RTD Keeps Blowing It
The comedy of errors known as FasTracks keeps getting worse for the Regional Transportation District keeps refusing to eliminate pet projects while planning to cut basic transit rail service for commuters.
The FasTracks Budget shortfall is now up to $1.2 billion according to The Denver Post, RTD can make up parts of this deficit by selling more bonds. It might also be able to reduce costs by using private contractors to build and operate rail lines. This might even enable RTD to take advantage of new technologies like Maglev that could give Denver faster and more efficient transportation.
RTD could save even more money by scrapping the ridiculous scheme for a “transit hub” at Union Station, this would do nothing to improve average people’s commute but would waste a billion dollars on a real estate development scheme. There is no need for a “transit hub” at Union Station because RTD already has two excellent underutilized bus stations down town at Market Street and Civic Center Station (Civic Center Station is actually closed on the weekends). Perhaps RTD could even raise some much needed funds by selling or leasing Union Station to a real estate developer. It’s a prime Low Do location an excellent site for a big retail store or residential development that could generate tax revenue for the city and RTD. Union Station could then be one station among many.
Unfortunately RTD doesn’t seem to be willing to take any of these sensible steps instead it’s only solution seems to be cutting basic transit rail service. RTD director Bill Christopher suggested that the agency could save money by using diesel powered commuter trains on all new lines rather than electric powered light rail.
This makes little sense because any savings RTD gets from diesel would probably be eaten up by the added costs of diesel trains. Diesel trains would require new maintenance facilities, additional mechanics and fueling facilities that would cost money. RTD wouldn’t be able to operate it’s existing light rail trains on the diesel tracks or operate the diesel trains on the light rail tracks. It goes without saying that the cost of diesel fuel keeps increasing faster than that of electricity and that diesel trains would generate fumes that add to the brown cloud.
Fortunately, RTD’s staff seems to be cool to Christopher’s loopy idea but it seems to be attracting some attention. Still one good thing is coming out of this RTD seems to be going back to the drawing board and rethinking the entire FasTracks program. Hopefully we’ll now get some sensible transit expansion that will help us get around our city faster, instead of the convoluted mess known as FasTracks.
The FasTracks Budget shortfall is now up to $1.2 billion according to The Denver Post, RTD can make up parts of this deficit by selling more bonds. It might also be able to reduce costs by using private contractors to build and operate rail lines. This might even enable RTD to take advantage of new technologies like Maglev that could give Denver faster and more efficient transportation.
RTD could save even more money by scrapping the ridiculous scheme for a “transit hub” at Union Station, this would do nothing to improve average people’s commute but would waste a billion dollars on a real estate development scheme. There is no need for a “transit hub” at Union Station because RTD already has two excellent underutilized bus stations down town at Market Street and Civic Center Station (Civic Center Station is actually closed on the weekends). Perhaps RTD could even raise some much needed funds by selling or leasing Union Station to a real estate developer. It’s a prime Low Do location an excellent site for a big retail store or residential development that could generate tax revenue for the city and RTD. Union Station could then be one station among many.
Unfortunately RTD doesn’t seem to be willing to take any of these sensible steps instead it’s only solution seems to be cutting basic transit rail service. RTD director Bill Christopher suggested that the agency could save money by using diesel powered commuter trains on all new lines rather than electric powered light rail.
This makes little sense because any savings RTD gets from diesel would probably be eaten up by the added costs of diesel trains. Diesel trains would require new maintenance facilities, additional mechanics and fueling facilities that would cost money. RTD wouldn’t be able to operate it’s existing light rail trains on the diesel tracks or operate the diesel trains on the light rail tracks. It goes without saying that the cost of diesel fuel keeps increasing faster than that of electricity and that diesel trains would generate fumes that add to the brown cloud.
Fortunately, RTD’s staff seems to be cool to Christopher’s loopy idea but it seems to be attracting some attention. Still one good thing is coming out of this RTD seems to be going back to the drawing board and rethinking the entire FasTracks program. Hopefully we’ll now get some sensible transit expansion that will help us get around our city faster, instead of the convoluted mess known as FasTracks.
posted by great one at 12:19 PM
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