The Denver Post today reports on a meeting held by the North Area Transportation Alliance, a group of business and governmental leaders working to ensure the north metro area isn’t shortchanged by RTD and the FasTracks project.  Thornton Mayor Erik Hansen and the City of Thornton are at the forefront of these efforts and I applaud them for helping to ensure that our area isn’t ripped off by the FasTracks boondoggle. 

I just wish there was some sort of a real solution to this mess.  Most of the options involve more money from taxpayers which I staunchly oppose.  We simply cannot keep throwing good money after bad and supporting a project that has been mismanaged from the start. 

Other options involve giving taxpayers less – much less – than what we agreed on and that too is unacceptable.  At one point Thornton city staff was pitching an “equity” plan that would ensure all FasTracks corridors are shortchanged by an equal amount.  How is that acceptable?  Should we not get what we voted on, at the price we agreed to?  If not, then the project should be scrapped. 

I simply see no way out of this short of repealing the measure and making RTD try again.  Frankly I believe that is what Thornton should be seeking – get us out of this mess!  The reality is that we cannot get what we were promised, no matter how hard we try.