FasTracks gets federal commitment of $1 billion. FasTracks project will be a model for the country. (Denver: sales, neighborhoods)

[Sobe Itsavized]

Feds provide FasTracks with billion-dollar assist - The Denver Post

ARVADA — Top federal transportation officials signed a commitment Wednesday to provide $1 billion for key RTD FasTracks train lines, and some participants at the signing ceremony took up the challenge of addressing FasTracks' $2.5 billion funding gap.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood extolled the project — an RTD-led public-private partnership known as Eagle.

"This project we are funding will be a model for the country and maybe for the world," LaHood said.

Federal Transit Administration chief Peter Rogoff, who also spoke at the ceremony, said the Regional Transportation District​ is the only transit agency in the country to have such a public-private venture still active under a program originated by the FTA.

"When it comes to private-sector involvement in transportation, Denver is the model," Rogoff said, noting private investment in the Eagle partnership totals "hundreds of millions" of dollars.

The project includes the $1.1 billion East Corridor train to Denver International Airport, the $416 million Gold Line commuter train to Arvada/Wheat Ridge and a short segment of the Northwest train line to south Westminster. All are due for completion by 2016.

LaHood and other speakers cited the regional unity that produced a successful FasTracks tax vote in 2004 to pay for six new train lines and other transit improvements. Since that vote, reduced sales-tax forecasts have helped put RTD about $2.5 billion short of what is needed to build the entire project.

That has left trains — including the North Metro line to Adams County, the Interstate 225 light-rail line in Aurora and the extension of the Northwest line to Boulder/ Longmont — severely underfunded and in danger of being shelved for up to three decades.

Asked after the signing ceremony whether the FTA might financially support the unfunded lines, LaHood said: "What you see here today is a level of support, enthusiasm and energy for a project that is going to happen, that is going to be finished, and I have no doubt . . . the gap will be closed."

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock told the crowd that he supports a vote on a sales-tax increase in November 2012 to finish FasTracks.

Doubling the current 0.4 percent FasTracks tax would get the entire project built by 2020, according to RTD.

Louisville Mayor Chuck Sisk was at the ceremony seeking just such a commitment to finish FasTracks.

The Northwest train will serve Louisville if another $895 million can be found to extend the line beyond south Westminster.

"I want to see RTD make a commitment to the lines that are not funded right now," Sisk said. "We have to know we're going to get a line."

[CAVA1990]

A sales tax increase is a great way to "broaden the base" since it falls more heavily on lower income folks than on "job creators". God forbid you should raise income taxes to pay for things like this.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

A sales tax increase is a great way to "broaden the base" since it falls more heavily on lower income folks than on "job creators". God forbid you should raise income taxes to pay for things like this.

How 'bout those of us who have paid property taxes to RTD for decades for no service in our area at the time and none ever planned, either? Did we get fair value for our money? Will we get fair value for our tax money if an income tax is added, too?

All I see here is another scheme for those who work for a living rather than vote for a living to subsidize the latter group. When I am in neighborhoods of lower income levels, I don't see the streets empty of cars and SUV's, either ... many of which are much nicer and far more expensive vehicles than I'd ever buy or have owned.

Looks to me like another boondoggle in the making ... BILLIONS of dollars to be spent on a service that will never support it's operations in paying ridership, let alone an ROI for the capital investment in equipment/ROW's, or anything else subsidized to it. RTD in it's core area of higher density population has never come close to the ridership levels or fees for service to pay it's way and I don't see anything changing in that equation for the proposed "Denver model" with the expansion of the system.

[chilaili]

I don't understand how they can get billions of $ to support this program and yet so many towns are making huge cuts in their local public transportation because they can't afford to keep the buses running. Am I missing something here? I live in one of those towns that has been promised FasTracks for years and probably will never get it in my lifetime and yet our local bus service has been cut in half making getting to and from work or just to the shops a real problem. How about they give us the billions to make our local infrastructure work the way we need it to? It's so ironic how the powers-that-be want us to not use our cars so much or carpool or ride the bus to save on gas or help the environment and yet make it increasingly difficult to do so!

[Mike from back east]

Infrastructure, like schools, like the Department of Defense, etc, is a cost that we all bear, whether we personally use it or not, it is a sunk cost for the "general welfare" of the nation, state, county, or city.

I'm really delighted to see a line will go to DIA; the people in DC have been waiting over 30 years for a line to IAD....

Over the years, wife and I paid plenty of property taxes, and of the amounts we paid, at least half went to public schools, somewhere in the range of at least $50k alone just for schools, and we NEVER had any kids to take advantage of what "we" paid for. I don't mind it a bit. I don't mind that I've paid to support the DC Metro system (which I used a fair amount) or the Denver system either, which I've use a few times. To me, it's a sunk cost for the public good and I'm not going to be unhappy about it.

It's OUR nation, and we can build a great one or we can let it rot and go the way of the third-world nations.

[denverian]

I think this is great. I'll be able to take the train from Stapleton to DIA and downtown. Even down to Park Meadows if I want. I hate driving!

[CosmicWizard]

Mfbe wrote:

Over the years, wife and I paid plenty of property taxes, and of the amounts we paid, at least half went to public schools, somewhere in the range of at least $50k alone just for schools, and we NEVER had any kids to take advantage of what "we" paid for. I don't mind it a bit. I don't mind that I've paid to support the DC Metro system (which I used a fair amount) or the Denver system either, which I've use a few times. To me, it's a sunk cost for the public good and I'm not going to be unhappy about it.

It's OUR nation, and we can build a great one or we can let it rot and go the way of the third-world nations.

I appreciate your attitude Mike. This is a far cry from the every man for himself crowd that so obnoxiously & boisterously flout their anti tax sentiment these days. So many people in the every man for himself, anti tax crowd are very capable, abundantly blessed in so many ways, with a go get em attitude, self proclaimed christians, but largely lacking in compassion for those less capable and fortunate then themselves. Your attitude is a breathe of fresh air.

[DenverLawGal]

I'm psyched at the news. Yes, I wish I had the rail up north, or the bus on my lonely street. But I'm happy to see the progression.

[sax6272]

Model for the country? As in, a model for bankruptcy? America doesn't have 1 billion dollars. America is bankrupt. Why is that so difficult for people to understand?

[denverian]

Originally Posted by sax6272

Model for the country? As in, a model for bankruptcy? America doesn't have 1 billion dollars. America is bankrupt. Why is that so difficult for people to understand?

Huh? Did I miss a news flash that America went to Bankruptcy Court?