DenverTrans,
That was also my original proposal I emailed to the Mayor, RTD, Friends of Union Station, the Union Station public input committee as well as to the transportation writers at the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. I like your work and proposal of an elevated through station with elevated tracks.
RTD and the special transportation assist to teh Denver Mayor have both contacted me and informed me that they have considered this elevated through-line concept. They determined it would cost as much as tunneling and the current rising cost on construction materials is simply making those options unrealistic.
However, The reason I have considered the current Union Station proposal, is because the current plan for at-grade tracks, would allow the possibility of the lines being elevated in the future. The elevated lines could be constructed above the operating lines at some future point in time, with little or no disruption to service. Furthermore, the current light rail alignment will allow for all light rail lines to be extended to the north in the future as through-lines. There is also going to be land preserved for a third rail platform next to the light rail platforms, for a through-line regional Front Range commuter rail using the consolidated mainline.
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Originally Posted by CPVLIVE
Nice thread SnyderBock - However, your numbers on the Southwest lines ridership are way off. RTD was touting 35,721 daily on the Southwest line pre T-Rex and something like 29,200 post. Current estimates system wide are 62,000+ daily. I can't wait until some actual construction starts next year on the West line!
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How is this projection for you?
The Southeast Light Rail Line has been open for about a year. It was projected to have 33,000 daily riders by 2025, but is already averaging somewhere between 28,000-32,000 daily riders in it's first year of service, the last time I checked. That would put updated 2025 ridership numbers (after the FasTracks improvements and extension) to somewhere between 38,000-42,000 daily riders.
The total post FasTracks rail system should expect a system-wide rail daily ridership in 2020 of somewhere between 140,000-180,000 passengers. A 2030 system-wide daily ridership projection would likely be between 180,000-220,000 passengers. This does not include BRT passengers.