DENVER | Transportation Thread

[The Dirt]

The beta's been out for months, but it's still giving me only the eastbound A line info. The westbound line is non-existent, which makes the "app" useless.

[mr1138]

The system is still a bit glitch-ridden, and not all buses have GPS on-board yet, but RTD is already using both the Swiftly and Transit apps as well.

[TakeFive]

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Redux Pictures for Politico Magazine

The Train Line That Brought the Twin Cities Back Together
By ERICK TRICKEY March 16, 2017 - Politico Magazine

Designed to link the downtowns, it has provided a surprising lift to poorer neighborhoods along the route.

St. PAUL, Minn.—When the first light-rail trains set out between Minneapolis and St. Paul, the two cities threw a party 11 miles long. At the ribbon-cutting in downtown St. Paul, politicians proclaimed their hopes that the new Green Line would re-twin the Twin Cities, bridging an old rivalry. At a stop on the University of Minnesota’s campus in Minneapolis, Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders mingled with the crowd...

And along St. Paul’s University Avenue, at the stations that almost didn’t get built, people of every color joined the party: a Hmong dance troupe in St. Paul’s Little Mekong district and African-immigrant restaurateurs in a tented food-court stop two miles west.

Another excellent article in Politico Magazine. As a feature piece it's quite long but the 1st third covers all the basics. As a transit layman these "case studies" give me more insight than anything about the whole process.

The success of the 11-mile Green Line has been everything they had hoped it would be.

Today, the Green Line is the most popular of the Twin Cities’ two light-rail lines, carrying 40,000 people on weekdays, smashing ridership forecasts by almost 50 percent. It carries college students and immigrants, professional and retail workers, and links college campuses, hospitals and the Minnesota state Capitol (in St. Paul) to both of the downtowns.

Transit-dependent low-income and working-class people are commuting to jobs across the metro area, while new housing for professionals is springing up in an old industrial area.

This reminds me a lot of Phoenix LRT Line in how it connects two urban centers, university campuses and other traffic generators along the way.

[TakeFive]

What makes a transit system worth riding?
By Robert Thomson and David Ballard, Reston February 28 - Washington Post

David Ballard from Reston VA provides an account of his experience riding LRT systems in Salt Lake City, Dallas, Mexico City, Portland and Denver. Although his purpose was to compare other cities to WMATA (which I didn't care about), his feedback about other places was interesting.

The second is to note what categories this frequent transit rider consistently chooses to highlight: fares, frequency of service, on-time performance, reliability, ease of navigation, comfort, cleanliness.

We might debate the differences among the transit systems, but I’ll bet most of you would consider Ballard’s standards of customer service to be universal benchmarks of systems people want to ride.

[TakeFive]

On a local note


Photo credit: Adrian D. Garcia/Denverite

Santa Fe Arts District pitches Mayor Hancock on reducing corridor to two lanes, other improvements
March 10, 2017 by Adrian D. Garcia - Denverite

Santa Fe Arts District residents are looking for Mayor Michael Hancock’s support in getting upward of $6 million to make improvements along their corridor.

Community members herded Hancock up Santa Fe Drive on Friday pointing out how sidewalks were uneven and too narrow, traffic was unsafe and other issues with the area that attracts hundreds of visitors each month during the First Friday Art Walks. The district is hoping the mayor and Denver City Council recommends their project request (to) get taxpayer dollars through the 2017 GO Bond process.

I think this is a very cool idea. Gets my vote.

[TakeFive]

The Western Slope is becoming multi-modal cool

West Slope officials ask lawmakers to fund multiple modes of transportation in bill
By Charles Ashby, Saturday, March 4, 2017 - Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

“Multimodal transportation is often thought of as benefiting urban areas, but as a local elected official, I see every day how important these options also are for rural communities,” Grand Junction City Councilor Bennett Boeschenstein said. “Every community is different and has different needs, but we all deserve support to improve our mobility options and to address our regional transportation needs.”

Photo credit: Scott Franz - Steamboat Today
Saturday was busiest day in Steamboat Springs Transit's history
February 27, 2017 by Scott Franz

"That’s a pretty major mark to achieve,” Transit Manager Jonathan Flint said. “Our drivers were awesome. It was full bus after full bus after full bus. And they did a great job safely and efficiently moving people around.”

Summit County moves full speed ahead in designing new Frisco Transit Centerr
January 25, 2017 by Kailyn Lamb

Planning for the Frisco Transit Center took a step forward this week when a company was picked to create a design for the new structure.

For the selection process, Summit County staff worked with members of the Colorado Department of Transportation. Both entities settled on Denver-based design firm RNL Design

Image courtesy Ryan Hoffman -Post Independent
Long-range Bustang plans boost Rifle roundabout
October 31, 2016 by Ryan Hoffman - Post Independent

Specifically, CDOT allocated $2 million to help construct a park-and-ride that has been included in the overall roundabout project.

Although the park-and-ride would serve several benefits, including being used for the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority's Hogback route, the ultimate hope is to use it as a stop for a future expansion of the popular Bustang service to Grand Junction, according to Mark Imhoff, transit and rail director for CDOT.

Aspen area officials hear about possible light rail route
January 23, 2017 by Jason Auslander - Aspen Times

Thursday's presentation to elected board members from Aspen, Pitkin County and Snowmass Village centered mainly on the route of a potential light-rail system from the intersection of Brush Creek Road and Highway 82 into downtown Aspen.

And don't forget the first in the country rural bus rapid transit between Aspen and Glenwood Springs


Image courtesy of RFTA

[TakeFive]

Photo courtesy of RTD Twitter

I usually avoid larger photos but this was such a neat construction shot I couldn't resist. Ofc if we could embed tweets it wouldn't have been an issue.

I-25 closure tonight from 10p to 530a - btw Lincoln Ave & RidgeGate Pkwy. Girder set for light rail project. Detours will be in place.
2:45 PM - 21 Mar 2017 per RTD twitter

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

The Western Slope is becoming multi-modal cool

West Slope officials ask lawmakers to fund multiple modes of transportation in bill
By Charles Ashby, Saturday, March 4, 2017 - Grand Junction Daily Sentinel



Photo credit: Scott Franz - Steamboat Today
Saturday was busiest day in Steamboat Springs Transit's history
February 27, 2017 by Scott Franz


Summit County moves full speed ahead in designing new Frisco Transit Centerr
January 25, 2017 by Kailyn Lamb





Image courtesy Ryan Hoffman -Post Independent
Long-range Bustang plans boost Rifle roundabout
October 31, 2016 by Ryan Hoffman - Post Independent


Aspen area officials hear about possible light rail route
January 23, 2017 by Jason Auslander - Aspen Times


And don't forget the first in the country rural bus rapid transit between Aspen and Glenwood Springs


Image courtesy of RFTA

Nice post, thanks!

[Zmapper]

Bustang has been very successful in the I-70 corridor. After starting with one trip M-F, they are now up to three trips daily for the spring. http://www.ridebustang.com/west-line

I recall from a CDOT document that one of the next steps is to rebrand a 5311(f)-subsidized Greyhound run between Denver and Grand Junction as Bustang; this will allow Bustang to have a trip that leaves Denver in the morning and returns in the evening.

[pablosan]

Just coming back from an extended stay in Switzerland, I concur that mass transit would be a boon for our rural areas. I didn't once, have need for a personal car. I was able to go to any part of Switzerland, with the use of just a single multi-pass. I could use the pass to catch regional, inter-regional commuter trains, local/city trains, buses, passenger barges, and gondolas. It was one of the most awesome experiences, in my life.

I know Colorado is far from achieving such a feat, but we have to start somewhere. Having the vision, and selling it to the public will be the key.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by pablosan

Just coming back from an extended stay in Switzerland, I concur that mass transit would be a boon for our rural areas. I didn't once, have need for a personal car. I was able to go to any part of Switzerland, with the use of just a single multi-pass. I could use the pass to catch regional, inter-regional commuter trains, local/city trains, buses, passenger barges, and gondolas. It was one of the most awesome experiences, in my life.

I know Colorado is far from achieving such a feat, but we have to start somewhere. Having the vision, and selling it to the public will be the key.

We are not Switzerland. Those trains were built without the modern day complexities of right of way acquisition that would make such a wide serving system literally impossible. What you would get here is a train system that stops in the median of I-70, presumably right at the Dillon/Silverthorne and Dillon interchanges. Tell me then how you see people getting to Keystone, A-Basin and Breckenridge? A shuttle bus, obviously. But who is going to park-n-ride in Denver, pay a $40 (MINIMUM to make it feasible) fare to be dropped off in the highway median, and then have to haul their gear on a shuttle bus or rent a car? That is why the AGS Feasibility Study (which has been completed, by the way) show that it just doesn't work in Colorado. Curious how you think that system, as I have described it, would be a boon to anybody? (At least, as compared to new toll lanes. Noting that the average vehicle in the I-70 corridor has 3.2 passengers per vehicle. So you could charge a $120 toll and still be cheaper and faster than the train.)

[seventwenty]

Denver A Line ridership logs lowest ever monthly total to start 2017

Originally Posted by Denverite

The A Line rang in 2017 with ridership levels almost 18 percent below the current monthly average. Put another way, 90,456 fewer people than normal rode the train to the plane during January.

[seventwenty]

“Bipartisan” transportation measure passes out of committee with no Republican votes

Originally Posted by Denverite

In a hearing that stretched for more than seven hours Wednesday and included testimony from more than 70 speakers, the House Transportation Committee advanced HB 1242, the compromise transportation funding measure, on an 8-5 party line vote.

. . .

While the compromise proposal has the support of Senate President Kevin Grantham and Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Randy Baumgardner, most Republicans in the state legislature have expressed varying levels of dismay with the bill.

. . .

The bill, which needs to get past both the Republican-controlled Senate and Colorado’s tax-averse voters before it would actually do anything, came out of the committee a little different than it went in. Perhaps the most significant change was an amendment from Rep. Jon Becker, a Fort Morgan Republican, to eliminate the vehicle registration late fees that were implemented under FASTER to raise money for transportation. The bill already reduced registration fees for the 20-year period of the transportation tax, which would reduce revenue to the state by an estimated $80 million, while the late fees account for another $20 million in revenue. Adopted in 2009, FASTER fees have been a significant source of transportation funding.

Democrats also agreed to increase the amount of money from the 0.62 percent sales tax increase that would be dedicated to CDOT from $300 million to $375 million, but they insisted that it should remain a flat amount rather than a percentage of the tax revenue generated by the increase, as Republicans and many business advocacy groups wanted.

The big sticking point for many Republicans is the tax increase, but during the committee hearing, GOP members focused on the funding formula.

In addition to wondering if 30 percent for multimodal is too much, Republicans on the committee wanted the CDOT money, the $300 million, to be a percentage of total tax revenue rather than a fixed amount. As Colorado’s economy continues to grow and the state takes in more sales tax revenue, the percentage of the tax increase that goes to CDOT and the statewide roads system will go down, while the share available to local projects and multimodal will go up.

“We haven’t solved a lot of the issues I have with the bill, and one of those issues is funding for the state,” Rep. Polly Lawrence, a Republican from Roxborough Park, said. “If we’re talking about doing projects statewide, having a fixed amount in there for the calculation isn’t going to do it.”

. . .

At the same time, state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, a Sterling Republican, is working on his own transportation bill that would take general fund money that currently goes to transportation and assign some of it to support a much smaller bond program of around $1.7 billion, with more money going to projects in rural areas.

Many of the speakers expressed support for the bill while asking for tweaks ranging from transit fare reductions to offset how regressive the sales tax increase would be to more money for CDOT and less for transit. A string of Denver metro area mayors from across the political spectrum expressed support for the sales tax increase, even though it will decrease their own ability to raise sales taxes locally.

“We don’t believe it’s our first choice, but it might be our only choice,” said Mayor Cathy Noon of Centennial of a sales tax increase. The proposal isn’t polling great, but it polls better than a gas tax increase.

[seventwenty]

And finally,

The Winter Park ski train will be back next year, perhaps with discount days

Originally Posted by Denverite

Well, that went OK. Amtrak and Winter Park managed to sell 18,000 one-way tickets for the ski train from downtown Denver to Winter Park Resort this season, a triumphant return after years out of operation.

So, with the concept proven and the cash rolling in, the partners have decided to bring the Winter Park Express back for another year.

The two businesses may implement a “dynamic” pricing system next year, meaning days with less demand also could have less expensive tickets, according to Winter Park spokesman Steve Hurlbert. (Of course, dynamic pricing also can raise prices on high-demand days.) This season, the cheapest tickets ran $78 round-trip.

[pablosan]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

We are not Switzerland. Those trains were built without the modern day complexities of right of way acquisition that would make such a wide serving system literally impossible. What you would get here is a train system that stops in the median of I-70, presumably right at the Dillon/Silverthorne and Dillon interchanges. Tell me then how you see people getting to Keystone, A-Basin and Breckenridge? A shuttle bus, obviously. But who is going to park-n-ride in Denver, pay a $40 (MINIMUM to make it feasible) fare to be dropped off in the highway median, and then have to haul their gear on a shuttle bus or rent a car? That is why the AGS Feasibility Study (which has been completed, by the way) show that it just doesn't work in Colorado. Curious how you think that system, as I have described it, would be a boon to anybody? (At least, as compared to new toll lanes. Noting that the average vehicle in the I-70 corridor has 3.2 passengers per vehicle. So you could charge a $120 toll and still be cheaper and faster than the train.)

I believe the key point I was making was the ability to use multi-modal means of traveling throughout Colorado, using a multi-pass. I've been a life long user of mass transit (even though I have a vehicle), and I have often wondered what it would be like to travel to various towns throughout the mountain regions,and even the plains regions, without the need of a car. I don't know about others, but when I plan a day trip, I plan on also spending money in these towns.

One of the hardest things to adjust to, is to accept the idea of planning your day around the schedule of mass transit. Selling it to the people, is a huge undertaking. Do our city, county, and state governments have the will to really make mass transit work??? Only time will tell.

I understand it's not just about commuter trains and light rail. I also understand the economics of mass transit. I also understand waiting on our highways and back roads in paralyzing gridlock for hours. Me personally, and maybe for many others, we would rather spend those extra 2 to 3 hours, not waiting. Maybe spending those extra 2 to 3 hours eating, shopping, or entertaining.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by pablosan

I understand it's not just about commuter trains and light rail. I also understand the economics of mass transit. I also understand waiting on our highways and back roads in paralyzing gridlock for hours. Me personally, and maybe for many others, we would rather spend those extra 2 to 3 hours, not waiting. Maybe spending those extra 2 to 3 hours eating, shopping, or entertaining.

There are other ways not to spend 2 to 3 hours in congestion. Like pricing the roadway. There is simply no circumstance where transit will ever be faster point to point in the mountains. (Or cheaper.) It's not possible. (And driving is still faster in Switzerland too.) Unless we are talking buses... buses are the only way we connect all the little places across the mountains and plains. And we have to accept that we will be subsidizing it massively as a public service (which I would support). Fact is, driverless cars are going to get here before that scale of transit does. There will still be a solid place for urban transit in that world. But not rural.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by EngiNerd

Nice post, thanks!

Originally Posted by ddvmke

Looks like there is finally something tangible out there for us to review for new transportation funding:

Originally Posted by seventwenty

“Bipartisan” transportation measure passes out of committee with no Republican votes

Yuge comment
I couldn't be more impressed with the transportation package they are putting together. Call it creative and ingenious. I'm very impressed with Colorado's 1st Hispanic Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran along with Senate President Kevin Grantham.

CDOT's Mission:
It's important to remember that CDOT's primary responsibility is to maintain (and plow) over 23,000 total lane miles of highway. If you've ever taken the time to enjoy the West Slope whether along the I-70 corridor or anywhere from border to border it's easy to see (some of) the challenge and importance of their mission.

CDOT is Not a Denver metro agency; their responsibility is the whole state as defined by the CO legislature. Obviously, Denver's Region 1 deservedly is allocated a Big portion.

CDOT's multi-modal investments have grown and are probably more appreciated outside of the metro area. Bustang would be the most obvious but they've pretty much bankrolled Durango's trolley for example. CDOT has also been instrumental in new bike trails all over the state.

The Genius of HB 1242

As seventwenty posted above, Denverite has a nice way of defining the bill; set aside the $3.5 billion in Bonding for the moment:

The original bill called for $300 million in new revenue ... to be given to CDOT each year. The rest of the money — the sales tax will bring in an estimated $690 million a year — will be divided with 70 percent being distributed to local governments for their transportation projects and 30 percent going to a new multimodal options fund.

The $300 million annually to CDOT has been increased to $375 million but Dems have insisted (so far) that it be a fixed amount over the 20 years.

With a $9 billion CDOT backlog of projects, the $3.5 billion in bonding will be able to jump start the most critical one-third of that which makes total sense. But the rest of the money going forward has both a significant "local" component and a separate multi-modal component. HB 1242 sure surprised me but makes eminent sense for everyone.

Assclowns or Ostriches, take your pick
The Republicans in recent years have been bereft of proactive leadership. Yet it's more often their own districts that cry out for CDOT's help. They've hoped for CDOT to somehow magically fix their problems. Meanwhile all those Republicans who want money for roads and not transit have missed the public's shift (including Republican Mayors etc) of a growing desire for more multimodal solutions. Snooze, you lose would apply to these forlorn fellows.

While there are a number of Koch Bro anti-taxers many Republicans in southern and western Colorado (for example) desperately want more funding for CDOT, rightly assuming their odds of getting help will be better.

The HB 1242 Endgame
I fully expect the sides to work out their differences and pass an attractive package of funding for the voters to consider. With a significant "local" and "multi-modal" pots along with ample CDOT funding, aside from the Koch Bro crowd and perhaps some transit purists, I'd expect broad and enthusiastic support across the state. While it's always hard to predict voters I'll guess that they will agree - at least by enough votes to approve the transportation initiative.

[TakeFive]

Is this the type of bus stop that would get RyanD out of his car?


Photo Courtesy of Infocomm Media Development Authority via CityLab

Singapore May Have Designed the World's Best Bus Stop
Mar 1, 2017 by MIMI KIRK - CityLab

Now, thanks to DP Architects in collaboration with various agencies of the Singaporean government, there’s a bus stop in Jurong, an area in the southwest of the island city state, that has elements you might find in a café, park, or your living room

The stop features ample seating, a rack of books geared for all ages, from Enid Blyton to Ray Bradbury, bicycle parking, a swing, artwork by the local illustrator Lee Xin Li, and a rooftop garden, complete with a small tree.

[Cirrus]

^
Reminds me of the similar version Paris floated a few years ago:


photo from RATP via Treehugger



OTOH, you can also have many of those same features on the cheap via off-the-shelf components:

my photo of a Maryland bus stop

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Is this the type of bus stop that would get RyanD out of his car?

Probably not if the bus still takes fives times longer to travel to a destination versus driving a car.

It's not the stops (generally) in Denver that keep people from switching from private automobile to the bus.