DENVER | Transportation Thread

[arkhitektor]

I'm hoping someone here will have some information to share with me about a trip I'll soon be taking through Denver. I'm driving to Denver from Salt Lake, spending a few days in town, then flying out of DIA for a week. I'm looking to see if there is a way that I could save a few bucks on airport parking by leaving my car at one of the stations and taking the A Line train to the airport. I'm a bit of a transit geek, so I'd really like to ride the train anyway...

I see here that parking fees are waived until September of 2016, and that parking at the station nearest the airport is operated by someone else. The site doesn't look like it's been updated since before the line opened though, so I'm not sure if the fees are what is currently being charged or what future fees will be. Are the parking lots secure enough that this would even be advisable? Or should I just pony up the $8/day and park an airport shuttle lot? Any advice would be appreciated.

[bunt_q]

I just left my car for a week at the 61st and Peña Station. You don't get a lot of train time parking that close. But there were no problems and it was free.

Next busiest station for parking is Stapleton, but if you're in your own non-local car, you'll pay $4/day to park there.

[Cirrus]

The B-line OPENS MONDAY. I expect pictures!

[Cirrus]

Also, lol at a line that's only 1 station. I can think of a few other 1-station lines around the world, but none on quite the scale. It'll be interesting to see how it does.

[CharlesCO]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Also, lol at a line that's only 1 station. I can think of a few other 1-station lines around the world, but none on quite the scale. It'll be interesting to see how it does.

...with its own sub-class of rolling stock too!

[PLANSIT]

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Also, lol at a line that's only 1 station. I can think of a few other 1-station lines around the world, but none on quite the scale. It'll be interesting to see how it does.

It's been known to be 1 station for like 4 years. It's RTD throwing a bone to NW burbs.

[LAM]

I thought the B-Line was supposed to be two stations – Pecos and Westminster. And in fact, I think the Pecos Station does NOT share a stop with the Gold Line - which sounds really dumb. And if you count the shared station at 38th, that would make it a three station line.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by LAM

I thought the B-Line was supposed to be two stations – Pecos and Westminster. And in fact, I think the Pecos Station does NOT share a stop with the Gold Line - which sounds really dumb. And if you count the shared station at 38th, that would make it a three station line.

Cirrus' post shows that Pecos is not a shared station. Also G Line:
http://www.rtd-denver.com/g-line.shtml

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

It's been known to be 1 station for like 4 years. It's RTD throwing a bone to NW burbs.

...and a very good bone at that. I keep hoping they will add another station but I understand there are more complications with that idea.

[Alchemist]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Cirrus' post shows that Pecos is not a shared station.

The B Line does and does not share stations with the G Line. You can look at the Google satellite image and see that both lines run 'through' the Pecos station and the 41st/Fox station. However, the B Line does not stop at either station likely because there will not be enough riders at either station to justify it when both lines are finally open. Right now. As the 41st/Fox station area infills, and it has a lot of space for infilling, I could see the B Line also stopping there in the future, especially if businesses locate there.

[LAM]

I guess I had them backwards as to which gets the Pecos Station. Thank you.

[TakeFive]

So CU sucks?
Nah, it's just that DU kicks butt.

Photo courtesy of City of Westminster via Westminster Window

"Westminster Station featured in real estate challenge"
May 9, 2016 - Staff report

Students put together ‘proposals’ for city’s new transit oriented development

University of Denver students beat out rivals from the University of Colorado for the ninth time in an annual contest where college students pitch real estate proposals for a real-life property.

Cool, explain more

Student teams evaluated development opportunities on the 21-acre site adjacent to the station, which features transit oriented development (TOD) opportunities at the center of the South Westminster revitalization area. As part of the RTD’s FasTracks project, the station and transit plaza will be a central hub within the surrounding 135-acre transit-oriented development area.

What's the city's attitude about the coming commuter rail?

It’s a big deal for Westminster, said the city’s Economic Development Director John Hall.

“This is a catalyst redevelopment project for us, and a very high priority for our city council,” he said. “Recently, the federal corridor was named by the Urban Land Institute as one of four ‘demonstration corridors’ in the country ripe for reinvention.

It's fair to say I'd think that for a city the size of Westminster and their budget that this competition is a Big assist for them in moving forward.

[Denver Dweller]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/bl...143&j=75132262

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by denver dweller

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/bl...143&j=75132262

the b line’s average weekday ridership in 2016 is expected to be about 800 people.

lol.

[TakeFive]

Woo Hoo We're having a Block Party
No, no it's a Station Party

"B Line opens" via FasTracks

For Today Only

The B Line commuter rail service between Union Station and Westminster opened on Monday, July 25 following a ribbon cutting at the Westminster Station which is just west of West 71st Avenue and Federal Boulevard. Free rides on the B Line train began at 11 a.m. There will be family friendly fun, games, food and music until 4 pm.

For Saturday Only

Then on Saturday July 30, we're having parties at the Union Station with games, music and entertainment from 2-6 p.m., and then the festivities move to Westminster Station from 6-10 p.m. with carnival games, food, beer garden, face painting, live music, and a fireworks show at 9pm!

Oh Boy

Free rides on all RTD trains lines
Saturday, July 30 5 a.m.-10 p.m.

Now you can Woot

[The Dirt]

That station is truly the most terrible, horrible, no good, very bad design in the whole system.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

lol.

That's bcuz this station will only have a half-year's worth of ridership.

(Hmm, not buying that eh?)

I was certainly happy to learn that the Good Transit Book did have room for an end-of-line park-n-ride station that kicks butt as being A OK (was it a footnote?). Of the three current lines with (obviously) an end-of-line station, Nine Mile ranks 7th, Lincoln ranks 14th which is still pretty good and the Taj Mahal ranks 24th - out of 44 stations. Once data comes in for the 'A' Line I'd think that would be the best end-of-line station but it's really a destination station.

Once the R Line is running I'll take a flier on the Iliff Station siphoning off maybe 15-20 percent of Nine Mile's ridership which would knock it down a couple of notches in the rankings.

The good news is that Westminster has room to grow.

[The Dirt]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

The good news is that Westminster has room to grow.

Does it really, though? You've already reserved the immediate vicinity (the best place to grow) of the station with a park. I don't see it as an interim use, either, otherwise they wouldn't have invested in all of those bridges. The surrounding area, which is the next best area to grow will just get moderate barely Stapleton level density. That's definitely not a catalyst for high ridership. Then out beyond that, you have suburban low density tract housing. This is the kind of development pattern that will take at a minimum decades to rezone and redevelop into higher density residential. In the meantime, these people will complain that the station's brought unfathomable traffic to their quiet, suddenly charming neighborhood.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by The Dirt

Does it really, though? You've already reserved the immediate vicinity (the best place to grow) of the station with a park. I don't see it as an interim use, either, otherwise they wouldn't have invested in all of those bridges. The surrounding area, which is the next best area to grow will just get moderate barely Stapleton level density. That's definitely not a catalyst for high ridership. Then out beyond that, you have suburban low density tract housing. This is the kind of development pattern that will take at a minimum decades to rezone and redevelop into higher density residential. In the meantime, these people will complain that the station's brought unfathomable traffic to their quiet, suddenly charming neighborhood.

All I meant was that from a ridership of 800 they had no where to go but up.
(Timeout to listen to Michelle Obama who I'd rather vote for than Hillary but that's off topic)

At one time I knew my way around Westminster fairly well but tbh it's now distant enough that it's become fuzzy and I have no recall of this specific area. That said, from what I quoted above the existing station area is a 21-acre site and to re-quote: "As part of the RTD’s FasTracks project, the station and transit plaza will be a central hub within the surrounding 135-acre transit-oriented development area."

With respect to "suburban low density tract housing," welcome to FasTracks. Other than the higher density (at the time) that surrounds Nine Mile Station that's what you get pretty much everywhere unless it's undeveloped.

If you're asking if this segment should have been built in the 1st place that's a fair question. I have a post in mind to hopefully answer that and FasTracks in general but it will be by necessity speculative and I want to make it more than just rambling wishful thinking. I'm not there yet.

[The Dirt]

So you're saying that the station is so shitty that it can't get any shittier. I'm glad we agree, then!

[TakeFive]

B Line TOD



Renderings courtesy Shears Adkins Rockmore Architects aka SA+R

"Housing development planned for Westminster"
Sunday, July 10, 2016, Staff Report - Westminster Window

Enterprise Community Investment Inc. announced a deal to create Alto, a transit-oriented affordable housing development containing 70 new apartments for low-income families in Westminster.

Located within three blocks of a new light rail station offering nonstop trips to downtown Denver in about 11 minutes, Alto will also meet the Enterprise Green Communities criteria, the first national framework for creating and preserving sustainable affordable housing.

Is this for Millennial appeal?
Nope

The project is expected to be finished by October 2017, at which time one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be reserved for families making between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income...

Is there good demand for this?
Yup

“Locating affordable housing close to public transit is a key part of our mission to connect residents to opportunity, especially in urban areas where low-income families often find it difficult to afford homes close to work,” said Melinda Pollack"...

The announcement comes on the heels of poll results released in May by Make Room, a national campaign to give voice to struggling renters. Sponsored by Enterprise Community Partners, the Make Room poll revealed that 80 percent of Coloradans agreed more affordable rental homes should be developed for families in their communities.