Specifically, FasTracks includes:

· Light Rail from Golden to Denver
· Commuter Rail from Longmont to Denver through Boulder
· Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) from Boulder to Denver
· Commuter Rail from Denver Union Station to Denver International Airport
· Commuter Rail from Thornton to Denver
· Light Rail along I225 connecting the southeast and east corridors
· Light Rail from Arvada to Denver
· Light Rail extensions along the Southwest and Southeast (TREX) light rail lines

Click map to enlarge:

Transit is Effective
Based on the experience of the southwest line that runs from Mineral Avenue in Littleton to downtown Denver (built under budget with 30 percent more riders than projected), tens of thousands of people would flock to light rail every day. A recent survey of RTD passengers found that 50% of those who ride the Southwest light rail previously would have driven for their trips.

FasTracks is a Good Investment
The FasTracks plan will cost $4.7 billion. Unless voters approve the funding for FasTracks, there will be no funds to build any additional rail lines for the next twenty years, after construction of the Southeast corridor is completed. To build the entire FasTracks plan, metro area voters will need to approve a 0.4 cent sales tax increase (or 4 cents on every $10 purchase). Voters will likely decide on the FasTracks plan in November 2004. Every year that we wait to fund FasTracks will make the plan more expensive.

Getting on the Fast Track to a Livable Denver Region
In August 2003, Environment Colorado and the Livable Communities Support Center released Getting on the Fast Track to a Livable Denver Region. Key findings from our report are summarized here.

To meet the challenges currently facing the Denver region, we should move forward to build the FasTracks Vision Plan as soon as possible. As traffic increases in the metro area, FasTracks would provide an alternative to congestion and provide transportation choices for residents throughout the region. In addition, FasTracks would improve air quality by reducing the total number of trips made by automobile, and preserve open space while promoting more responsible growth. Finally, building FasTracks would benefit the region economically. The system's buildout would create jobs both in construction and transit operations, promote economic growth by creating opportunities for transit-oriented development, and make the region more competitive for business by providing more transportation choices for commuters and by saving the region millions of dollars in lost productivity.

Growth and development. Despite the recent economic downturn, growth and development are projected to increase significantly over the next 20 years. The Denver region's population is expected to grow by an additional million people by 2025, a 45 percent increase. In addition to population growth, the Denver region is impacted by its land consumption and development trends-current estimates show that the region is developing land at a rate two to three times its population growth.

FasTracks would promote a more livable region by encouraging transit-oriented development (TOD), in which housing, retail and office uses are co-located in close proximity to mass-transit access. Getting on the Fast Track found that this compact pattern of development along the more than 60 new transit stops envisioned by the FasTracks plan would result in an additional 160,000 to 320,000 residents and between 250,000 and 500,000 employees either living or working within a half mile of a transit stop.

Traffic and congestion. One impact of Denver's population growth and sprawling development has been an increase in traffic and congestion. Congestion in metro Denver is the 3rd worst in the nation, and area drivers experienced 73 million hours of delay due to traffic in 2001. Congestion costs the region billions of dollars each year in lost time and wasted fuel, and also hurts businesses through lost productivity and higher distribution costs.

FasTracks would give people more choices to avoid traffic by using transit, as well as reduce projected traffic growth when it is needed most, during rush-hour commutes. FasTracks would provide benefits to many people: light rail and bus service would be expanded both within and between underserved areas-91 percent of households in the region would live within five miles of a transit park and ride, and the plan includes expanded bus service that will provide better connections between and within the suburbs, with "feeder" routes to light and commuter rail stations.

Economy. Growing traffic congestion hurts the economy in terms of lost time and productivity. Travel delays and time spent commuting hurt businesses' efficiency, and can influence decisions to remain in or relocate to the Denver region. For companies that are involved in the delivery of goods and services, congestion is a particular economic challenge. Studies estimate that congestion costs the Denver region $1.4 billion dollars each year.

FasTracks would strengthen the economy by establishing better connections between people and jobs and assuring shorter travel times, thus fostering a higher quality of life that would help retain and attract workers and businesses. FasTracks would also stimulate the economy with the creation of new jobs. Construction of FasTracks would generate an estimated 8,000 construction jobs and 1,200 to 1,800 operations jobs. As the light rail lines are constructed, there would be more permanent positions and fewer construction positions.

Air Quality. As this summer's ozone violations have shown, air pollution problems in the Denver region have not gone away. Although stricter auto emissions standards have reduced overall emissions per vehicle, the impact of that improvement is offset by the dramatic increase in the number of miles residents drive each year. Both particulate matter (the wintertime "brown cloud") and ozone pollution (summertime smog) are pollutants of increasing concern in Denver. Air pollution poses a health risk in the region, particularly for children and the elderly who are more susceptible to asthma and other respiratory conditions.

FasTracks would help improve air quality in the region by giving commuters viable transit alternatives to driving. Increased transit use is critical to reducing total vehicle miles traveled in the region and resulting air pollution; experience gained from operation of the Southwest Light Rail line demonstrates that over 50 percent of the trips made on light rail were previously made by automobile.

Open Space. As more compact development occurs along transit corridors and around transit stops, open space at the urban edge will be saved from development. If the system were fully built-out as proposed, 6,500 to 13,000 acres of land would be saved from development.

Social progress and mobility. For many students, seniors and others without automobiles, the lack of a comprehensive and connected transit system is a barrier to mobility. For low income workers who rely on transit to get to work, commuting often is a challenge, since affordable housing and job centers tend to be located in different parts of the region and service often is limited in frequency and scope.

FasTracks would provide critical transportation connections. The light rail corridors would provide fast and reliable service to major employment centers, including downtown Denver, Denver International Airport and the Denver Tech Center; increased bus and bus circulator service will make these lines more accessible.