DENVER | Transportation Thread

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by texboy

Haha... ooooh no... just take a walk by the carousels. Its atrocious. Literally you have the sparkly tiles next to a flat, dingy white floor that was poured early on in the original contract. Its terrible.

Just carpet everything. Problem solved.

[TakeFive]

Heading in the right direction, this is a Good Start

RTD proposes massive overhaul: Fewer suburban buses, more service where riders remained during the pandemic
January 12, 2022 By Nathaniel Minor - CPR

The Regional Transportation District is proposing a dramatic post-pandemic overhaul of its bus system that would focus service on places where passengers are still riding and permanently cut lines in locations where they aren’t.

Interesting article on many levels. As things have improved, RTD has been able to observe which routes were recovering the most. This is Key:

Ridership on RTD’s buses and trains has been slowly recovering over the last year but is still about half of pre-pandemic levels. The drop is most severe on lines that serve suburbs and suburb-to-downtown commuters, while lines that go through dense areas with low-income residents have stayed relatively steady.

Normalization

Who knows what that will look like. We're currently still in the throes of transitioning through the Pandemic. It certainly appears that many 'lifestyle' changes appear to be rather permanent.

RTD's pending changes will be phased in over 5 years

Who knows the ultimate reaction of more suburban areas to the loss of their service. I suspect that in the near term they'll just let TNC's handle the 'transit' needs for locals.

Perhaps at some point these suburban areas and RTD will want to provide some type of First- & Last-mile transportation to Rail Stations?

[TakeFive]

Side Pocket Topic

Anecdote:

I'm often bemused by the way my 28-year old son spends his money.
But Gen X and Millennials are going to do what they want to do. That's the way it's always been as the next generation makes its imprint on society.

I'm in the process (this week) of switching from Uber-rideshare to DoorDash deliveries. Should help me to continue to avoid CVOID crap.

A blog buddy from Phx recently moved to Denver. A retired military guy, he switches back & forth from rideshare to delivery. Couple of days ago he went "dashing" for nine hours (I assume in So Aurora), he made $234 which is $26/hour. With no withholding etc the only everyday expense is gas. That came in at $18 which is 7.7%. My rideshare gas costs in sprawling Phx prolly average about 22.5% That is a huge difference in what your 'take-home' pay is.

Back to Transit:

I've previously noted that 90% of the (metro) jobs are outside of downtown Denver and usually Big Bertha buses won't get workers where they need to go. It's impressive the variety of socioeconomic levels that rely on rideshare.

The Smartphone Generation cherishes their time and convenience

Who knows what tomorrow's transit world will look like but if it doesn't appeal to or meet the needs of the customer then "they won't come."

[EngiNerd]

They let you back in!? The place wasn't the same without you, no matter what we say about you, haha.

[TakeFive]

Well that was nice; appreciate it.

Originally Posted by EngiNerd

They let you back in!? The place wasn't the same without you, no matter what we say about you, haha.

I really am enjoying getting out, meeting people and being productive. What spare time I have generally goes to following the Nuggets and Avalanche, especially the Avs. Maybe when summer comes I'll have more time. I'll likely work the 'early bird' shift and be done by ~11:00 am.

Awhile ago before Xmas, I picked up a guy from Costa Rica who was in Phoenix on business. I happen to mentioned I spent most of my adult life in Denver and asked him if he'd ever been there. He replied "yes, my dad went to DU and I've been there a couple of times and I am headed there next week." I asked what he would be doing in Denver and all he would say is a client requested he fly in for some training.

Then later the same night a guy and his two friends were jabbering about his job. He lives in Kansas City but he works for Martin/Martin Engineering (HQ in Denver) and he was part of a team that was seeking a structural engineering & facilities management contract of the sprawling Hallmark complex (85-acre hotel, office, entertainment and residential complex surrounding Hallmark’s world headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.) He started talking about the infamous Hyatt Regency walkway collapse back in 1981. I'd assume you remember that engineering failure, eh?

Always interesting the 'small' world we live in.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

What spare time I have generally goes to following the Nuggets and Avalanche, especially the Avs.

Welcome back. I used to have that hobby. Before I was condemned to Comcast.

[EngiNerd]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Well that was nice; appreciate it.


I really am enjoying getting out, meeting people and being productive. What spare time I have generally goes to following the Nuggets and Avalanche, especially the Avs. Maybe when summer comes I'll have more time. I'll likely work the 'early bird' shift and be done by ~11:00 am.

Awhile ago before Xmas, I picked up a guy from Costa Rica who was in Phoenix on business. I happen to mentioned I spent most of my adult life in Denver and asked him if he'd ever been there. He replied "yes, my dad went to DU and I've been there a couple of times and I am headed there next week." I asked what he would be doing in Denver and all he would say is a client requested he fly in for some training.

Then later the same night a guy and his two friends were jabbering about his job. He lives in Kansas City but he works for Martin/Martin Engineering (HQ in Denver) and he was part of a team that was seeking a structural engineering & facilities management contract of the sprawling Hallmark complex (85-acre hotel, office, entertainment and residential complex surrounding Hallmark’s world headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.) He started talking about the infamous Hyatt Regency walkway collapse back in 1981. I'd assume you remember that engineering failure, eh?

Always interesting the 'small' world we live in.

No f*cking way, I know this guy well (I work for M/M)! Your small world comment came true for sure.

[TakeFive]

Ha Ha; that is crazy, hilarious.

Originally Posted by EngiNerd

No f*cking way, I know this guy well (I work for M/M)! Your small world comment came true for sure.

It make me want to sing.

[TakeFive]

Special report: RTD faces future clouded by new commuting patterns, staff shortages and big questions about service
January 30, 2022 By Jon Murray - The Denver Post

New series examines how “devastating blow” of pandemic has worsened agency’s challenges

This is quite well-written and apparently well researched and definitely worth a read.

To better understand the challenges facing RTD, The Post spent three months analyzing ridership changes, poring over financial documents and new service plans, interviewing RTD officials and seeking outside appraisals of the agency.

Oh, those Choo Choo trains

Train service, representing billions of dollars of investment, is not recovering as quickly. While less commuter-heavy trains are performing relatively well, six of eight major train corridors that were open in late 2019 fell short of the bus recovery rate by at least 15%. Those low-performers ranged from the B-Line, at 37% of 2019 ridership, to the R-Line, at nearly 48%.

I don't know the ridership breakouts by station but I have to believe it would be nice if the FTA would allow RTD to cut the R Line route in say half. I think running the R Line all the way from Lone Tree may have helped in securing funding for the 3-mile light rail extension to Lone Tree. But in any case that route design made no sense from the get-go. The R Line ending at Nine Mile Station or at worst ending at Belleview Station should save a lot.

There remains a love affair with cars

Industry analysts at S&P Global and other ratings agencies have sounded an alarm over the last year, forecasting that even as the pandemic eases and public transit continues its recovery, many past regular riders — as many as 25% — may not return to riding public transit for several years, if ever. S&P’s latest report, issued Jan. 12, was more pessimistic than earlier forecasts and predicted that public transit’s recovery would lag all other U.S. transportation sectors.

While overall RTD ridership has recovered only partially, federal monitoring of traffic volumes on Colorado’s major urban highways and arterials shows that for most of the last year, driving has returned to near-normal levels.... That’s true even as the contours of weekday rush hours have changed.

Just may opinion but over time I still expect the investment in rail transit to be a wise one - eventually.

[TakeFive]

Nice to see Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledge Colorado


Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline

Buttigieg says I-70 expansion at Floyd Hill will help Colorado and nation
February 24, 2022 By Eli Imadali - CPR

U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg discusses an Interstate 70 expansion project at Floyd Hill during a press conference with other Colorado leaders in Idaho Springs on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Sec. Buttigieg is accompanied by Sen. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Joe Neguse, Sen. Michael Bennet, Colorado Department of Transportation executive director Shoshana Lew, and I-70 Coalition director Margaret Bowes and Gov. Jared Polis.

So what did the Transportation Secretary have to say?

“This is part of what America's supply chains look like. And when trucks are backed up or unable to get to where they need to go in a timely fashion, that is something you will see in shipping times and in prices at the store,” Buttigieg said at a press conference Thursday. “That is one of the reasons why we have such a sense of urgency about deploying these infrastructure resources.”

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by TakeFive

Nice to see Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledge Colorado


Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline

Buttigieg says I-70 expansion at Floyd Hill will help Colorado and nation
February 24, 2022 By Eli Imadali - CPR

So what did the Transportation Secretary have to say?

There is not a big enough eyeroll emoji available in the forum emoticon list for me to adequately convey my *EYEROLL*.

This Administration gives zero f*cks about supply chain if it means widening a highway. No matter what the Ds say for the press in an election year.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

There is not a big enough eyeroll emoji available in the forum emoticon list for me to adequately convey my *EYEROLL*.

This Administration gives zero f*cks about supply chain if it means widening a highway. No matter what the Ds say for the press in an election year.

I did get a big chuckle out of that when I read it.

Strange bedfellows come to mind

It was nice for CDOT and politically the Governor et al to hear the Sec of Transportation say: "you guys are 'Good to Go'." Think about the benefits to Bustang.

I also noticed how the Pres went to Mich-e-gun to tout a large bucket of cash for improving the Great Lakes. Presumably, plans that have been on the shelf collecting dust are now suddenly funded.

The other PR move was Grant funding offers for improving Ports. This is to be a quick process of months to determine the projects that will be funded.

[LooksLikeForever]

Denver International Airport has formed a committee to explore the possibility of opening more flights between African countries and Colorado.

Direct flights to and from Africa are rare in the United States, and nonexistent in Colorado. Unlike flights to major European countries, like London, Paris and Zurich, passengers from DIA currently have to sit through major layovers at other airports before jetting off to Africa.

“As African economies grow and mature, we want Denver to be positioned as a favored point of access for the flow of passengers and cargo,” airport CEO Phil Washington said in a press release. “Securing new long-haul routes can take many years, and the members of the Africa Air Service Committee will be invaluable in helping us to achieve this goal.”

The new committee features 16 community members and local leaders. That includes two Denver city council members and several Black business owners.

Read more: https://www.cpr.org/2022/04/06/dia-c...hts-to-africa/

[CharlesCO]

I really do not understand the point of this other than it maybe being a political throwaway. The market from Denver to Africa has to be pretty small, and there are plenty of technical limitations even with existing aircraft.

[TakeFive]

DIA Sees Biggest Completed Expansion Since 2015
May 3, 2022 By Libby Smith - CBS4 Denver

DENVER (CBS4) – Several big construction projects are underway at Denver International Airport, but one of them will be completed this week. On Thursday, May 5th, Southwest Airlines will unveil 16 new gates on Concourse C.

Mayor Michael Hancock will join the airline to open the new gates at the far east end of the concourse. The expansion includes a new outdoor patio, more seating, restrooms, and pet relief areas. There will also be new dining and shopping options.

[TakeFive]

Decided to do a deep dive into Sound Transit progress

Mad Scramble
for a $6.5 billion shortfall was the topic of 2021 but it's not that important. This reflects the money needed to fulfill promises made.

The Good News
is they're on budget (purportedly) of $15 billion through 2021 (and largely on schedule) to deliver 5 existing light rail projects currently under construction through 2024. Interestingly, when I added up the individual costs of the 5 projects (plus one which opened in 2021) it totaled ~$12.1 billion. My guess is that the difference likely refers to their 'contingency' fund which at 25% makes sense as to what the FTA was requiring.

Project Profile: East Link Extension
I found the FHWA breakouts for funding with this project. Quite interesting.

Cost - $4.03 billion - 14 miles, 10 stations

• Contribution from cash balances - $281.4 million
• Sound Transit tax revenue - $1.086 billion
• Grant revenue - Federal/local - $88.7 million
• Bond proceeds - $1.060 billion
• TIFIA loan - $1.330 billion
• City of Bellevue - $184.5 million

It doesn't seem like they got much in the way of FTA grant funding although the Federal TIFIA loan for $1.330 billion is nice.

The $15 billion includes 40.5 new miles or roughly $370 million per mile. One thing that's obvious is that these projects are an engineering and construction marvel compared with anything that RTD did with FasTracks. There are good reasons (in addition to inflation) for why Sound Transit costs over 5X as much per mile.

If you happen to be an engineering nerd or transit interested nerd then Do check this out.

It's fair to say that at this point they are struggling mightily with escalating costs. Whether that might threaten the timely delivery of projects under construction is likely still to be determined. Fortunately, given that all five projects have been under construction for a number of years means most of the costs have already been accounted for I'd assume.

[mhays]

The reason that bridge was built 30 years ago is because the previous one sank. Don't worry though, all of our major bridge failures (two floating bridges, one suspension) were from the 1940s-90s.

A floating bridge relies on concrete "rooms" to float. While the bridge was being renovated, some of the doors were left open during a holiday weekend, which had a storm...

PS, that line might be back to early 2024 due to a recent three-month concrete strike and construction issues...

[202_Cyclist]

Polis signs funding bill for Front Range Passenger Rail project

By Scott Weiser
The Denver Gazette
June 8, 2022


Front Range Passenger Rail District boundaries (Image courtesy of the Denver Gazette)


"Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday signed a bill into law that provides nearly $9 million in funding for Front Range Passenger Rail planning and development.

The plan calls for a rail system along the Interstate 25 corridor from Trinidad to Fort Collins that would connect with Amtrak’s Southwest Chief cross-country rail line. It may, in the future, be extended into Wyoming and New Mexico.

The state legislature created the Front Range Passenger Rail Commission in 2017 to study the idea..."

https://gazette.com/news/government/...5697f6b40.html

[TakeFive]

Bloomberg - City Lab Transportation

Without Commuters, US Transit Agencies Are Running Out of Options
June 16, 2022 By Skylar Woodhouse

Public transit agencies are struggling to come to grips with the possibility that daily commuters may never come back.

Authorities across the country are leaning on promotions and price cuts in an attempt to recover lost ridership with the rise of remote work during the pandemic. But long term, budgets may need to be adjusted to account for fewer ticket sales — a tough reality for systems already struggling to fund improvements and general upkeep.

FWIW, I've come to the conclusion that Denver RTD is in much better shape than many might think - at least compared to many agencies that are looking at a really big cliff ahead.

Compared to many larger and 'better' transit systems, RTD has never had the luxury of Farebox recovery revenues over 40%. More typically RTD fares have been closer to 20% (if that much).

“A lot of agencies are going to hit the fiscal cliff either next year or the year after, and it’s not going to be pretty,” said Jim Aloisi, a professor in transportation policy and planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The problem is structural and it has to do with how agencies have relied too heavily on fare revenue.”

Anybody care to guess which system has had the best recovery to date?

The Answer is: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority which has recovered 70% of its ridership from pre-pandemic numbers. Most larger agencies are at 50% to 60%.

Admittedly RTD has enough challenges with how to 'reimagine' its service. In the mean time they are allocating the needed $'s from the Infrastructure Bill for necessary maintenance and replacements over the next four years.

[TakeFive]

Poking around Portland

For RTD, I recently found daily rail ridership numbers of 75,000 in the 4th quarter of 2021. For Portland TriMet MAX, daily rail ridership numbers for the 4th quarter were 51,000.

Interestingly, Portland TriMet MAX has 94 stations to Denver's 78 stations; however total track miles for Portland is only 60 miles of track compared to Denver's 113 miles.

Editorial Side Note:

Portland TriMet had visions of adding a new SW Corridor light rail line that would have been 11 miles with 13 new stations. In 2020 a proposal for $5.2 billion in transportation/transit improvements was put up for voter approval. It was soundly defeated 58% to 42%.

TriMet is akin to a fiefdom so you had all these 'urbanites' sitting around a table creating their urban wet dream. They ended up with a smorgasbord, a mish-mash of this and that, yet it only provided for a partial payment for the new SW Corridor light rail project... for the tidy sum of $5.2 billion. Because they didn't have to, they never sought nor secured any feedback or buy-in from business community or other similar interests. They just assumed the voters would love whatever they proposed. Oops!

For comparison, many of the things Portland wanted to do were fine but the package grew waay too big and was poorly executed. Denver by comparison is doing many of the same types of things accomplished via the Elevate Denver and RISE Denver bond packages approved by voters. These were designed with a much better mix of projects to appeal to all areas and voters for a ton less money.