DENVER | Transportation Thread

[enjo13]

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

Are they going to remove the short segment of light rail currently on 16th Street when they do Union Station? If so, when they eventually convert 16th Street Mall to a streetcar, will they rebuild that all over again? Seems to me, they might be able to just leave it there and not use it, until later on when it would be simply extended down 16th Street for a streetcar line -- it might save a couple million in work?

I think they're going to have to.... the plan is to really change the layout of the street with a dedicated mall shuttle lane (with curbs) running through the middle which is not on the current track alignment...

[Mulligan]

The current segment of light rail serving Union Station that runs on 16th Street will be moved when they start work on Union Station. the station will move out along the Consolidated Mainline (CML) - its where allt he coal trains run in the CPV right under the Millenium Bridge and next to the Glass House.
It will be on the 17th Street alignment.
So essentially, that little jaunt down 16th will be straightened out - the train will travel under the Millenium Bridge and stop just north/northeast of the bridge. The station will be in the area right behind ONE Riverfront and the Park at ONE Riverfront. At least that's the latest I've heard.

[glowrock]

Thanks for the info, Mulligan!

Aaron (Glowrock)

[giebelh1]

Does anybody know if work is still being done in order to display announcements as to how long until the next train arrives at light rail stations using those variable message signs ? I remember seeing an article in the paper about 6 months ago that RTD has approved giving the contractor that had been working on it some additional funds, but that's the last I've heard. It seems amazing to me that they haven't been able to get that system working yet. The SE line has been open for over a year and a half and the only evidence I've ever seen is a test "Next Train to xxxxx in x Minutes" message along with a corresponding audio announcement at the 16th and Stout station. It seems like this type of announcement system is pretty common with other rail transit systems, so I'm curious what the hurdles have been with RTD. I'd love to see this announcement system up and running. Anyone know anything about this?

[SnyderBock]

Well, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before it is up and running. I haven't heard any news on it though.

[ski82]

Has anyone heard of anything about pedestrian access to the Park Meadows side of the County Line station? There is construction going on adjacent to the station and it includes what looks like a pillar for a ped walkway.

[zaphod]

one of those green tarps along the fence does say something like "Light Rail bridge under construction"

I was just in Denver visiting and staying in that part of town

[glowrock]

Yeah, the pedestrian bridge access to the mall is finally being worked on right now. It will be interesting to see how it looks when it's done, and exactly where the bridge will drop pedestrians off, since the bridge must cross the ring road as well as substantial parking to get even near the mall...

Aaron (Glowrock)

[EngiNerd]

Yeah, hopefully they do it right and don't just have it drop at the edge of the parking lot.

[soonermeteor]

It's great they are finally working on it. There were a lot of unhappy people at that station when it first opened.

[SnyderBock]

I always imagined this pedestrian bridge extending across the parking lot and joining to a new 2nd floor entrance into the mall or department store - the bridge/walkway being covered and enclosed the entire length, of course.

[EngiNerd]

That would be the ideal solution.

edit: did some searching and found a few articles relating to the bridge
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...695104,00.html

3rd to last paragraph.
http://www.urbantrans.com/cms/index....=163&Itemid=93

http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver...ml?jst=s_cn_hl

With separate stairs and elevators, it sounds like the bridge will probably cross Park Meadows Center Dr. and end between there and the parking lot somewhere unfortunately.

[Denver Bear]

commuter rail, but close enough....

Train to DIA will need more land
By Jeffrey Leib
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 07/14/2008 05:33:03 PM MDT


FasTracks planners are proposing route and station changes for the commuter train from Union Station to Denver International Airport, prompted by RTD's failure to acquire Union Pacific Railroad land for the route.

The changes are expected to lead the Regional Transportation District to acquire more private property in the airport-train corridor than the agency had planned to buy.

RTD had hoped to use UP land for key segments of the airport route, especially the portion between Union Station and Quebec Street.

But when the railroad's price tag for its land proved to be too high, RTD pursued an alternative that calls for acquiring "slivers" of UP land, private property where necessary and sharing the public right-of-way with the cities of Denver and Aurora, said Mike Turner, RTD's manager on the east corridor rail project.

Turner and other planners on the 24-mile, $1.14 billion DIA train project said they will not know until next year how many businesses and homes will have to be taken by RTD for the rail line.

Areas where some property may have to be acquired include those around a proposed station at Blake and 38th streets, along East 40th Avenue between 40th and York streets, and in the East 42nd Avenue corridor between Columbine Street and Colorado Boulevard, planners said.

To minimize the width of the rail right-of-way needed between Columbine and Colorado — and thereby reduce the number of homes and businesses taken — planners propose to construct a barrier that should safely separate commuter-train and freight-train traffic in that area, Turner said.

The DIA train is set to be completed by the end of 2014.

To get citizen comment on proposed changes for the airport-train route, RTD is holding public meetings on July 23 and 24 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Wednesday meeting will be held at Montbello Recreation Center, 15555 E. 53rd Ave. in Denver, and the Thursday meeting is at Bruce Randolph Middle School, 3955 Steele St. in Denver.

[enjo13]

*rant on*

Ok, I'm fed up with RTD. The wife and I went to Portland a few weeks back, it's absolutely amazing how much better the Portland transit system is compared to ours.

Case in point: I needed to take a train today, and yet again didn't have any cash on me. Portland, no problem.. you can pay by card. In Denver I just hopped on and hoped I didn't get caught.

Then I'm waiting on the train (University Station) on the way home... I know there is a 10:21 coming. Apparently its to much to ask for RTD to spring for a clock of some kind. And god forbid we'd get something telling you when the next train will be arriving. Things that where ubiquitous throughout Portland.

When I'm on the train the stop announcements are once again off (seems to happen a LOT).. this time by two whole stations. Confusing the hell out of the poor folks who don't appear to get Downtown a lot.

Oh and the Alameda station STILL doesn't have a departure time table for most of the trains....

And cost: Portland I can buy an all-day Trimet pass for like $4.25. I can go literally anywhere using any mode of transit. Compare to Denver where just getting to Littleton costs more.

Why the hell is our expensive new transit system so bush league?

*sighs*

*/rant off*

[glowrock]

No reason why the signs aren't yet announcing approaching trains, enjo13. At the same time, I wonder how much funding Portland's transit system gets per capita as compared to RTD? Are we dealing with apples and apples here, or apples and oranges?

And besides, I thought RTD was adding a day-pass system as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[Teshadoh]

Portland also has a different funding mechanism - in Oregon transit agencies receive a payroll tax rather than a sales tax.

[bcp]

i've got to agree with a good bit of that rant....the system has some challenges to it.

for example...i usually hop on rail downtown and love it. but this saturday i got on at 30th and welton:

- staions at 30th, 29th 27th and 25th: completely ridiculous. are you kidding me? can people no longer walk TWO blocks to get to a store or another mode of transit? it FAILS as a mini-streetcar. if it becomes a true streetcar, the stations are STILL too close and it will continue to be a failur.

INSTEAD - please rip out the 29th and 27th stations. this makes it very clear that there are central nodes to the neighborhood and development can start from there and provide a real center / destination. extend this line with double track so it meets up with the airport line. quit pussy-footing around and just do it RTD.

- WAITING and waiting at lights...in between stations..sitting on curves...waiting for cars to go by. you've got to be kidding me! it must drive the drivers nuts when they have to go two blocks for a station, and then sometimes have to wait at a light in between those stations! it's a painful experience...

INSTEAD - cars should 100% give way to the train signaling at all times of day. it took me longer to get from 30th to convention than it did to go 5 miles south of the convention.

[glowrock]

I agree with bcp that the 29th and 27th St. stations need to be torn out. They're completely useless and a waste of time. I also agree that the trains need to have priority signaling over cars through the downtown corridor, no doubt about it.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[Top Of The Park]

The Welton leg should be well suited eventually to the type of newer streetcars seen in Portland. I agree stopping every two blocks is pointless.

[bcp]

oh the rant continues...but this is an old one:

PLEASE turn at least some of those seats around so that our knees don't have to be in close proximity to the knees of a stranger....i've heard that there are technical reasons on why some cant be turned around, but there is no way that ALL have to be that way...part of what makes city's great is some anonymity, and it's just creepy staring at strangers.