DENVER | Transportation Thread

[TakeFive]

What's next?


Credit: CBS4

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/01/...enger-ejected/

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)– A passenger on the R Line was ejected when the train derailed in Aurora on Monday afternoon. That passenger suffered serious injuries.

The R Line train derailed at the intersection of S. Sable Boulevard and Exposition Avenue while it was making the turn. The passenger who was ejected was rushed to the hospital.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

No. It was my intent to insult a light oils terminal that I consider to be poorly run with lousy management based upon my previous experience working with them.

Well shoot; that's what I feared. I was really hoping for something more nefarious.

Nice piece in the DBJ about Newmont - Goldcorp merger. I like the deal even though (my) shares dropped about 10% with the announcement. The deal should bump them up in the Fortune 500 rankings, soon to have a Denver address.

[SnyderBock]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

What's next?


Credit: CBS4

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/01/...enger-ejected/

I guess it is a good thing there was only one person on that train.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Well shoot; that's what I feared. I was really hoping for something more nefarious.

Nice piece in the DBJ about Newmont - Goldcorp merger. I like the deal even though (my) shares dropped about 10% with the announcement. The deal should bump them up in the Fortune 500 rankings, soon to have a Denver address.

If one talks to Newmont staff, they never should have left Denver in the first place.

Still a good consolidation move in the mining space that maintains Newmont as a major player. Interesting that they'll keep the operational HQ in Vancouver, that's certainly not a cost cutting move, but certainly a better talent attraction than Elko.

[Cirrus]

When TakeFive complains about textbook criticisms of Denver's transit planning, we now have to at least grant him that textbooks do criticize Denver's transit planning: Denver’s Buses and Trains Are Not Useful to Most People. A New Book Shows Why.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

When TakeFive complains about textbook criticisms of Denver's transit planning, we now have to at least grant him that textbooks do criticize Denver's transit planning: Denver’s Buses and Trains Are Not Useful to Most People. A New Book Shows Why.

Didn't we talk about Spieler's book already? Oops, that was in the Phoenix thread so nvm. Btw, I linked to one of your recent posts in one of my comments.

I didn't think of Spieler's tome as being a textbook but there's no doubt he's very much a textbook jockey. His book is supposed to be one heck of a good survey of what is currently out there. He's a yuge fan of buses/systems having been heavily involved in redesigning Houston's bus network.

Btw, a Streetsblog writer being old school is hardly a surprise and that writeup was centered on Spieler's book and textbook approach to transit which we all know never changes. Except to hear Streetsbloggers rant about Ride Sharing killing transit is quite the hoot.

I thought Speiler was rather deferential to Denver especially if you assume he's unfamiliar with the context of Denver during the 1990's and early 2000's when FasTracks was designed and approved.

[jhwk]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

When TakeFive complains about textbook criticisms of Denver's transit planning, we now have to at least grant him that textbooks do criticize Denver's transit planning: Denver’s Buses and Trains Are Not Useful to Most People. A New Book Shows Why.

This is a good article in general - I live in Capitol Hill, the densest neghiborhood in Denver, and the light rail system is not useful to me. I do use the A line but have to take a rideshare for the "last mile". I might have to buy the book...

I do disagree with his characterization of the area around Union Station. Lodo is much more desirable and urbanized than the Central Business District. Aside from the performing arts center, anything that actual Denver residents want to do downtown (besides going to a corporate drone-zone between 8:00 and 5:00) is northwest of Lawrence street. Does anyone have a breakout of office square footage that separates Lodo and the Central Business District?

The low hanging fruit that the interview misses is the separation of the commuter rail and the light rail. I wonder if anyone had known how successful the Union Station neighborhood build-out would be any minds would have been changed the initial planning.

[Agent Orange]

Originally Posted by jhwk

TI do disagree with his characterization of the area around Union Station. Lodo is much more desirable and urbanized than the Central Business District. Aside from the performing arts center, anything that actual Denver residents want to do downtown (besides going to a corporate drone-zone between 8:00 and 5:00) is northwest of Lawrence street. Does anyone have a breakout of office square footage that separates Lodo and the Central Business District?

Your observation about downtown is true, and highly relevant for tourists as well as suburban revelers on the weekend, but most transit trips are people commuting to and from work. Lodo (the northwesternly edge of Lodo at that) is just not the center of downtown employment. I work in Civic Center and though our company gives us Ecopasses, the very slow trip between Union and CC is a big drag for many coworkers who live along the commuter rail and FF lines. A 25 minute rail trip suddenly becomes 45-50 minutes due to that transfer. Some deal with the inconvenience, but many drive instead while wishing transit worked for them.

I often wonder what downtown would be like if the light and commuter rail corridors were buried underground thorough DT with a big subterranean central station say around Skyline Park. That would be a more functional system, but costlier of course. I'm glad to have the redesigned Union Station and the excellent development around it, but I think the criticism of RTD's plan is valid.

The other scenario I daydream about is the A-line turning left 90 degrees at US and traveling beneath 17th to Broadway to connect Civic Center/Cap Hill. The other commuter lines could join in. Would be nice and a relatively short tunnel. This would also be a quick way to get from the opposing ends of DT without the slowness/annoyingness of the Mall Ride/Metroride.

[jhwk]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

I often wonder what downtown would be like if the light and commuter rail corridors were buried underground thorough DT with a big subterranean central station say around Skyline Park. That would be a more functional system, but costlier of course. I'm glad to have the redesigned Union Station and the excellent development around it, but I think the criticism of RTD's plan is valid.

The other scenario I daydream about is the A-line turning left 90 degrees at US and traveling beneath 17th to Broadway to connect Civic Center/Cap Hill. The other commuter lines could join in. Would be nice and a relatively short tunnel. This would also be a quick way to get from the opposing ends of DT without the slowness/annoyingness of the Mall Ride/Metroride.

Munich has 8 lines, both commuter and subway, that run underground between the central station and the east station on either side of downtown with four city center stops in between. I often think of something similar between Union Station and Civic Center Station with four lines that would extend out on either end - A Colfax line to the east, a Cherry Creek via Cap Hill line to the southwest, A Berkley via Highlands line to the northwest, and a line that turns down Federal to the southwest.

Subways have been costing $800-900 million per mile in the US (though I think about it's about $290 million per mile for Crossrail in London) so it is not going to happen, unfortunately.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by jhwk

I do disagree with his characterization of the area around Union Station. Lodo is much more desirable and urbanized than the Central Business District.

The low hanging fruit that the interview misses is the separation of the commuter rail and the light rail. I wonder if anyone had known how successful the Union Station neighborhood build-out would be any minds would have been changed the initial planning.

There's a yuge advantage with the DUS setup which is now accessed by two bus routes. The $450 million transit center and multi-$billion neighborhood speaks well to that. It does indeed enhance the LoDo area.

The original design/layout was quite an ordeal although others could speak to specifics better than I.

[pablosan]

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

I guess it is a good thing there was only one person on that train.

Ouch!!!

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by jhwk

I do disagree with his characterization of the area around Union Station. Lodo is much more desirable and urbanized than the Central Business District. Aside from the performing arts center, anything that actual Denver residents want to do downtown (besides going to a corporate drone-zone between 8:00 and 5:00) is northwest of Lawrence street. Does anyone have a breakout of office square footage that separates Lodo and the Central Business District?

LoDo has about 6 million sq ft, the CBD has four times that. Roughly 1/3 of LoDo’s office space is a direct result of Union Station. In that regard turning Union Station into the second transit hub downtown did revalitze the area morphing it from an entertainment district with some residential to the closest that downtown has to a 24-hour neighbood.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

LoDo has about 6 million sq ft, the CBD has four times that. Roughly 1/3 of LoDo’s office space is a direct result of Union Station. In that regard turning Union Station into the second transit hub downtown did revalitze the area morphing it from an entertainment district with some residential to the closest that downtown has to a 24-hour neighbood.

Yeah, with the exception of One Denver Place all the Big Boys built in the 1980's were towards the other side of downtown.

What if you used Arapahoe St as a dividing line; I'd assume the footage difference wouldn't be so dramatic plus wouldn't that include most of the newer buildings which are close to LoDo?

[CurtisParkChris]

Excited about social benefits of this project as well as its impacts to the street grid in Cole/RiNo. I wonder if the project will include design elements to accommodate the L Line extension from 30th and Downing to 38th and Blake stations?

https://businessden.com/2019/01/30/d...nd-apartments/

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by CurtisParkChris

Excited about social benefits of this project as well as its impacts to the street grid in Cole/RiNo. I wonder if the project will include design elements to accommodate the L Line extension from 30th and Downing to 38th and Blake stations?

https://businessden.com/2019/01/30/d...nd-apartments/

Call Andrew Feinstein up and ask him. It wouldn't hurt to ask him if he's excited about how well the Nuggets are playing (maybe he'll offer to take you to a game).

[Agent Orange]

Uber’s transit offering just went live in Denver

https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/31/ub...ive-in-denver/

“We’ve been speaking with dozens of transit agencies around the world,” he said. “Denver was super innovative, very future-thinking and was a great city to partner with.”

Well, that's not the sort of thing you hear about RTD very often.

[PhilipDDG]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

Uber’s transit offering just went live in Denver

https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/31/ub...ive-in-denver/

Quote:
“We’ve been speaking with dozens of transit agencies around the world,” he said. “Denver was super innovative, very future-thinking and was a great city to partner with.”

Well, that's not the sort of thing you hear about RTD very often.

And that's not the only time I've heard such a claim. A good friend invented a particular device central to the operation of passenger rail world wide. He contracts not only with RTD but other regional and international passenger rail entities, and he says that with the possible exception of the Germans (), RTD is the most disciplined, prudent and decisive organization he deals with.

[SnyderBock]

Up

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

Uber’s transit offering just went live in Denver

https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/31/ub...ive-in-denver/


Well, that's not the sort of thing you hear about RTD very often.

Wow, that was fast. I was just thinking about the need for this last week, without any knowledge it was already in the works!

And I agree, RTD has a long track record of being innovative and future-thinking. RTD's image issues are primarily a result of anti-transit smear campaigns. Most reasonable people can see right through propaganda.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by Agent Orange

Uber’s transit offering just went live in Denver

https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/31/ub...ive-in-denver/


Well, that's not the sort of thing you hear about RTD very often.

How much would you guess RTD paid them to say that?

I've haven't yet read about this but Lyft is working with Valley Metro in Phx. I have no idea how much demand they've had.

[TakeFive]

Not that interesting

but somewhat interesting.

AERIAL FUTURES
Published on Nov 15, 2018

AERIAL FUTURES: Constructed Landscapes explores how airports are integrating with cities, communities and surrounding land. Taking Denver International Airport (DEN) as a case study, this think tank looked at the opportunities and risks faced by the airport in their new role as agents for urban change. Selected participants interrogated the myriad ways that technology is transforming greenfields into connected, integrated airfield communities.

Curated by AERIAL FUTURES: aerialfutures.org

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