DENVER | Transportation Thread - Page 435

TakeFive · #**8681** Posted **Jul 28, 2015, 1:24 AM**

Interesting or not, I see where Skanska AB, one of the bidders on the I-70 P3, is the P3 bid winner for rebuilding New York's LaGuardia Airport.

bunt_q · #**8682** Posted **Jul 28, 2015, 12:49 PM**

Skanska is teamed with Plenary - the concessionaire on US36 - for the I-70 East project. They were talking Laguardia on NPR this morning. I've never actually flow through there.

bunt_q · #**8683** Posted **Jul 28, 2015, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TakeFive

So, as long as it's "different" then? mm... k

Well if you'd like the full details, I'll use my train time for that. Any ballot question in Colorado is subject to a constitutional single subject rule. Also, TABOR ballot questions generally come in two flavors - tax questions, and debt questions. A debt question will usually include a tax increase (but not always), but that increase is usually tied to the tax needed to discharge the debt. That's the case for RTD Fastracks, if I'm not mistaken. Apart from a small portion of the tax increase that's needed for O&M on the new stuff, I believe most of that tax will go away after the bonds are discharged, unless extended by the voters. (Same as the stadium questions.) We simply wouldn't do a gas tax increase that way - where it is tied to specific bonds for specific projects. You'd want the ability to cash flow with it, maintain things with it, etc. I can't say for certain - there's an art to these ballot questions - but if you tried to combine a general gas tax increase with a bonding question, I believe you'd run up against the single subject rule. (And if you didn't, you'd certainly be exposed to litigation risk - both up front, and at the time the bonds were paid off, when somebody would say the tax would have to sunset.) We just wouldn't do it that way would be my guess. We'd vote the tax and debt questions separate, and try and use the latter to sell the former (although it could easily go the other way).

It's a problem I'd love to get to toy with. (And I probably would get to.) I'm just not holding my breath is all.

bunt_q · #**8684** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 1:21 AM**

Denver Dweller · #**8685** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 2:53 PM**

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/mo...f&t=1438181557

Octavian · #**8686** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 5:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Much nicer map than what i've seen before. Did they change their mind about what they're going with?

TakeFive · #**8687** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 5:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denver Dweller

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/mo...f&t=1438181557

This project is partly dependent on our esteemed Congress to do the right thing.

On that map, if you look at the fine print you notice that the Aurora line is set for a "Winter" opening.

Cirrus · #**8688** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 9:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TakeFive

On that map, if you look at the fine print you notice that the Aurora line is set for a "Winter" opening.

Do you think they mean January-March, or do you think they mean the 10 days between December 21 and December 31?

TakeFive · #**8689** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 10:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Do you think they mean January-March, or do you think they mean the 10 days between December 21 and December 31?

You think I know what they mean? Do they (Kiewit) even know what they mean?

bcp · #**8690** Posted **Jul 29, 2015, 11:43 PM**

^^^ isn't the B going to stop at pecos junction and 38th too?

seventwenty · #**8691** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 2:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Do you think they mean January-March, or do you think they mean the 10 days between December 21 and December 31?

Looking at how the rail looked around Peoria a few months ago, in that it wasn't laid down, I'm betting Christmas 2016.

TakeFive · #**8692** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 5:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by seventwenty

Looking at how the rail looked around Peoria a few months ago, in that it wasn't laid down, I'm betting Christmas 2016.

My call is for a sweetheart delivery.

TakeFive · #**8693** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 6:04 AM**

Chalk one up for the bike lane crowd...
Or not?

taylor23 · #**8694** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcp

^^^ isn't the B going to stop at pecos junction and 38th too?

I have often wondered the same thing. It seems like it would also stop at those two stations but maps and the RTD newsletters make it sound like it will not, although I have never seen anything definitively from RTD about this. Guess it will be a Westminster express train.

The Dirt · #**8695** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 3:28 PM**

I think that it's a good move to have the W line go straight to DUS with no stops. It make sense for a hub and spoke model and definitely makes sense if the B line is to be competitive with car/bus commuters. There's not going to be a lot of people going from the Westminster station and transferring, and those that do, will just have to spend an extra 5-10 minutes traveling down to DUS, transferring, and then traveling back up to DUS. I wonder if the B line could be made more economic in the future by creating a fork and tying it directly into the A line so that northeastern metro residents have an express line to and from the airport. Getting the available ROW would probably be very trick, though.

TakeFive · #**8696** Posted **Jul 30, 2015, 5:54 PM**

"Pedestrian Bridge opens over I-25"
July 30, 2015 by Justin - Denver Urban Review

Nice photos by Justin. He also posted a fun video ride over the bridge.
Who knows how much use it will get but at least the bridge looks nice.

Photos courtesy of Denver Urban Review

On a previous article on the commuter rail maintenance facility, Justin posted a fun Photo of the interior.

Image credit: RTD via Denver Urban Review

mishko27 · #**8697** Posted **Jul 31, 2015, 1:33 AM**

Yeah, R is late 2016 - the openings are in chronological order.

Flatiron Flyer -> A -> B –> G -> R

TakeFive · #**8698** Posted **Aug 1, 2015, 5:40 AM**

Why am I not surprised.
Jul 31, 2015 by Lance Hernandez - 7News Denver

Quote:

LOVELAND, Colo. - Calling I-25 the economic lifeblood of Colorado, members of the North I-25 Coalition say it’s time Congress came up with a long term funding fix for transportation, so the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) can speed up the planned widening of the highway between Longmont and Fort Collins.

Without that fix, it could take decades to finish the project.

There is growing pressure on Congress to take care of business. Even the Wall Street Journal chimed in recently. The Senate did pass a 6-year Bill (that was funded for three) but the House still has visions of a better fix so another 3 month extension was passed.

While passing a longer bill would bring more certainty it doesn't seem as though Congress wants to add any additional funding. Then there's the issue of Colorado coming up with matching funds.

It will be interesting to see if next year the state legislature can come up with something more constructive than this last year?

IMO a primary interstate corridor like I-25, in this case up to Fort Collins, should be at least six "free" lanes before any tolling is considered. But ultimately it's up to CDOT, the state legislature and the taxpayers to sort it all out.

Zmapper · #**8699** Posted **Aug 1, 2015, 9:01 AM**

Preliminary Service Plans for the East/I-225 and Gold/Northwest lines have been released by RTD.

bunt_q · #**8700** Posted **Aug 1, 2015, 1:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TakeFive

IMO a primary interstate corridor like I-25, in this case up to Fort Collins, should be at least six "free" lanes before any tolling is considered. But ultimately it's up to CDOT, the state legislature and the taxpayers to sort it all out.

They'd better hurry because the plan to extend the tolled ExpressLanes northward isn't waiting, it's moving right along.

You know, if there is any corridor in the state where a good argument could be made against general purpose lane widening on the grounds that it'll facilitate sprawl, it's probably I-25 North. Just saying.