Light Rail Delayed 30 Years

The RTD Board of Directors has sent all of the North Metro's light rail lines south; literately and figurative. To make the matter worst, revenues from the existing tax are being diverted from the original build-out, which includes ours, to projects designated as “future extensions”.

Why has the RTD Board, including our local Directors sold us down the river? Hundreds of millions of Private Money. An international construction company, Kiewit Infrastructure, offered to participate in the construction and operation of a rail extension along I-225. The Board is now going through the bidding formalities. Additionally, a private developer offered to split the cost of an extension to the light rail line along south I-25.

The first pitch made to the north metro area was that the extensions would come out of the additional sales tax that RTD was going to seek in an election plus our existing tax. The Board backed off on seeking the tax increase but not on the requested extensions.

In 2009, three counties and twelve cities in the north metro area created a transportation alliance to monitor and advocate on our behalf. The group is referred to as NATA. They have been in the forefront seeking light rail service for the north and northwest areas but the big money is down south.

There is only one group that can save our light rail service and you know who that is; us! Telling the Board not to use our revenues for the extensions is easy: 303-299-2303 or paula.perdue@rtd-denver.com