Railroad Negotiations Update

The FasTracks Team is moving forward with the preferred alternatives refinements process given the change in negotiations with Union Pacific Railroad. RTD continues to work with Union Pacific on negotiations to purchase several properties from UP for FasTracks, but the original package of properties as presented by UP to RTD was unaffordable. The FasTracks Team is pursuing an alternate site for the commuter rail maintenance facility, focusing on RTD's Platte bus facility site. Potential sites to relocate the bus facility are being evaluated. Also, all four commuter rail corridor projects are re-examining and refining portions of those alignments to avoid certain UP properties that are no longer part of the negotiations.
 
The refinements will require changes to the environmental documents, additional public involvement, revision of project schedules and increased costs to complete the corridor studies. The additional cost to complete the four commuter rail corridor studies is estimated at $4.5-9 million. A six- to twelve-month delay in corridor EIS schedules is likely, but the overall implementation schedule for the corridors remains on track at this time. The project teams will have more definitive information to report to the RTD Board in April. 
 
RTD was previously pursuing purchase of UP's 36th street yards for a commuter rail maintenance facility.  However, the purchase of the yards has been one of the biggest financial challenges during negotiations, which is why RTD is pursuing an alternate site for the commuter rail maintenance facility. In addition to other corridor segments, all four commuter rail corridor projects will also re-examine and refine the portions of those alignments closest to downtown. This is necessary because without purchasing certain UP properties, those corridors' approaches to Denver Union Station will need to be modified.
 
As this process moves forward, the commuter rail corridors will do some additional evaluation and design work, as well as some related public involvement efforts.  The East Corridor and Gold Line will pursue refinements of their existing preferred alternatives and incorporate those elements into their respective DEISs before release. The project teams will re-evaluate technical and environmental feasibility, budget, schedule and public input within their current environmental processes prior to presenting their recommendations to the RTD Board of Directors and, ultimately, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as lead agency. The project teams will work with their project partners, local jurisdictions and the public, as the refinements evolve.
 
It is important to keep in mind that FasTracks will continue to evolve throughout the program's implementation, and with that will come refinements to the program. Our Annual Program Evaluation process allows us to identify changes and new information to the program and modify the plan accordingly to deliver FasTracks within the general scope, schedule and financial capacity passed by voters in 2004.

Preferred Alternatives Refinements Process

The FasTracks Team is moving forward with the preferred alternatives refinements process given the change in negotiations with Union Pacific Railroad. As a review, RTD continues to work with Union Pacific on negotiations to purchase several properties from UP for FasTracks, but the original package of properties as presented by UP to RTD was unaffordable. The FasTracks Team is pursuing an alternate site for the commuter rail maintenance facility, focusing on RTD's Platte bus facility site. Potential sites to relocate the bus facility are being evaluated. Also, all four commuter rail corridor projects are re-examining and refining portions of those alignments to avoid certain UP properties that are no longer part of the negotiations.

The refinements will require changes to the environmental documents, additional public involvement, revision of project schedules and increased costs to complete the corridor studies. The additional cost to complete the four commuter rail corridor studies is estimated at $4.5-9 million. A 6-12 month delay in corridor EIS schedules is likely, but the overall implementation schedule for the corridors remains on track at this time. The project teams will have more definitive information to report to the RTD Board in April. 
 
It is important to keep in mind that FasTracks will continue to evolve, and with that will come refinements to the program. Our Annual Program Evaluation process allows us to identify these changes and modify the plan accordingly to deliver FasTracks within the general scope, schedule and financial capacity passed by voters in 2004.
 
To review the recent presentation to the RTD Board on the refinements process, click here.