U.S.
36 Projects
U.S.
36 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
Major
milestone reached for U.S. 36 transportation planning process
On December 24, 2009,
the
Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
signed a Record of Decision (ROD) for the U.S. 36 Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS), a significant milestone which completes the
corridor planning process and readies U.S. 36 for state and federal
funding.
Project background
Since 2003, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the
Regional Transportation District (RTD), in conjunction with the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), studied transportation improvements between Denver and
Boulder in the U.S. 36 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
In
2007, the U.S. 36 EIS project team solicited public input on the Draft EIS.
Public
comments received expressed interest in a transportation solution that
minimized community and environmental impacts and project
cost, while providing increased mobility improvements throughout the
U.S. 36 corridor.
The
U.S. 36 Preferred
Alternative Committee, a 21-member group comprised of agency
representatives, elected officials and technical staff from local
jurisdictions, was convened to respond to the public comments and help
identify a package of multi-modal transportation improvements, known as
the Preferred Alternative, for inclusion in the U.S. 36
EIS. The Preferred Alternative was identified July 2008 and
included the following elements:
- Managed
lane in each direction of U.S. 36 giving priority to buses, High
Occupancy Vehicle (HOVs) and single occupancy toll-users
- Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) including ramp-loading stations, parking
facilities and local transit connections
- Commuter
bikeway adjacent to the highway
- Pavement
and bridge repair
The
Preferred Alternative was then included in the U.S. 36 Final EIS, which
was released October 30, 2009 for a 45-day
public comment period. Following the public comment period, the ROD was then signed,
officially completing the corridor planning process.
Construction
of the Preferred Alternative will take place in phases as funding
becomes available. Phase 1 will focus on building managed lanes,
Bus Rapid Transit enhancements, two interchange and two bridge
improvements and a portion of the bikeway.
Resources
RTD
FasTracks
Northwest
Rail
The RTD FasTracks 2010 Annual Program
Evaluation was released Tuesday, January 5. Click here
to read a summary. Click here
to read the full presentation. Click here
to see corridor costs.
RTD FasTracks
The RTD FasTracks project is the nation's largest transit expansion
project. It is a voter-approved, 12-year comprehensive plan to build
and operate high-speed rail lines and expand and improve bus service and
park-n-Rides throughout the region. FasTracks includes:
- 122 miles of new light rail and commuter
rail
- 18 miles of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service
- 57 new transit stations
- 21,213 additional parking spaces at
transit park-n-Rides
- Enhanced bus service and FastConnects
throughout the region
RTD FasTracks Northwest Rail
The Northwest Rail corridor is a 41-mile
stretch of high-speed commuter rail from Denver Union Station to Longmont,
passing through North Denver, Adams County, Westminster, Broomfield,
Louisville and Boulder. Northwest Rail will provide reliable transit service to the
U.S. 36 area
while improving travel times and enhancing access to jobs, recreation and
entertainment. Click here for a
detailed map of the Northwest
Rail corridor and the entire
FasTracks system.
U.S. 36 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
The U.S. 36 Final Environmental Impact Statement included 18 miles of Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) service
between Downtown Denver and Boulder. The FasTracks
program includes funding for BRT improvements such as slip ramps and access improvements to
park-n-Rides along the corridor. FasTracks funds have also been dedicated to future transit-related improvements
along US
36. Click here
to learn more about BRT.
Noise mitigation and Quiet Zones
RTD is committed to reducing the impact of noise associated with commuter rail. Click here to learn more about
noise mitigation
policies and procedures and implementation
of Quiet Zones.
Resources
www.RTD-FasTracks.com
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