Comments on: #2: FasTracks and Union Station

By: Beth Partin

Beth Partin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:14:44 +0000

As someone who lives in Broomfield and commutes by bus to Denver a lot, I am still in favor of FasTracks, despite its money problems. But I got another view of it on February 17, when I was on the Environmental Justice tour sponsored by the Cross Community Coalition in Elyria-Swansea. They said that FasTracks will go through that area around I-70 and I-25 but, because it is commuter rail, won’t stop there. Just seemed like another way in which Globeville Elyria Swansea is left out of Denver’s urban housing and livability boom.

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:03:42 +0000

I don’t believe the original DUS plan had through tracks. It was always a stub, it just was underground vs. at grade today. There’s always the potential for a HSR or other through track at the CML by where the light rail would go, or creating an annex terminal elsewhere (such as in River North as Aaron suggested). Most big cities have multiple terminals for the same reason as we may face one day: there’s just not enough room for every train that could conceivable enter the city to arrive at the same station.

It’s something to think about but not something to stop the current project in its tracks (pun unfortunately unavoidably intended).

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:59:39 +0000

I agree that enough room needs to be left over for additional expansions, Toast2042. At the same time, I really wouldn’t have a major problem with the notion of a secondary transit terminal somewhere else in the downtown area (perhaps River North?) for additional lines. Stub lines don’t necessarily choke off expansion opportunities, but even then, there’s no reason why stub lines couldn’t be made into through lines with additional funding at a later date. Tunneling or bridging is always a possibility if and when the additional capacity is desired and/or needed.

By: Toast2042

Toast2042 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:43:57 +0000

Aaron, I left out their “elements” argument because, like you, I don’t beleive it will make that large a difference. I’m concerned solely with the idea that we won’t have enough platforms to handle the trains we would all like to see running. If I recall, the original redesign had through-tracks. The new redesign has stub ends. If we end up not being able to support a front range runner or an I-70 ski train because there’s no capacity, I’d be pissed. It seems to me that they’re using guerilla tactics to force the issue. And I’m not sure that they were biding their time until all the decisions had been made to speak up, as you seem to imply. If they really did, then that’s a fair point, but I’m not assuming it.

By: Freddie

Freddie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:08:15 +0000

Well Bruce, again I have to admit I’m somewhat ignorant about just how well the system works since I seldom venture into suburbia. Admittedly, I don’t quite understand the park-n-ride concept.

As for point number one. I guess in my fantasy, the new transit system would spawn livable urban villages that are all connected. In other words, I realize that currently, not many people will be within walking distance, but I have sort of a if-you-build-it-they-will-come philosophy about it.

As for point two? I have to plead ignorance here. It seems to me, places with train stations and lots of people are much more livable. I guess I can’t picture people NOT wanting that. But of course most people live in a sprawled suburbia intentionally so… Also, I really don’t think the parking lots would last. After enough transit oriented development changes the local real estate landscape, I think we’d be looking at more compact garages that help the area become more pedestrian friendly.

As for point three? I’ll have to take your word for it.

As for the last point, well, I still think I’ve got you on that one. If I did live in the suburbs and had to drive to work I’m really not sure what I would do honestly. But seriously, once your comfortably in your car, your in your car. Might as well just drive there at that point. I’d be willing to bet most people are like that.

And please don’t anyone get me wrong. I about jumped for joy when Fastracks passed. And over the course of the years I’ve probably spent many hours staring at the fastracks map and fantasizing about what it will be like when it’s built out. In particular, I can’t wait for the line to DIA to get built. After living in towns like SF and visiting Denver via DIA, it always made me feel like my home town wasn’t really a big city because it doesn’t even have a train that goes to the airport.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:57:55 +0000

Colorail had chances over the last 8 years to make their voices heard. At this point, all they seem to be capable of doing is complain about some design elements in the DUS plans. Not sure if they want to derail the entire project or not, but it seems to be their intention at this point!

As for their notion that people will be left out in the elements to go from the LRT platforms to DUS itself, are they forgetting about the underground bus terminal that will serve as one walkway between transit modes in times of bad weather?

By: Toast2042

Toast2042 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:20:46 +0000

Ken, how do you reconcile the DUS capacity fears mentioned by Colorail? I want to be able to fit future lines as well as current ones.

By: BS

BS — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:37:43 +0000

I bet #1 is going to be the denver infill blog itself

By: Ken

Ken — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:44:13 +0000

Matt… it was a close call for #1 !!

By: Matt Pizzuti

Matt Pizzuti — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:54:50 +0000

I’m surprised that this isn’t #1! FasTracks is really a systemic change. No, it’s not a complete system, and no it doesn’t make its neighborhoods automatically “walkable.”

It does the same thing highways do- it connects the roads.

I expect most transit stops will become walkable neighborhoods at least the size of a street or two. Most of the stops I’ve been to on the South Line are not there yet – they look more like Park and Rides. But as we get a little better at this, it will be routine to have a neighborhood here and there that is just a hop away from the train.

Of course, even if every light rail stop were attached to a clone of the 16th Street Mall you’d still have only a meager a fraction of all of the Denver Metro area covered. One way to cope with this is to make those areas more high-profile and dense, with low-rise apartment buildings lined with streetside retail, with events centers, restaurants and highly-utilized parks right there at every transit stop. But ultimately, suburban light rail stops will be major connectors for buss and shuttle services, so you can “step down” so to speak to a more specific mode of transit to get home, and stops in Lakewood or Denver proper will connect to other more high-profile modes of transit.

Anyway, the fact that a project on the scale of FasTracks is only #2 leaves me really wondering what the top of this list could be.