1. Northwest Area Mobility Study FasTracks Monitoring Committee
February 5, 2013

2. Background
Last year RTD considered requesting additional funds from District voters for the FasTracks program
Due to cost constraints, the Northwest Rail Line could not be implemented in the near-term, therefore, a “Hybrid Option” was developed as an early action implementation measure
RTD opted not to pursue the election; however, area stakeholders expressed strong interest in further evaluating mobility options in the Northwest Area

3. Northwest Rail Line - Overview
41-mile corridor
Uses existing BNSF line from Pecos to Longmont
Serves Denver, Adams County, Jefferson County, Boulder County, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, Boulder, and Longmont

4. Committed to Date – Northwest Rail Line Segment 1
DUS to South Westminster
Included as part of Eagle P3 project
Ground breaking 2012
Project opening in 2016

5. RTD Funding Committed to Date – US 36 BRT/Joint Project with CDOT
18 miles of BRT with 12 stations (6 locations)
RTD’s early action BRT projects complete – May 2010 ($19 M)
Construction of Table Mesa ped bridge over US 36 underway; complete in March 2013 ($9 M)
US 36 Express Lanes/BRT Phase 1 will be completed by January 2015, 5 months ahead of schedule ($120 M)
US 36 Express Lanes/BRT Phase 2 to be completed by end of 2015 ($15 M)
RTD has committed $163 M to the US 36 BRT Project to date

6. Northwest Area Mobility Study Scope
Evaluate overall mobility options in the Northwest Area
Determine funding priorities for US 36 remaining BRT elements
Evaluate feasibility and cost of constructing the Northwest Rail Line in segments 
Evaluate potential for extending North Metro Rail Line to Longmont 
Conduct high-level feasibility analysis of reverse commute on I-25 Downtown Express lanes

7. Results of the Study
Prioritized list of improvements for the Northwest area that has the overall support of RTD, CDOT and our project stakeholders
Including base year capital and operations and maintenance (O&M) cost estimates and fatal flaw analyses of technical, financial and environmental issues
The results of this study will then feed into the next Annual Program Evaluation (APE)
Specific timing for completion of the remaining FasTracks projects will be determined by the RTD Board through the APE process

8. Results of the Study (cont.)
Changing projects included in the original FasTracks plan could require approval by residents through a district-wide election
RTD cannot include improvements that are not part of the original FasTracks plan in the Senate Bill 208 submittal
If the study results in consensus with our stakeholders that changes should be made to the original FasTracks plan, the RTD Board could
Include the change in a future election (if the RTD Board decides to pursue a future election) OR
Submit the new project(s) to DRCOG for inclusion in the longer- term 2040 Metro Vision Plan (to be funded outside of FasTracks revenues)

9. Results of the Study (cont.)
Prior to initiating construction on any improvement identified as part of this study, RTD will be required to conduct additional environmental analyses and engineering
Extensive public outreach will be included as part of both the environmental and engineering efforts

10. Consultant Selection
Staff recommends that the RTD Board approve the award of a contract to HNTB Corporation for an amount not to exceed $2,022,091
22% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal
Additionally, staff recommends RTD Board authorize the transfer of $2.5 M from the Transit Development Reserve to fund the consultant contract, staff time, and specialized on-call modeling support for the study
These funds will be replenished in the 2013 Amended Budget with proceeds of the sale of the air rights at Civic Center Station (as approved by a November 2012 RTD Board action)

11. Next Steps Obtain RTD Board approval for consultant selection
Issue Notice to Proceed to selected consultant
Provide regular updates to the RTD Board on study progress
Complete study in early 2014

12. Board Input/Questions