DENVER — The Regional Transportation District has hired a consultant to study the feasibility of a “peak service” plan to bring rail operations to its long-delayed Northwest, or B, commuter rail line.
The agency announced Wednesday that it had selected HDR Engineering Inc. to look into the possibility of offering three inbound morning trips and three outbound evening trips between Longmont, Colo., and Denver via Boulder. A commuter line to Longmont was approved as part of the 2004 FasTracks voter initiative, but only a short segment to Westminster has been built, and current estimates are that it would cost $1.5 billion and could take until 2050 to fully build out the remaining 35.3 miles of the B Line.
The study, expected to take two years, will provide updated engineering and cost estimates for the peak-service proposal, and will position the project for additional federal funding.
RTD CEO Debra Johnson said in a press release that the study “will provide RTD with public input and 2022 data that will enable the agency and interested parties to utilize a common set of facts in determining how best to serve the northern suburbs within the District. … I anticipate that the collective efforts with HDR Engineering will advance the path forward in a meaningful way.”
Johnson set off a controversy shortly after arriving at the RTD by questioning whether a rail line was the best way to serve Longmont [see “Digest: Denver RTD CEO questions plans …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 14, 2021]. That led to criticism from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and threats of legal action from Longmont, which has been helping fund the RTD since the 2004 initiative [see “Digest: Longmont, Colo, council to consider legal options …,” News Wire, Feb. 22, 2021]. Johnson eventually promised to revive plans for the line to Longmont, and the RTD approved funding for the feasibility study last August.
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