Posts Tagged ‘FasTracks’

RTD’s latest assessment of the state of its massive FasTracks rail boondoggle would be laughable if it weren’t so sad.  The transportation agency now is promising the north Denver metro area will get its rail line – in 2044. Certainly we could go on and on about the failed rail project that has been oversold, [...]

When Amtrak was formed in 1971 funded by the U.S. taxpayer, it was promised that the so-called ‘for profit corporation’ would be in the black within three years.  Today we are 41 years later and we learned today of yet another example of how this fleecing of U.S. taxpayers continues today – sandwiches! At a [...]

As if one rail project billions of dollars in the red wasn’t enough, those who fantasize about shiny choo choo trains gathered yesterday to plan for their next taxpayer funded boondoggle.  On the agenda now is a Front Range rail system linking much of the Colorado I-25 corridor. It sounds great in theory.  Hop on [...]

Local politicians, governmental transportation “planners” and the Colorado Department of Transportation are nearly breaking their arms patting themselves on the back of the news they have the funds to build a new toll lane on I-25.  They seemingly want to ignore the fact it will provide little relief for commuters and forget the past that [...]

The $4.7 billion commuter rail project that Denver area voters approved in 2004 continues to see unprecedented cost increases.  The severely mismanaged project now is forecast to cost taxpayers $7.8 billion, $968.3 million more than the previous estimate. The Annual Program Evaluation (APE) presented to the RTD Board of Directors this week continues to highlight [...]

Much like the ‘Big Dig’ in Boston, the FasTracks rail project in Denver has become synonymous with the word boondoggle.  Despite RTD’s promises that they had corrected their numerous failures, we have learned that they have once again severely underestimated costs. The Denver Business Journal reported on Wednesday that the cost of the Northwest rail [...]

After being missing from the job voters hired him to do for months and potentially facing criminal charges, Ken Riley submitted his resignation to the RTD Board of Directors on Monday night.  In a troubling trend, he becomes the third local Adams County politico in recent months to become embroiled in scandal. Nearly two weeks [...]

With the RTD FasTracks boondoggle set to leave the north Denver area behind, residents are apparently not getting adequate representation on the Regional Transportation District Board of Directors.  Ken Riley, the elected representative for District K, has been MIA in recent months and has many wondering, “Where in the world is Riley?” Update, 10/19/11: RTD Director [...]

It is a tough call the Regional Transportation District’s Board of Directors faces – they have to choose between one of three tax raising options to bailout the FasTracks boondoggle.  As a taxpayer who will foot the bill I am reminded of one of my favorite military acronyms – BOHICA.  No matter which option is [...]

Sometimes you just have to shake your head.  What is being billed as the “World’s Largest Cannabis Lifestyle Convention” is coming to Denver and the publicly funded Regional Transportation District is happy to accept ads coming from an illegal industry. Colorado has in theory legalized medical marijuana, however the drug is illegal under federal law [...]