldn't do this. I mean, I don't know how you can tell the difference between criminals and public transit riders... but if the police had a way to profile people to do this, they would if they had even the slightest inkling to. (not officially of course)

I watched the Denver cops come up to some kid down there the other day and ask to see in the bag he was carrying. And he just let them tear it apart. If it hadn't been a school night, I might have intervened and given them a little primer on searches, just on principle. But I imagine I probably would've spent the next 24 hours in a cell for having the audacity to question the almighty police.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

It seems more like the plan that pretends Denver already has everything in place for the miles in between the first and last on mass transit.

If Denver spends more than half a token effort on trying to link to existing RTD rail, it will be a wasted effort. The existing rail adds nothing to a city-serving system; RTD's goes from nowhere to nowhere outside of downtown, and does it slowly. Last mile/first mile sounds good - optimistic planner speak, to make it sound as if we're always almost there - but that isn't the problem, the problem is much larger than that. We need to start fresh with a system that serves the city itself, and if it happens to cross a fastracks line or two, great. But that shouldn't be a priority.

[Brainpathology]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

If Denver spends more than half a token effort on trying to link to existing RTD rail, it will be a wasted effort. The existing rail adds nothing to a city-serving system; RTD's goes from nowhere to nowhere outside of downtown, and does it slowly. Last mile/first mile sounds good - optimistic planner speak, to make it sound as if we're always almost there - but that isn't the problem, the problem is much larger than that. We need to start fresh with a system that serves the city itself, and if it happens to cross a fastracks line or two, great. But that shouldn't be a priority.

That's exactly what I was getting at. You probably caught that though.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I watched the Denver cops come up to some kid down there the other day and ask to see in the bag he was carrying. And he just let them tear it apart. If it hadn't been a school night, I might have intervened and given them a little primer on searches, just on principle. But I imagine I probably would've spent the next 24 hours in a cell for having the audacity to question the almighty police.

That's all you think you would have gotten? Well, you are white so that would have helped a great deal in the outcome that you wouldn't have ended up severely beaten.

[Brainpathology]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

That's all you think you would have gotten? Well, you are white so that would have helped a great deal in the outcome that you wouldn't have ended up severely beaten.

Being a lawyer helps more.. it's like holding up a cross at an attacking vampire.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Brainpathology

Being a lawyer helps more.. it's like holding up a cross at an attacking vampire.

Well that's the obvious. So Bunt is doubly secure from police beatings with the garlic-esque trait of being white and the crossly-mantle of a J.D.

[PLANSIT]

Blueprint Denver and a Transit Master Plan are two completely, but complementary things.

The whole first mile/last mile stuff is a bit misguided as Bunt eluded to. We first have to create transit enhancement corridors (like Colfax) as our spines of mobility, then connect people to them through transit, walking and biking infrastructure, and, yes, even cars. Blueprint Denver can help make sure those TECs are stacked with people, jobs and destinations.

[Brainpathology]

Yeah maybe I should test it.. it seems like being white makes you invisible to them. Maybe if you say they shouldn't do something and you're white, they'll think it's their conscience.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

Blueprint Denver and a Transit Master Plan are two completely, but complementary things.

The whole first mile/last mile stuff is a bit misguided as Bunt eluded to. We first have to create transit enhancement corridors (like Colfax) as our spines of mobility, then connect people to them through transit, walking and biking infrastructure, and, yes, even cars. Blueprint Denver can help make sure those TECs are stacked with people, jobs and destinations.

You would think Brad would be aware of this and be pushing for a Transit Master Plan before relooking at Blueprint Denver. Yes, we have the FasTrack corridors and the stations in Denver. But we also have to look at, as has been mentioned and reiterated again and again, the transit corridors such as Broadway, Speer, Colfax, Colorado, etc. for transit improvements. Will an updated Blueprint Denver do this or should a Transit Master Plan be published first.

On a similar vein, it appears that RTD is finally using a portion of FasTracks funding to enhance existing bus service according to their strategic plan. Now will this funding be used for urban bus corridors or will it end up being used to appease the suburbs who feel slighted that they are getting 'da bus instead of the choo-choo? It's probably going to be the latter, but maybe some scraps will go towards introducing higher-frequency branded service on corridors such as Speer and Broadway.

[comoneymaker]

I am sure you have all seen this before. First time I saw it. I got to say what a depressing welcome ride into Denver. If it were my first time in Denver I would think I was in Detroit instead.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLJJt6HAcMs

[PLANSIT]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

You would think Brad would be aware of this and be pushing for a Transit Master Plan before relooking at Blueprint Denver. Yes, we have the FasTrack corridors and the stations in Denver. But we also have to look at, as has been mentioned and reiterated again and again, the transit corridors such as Broadway, Speer, Colfax, Colorado, etc. for transit improvements. Will an updated Blueprint Denver do this or should a Transit Master Plan be published first.

On a similar vein, it appears that RTD is finally using a portion of FasTracks funding to enhance existing bus service according to their strategic plan. Now will this funding be used for urban bus corridors or will it end up being used to appease the suburbs who feel slighted that they are getting 'da bus instead of the choo-choo? It's probably going to be the latter, but maybe some scraps will go towards introducing higher-frequency branded service on corridors such as Speer and Broadway.

The City recently applied for TIGER money to do both an update to Blueprint Denver and DenverMoves: Transit (Transit Master Plan). The idea being you could do both within roughly the same time period. You'd probably see an update to the Pedestrian Master Plan in there somewhere as well. Then DenverMoves: Bikes would be integrated and you'd basically have all the ingredients for an update to the Strategic Transportation Plan (STP).

[Cirrus]

Originally Posted by comoneymaker

I am sure you have all seen this before. First time I saw it. I got to say what a depressing welcome ride into Denver. If it were my first time in Denver I would think I was in Detroit instead.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLJJt6HAcMs

Cool.

1. Meh. Every city has ugly sections like that, often between the airport & downtown. Here's the view on the train into Paris from CDG airport.

2. That opening frame is pretty sweet.

3. Protip: Set the video to 2x speed.

[PLANSIT]

RTD's FasTracks takes another step forward
by: Cathy Proctor

One more element of the Regional Transportation District’s sprawling FasTracks rail construction project is starting to move forward — if it can land a federal grant.

The RTD board of directors this week gave the go-ahead for the mass transit agency to build a $207 million extension to the existing southeast rail line along Interstate 25. The extension will run from the current end of the line near Lincoln Avenue further into Douglas County.

But RTD still needs money to actually pay for the construction of the light rail extension.

RTD expects to invest about $66 million, or 32 percent of the estimated $207 million project cost...

Read More