This week, RTD will begin soliciting public comments on plans for the 11-mile, $462 million Gold Line train from Union Station to Arvada and Wheat Ridge.
The Regional Transportation District will hold public meetings Tuesday and Wednesday nights to get ideas on alignment alternatives and station locations for the rail line, which will be built as part of FasTracks.
The meetings will kick off a two-year, $5 million environmental study of options for the Gold Line train. Such an environmental review is needed if RTD is to bid for federal money for the project.
Earlier studies have identified a tentative alignment with eight stations, said Liz Telford, RTD’s project manager for the Gold Line.
The new review will identify the final alignment and the number and location of stations, and it will choose a rail technology, either light rail or self-propelled commuter rail cars.
Commuter rail, which operates with heavier, more crash- resistent vehicles, can be powered by diesel fuel or electricity.
Arvada Mayor Ken Fellman said his city looks forward to the benefits of transit-related development that will take place near each of the Gold Line’s three stations in Arvada.
Of this week’s meetings, he said, “It’s important to get a lot of public input. This is one more element to move it (the Gold Line) to completion.”
Construction of the line is due to begin in 2011 and be completed by 2015, according to RTD documents.
The agency recently announced it would accelerate the opening of the West rail line to Golden and the redevelopment of Union Station by a year.
The West line also is part of FasTracks, the 10-year, $4.7 billion plan to add at least six new train lines in metro Denver.
Officials said accelerating the Union Station work may enable the agency at a later date to advance the completion of other FasTracks routes, including the Gold Line.
This week’s Gold Line meetings:
Tuesday, 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada
Wednesday, the same time at Highlands Masonic Center, 3550 Federal Blvd., Denver
Officials will make presentations each night from 6:15 to 6:45.
For more information on the project, go to rtdgoldline.com.
Staff writer Jeffrey Leib can be reached at 303-820-1645 or jleib@denverpost.com.
