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COUNCIL COMMUNICATION <br />TO:MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL <br />FROM: MALCOLM FLEMING <br /> CITY MANAGER <br />DATE: FEBRUARY 29 2012 <br />SUBJECT:DISCUSSION – PRESENTATIONFROM REGIONAL <br />TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT (RTD) OFFICIALS REGARDING <br />FASTRACKS <br />ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT:CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE <br />SUMMARY: <br />The latest cost estimates from the Regional Transportation District (RTD) to construct the <br />Northwest Rail commuter train that will go from Denver through Louisville to Boulder and then <br />Longmont are much higher than previous estimates (going from roughly $900 million to $1.7 <br />billion – year of expenditure assuming a 3-5 year delay). As a result, RTD is evaluating other <br />alternatives to building the Northwest Rail. <br />The alternatives RTDis considering as it contemplates asking voters to approve an additional <br />sales tax to complete the FasTracks system include: (1) a tax increase that would construct the <br />Northwest Rail in 2024 (without the tax increase another 20 years might pass before RTD has <br />sufficient funding to build the Northwest Rail); (2) a tax increase to construct the Northwest Rail <br />in 2024 with earlier Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) improvements on US 36, in addition to station <br />improvements in Louisville, Gunbarrel and Longmont with enhanced bus service in the 2014-16 <br />timeframe; (3) a tax increase with no rail service, but establishing a less expensive Bus Rapid <br />Transit line serving Louisville, Boulder, Longmont and communities in between. <br />Please find attached an RTD staff presentationon current cost issues and potential options <br />moving forward. Potential questions the City Council may wish to address further with RTD <br />include the following: <br />1)How do we engage BNSF in other options – segmenting the project, reducing ROW, not <br />requiring theslots all be paid for up front etc.? <br />2)What are the key components of the cost increase from BNSF? <br />3)Are there further opportunities for negotiation with BNSF about segmenting/phasing the rail <br />line to Louisville? <br />4)What happens to the rail and/or BRT if a new FasTracks 2 tax does not pass in November? <br />5)With the new cost projections for the NW rail corridor, what would be the completion year of <br />the rail with no additional tax revenue source for RTD? <br />SUBJECT AGENDA ITEM <br />DISCUSSION –PRESENTATIONFROM <br />REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT <br />2 <br />OFFICIALS REGARDING FASTRACKS <br />2 <br /> <br />