DENVER | Transportation Thread - Page 393

Cirrus · #**7841** Posted **Dec 3, 2014, 8:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wong21fr

One theory that has been batted around is that RTD's public survey's showed that support for FasTracks really started going down at the $5B project cost mark.

I find that hard to believe. I mean, it could be true, but I think to Joe Schmoe on the street, $4 billion and $5 billion are equally abstract mindbogglingly large numbers. How do people put them into context? Why would one sound reasonable and the other not?

The Dirt · #**7842** Posted **Dec 4, 2014, 12:34 AM**

I think it's the whole 99 cent psychological effect. 4.9 billion sounds a lot smaller than 5 billion.

afrench · #**7843** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 5:58 PM**

I noticed the W line running three-car trains this morning, instead of their typical two. Has the W line surpassed a ridership threshold to justify that or was there some kind of physical limitation?

PLANSIT · #**7844** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 7:51 PM**

Update to RTD's Fare Study:

• Video Link

RTD Link

denconyny · #**7845** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 10:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dirt

I think it's the whole 99 cent psychological effect. 4.9 billion sounds a lot smaller than 5 billion.

Lol.......

When one stops to think about it, it's only smaller by one hundred million ($100,000,000)......

TakeFive · #**7846** Posted **Dec 5, 2014, 11:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

Update to RTD's Fare Study:

Proposed Plan:

.....

flicker.com
article.wn.com

TakeFive · #**7847** Posted **Dec 6, 2014, 10:24 PM**

Is there any reason why...
once they've got the SE Light Rail extension arranged for, and I believe the paper work to receive Federal participation has been submitted...
why RTD wouldn't look for ways to acquire the needed right-of-way along the NW corridor to extend EMU transit up to "Church Ranch" or even "Flatiron"?

bunt_q · #**7848** Posted **Dec 6, 2014, 11:29 PM**

Yeah, there's a reason. Money. Nobody wants to pay for that garbage and the extra 500 riders it'll draw. Lots of parties were willing to chip in for the SE extension.

DUPio · #**7849** Posted **Dec 11, 2014, 8:04 PM**

Did anyone make it to the RTC CAC meeting on the central line extension last night?

TakeFive · #**7850** Posted **Dec 12, 2014, 12:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Yeah, there's a reason. Money. Nobody wants to pay for that garbage and the extra 500 riders it'll draw. Lots of parties were willing to chip in for the SE extension.

(LOL) But aside from all that it should be a piece of cake, right?

What I was wondering is if RTD might feel obligated to show a good faith effort to better meet their Fastracks promise and if that were the case if extending the current EMU line a stop or two might suffice for the near term? At that, I wouldn't figure it's something that could be even started until after 2020.

Cirrus · #**7851** Posted **Dec 15, 2014, 9:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TakeFive

(LOL) But aside from all that it should be a piece of cake, right?

Aside from that, Ms Lincoln, how was the play?

It's a waste of money. Also RTD has already done its 1 station extension as a show of good faith:

Scottk · #**7852** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 4:41 AM**

Why even bother building that one station? Seems like a huge waste of time. And I can't imagine rtd running trains frequently at all for that 1 stop.

Zmapper · #**7853** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 5:06 AM**

Northwest Line headways are planned to be every 30 minutes peak hours and 60 minutes all day - hardly ridership and/or TOD building headways.

bunt_q · #**7854** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 5:21 AM**

It's commuter rail. It's free parking for downtown. It's the same thing our whole system is, it's just not pretending.

jubguy3 · #**7855** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 5:23 AM**

FrontRunner runs those headways and we have billions and billions of dollars in TOD. It's kind of an apples to oranges thing though - frontrunner carries 15,000 people a day IIRC.

TakeFive · #**7856** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 3:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Aside from that, Ms Lincoln, how was the play?

I think it's pretty much assumed that Mrs. Lincoln (RIP) would be a huge fan of commuter rail.

Launch 12 · #**7857** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 3:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottk

Why even bother building that one station? Seems like a huge waste of time. And I can't imagine rtd running trains frequently at all for that 1 stop.

By building the one station, the NW line (or any line) becomes potentially eligible for federal funding. Without a station, there is no eligibility. At least with one station, there is hope that additional stations/extensions could be built with some grants/federal help. I know a lot of you will go on yet another rant about how the line is useless and f*ck Boulder etc., but I still believe that if it could be extended to be more accessible than 71st and Lowell, say 88th (Westminster City Center) or Church Ranch by US36, it would be a much more viable line that people will choose to ride over the BRT busses and over time will have its own ridership. I think Westminster City Center has the potential to be a great TOD with a potential rail stop on one side and BRT on the other.

wong21fr · #**7858** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 4:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Launch 12

By building the one station, the NW line (or any line) becomes potentially eligible for federal funding. Without a station, there is no eligibility. At least with one station, there is hope that additional stations/extensions could be built with some grants/federal help. I know a lot of you will go on yet another rant about how the line is useless and f*ck Boulder etc., but I still believe that if it could be extended to be more accessible than 71st and Lowell, say 88th (Westminster City Center) or Church Ranch by US36, it would be a much more viable line that people will choose to ride over the BRT busses and over time will have its own ridership. I think Westminster City Center has the potential to be a great TOD with a potential rail stop on one side and BRT on the other.

I think the consensus has been that more stations along the NW Line do make some sense down the road, especially the Westminster City Center/Church Rock station. I don't know if going as far as Lousville is in the cards, but I'll bet at least one more station will happen over the next decade.

The f**k Boulder mentality does remain. It still makes no sense to run the train all the way to Boulder and Longmont when BRT/coach buses are by far the more effective solutions up there.

mr1138 · #**7859** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 4:52 PM**

An extension to Westminster Center makes sense because the RR alignment is basically a straight line between 72nd and Lowell to there, and so far as I can tell, they could continue it as EMU on dedicated tracks (though perhaps the Sheridan overpass would need to be widened). It also makes sense because of the massive redevelopment potential/plans at the old mall. I often wonder if another PPP, or some fundraising by Westminster or the developer of the Westminster Center could get this extension built.

Taking it as far as Church Ranch is where the line would start to run into real problems because this is where the track begins to zig-zag around, one of the reasons the estimated travel time on this line from Boulder is so much worse than the bus. This stretch of track would also need to be DMU, according to the original plan, unless massive grading and rebuilding of many road crossings was done. I imagine there is basically no chance of EMU beyond Westminster Center barring another ballot initiative to increase public funding (not going to happen ANY time soon).

EngiNerd · #**7860** Posted **Dec 16, 2014, 6:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr1138

An extension to Westminster Center makes sense because the RR alignment is basically a straight line between 72nd and Lowell to there, and so far as I can tell, they could continue it as EMU on dedicated tracks (though perhaps the Sheridan overpass would need to be widened). It also makes sense because of the massive redevelopment potential/plans at the old mall. I often wonder if another PPP, or some fundraising by Westminster or the developer of the Westminster Center could get this extension built.

Taking it as far as Church Ranch is where the line would start to run into real problems because this is where the track begins to zig-zag around, one of the reasons the estimated travel time on this line from Boulder is so much worse than the bus. This stretch of track would also need to be DMU, according to the original plan, unless massive grading and rebuilding of many road crossings was done. I imagine there is basically no chance of EMU beyond Westminster Center barring another ballot initiative to increase public funding (not going to happen ANY time soon).

Louisville could also stand to gain a lot by the rail line extending up there because it will essentially be running directly through the city center. From there to the Pearl Street Junction in Boulder, it runs in no man's land though and doesn't seem to make a heck of a lot of sense.