DENVER | Transportation Thread

[wong21fr]

Money money money money..... money!


Colorado’s governor, legislature have spent 2024 trying to reshape RTD. Now they want to force it to complete its rail routes.

With $138M here and $50 from the car rental fee, there probably ~$125M in new funding coming to rail development in Colorado- which is absolutely dick for finishing the B Line.

The infuriating portion of this legislation is that RTD cannot reallocate funding from the FasTracks back to the bus system. However, if the RTD board was composed of individuals with some iota of critical thinking skills, they would start making the case that the money flowing in the FasTracks savings account for the B-Line is largely composed of cuts to the expansion of bus service that was supposed to come with the rail expansion. The B-Line for the rich white folks in Boulder is being put in front of increased bus frequency for the poor brown folks in Denver.

Hammer that message home and see what compromise pops up for combining the B-Line with Front Range Passenger rail while funding bus expansion as was promised under FasTracks.

[Curtis Park]

We probably all know the stories about why our street cars were removed. But I found this podcast quite interesting. Just about everything Roman Mars does on 99pi is interesting.
https://99percentinvisible.org/episo...north-america/

[Justanothermember]

UAs DEN-YWG route resumed on Thursday, 16 May

[Cirrus]

What do people hear about CDOT's BRT initiative? What are your expectations for it?

I'm extremely intrigued at the prospect of a state DOT doing this. But I don't know much about it.

How's it different from what the local governments were already doing? Is it going to produce true BRT with good busways and good service, or the typical diet BRT that's just an incremental improvement over existing buses?

[Cirrus]

Was all this stuff happening with the locals already, just with normal coordination with CDOT? Or has CDOT taken a leadership role in it somehow?

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

BRT Updates:

East Colfax: Final Design is well underway. Making final decsions on a number of items including uncontrolled crossings, urban design, stations, etc. The funding stack is basically ready to go. RTD's contribution will be new artics (like 44 of them).

Federal: 30%/NEPA underway. Confirmation of LPA (side-running) is complete. Traffic analysis, Section 106, Station Locations, etc. all in process. CDOT has a decent chunck of change for ROW (likely at station locations) and Final Design. Still on pace for revenue service by December 31, 2029.

Colorado: Interviews for AA/NEPA/30% design took place a couple weeks ago. Should know who was selected soon. This will be an expedited process to meet project miletone goals. Determination of center-running/side-running is primary objective of AA. Still on pace for revenue service by December 31, 2029.

Far East Colfax: Led by DRCOG and will likely inclue AA and maybe NEPA/30%. This will be an extension of East Colfax BRT. RFP likely out mid-2024.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Was all this stuff happening with the locals already, just with normal coordination with CDOT? Or has CDOT taken a leadership role in it somehow?

Going by who's proving the lion's share of the funding (whether directly or through appropriated grants) the Colfax BRT is a Denver project and the CO119 Diagonal is an RTD project (also known as the "shut up the whiners about the B Line extension" project).

The other projects are CDOT led BRT projects that are necessary for CDOT to meet CO2 emission reduction goals laid out in the state's Greenhouse Gas Transportation Plan- I can't recall the legislation, but I think it was enacted in 2021. CDOT ended up with $170M to build BRT lines that can be used to offset increased emissions coming from other highway expansion projects such as the Floyd Hill project.

Bunt or PLANSIT probably know more, but that's what I recall.

[Cirrus]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

The other projects are CDOT led BRT projects that are necessary for CDOT to meet CO2 emission reduction goals laid out in the state's Greenhouse Gas Transportation Plan- I can't recall the legislation, but I think it was enacted in 2021. CDOT ended up with $170M to build BRT lines that can be used to offset increased emissions coming from other highway expansion projects such as the Floyd Hill project.

So they are pursuing these the way they'd normally pursue a highway project? That is to say, the DOT decides what they want to do, and the local government is a stakeholder but ultimately at the DOT's mercy?

Just from a process perspective, big if true.

[bobg]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Was all this stuff happening with the locals already, just with normal coordination with CDOT? Or has CDOT taken a leadership role in it somehow?

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Going by who's proving the lion's share of the funding (whether directly or through appropriated grants) the Colfax BRT is a Denver project and the CO119 Diagonal is an RTD project (also known as the "shut up the whiners about the B Line extension" project).

The other projects are CDOT led BRT projects that are necessary for CDOT to meet CO2 emission reduction goals laid out in the state's Greenhouse Gas Transportation Plan- I can't recall the legislation, but I think it was enacted in 2021. CDOT ended up with $170M to build BRT lines that can be used to offset increased emissions coming from other highway expansion projects such as the Floyd Hill project.

Bunt or PLANSIT probably know more, but that's what I recall.

Colfax is definitely a DOTI led project.

Federal blvd the AA was in process with DOTI when that GHG rule was established so DOTI finished, and CDOT is taking over with the NEPA over a larger area.

The GHG rule was also directed at regional planning entities like DRCOG to plan for reductions. Which is why DRCOG is taking charge on at least the initial planning for far east colfax.

Colorado Blvd is all CDOT, and I guess you could say it's being managed like a highway project.

The only thing I am aware of DOTI is studying right now for bus improvements is 38th which is not a CDOT road. https://denvergov.org/Government/Age...Corridor-Study

The GHG rule was part of sb260 and CDOT has a bunch of info on it here https://www.codot.gov/programs/envir.../greenhousegas

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

So they are pursuing these the way they'd normally pursue a highway project? That is to say, the DOT decides what they want to do, and the local government is a stakeholder but ultimately at the DOT's mercy?

Just from a process perspective, big if true.

I think that's the case. For the Federal Blvd Project CDOT took the DENVER MOVES: Federal Transit Alternatives Analysis and used it to conduct the NEPA. Believe they're handling everything.

[bobg]

Coincidentally a NY Times article came out today on the impact of the GHG rule on Colorado.

In Colorado, that new vision was catalyzed by climate change. In 2019, Gov. Jared Polis signed a law that required the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent within 30 years. As the state tried to figure out how it would get there, it zeroed in on drivers. Transportation is the largest single contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for about 30 percent of the total; 60 percent of that comes from cars and trucks. To reduce emissions, Coloradans would have to drive less

[TakeFive]

Speaking of RTD

It has been nothing but a Hot Mess over the last couple of years... but finally I am encouraged.

RTD Transit Police to start 24/7 patrols May 5
April 22 2024

The department currently has 61 Colorado Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST)-certified officers. An additional 19 recruits are in the police academy and will graduate in May. Another 26 recruits are projected to attend the academy in July. The agency plans to grow to a minimum of 119 officers by the end of the year as part of its efforts to create a welcoming transit environment across the district’s entire service area....

Denver RTD is about a year behind Minneapolis who changed from private security companies to also hiring their own. While not perfect. they are pleased with the progress they've made to make their light rail more appealing and safer to ride. Apparently RTD will use more of a holistic approach but that's fine. Apparently just being visible should make a Big difference.


Photo courtesy RTD

[TakeFive]

Denver RTD get's high praise from the Urban Institute
(WMATA was also one of the 5 cities featured in the study)
It's a look-back from 2019 for 5 different city/agencies.

Surmounting the Fiscal Cliff
Identifying Stable Funding Solutions for Public Transportation Systems
November 2023 by Yonah Freemark and Lindiwe Rennert

Denver RTD

Denver RTD experienced a relatively mild reduction in ridership at the onset of the pandemic. May 2020 hosted 35 percent of the ridership of May 2019 (compare that with BART at 7 percent and WMATA at 10 percent, for example).

This was interesting:

RTD deferred over $100 million in capital and maintenance projects, made major staffing cuts—reducing its workforce by about 300 employees between March 2020 and January 2021—and reduced overall VRM by about 30 percent during the pandemic’s first two years.

RTD will not run out of federal COVID-19 aid until 2025. Unlike BART and WMATA, which chose to use their federal aid in part to return to full service levels as quickly as possible, RTD stockpiled the funds and committed instead to decreased service levels, in a sense creating a rainy-day fund. By the end of 2021, RTD had $350 million in federal aid remaining, equivalent to about half of a typical year of the agency’s operating budget. Also contributing to RTD’s comparatively calm fiscal situation is the fact that the agency collected more-than-anticipated sales tax revenue in 2022 and stockpiled over $127 million of those funds in 2021...

As I often say Politics is silly and stupid. But it can be highly relevant.

Project 2025 Would Increase Costs for Commuters, Defund Transit Maintenance, and Undermine Economic Growth
JUN 10, 2024 by Kevin DeGood - Center for American Progress (a liberal Think Tank)

Likely a wee bit overblown but the funding battles are to start following the July 4th recess in Congress.

[TakeFive]

Good Catch

Originally Posted by CurtisParkChris

While not Denver, this can support easier transit around Summit County and connections from Bustang and Pegasus.

Summit Stage, Summit County’s free bus system, restores 30-minute service across various routes for first time since 2021. Officials say they’ve overcome staffing, fleet issues that have previously kept them from running buses more frequently.

http://www.summitdaily.com/news/summ...ee-bus-update/

I became very familiar with the Summit Stage but it was Pre-Covid so I really enjoyed catching up with the changes, 1st the reduced service challenges and now the upgrading. I also read the linked articles for employee housing, future plans etc.

We should also give a shout-out to RFTA - the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority as they do a great service between Aspen and Glenwood Springs.

Given wong's discussion (above) of new state revenue for transit both of these agencies should benefit from an allocation of more funding.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by Curtis Park

We probably all know the stories about why our street cars were removed. But I found this podcast quite interesting. Just about everything Roman Mars does on 99pi is interesting.
https://99percentinvisible.org/episo...north-america/

I finally found the time to review this; pretty interesting. Although I would add that 1st video is definitely funny.

Originally Posted by bobg

Coincidentally a NY Times article came out today on the impact of the GHG rule on Colorado.

I've seen a number of pieces with respect to various GHG studies. What makes me curious is do you suppose all the authors of these anti-car treatises have never even heard of the coming EV evolution? Or are they just pretending not to know? I've come to accept that the 'Educated Class' needs something to do with their time and I suspect that if they were to acknowledge EV's then they'd have to throw all their ghg anti-car analysis efforts to date into the trash and start over.

Originally Posted by bobg

Colfax is definitely a DOTI led project.

What would you guess the odds are of finishing the E Colfax BRT within 20 years? This project was initiated in 2008. I got very confused (apparently) a year ago as I thought they were in the home stretch last year but it seems I read somewhere their final piece will be submitted in 2025? (Still confused on this)

East Colfax Avenue BRT Project Profile: FY 2025 Annual Report
Last updated: Monday, March 11, 2024 - FTA

The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) is planning Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service on East Colfax Avenue between downtown Denver Union Station and the light rail Colfax Station at Interstate 225 in the City of Aurora. The project includes 5.5-miles of dedicated, center-running BRT lanes and a 3-mile curbside running alignment operating in mixed traffic.

How did they grade out? Pretty good.

• Overall Project Rating: High
• Project Justification Rating: Medium-High
• Local Financial Commitment Rating: High
• LAND USE RATING: Medium-High
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RATING: Medium
• Performance and Impacts of Policies: Medium
• Tools to Maintain or Increase Share of Affordable Housing: Medium

RTD announcement:
April 24 2024 By RTD Staff

The East Colfax Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project has achieved a significant milestone that advances the project toward federal funding consideration for construction. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) notified RTD on April 18 that the project had successfully completed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process, clearing the way to request FTA Capital Investment Grant (CIG) funds to construct the project.

The East Colfax BRT project is a coordinated effort among RTD, Denver and supporting partners, including the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the City of Aurora and Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), who have aligned their roles to lay the groundwork for the project’s future success.

.

[bobg]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

I've seen a number of pieces with respect to various GHG studies. What makes me curious is do you suppose all the authors of these anti-car treatises have never even heard of the coming EV evolution? Or are they just pretending not to know? I've come to accept that the 'Educated Class' needs something to do with their time and I suspect that if they were to acknowledge EV's then they'd have to throw all their ghg anti-car analysis efforts to date into the trash and start over.


What would you guess the odds are of finishing the E Colfax BRT within 20 years? This project was initiated in 2008. I got very confused (apparently) a year ago as I thought they were in the home stretch last year but it seems I read somewhere their final piece will be submitted in 2025? (Still confused on this)

You could argue Colfax BRT pre-construction started because Denver water started pipe replacement on Colfax in anticipation of the BRT project last year. As far as the official project last I heard they were hoping to officially secure the FTA funding this quarter so they could start the construction next quarter, not sure where that's at.

As far as EV's and GHG, the NYT article I linked to addresses why CDOT isn't depending solely on EV's. In short we are nowhere near the EV adoption levels needed to meet the state's goals given the lifespan of cars (not in the article but it's the same for the Biden administration's goals, and the Paris agreement goals on a national level), and there's no evidence based reason to believe that EV adoption will soon accelerate to the levels we need.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bobg

You could argue Colfax BRT pre-construction started because Denver water started pipe replacement on Colfax in anticipation of the BRT project last year. As far as the official project last I heard they were hoping to officially secure the FTA funding this quarter so they could start the construction next quarter, not sure where that's at.

Yeah, good point; I forgot about all that pipe replacement; that was a major undertaking.

I just want to see a ROD (Record of Decision) so I'll hope you're correct. At that point they're good-to-go. It would be highly unusual not to get Congressional funding once a project is approved for funding by the FTA.

Originally Posted by bobg

As far as EV's and GHG, the NYT article I linked to addresses why CDOT isn't depending solely on EV's. In short we are nowhere near the EV adoption levels needed to meet the state's goals given the lifespan of cars (not in the article but it's the same for the Biden administration's goals, and the Paris agreement goals on a national level), and there's no evidence based reason to believe that EV adoption will soon accelerate to the levels we need.

Funny Story

Sunday Morning I'm listening to Ayesha Rascoe, a newer host on NPR's "Sunday Morning Edition". I like her; she's a corker. She took a trip to Florida and interviewed various people on their opinion of Climate Change. She got a good variety of feedback but not surprising given the 'political environment' many were like 'whatever' happens they'll cope somehow. You had to hear the segment to appreciate the humor.

With respect to EV's it's amazing but frustrating how China is easily a decade ahead of us. I can still recall when Warren Buffett made a trip to China in 2008, was treated like royalty and bought a 10% share of BYD. Today, he says it's the best investment he's ever made. His "$232 million stake has since swelled to around $6 billion."

Unfortunately with EV's, our domestic car companies have never made any money with more affordable 'econo-boxes.' We could easily import millions of cheap Chinese EV's except for Build America policies. It a conundrum.

[bobg]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Yeah, good point; I forgot about all that pipe replacement; that was a major undertaking.

I just want to see a ROD (Record of Decision) so I'll hope you're correct. At that point they're good-to-go. It would be highly unusual not to get Congressional funding once a project is approved for funding by the FTA.


Funny Story

Sunday Morning I'm listening to Ayesha Rascoe, a newer host on NPR's "Sunday Morning Edition". I like her; she's a corker. She took a trip to Florida and interviewed various people on their opinion of Climate Change. She got a good variety of feedback but not surprising given the 'political environment' many were like 'whatever' happens they'll cope somehow. You had to hear the segment to appreciate the humor.

With respect to EV's it's amazing but frustrating how China is easily a decade ahead of us. I can still recall when Warren Buffett made a trip to China in 2008, was treated like royalty and bought a 10% share of BYD. Today, he says it's the best investment he's ever made. His "$232 million stake has since swelled to around $6 billion."

Unfortunately with EV's, our domestic car companies have never made any money with more affordable 'econo-boxes.' We could easily import millions of cheap Chinese EV's except for Build America policies. It a conundrum.

Agreed, but it's not just Build America policies, and tarrifs. Even if BYD got past that most of their models would be blocked under the same regulations that make importing japanese kei cars/trucks next to impossible.

The Nissan Sakura an electric kei car is the top selling EV in Japan priced at 13,000. Even if Nissan thought they could sell the Sakura at a profit here, they can't legally due to state and federal safety regulations (without a massive redesign that would likely up the price).

Those safety regulations are necessary here and not overseas because we have increasingly larger average vehicles. As it is people in the USA are rightfully afraid of getting t-boned by an F150 running a red light at 50 mph while driving a Chevy Bolt, a kei car or a BYD seagull would be unfathomable.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bobg

Those safety regulations are necessary here and not overseas because we have increasingly larger average vehicles. As it is people in the USA are rightfully afraid of getting t-boned by an F150 running a red light at 50 mph while driving a Chevy Bolt, a kei car or a BYD seagull would be unfathomable.

I am impressed; I have idea what a BYD seagul is. I am aware that RTD bought a fleet of zero emission buses from BYD to service the 16th Street Mall.

I am more of a reality-based, real time guy.

Drivers in one part of Denver metro area "in some ways have lost their minds," and city leaders there have approved red light cameras
July 11, 2024 By Gabriela Vidal -- CBS News Denver

Along a busy intersection in the northern part of the Denver metro area at 88th Avenue and Washington Streets, Teresa De Jesus Aceves Pena has been serving up fresh elote dishes for the last three years.

"This is a heavily trafficked area, and there are a lot of accidents," said Pena in Spanish, referring to the intersection in Thornton. Pena says that while serving their customers, they have also witnessed all the dangers that have taken place on the road. "Lots. Lots," she said.

With a total of 30 crashes at 88th and Washington and 38 crashes for 120th and Colorado, it would be interesting to know how many trucks were involved, who was 'at fault' and what were the outcomes?

So much for EV love.
Ford to spend $3 billion to expand large truck production to a plant previously set for EVs

[TakeFive]

Perhaps RTD needs a new game plan, perhaps a face makeover






Courtesy MBTA

Quite Hilarious:

Boston Concedes To Vicious Protestors, Puts Googly Eyes On Trains
July 5, 2024 By Logan Carter -- Jalopnik

In the year 2024, we have almost become accustomed to pesky protestors marching around shouting about useless causes like how they don’t think American tax dollars should be funding genocidal wars in foreign countries, but in Boston, Massachusetts, a protest finally created some meaningful change. Two months after a protest was held in the Boston Commons, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) acceded to the unruly protesters and agreed to stick large googly eyes on the front of several of Boston’s public transit trains, called the T.

Maybe RTD could try Smiley faces?