Inside RTD FasTracks JANUARY 2016

January2016
WelcometoInsideFasTracks--yourmonthlyupdateaboutFasTracksnews,progressandpeople
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FasTracksNews
FirstoffivenewtransitlinesopenedJan.3
FlatironFlyer,RTD’sbusrapidtransitservice,nowrunningonU.S.36
TheFlatironFlyer,RTD’snewbusrapid
transit(BRT)servicebegancarryingriders
Jan.3.Buttheservicewasofficially
christenedJan.7,followingfive
simultaneousribbon-cuttingceremonies
alongU.S.36.RTDBoardmembersjoined
localmayors,officialsandorganizationsto
celebratetheevent.Ceremonieswereheld
atstationsalongU.S.36atBroomfield,
McCaslin(bothLouisvilleandSuperior
sides),TableMesaandSheridan.(Photoleft:
CuttingtheribbonattheMcCaslinLouisvillestation
areRTDDirectorKentBagley,36CommutingSolutionsExecutiveDirectorAudreyDeBarros,LouisvilleMayorRobert
Muckle,BoulderCountyCommissionerCindyDomenicoandRTDDirectorChuckSisk.)
Thenewfleetof59brandedbusesoffersridersmorefrequenttrips,improvedreliabilityand
optimalbustraveltimesalongthe18milesofU.S.36betweenBoulderandDenver.Daily
ridershipisexpectedtoincreasefromthecurrent10,600to20,400by2035.
Newexpresslaneshavebeenaddedto
thehighway,whichgivetransitpriority
tothesleeknewbusesandallowthe
FlatironFlyertotravelathighway
speedswhilethegeneralpurposelanes
experienceslowerspeedsrelatedto
rushhourcongestion.Thebusesalso
includesuchamenitiesasUSBports
and120-voltoutletstochargelaptops,
tabletsandsmartphones;reclining
seats;footrests;androomforupto
eightbicycles.(Photoleft:Peoplegetting
readyfortheribbon-cuttingceremonyatthe
US36•TableMesaStation).
Thecompletebusrapidtransitservicealsoincludesmodernandenhancedpassengerstations
withlargecanopiesandwindscreensforbetterweatherprotectionatthesixpark-n-rideson
U.S.36anddigitalinformationscreens
withbusdeparturetimes.
SincethestartoftheBRTservice,RTD
hascarefullyreviewedandconsidered
passengerneedsandhasmadeservice
adjustments.Additionaltripshave
beenaddedtoaccommodateriders
alongthecorridor.
ThenewBRTserviceispartoftheRTD
FasTracks’2004voter-approvedplanto
expandrapidtransitacrosstheDenver
metroregion.(Photoleft:Celebratingatthe
McCaslinSuperiorstationareSuperiorTrustee
EliaGourgouris,SuperiorTrusteeSandy
Pennington,SuperiorTrusteeDebraWilliams,
SuperiorTrusteeRitaDozal,SuperiorMayorClint
Folsom,BoulderCountyCommissionerDebGardner,RTDDirectorLorraineAndersonandRTDDirectorJeffWalker.)
Checkoutavideodescribingallofthefeaturesofthebusrapidtransitservice.And,checkout
thelatestinformationabouttheFlatironFlyer.
Free-flowingleftturnsallowedwithnewDivergingDiamond
Interchange
AnotheraspectoftheU.S.36highwayexpansionprojectistheintroductionofanew“diverging
diamondinterchange”(DDI)constructedaspartoftheMcCaslinBridgeonU.S.36near
LouisvilleandSuperior.
This$12.5millionjointprojectbetweenLouisville,Superior,theColoradoDepartmentof
TransportationandRTDisaboldconceptaimedatreducingcongestionproblemsalong
McCaslinBoulevardbyallowingfree-flowingleftturns.TheDDIdesigndivertsalltraffictothe
oppositesideoftheroadthroughatwo-phasedsignaledinterchange.Carsturningleftno
longerhavetostopandwaitforoncomingtrafficbeforeproceeding.
Thenewinterchangefeaturesdedicatedoff-rampsforRTDbusesthatcrossundertheMcCaslin
BridgeandroutesthemtotheMcCaslinPark-n-Ride.Thisadditionaldesignsavestheaverage
RTDbusabout3minutesincommutetimeone-way.
Theprojectalsomakesthebridgesaferforpedestriansandbicyclistswitha12-foot-widepath
inthecenterofthebridgeorcyclistscanchoseadesignatedbikelane.
FiveNewTransitLinesOpeningin2016
FlatironFlyer
BRTserviceonU.S.36
betweendowntownDenver
andBoulder
UniversityofColoradoALine Commuterrailservice
betweenUnionStationand
DenverInternationalAirport
OpenedJan.3
OpensApril22,2016
BLine
GLine
RLine
Commuterrailservice
betweenUnionStationand
WestminsterStation
Commuterrailservice
betweenUnionStationand
WheatRidge/Arvada
Lightrailserviceconnecting
LoneTreeandAurorawith
connectiontothenewCUA
Line
OpensSummer2016
OpensFall2016
OpensLate2016
Continuetostaytunedformoreinformationontheexcitingopeningofthesetransitlines.
http://www.rtd-denver.com/Fastracks.shtml
64thAvenueBridgeopensontheBLine
Thenew64thAvenueBridgebetweenPecosStreetandFederalBoulevard
The64thAvenueBridgebetweenPecosStreetandFederalBoulevardisopenfortraffic.
Thenewbridgereplacesaportionoftheexisting64thAvenueroadwayandastreet-level
railroadcrossingwithagrade-separatedcrossing.Aribbon-cuttingceremonytookplaceJan.
20.
ThenewbridgespansthefreightrailtracksandthefutureBLine,acommuterrailline
scheduledtoopenthissummer.Meanwhile,segmentsoftheLittleDryCreekandClearCreek
trailshavebeenrestoredandareopenforpedestriansandbicyclists.
Thenewbridgeoffersseveralbenefitstothearea:
•
Thegrade-separatedroadwayallowstraffictoflowwithoutstoppingattherailcrossing
•
Pedestriansafetyimproveswithnewcurbguttersanda10-footsidewalkaddedtothe
southsideoftheroad
•
Trainswillbequietersincetheyarenolongerrequiredtoblowtheirhornsatthe64th
Avenueroadcrossing.Trainengineerswillonlysoundhornsduringanemergencyorif
workersareintheroadway.
Thefirst6.2-milesegmentofthenewBLinewillstretchfromUnionStationinDenvertonear
71stAvenueandLowellBoulevardinWestminster.
EmergencypreparednessdrillheldonUniversityofColoradoALine
EmergencyresponderspracticeduringaplannedemergencydrillalongtheUniversityofColoradoALine.
RTDanditscontractor,DenverTransitPartners(DTP),alongwithemergencyrespondersand
otherlocalagencies,heldanemergencypreparednessdrillJan.9.Theplanneddrilltookplace
at32ndAvenueandPagosaStreetonthebridgeoverI-70inAurora.
Thedrillforatrainvs.pedestrianincidentchallengedtheresponseprotocolforfireandlaw
enforcementagencies,emergencyagencies,DTPandRTD.Eachagencycoordinatedand
simulatedhowitwouldrespondinanemergencyalongtheCUALineonceitopensApril22.
Theexercisewaspartoftheproject’stestingandcommissioningphasetoensurethesafetyof
RTD’sridersandthepublic.
Orchestrateddrills,similartothis,willtakeplaceonceayearonallthreeEAGLEP3commuter
raillines(CUALine,GLinetoArvadaandBLinetoWestminster).
TheCUALinehas13gradecrossingswhichareoutfittedwithflashingsignals,audiblebellsand
signsthatwarnofapproachingtrains.
Thepublicisremindedtoonlycrossatdesignatedpedestriancrossings,neverwalkaround
loweredgatearmsandalwayspayattentiontosafetywarningdevicesinstalledatcrossings.
Andspeaking
ofsafety…
RTD
launches
new
safety
campaign:
Dumb
Waysto
Die
Throughan
innovative
partnershipwithAustaliantransitoperatorMetroTrainsMelbourne,RTDbringstheDumb
WaystoDiesafetycampaigntoDenver.
RTDisthefirsttransitagencyinNorthAmericatousetheDumbWaystoDiecampaignfor
transitsafetyoutreachwhichkickedofftodayatDenverUnionStation.(Photoleft:Numptyand
Stumblearetwoofthecharactersspreadingthewordaboutsafety.
DumbWaystoDiewassuccessfullyusedinMelbourne,Australiatopromoterailsafety.It
wentviralandreceivedmorethan75millionpledgesworldwidefrompeoplewhocommitted
tobeingsafearoundtrains.
Thecampaign’sthemesongDumbWaystoDiefeaturesathree-minutemusicvideoof21
cartooncharactersdyingthroughavoidablemistakes,suchasswimmingwithpiranhas.Three
ofthecharactersdieafterbeinghitbytrains.
SafetyisRTD’snumberonepriority.Whilethecharactersandtheiractivitiesshow
implausibledeathscenarios,RTDisveryseriousaboutsafety.RTDchosethisparticularsafety
campaignbecauseofthememorablewayitusesanimationandhumorasahooktoengage,
captivateandstartadiscussionaboutaveryserioustopic.
BeonthelookoutforthesecharactershangingaroundDenveraskingforyourpledgetobe
safearoundtrainsandbuses.
Checkoutthefunvideohere:https://youtu.be/JljaTTi0LXk
ProgressUpdates
CentralRailExtension
DenverUnionStation
EagleP3Project
EastRailLine
FreeMetroRide
GoldLine
I-225RailLine
MaintenanceFacilities
NorthMetroRailLine
NorthwestRailLine
SoutheastRailExtension
SouthwestRailExtension
U.S.36BusRapidTransit
WestRailLine
RTDBoardMeetings
TheRTDBoardholdsregularmeetingsmostTuesdays.Learnmore…
CalendarofEvents
Foracompletelistingofupcomingeventsandactivities,clickhere.
NowPresenting
ToscheduleaFasTrackspresentationforyourgroupororganization,contacttheFasTracks
PublicInformationTeamtodayat303-299-6990.
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FasTracksisRTD'svoter-approvedtransitexpansionprogramtobuild122milesofcommuterrailand
lightrail,18milesofbusrapidtransitservice,add21,000newparkingspaces,redevelopDenver’s
historicUnionStationandredirectbusservicetobetterconnecttheeight-countydistrict.Formore
informationaboutFasTracks,visitwww.rtd-fastracks.com.
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