FasTracks team reaches out for citizen input

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By Will Shoemaker
12/06/2006

COMMERCE CITY - ­ The FasTracks North Metro Corridor team sought comments Nov. 29 at Adams City High School on the results of the first two levels of analysis for transit alternatives to area residents.

FasTracks is RTD's voter-approved $4.7 billion, 12-year transit expansion program across the RTD service area scheduled for completion in 2017. FasTracks' North Metro Corridor runs between Denver Union Station and 162nd Avenue, passing through Denver, Commerce City, Thornton, Northglenn and unincorporated Adams County. The analysis is part of the corridor's environmental impact statement.

Alternative transit highlighted during the public meeting included light rail and electrical multiple units and diesel multiple units, both of which could operate on existing freight tracks. Also considered were the possible corridors for those alternatives.

Kristi Estes, spokeswoman for RTD North Metro, said public comments in two previous public meetings during the scoping process indicated there was a want to look at more transportation options for north metro.

Joe Racosky, project manager for North Metro EIS from URS Consultants, said the draft of the EIS "is a little over the halfway point."

Katherine Montgomery, who lives near East 133rd Court and Race Street in unincorporated Adams County, said the proposed corridor for DMU and EMU runs right behind her home.

"Sometimes we kind of get what we pay for," she said, citing that most of the corridor north of 88th Avenue will cut through residential neighborhoods.

Montgomery added that she would be more interested in seeing a rail system along Interstate 25, as opposed to further east, "because most of the new retail is being built along I-25," she said.

"This is sprawl city," Montgomery described north metro as being. "Anything we choose to do is going to depend on getting people east and west."

Commerce City Mayor pro-tem Rene Bullock disagreed.

"I would like to see it go through the neighborhoods," he said. "It would have to have tracks going through Commerce City so it benefits Commerce City."

Commerce City resident Jackie Acosta thought using existing rail lines would be best, but expressed concern about the pollution caused by diesel and the effect on owners' parcels surrounding potential future right-of-way.

"I think these people have an important point as it affects neighborhoods," RTD board member Dave Rose said.

Acosta added that Commerce City rail transit service would benefit the community.

"The RTD service in Commerce City is horrible," she said. "I worked downtown (Denver) and I tried it. You need to improve bus service here in Commerce City."

Public participation for the North Metro Corridor planning began in summer 2006. The two-year EIS will build upon recommendations from previous studies of the corridor, including RTD's North Metro Transportation Study (completed in 2001) and the Three Corridors Scoping Study (completed in 2005).

Scoping, Racosky said, uncovered that citizens were most concerned about transit alternatives, safety, traffic and technology used.

He explained to the audience that diesel and electric rail cars were more affordable and fit within the current budget for FasTracks in North Metro. Light rail, on the other hand, is considerably more expensive, Racosky said, and at this time would not be capable within the current budget.

Ed Schumm, senior transportation planner for North Metro EIS for URS Consultants, compared estimated speeds, ridership, adverse impacts, parcels affected and transit oriented development opportunities between diesel and electric rail cars and light rail.

"All of these travel times, compared with vehicle travel times, are at an advantage," Schumm said.

"Our general observations are that the DMU and EMU are generally the best performers for these categories," Racosky said.

Residents complimented URS Consultants and RTD for the thorough analysis of transit alternatives.

"I really appreciate the way you analyzed this," Montgomery said.

Racosky said station analysis, environmental effects and "a lot of (other) things" will be considered for level three of the EIS.

By early 2007, a recommended alternative will be chosen to undergo a detailed analysis during the third level, for which two public workshops will be conducted.

Contact Staff Writer Will Shoemaker at wshoemaker@metrowestnewspapers.com or 303-659-2522, ext 202.

Reader Comments

This can't happen fast enough for me. I'm excited about the possibility of taking a train from Hwy 7 and Colorado Blvd. downtown.
posted by Todd Creek, Resident on December 14, 2006 11:49am


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