FasTracks is a Denver-area, voter approved and tax funded project to expand commuter rail throughout the metro area.  Before voters approved it in November 2004, I railed against it (pun intended) as a $4.7 billion boondoggle.  Well, I hate to say it, but I told you so! 

Since the project was approved, hardly a day goes by that you don't read about how poorly mismanaged this project has been from the start.   

I can live with the fact that they are going to use noisy, polluting diesel engines when they said they weren’t.  I can live with the delay’s the trains will cause to street traffic as folks travelling in cars will have to wait for these trains.  I can even live with the fact that FasTracks will do absolutely nothing to alleviate traffic on the roads per RTD’s own studies – although that does make one wonder what the purpose behind spending the $4.7 billion is. 

What I can’t live with are the continuing changes in what was promised the taxpayers and the cost overruns that are happening before anything is even built!  The latest figures say the project will cost $2 billion more than what was originally thought – more than a 40% increase.  That isn’t chump change. 

Further, as a result of RTD being so incompetent and unable to provide any sort of accurate cost estimate when voters approved it, major changes in the project are happening that were not part of what tax payers agreed to.  The “west line” that will run along 6th Avenue is the first one that is to be built.  Some of the changes they are already making / contemplating:

-  The train schedules between the Denver Federal Center and the Jefferson County Government Center were reduced to every 15 minutes instead of every five minutes. The reduced service will cost it 300 daily riders.

-  As a byproduct of the service reduction, RTD will build only a single track between the federal center and Jeffco complex. That means service can't even be built up to five-minutes frequencies in the future without adding the second track.

-  The light rail will now go over Sheridan Boulevard on a bridge instead of staying at ground level and rebuilding Sheridan to go over the tracks. The original plan was in place to address other traffic problems on Sheridan.  

-  The number of security cameras along the routes will be reduced thus providing less security for commuters.

-Instead of four-car station platforms, the West Corridor will have stations built for three-car trains thus resulting in lower capacity.  This is at the same time RTD's policy is for four-car platforms.  

-  The Gold Line serving Arvada and Wheat Ridge was planned for light rail but could end up using larger electric commuter rail trains on existing tracks or electric streetcars through neighborhoods. If streetcars are chosen, travel time to downtown Denver would jump to 41 minutes from the originally projected 25.

-  RTD originally planned to build drainage systems to handle flooding from a 100-year storm. But now, RTD has scaled back its standards for the West Corridor to a five-year storm design.  That policy will most like be extended to other corridors.

That last one kills me!  Per RTD, the 100-year flood plain crosses the light-rail path on 13th Avenue west of Wadsworth Boulevard. More frequent storms, such as the five-year variety, would send water across the tracks in many locations. Five year storm!!!  Are you kidding me?  Every five years we could see tracks flooded, possibly damaged, trains stuck and unable to go and hundreds if not thousands of passengers stranded!!!!  This by RTD’s own admission.

Oh, and let’s talk about the much touted central connection at Union Station that was a huge pitch when voters approved the measure.  Originally planners envisioned the station as the hub of the transit system, featuring easy transfers of just several steps between light rail and commuter trains. The latest?  Those connections are now going to be made 2 ½ blocks from Union Station!!!!  Folks arriving from the FasTrack served areas will have to make that 2 1/2 block walk to get on light rail into downtown.  Won’t that be fun in the wintertime???? 

All of this is just for the first step in FasTracks.  The lines that run north are going to be the last ones (as always) to be built.  Can you imagine what sort of changes and cut backs folks up there are going to have in store by then? 

I find it so amusing that for the last two years we have heard, "FasTracks this" and "FasTracks that" as if it was going to be some great savior.  You still hear it today when folks talk about it.  Is it that hard to connect the dots?  Everything I have written here has been well publicized and yet folks stick their heads in the sand and think FasTracks will be the greatest thing since sliced bread. 

This is an enormous boondoggle.  If RTD cannot provide the service and the capabilities that tax payers agreed to pay for, the whole thing ought to be repealed!!! 

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