Planners have identified preferred sites for key rail stations on the commuter line from Union Station to Denver International Airport.
Officials expect to locate the Central Park Boulevard station in Stapleton east of the Wal- Mart store on Smith Road, transportation planner R.A. Plummer said Tuesday. Plummer is leading a $9.5 million environmental study of the train line, which will be built as part of the Regional Transportation District’s $4.7 billion FasTracks plan.
The $702 million, 23.6-mile electric commuter train is to share the Union Pacific Railroad freight corridor that runs parallel to Interstate 70 from the intersection of 40th Street and East 40th Avenue to Peña Boulevard.
The DIA train is scheduled for completion in eight years and is expected to handle about 37,000 passenger trips a day.
The recommended site for the Colorado Boulevard station is on the west side of Colorado just north of East 40th Avenue.
The 40th Street/40th Avenue station is proposed for the intersection of East 40th Avenue, 40th Street and Blake Street on the west portion of an existing Union Pacific railyard.
Planners still must decide how much parking each station will have, Plummer said.
Officials are holding off on recommending a site for Peoria Street near Smith Road because work will soon begin on an environmental study of the Interstate 225 light-rail line to connect with the DIA train at Peoria.
Plans show officials might have to take some commercial properties via eminent domain at the Colorado and Peoria sites.
The $442 million I-225 line will link the Peoria station with Parker Road, serving the Fitzsimons medical complex and Aurora com mercial and government districts.
Other stations are planned for East 40th Avenue and Airport Boulevard; East 64th Avenue and Peña Boulevard; and East 72nd Avenue east of Tower Road.
