The financial data is clear: BRT costs much less to go further and serve far more riders. Case closed, or is it? The Denver Post editors look at HNTB's cost and ridership estimates for the Northwest Rail Line and offer a recommendation, sort of.
The editorial board reviews the findings reported by Monte Whaley on the Northwest Rail Line, "a 41-mile high-capacity, fixed-guideway transit project from Denver Union Station to Longmont," according to Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver's webpage on the FasTracks project. Funding is available only for the first 6.2-mile segment from Union Station to south Westminster, currently under construction. After that, it gets interesting if alternatives are considered.
The next segment, 11 miles "from Westminster to Broomfield could cost as much as $681 million while about 100 miles of enhanced bus service [aka, BRT] in the northern suburbs would cost roughly half that and serve nearly eight times as many passengers, according to an analysis (PDF) for the Regional Transportation District", writes Whaley.
RTD agency hopes to bring a recommendation of the best transit option — commuter [light] rail, bus rapid transit [BRT] or a combination of both — to the governing board for a vote in early 2014.
It was these startling findings that prompted the editorial. Their fuzzy recommendation: "We can't have the Northwest Line at any cost". Without outright concluding that BRT is preferable over the expensive light rail extension that the people voted for in 2004 as part of the ambitious FasTracks projects, the editorial implies it. However, it points to reasons not to immediately abandon the train in favor of the bus.
- These are only preliminary findings; the study may yield other options.
- These are only estimates for capital costs, and under that analysis, rail is always more expensive at first. And other factors have still to be measured, such as accompanying economic development.
- We've said [last March] we want folks in the northern suburbs to get the rail they were promised if possible.
The editorial board suggests that if the northwest communities want to stick with the costly rail option that they were promised, more funding will be needed, such as a "statewide tax issue for transportation, preferably user fees like fuel taxes to pay for roads and transit." This clear funding recommendation for the type of funding option is in reference to a non-user fee proposal being considered to place a ".7%, 10-year general sales tax on the 2014 ballot."
FULL STORY: Sobering figures in RTD Northwest rail study
Opening of Denver's B Line Bittersweet for Commuters From Northwest Suburbs
The 6.2 mile, two-station electrified commuter rail line is opening as expected next Monday, July 25, but future service to the northwestern counties of Broomfield and Boulder will be delayed due to an unexpected funding shortfall.
Denver's New Commuter Rail Line to Airport to Open in April
You will be forgiven for thinking you are looking at an East Coast commuter rail line: It's electrified with level boarding, mostly 15-minute headways, with bike and luggage racks, operating 22 hours a day from Denver's Union Station to the airport.
FasTracks Funding Gap Grows to $2.5 Billion in Denver
The Denver Regional Transportation District is forecasting an increasing gap between what it will cost to complete the region's FasTracks light rail system and how much taxpayer money will be available to fund its construction.
The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.
In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.
Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.
California Moves to Limit Autonomous Trucks
A bill passed by the State Assembly and moving on to the Senate would require autonomous semi trucks to have a trained human operator in the vehicle.
Minnesota Budget Includes Significant Transit Investments
After a contentious debate, the state legislature passed a budget that changes how transportation projects are funded and supports increased transit service in the state.
Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
