Time For A Statewide FasTracks?
There is one thing the Democrats can do to make Colorado a better place to live now that they control the state legislature and the Governor’s mansion: launch a major effort to build a statewide passenger rail and bus network.
It’s obvious that Coloradoans need transportation alternatives to our congested and in many cases crumbling roads and highways and it’s also obvious that our current highway network isn’t meeting the state’s present transportation needs, let alone the throngs we can expect in the future. It’s also obvious that the public supports the idea of rail transport as the success of the poorly designed and deeply flawed FasTracks initiative at the polls in the Denver area in 2004 and the huge crowds checking out RTD’s new Southeast Rail Line prove.
So why not take advantage of this and craft a statewide FasTracks initiative that would create a state wide sales tax to finance the construction of a state passenger rail and bus system? The legislature could easily draw up such a plan, new governor Ritter would sign it and it would be placed before voters.
Such a plan could be vital to Colorado’s future, Coloradoans are living farther and farther from their work and gas prices will probably go up as freeways get more crowded. If nothing is done, many Coloradoans will simply no longer be able to afford single family homes and the Colorado lifestyle because of transportation. Then there is the tourist industry how do we get the huge crowds both of out of state visitors and residents who want to reach recreation in the mountains there? Not to mention all the commuters who now live in those areas. How do we get workers to the ski and mountain communities, which face both a labor shortage and a lack of affordable housing?
What would such a plan entail well here’s my idea, the lynchpin would be a Front Range Commuter rail line. This would run along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific freight railroad tracks between Pueblo and Greeley or perhaps Cheyenne. New Mexico already has a portion of such a service called the Rail Runner up and running. Using these tracks and some new ones, electric or diesel electric commuter trains would connect the major cities of the Front Range and the airports. For example trains could connect the cities of the Front Range with DIA and Denver with Colorado Springs Airport. The tracks could be built so that RTD’s light rail trains could run on them as well giving Denver a boast. A major part of this would be the construction of a freight rail bypass on the Plains so freight trains wouldn’t have to go through Denver and Colorado Springs and the relocation of the freight rail yards from Denver opening up a lot of land for development in the process. The Rocky Mountain Rail Authority has an excellent plan for this posted on its website. www.rangerexpress.com
There would be bus service to outlying areas both the mountain communities and the eastern plains. Private bus companies no longer serve these areas and people there have no alternative to the car. This can be real hard on poor people in rural areas who have to depend on junky old cars for transportation. Not to mention people who want a rural lifestyle but have to give it up because they have no way of reaching jobs in the city. In the mountains RTD’s bus service could be extended to Park, Clear Creek, Gilpin and perhaps Summit Counties, and Colorado Springs’ bus service could be extended to Teller, Park and Freemont Counties.
The final component would be rail service of some sort into the mountains, either taking advantage of the existing Moffat Tunnel and Arkansas Valley rail lines (which is currently unused) or the construction of a new rail line along the I-70 corridor. Such a rail line could be vital to the ski industry and the mountain communities’ future because of the congestion on I-70, US 24 and US 285. Major expansion of I-70 in particular is probably out of the question because of lack of space. One suggestion a new high speed electric rail line running along the I-70 corridor from Denver to Grand Junction, not the fantasy monorail we were presented with a few years ago but something real using real technology available now.
The Democrats now have a tremendous opportunity to improve Colorado’s quality of life and ensure our state’s economic future. The question is will they take it and working with far sighted Republicans make it a reality or will they squander it and leave a transportation catastrophe for future generations to deal with?
It’s obvious that Coloradoans need transportation alternatives to our congested and in many cases crumbling roads and highways and it’s also obvious that our current highway network isn’t meeting the state’s present transportation needs, let alone the throngs we can expect in the future. It’s also obvious that the public supports the idea of rail transport as the success of the poorly designed and deeply flawed FasTracks initiative at the polls in the Denver area in 2004 and the huge crowds checking out RTD’s new Southeast Rail Line prove.
So why not take advantage of this and craft a statewide FasTracks initiative that would create a state wide sales tax to finance the construction of a state passenger rail and bus system? The legislature could easily draw up such a plan, new governor Ritter would sign it and it would be placed before voters.
Such a plan could be vital to Colorado’s future, Coloradoans are living farther and farther from their work and gas prices will probably go up as freeways get more crowded. If nothing is done, many Coloradoans will simply no longer be able to afford single family homes and the Colorado lifestyle because of transportation. Then there is the tourist industry how do we get the huge crowds both of out of state visitors and residents who want to reach recreation in the mountains there? Not to mention all the commuters who now live in those areas. How do we get workers to the ski and mountain communities, which face both a labor shortage and a lack of affordable housing?
What would such a plan entail well here’s my idea, the lynchpin would be a Front Range Commuter rail line. This would run along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific freight railroad tracks between Pueblo and Greeley or perhaps Cheyenne. New Mexico already has a portion of such a service called the Rail Runner up and running. Using these tracks and some new ones, electric or diesel electric commuter trains would connect the major cities of the Front Range and the airports. For example trains could connect the cities of the Front Range with DIA and Denver with Colorado Springs Airport. The tracks could be built so that RTD’s light rail trains could run on them as well giving Denver a boast. A major part of this would be the construction of a freight rail bypass on the Plains so freight trains wouldn’t have to go through Denver and Colorado Springs and the relocation of the freight rail yards from Denver opening up a lot of land for development in the process. The Rocky Mountain Rail Authority has an excellent plan for this posted on its website. www.rangerexpress.com
There would be bus service to outlying areas both the mountain communities and the eastern plains. Private bus companies no longer serve these areas and people there have no alternative to the car. This can be real hard on poor people in rural areas who have to depend on junky old cars for transportation. Not to mention people who want a rural lifestyle but have to give it up because they have no way of reaching jobs in the city. In the mountains RTD’s bus service could be extended to Park, Clear Creek, Gilpin and perhaps Summit Counties, and Colorado Springs’ bus service could be extended to Teller, Park and Freemont Counties.
The final component would be rail service of some sort into the mountains, either taking advantage of the existing Moffat Tunnel and Arkansas Valley rail lines (which is currently unused) or the construction of a new rail line along the I-70 corridor. Such a rail line could be vital to the ski industry and the mountain communities’ future because of the congestion on I-70, US 24 and US 285. Major expansion of I-70 in particular is probably out of the question because of lack of space. One suggestion a new high speed electric rail line running along the I-70 corridor from Denver to Grand Junction, not the fantasy monorail we were presented with a few years ago but something real using real technology available now.
The Democrats now have a tremendous opportunity to improve Colorado’s quality of life and ensure our state’s economic future. The question is will they take it and working with far sighted Republicans make it a reality or will they squander it and leave a transportation catastrophe for future generations to deal with?
posted by great one at 10:01 AM
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