DENVER | Transportation Thread

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Great post; May I recommend...

that after clicking on the first link, scroll/drop down to the 2nd section where the the links are provided and instead of loading the "State of the System Full Report" which is Bigley long try the "Executive Summary" which is plenty long and a good overview. Then to the right you can pick from more bite-sized options.

By mere chance, last night I happen to read the Executive Summary and Chapter 6: Governance and Funding Best Practices which you might guess I enjoyed as it gave a nice bullet point overview of three cities: Seattle, Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

Perhaps you'd prefer a one page, nine bullet-point summary? It it works for Trump then, by God, it must be fantastic.

[TakeFive]

Yikes

First of all, my comment wasn't directed "at" PLANSIT or even you wong. It was only intended as a suggestion for those that might be more like me. As an untrained, unsophisticated, slow-brained with small attention span ie a genuine plebeian, a 168 page pdf is more than I can possibly absorb at one time. But for those that are transit fluent or high-brow like wong feel free to bite off the whole fricken banana. You may be capable of breezing right through it.

Back to the theme of the day, Megan Arellano had a fun piece-discussion at Denverite entitled: Cheap gas, stuck buses and other reasons more people are driving into downtown Denver alone.

It’s a distressing figure for sustainability — the percentage of people driving alone into downtown Denver went up for the first time in five years of the Downtown Denver Partnership commuter study.

Off Topic: As for the clustermess of the 45th President (who I didn't vote for) it amazes. Seems as though all the supporters are happy and content to see someone actually do what was promised. Meanwhile the stock market just ticks higher on a daily basis. Down for most of the day money poured in over the last half-hour today to send the averages into the green. Beats the hell out of me what will happen.

[TakeFive]

Larry Hoy, chairman of the RTD board of directors said the new line will accelerate the evolution of the city’s geographic heart.

“Trains are a bit nostalgic, aren’t they?” Hoy said. “And I think it’ll change that character (of Aurora) to kind of a warmer, neighborhood feeling.”

http://www.aurorasentinel.com/news/f...r-line-aurora/

...
Photos by Quincy Snowdon/Aurora Sentinel

R is for Ready (Almost): RTD offers media glimpse of new R Line through Aurora
February 17, 2017 BY QUINCY SNOWDON, staff writer - Aurora Sentinel

AURORA | The digital letters scrawled across the front of the light rail trains that have been coursing through Aurora in recent months will finally swap out that “test train” text for “Lincoln” or “Peoria” next week when the new R Line, a 22-mile stretch of light rail connecting Aurora to Denver International Airport and the rest of the metro area, opens to the public.

All of one day for free - well mostly

The full line opens to the public Feb. 24. Riders will be able to hop on the train, which will serve eight new stations in Aurora and eight existing stops toward Denver and Lone Tree, free of charge next Friday between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Soo, only 3 more light rail stations to complete and open.

[TakeFive]

Go Light Rail

With respect to Denveright/Denver Moves, one theme that kept recurring - more so in the individual presentations and feedback sessions than with the finished report above - is that everybody loves and wants to ride light rail; buses, not so much.

For anybody who might be interested...
Introducing a New Streetsblog Series: Getting Transit Right
Feb 16, 2017 By Yonah Freemark

Thanks to a grant from TransitCenter, Streetsblog will be exploring these issues in a new series, “Getting Transit Right.” We’ll be looking at a dozen American cities to better understand which transit strategies are working and which are not.

Interestingly, Yonah primes the pump by making an example of Los Angeles who has spent Yuge sums on a "fixed-guideway transit system" yet transit ridership is down Bigley. Yet in the comments war_on_hugs points out that light rail ridership is soaring while bus ridership - not so much.

Rant... It's a common theme across the country that bus ridership is down while rail transit ridership climbs. This is why Denver needs D-MET Transport. Not counting East Colfax which is a separate discussion, Denver needs (at least) one urban light rail line; it needs the Urban Signature Line down Broadway and along the Speer Blvd/Leetsdale corridor.

Seattle wouldn't impress anybody if it weren't for the metro voter-approved Sound Transit 1, ST2 and ST3. True, there's a number of different pieces and the City of Seattle has also had the luxury of voter approval for significant transportation/transit improvements. It's why I also fully support Denveright/Denver Moves. There's a place and need for both approaches. Clearly, the City of Denver can't afford to build light rail; they need RTD to do the heavy lifting for that.

Left for another day is discussion for how BRT/Enhanced bus service can bridge the gap between ordinary buses and rail transit. What's clear is that you get many more people out of their cars if transit doesn't make 50 stops, is easy to use and efficient at getting from point A to point B.

[mhays]

That's not the biggest Seattle point...it's that buses can do pretty good numbers when they're reasonably quick and frequent.

[TakeFive]

Things are getting interesting and more optimistic for a legislative fix for CDOT

Duran said she and Grantham had agreed on several things: the state needs about $3 billion in bonds to pay for transportation, the state needs to ask voters for some new tax money in November and, thirdly, local governments should decide local needs.

http://coloradopolitics.com/local-co...ation-transit/

There was a forum Tuesday night with Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran and Senate President Kevin Grantham.

Transportation plan grants local say on transit, asphalt or potholes
Feb. 22, 2017, by Joey Bunch, ColoradoPolitics.com

Local leaders could get to call the shots with part of the money from a state transportation plan in the works at the state Capitol. Business leaders came from across the state for the event put on by the coalition Fix Colorado Roads and the Colorado Business Roundtable.

The amount of money invested in transit is expected to be a major issue. Republicans tend to prefer less of it in favor of asphalt. Democrats see it as a long-term investment to hedge against future growth.

Wait... this is new and different (for CDOT); what does this mean?

If places such as Boulder and Denver want buses or light rail, they can build it. If rural communities decide to invest in roads versus bridges, or construction versus maintenance, that could be a possibility under the joint proposal.

Rather ingenious. Just as I did with D-MET Transport they added a "local control" element. This would help the transit crowd from getting their panties in a wad. They agree on needing voter approval for $3 billion in bonding which would jumpstart CDOT's high priority projects.

With respect to my favored option of raising gas taxes as at least a part of the solution Shaillen Bhatt adds:

He said 19 states have raised their gas taxes, including Utah, which he likened to Jerry Seinfeld’s nemesis Newman. He said most of the states that have passed the taxes for roads and bridges are “deep red,” as in conservative.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Clearly, the City of Denver can't afford to build light rail; they need RTD to do the heavy lifting for that.

I do not think this is clear at all. In fact, I would argue exactly the opposite.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I do not think this is clear at all. In fact, I would argue exactly the opposite.

Heh bunt; Good to see your smiley face.

I would love to be proven wrong; so long as they build "my" Urban Signature Project.

We'll have to wait until the end of the year when Denveright/Denver Moves is expected to wrap up their planning process with specific priorities and recommendations. Then it will be up to the city to filter how they want to proceed and obtain funding. I assume they will be provided with a large plate full of options so it should be interesting - even if it takes awhile.

[TakeFive]

Charlotte, light rail and its Boulder problem


Photo by Joe the Photog via flickr

In 1998 Mecklenburg County passed a five-tenths percent sales tax for transit largely for building light rail in Charlotte/metro area. In 2007 they opened the 9.6-mile Lynx Blue Line at a cost of $463 million or a little over $48 million per mile. That's comparable to the SE Light Rail Line built at a similar time frame which cost a little over $46 million per mile.

In August a 9.3 mile extension of the Blue Line is expected to open at a cost of $1.2 billion or $129 million per mile. By comparison the new 10.5-mile R Line opening today came at cost of $687 million or $65.5 million per mile.

Now Charlotte is floating a plan to build three new light rail lines at a cost of $6 billion - funding not identified.

What about our promised Red Line?
The Red Line was to be a commuter rail line up to Lake Norman in North Mecklenburg County. It turns out that Norfolk Southern railroad has no interest in sharing the tracks that it owns. Oops

[CastleScott]

Anyone going to take any pics of the grand opening of the new R Line??

[TakeFive]

^ I assume there will media coverage with pics.

HOT TAKES
From: THE DENVER POST EDITORIAL BOARD, February 23, 2017

No, Denver shouldn’t make driving more difficult

We support transit solutions that take cars off Denver streets, but don’t punish those who need to drive

As Denver prepares to ask voters for a $500 million to $600 million bond package, we just want to take a moment to remind everyone that, like it or not, we are a society dependent on vehicles and we will continue to rely on cars — even, and maybe especially — if they become autonomous in the foreseeable future.

Oh boy, just getting warmed up.

Sure, we support transit solutions that take cars off streets... But let’s consider for a moment the extreme side of that policy being advocated by some, like Streetsblog Denver writer and transit advocate David Sachs, who told city officials, “We have to make driving harder.”

One for the road

But we were glad to hear Hancock tell Denver Post TV that mobility would be a priority. We might learn to rue the day, however, if Hancock jumps on this little red wagon — excuse us — bandwagon being driven by the anti-car movement.

Very interesting, entertaining read.

[TakeFive]

Speaking of the R Line's opening...

R LINE ARTWORK DEPICTS AURORA 'THEN AND NOW'
Posted on 12.15.16 by RTD

Two panoramic pieces of artwork depicting early and present-day Aurora have been installed on the Highline Canal pedestrian bridge that connects the Park-n-Ride lot for the R Line with the 2nd and Abilene Station.

Photos courtesy of RTD - artist Douwe Blumberg

The pieces received enthusiastic support from former property owners who, for three generations, have had ties to the adjacent land.

In fact, former resident Jacque Chomiak in a note to artist Douwe Blumberg said, “My dad is very excited about this project and the possibility to show the historical progression of the land.”

[Cirrus]

Come on guys.

PIX PIX PIX PIX PIX

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Come on guys.

PIX PIX PIX PIX PIX

I'm going to walk alongside the train on my way home this evening and see if I can beat it. I'll send pics if I do.

[retefio]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Go Light Rail

Not counting East Colfax which is a separate discussion,

Why is light rail on East Colfax a separate discussion?

For those who follow this closely, is there still a possibility of light-rail running on East Colfax or has that plan been dismissed in favor of BRT?

I badly want to see a light-rail line running on East Colfax, from Aurora into downtown Denver!

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by retefio

Why is light rail on East Colfax a separate discussion?

For those who follow this closely, is there still a possibility of light-rail running on East Colfax or has that plan been dismissed in favor of BRT?

I badly want to see a light-rail line running on East Colfax, from Aurora into downtown Denver!

Dismissed in favor of BRT as the preferred solution.

[The Dirt]

Dismissed by RTD. We still have DenverMoves that might steer the City of Denver to invest in it's own plan.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by The Dirt

Dismissed by RTD. We still have DenverMoves that might steer the City of Denver to invest in it's own plan.

I thought that the Colfax Corridor Connections was a joint study by Denver and RTD that resulted in the preferred solution being BRT in peak period lanes that would replace the 15L?

[bunt_q]

So I didn't make it out to the R line, will have to be a trip for tomorrow. But the new System Maps are now up in the trains:

[CharlesCO]

That's a huge improvement. RTD branding and design still could be much better, but this is far better than the messy map from before.